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Adding a pinball plunger
CM:
Just a thought .. I made my joystick the plunger function in VP, and it works quite nice. You still get the pull back feel and the "thwomp" of releasing it. Not as authentic .. but much easier ;)
hyiu:
should be ok about the normally closed situation...
cos microswitches have NO and NC connections... you can plug the other way.... which will reverse the whole thing....
shmokes:
I've never used visual pinball. Is there any way to control how hard you launch the ball with the plunger? It doesn't seem like this could be controlled with your setup.
CitznFish:
--- Quote from: shmokes on May 09, 2003, 02:26:33 pm ---I've never used visual pinball. Is there any way to control how hard you launch the ball with the plunger? It doesn't seem like this could be controlled with your setup.
--- End quote ---
from 3 posts up:
--- Quote ---Visual Pinball measures how long you hold the plunger key down, and the speed the plunger travels down is dependent on the table. This should lead to a fairly natural action, as pulling the plunger back halfway and releasing it should take less time than pulling it back all the way and releasing it. I may need to adjust some of the tables, though, to get the timing as close to natural as possible...
--Chris
--- End quote ---
TheTick:
Variation of my suggestion...
Construct your own switch using metal strips. Connection isn't closed (completed) until the plunger is pulled all the way back. The longer you hold it back, the farther the virtual plunger would be pulled back. Releasing the plunger releases the virtual plunger.
Fasten something like a metal L-Bracket to the inside of the control panels shell. And attach a piece of metal the plunger that will make contact when it is fully extracted. Wire one to ground, and the other up as a button on the IPAC. I suppose you could attach a microswitch to the L-Bracket, and just have the piece extended from the plunger press it in.
The plunger won't physically hit anything on its return, so no switch to damage and no leaves to adjust.