Anyone Build there own VPMAME pinball machine?

[Demon-Seed]

Hey
I have been having a hell of a time finding sample projects, links and ideas... I know ppl have done it..any links? is it worth it?

thx
JIM

[ark_ader]

Why not start and build yourself a Vpinball table?

You can document it and be one of the first to create such a wonder.

There are plenty of examples like in the Visual Pinball forums.

The cost depends on the size, and you have to modify the tables to make the illusion work.

I'm sure Saint had the same resource issues when he made his book, so my guess you will have different prototypes.

I like the look of this one, and I'm sure you will try to get the same effect.



Good luck, and please share your project diary with us.   

[Demon-Seed]

Hey
Yea I am considering building one..however I here its not nearly as fun as an original machine....however pinball machines are pricey as heck. I am trying to find any links to examples although not having much luck

thx
JIM

[yugffuts]

VP is not the same experience as a real pin, but it is entertaining.

Keep in mind, to make a good VP cabinet, you'll need the raw materials, a decent PC, an LCD for the backbox (to display the backglass/score/DMD of the machine) and a large LCD widescreen monitor for the playfield.  This will not be cheap. 

You don't need examples, as it's not hard to do.  If you are thoroughly entertained by VP, build the cab.

[ChadTower]

an LCD for the backbox (to display the backglass/score/DMD of the machine)

I don't agree that this is a necessity.  At all.

[Dazz]

I want to build a VPM/Future Pinball table soooooo freaking bad.  Unfortunately it's only a want as I will not have the funds to ever build one unless I win the lottery. 

[torcer]

Don't give up, big lcds are getting cheaper every day.

[Dazz]

Don't give up, big lcds are getting cheaper every day.

I know, but I have 4 standard TV's that need to be converted to HDTV before next years analog cutoff.   Thankfully I have my 65" HD in the living room until I can replace the others.

[CheffoJeffo]

FWIW, I looked at building one of these and the biggest issue that I found was that some of my favourite tables didn't lend themselves nicely to the "overhead" rotation and required significant tweaking. And, at the time, I couldn't be bothered to make those tweaks.

[Demon-Seed]

ihave heard that vp doesnt do landscape well

[Kangum]

ihave heard that vp doesnt do landscape well

landscape in vp 6 is really good. unfortunatly it crashes on exit. ive heard of turning off error reporting allows to functionally use it but ive never tried it.

this is a table fullscreen in version 6. not the best table to pick and i could have made it better but it shows there are no black bars on the side like in version 7 and 8.

[psychotech]

Well, I built a jukebox...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=67842.msg729531#msg729531

While it's mainly a jukebox, it is also ..a really playable pinball machine too

FWIW...

[Tim N.]

I am finishing mine up now. I started it back in September, and then my wife and I had our first kid in October, and I am just now getting back to it, I will post a lot more pics soon, I am using three tilt assemblies for nudging, L, R, up, and I have modified every single table to work nicely on my 42 inch LCD and 15 inch LCD. Scott at mamemarquees is printing my artwork as we speak, he had to order a special wide roll of the backlight film for the translite as this one is really wide. Pictures/writeup can be followed here- http://www.ralphwiggum.net/multipin.html

[ChadTower]

I know, but I have 4 standard TV's that need to be converted to HDTV before next years analog cutoff. 

No you don't.  They don't need to be changed at all.  The only thing going away is OTA analog - few people use that anymore, and among those that do, all they'll have to do is get a cheap digital tuner box.

[Kangum]

Tim your project looks like its comming along great. would you be willing to post some info related to the backglass. how you load and display the backglass and table at the same time and how you are getting the dmd to display on the second screen.

actually any info would be appreciated related to the operation of the backglass. how it works ect.

[ark_ader]

I am finishing mine up now. I started it back in September, and then my wife and I had our first kid in October, and I am just now getting back to it, I will post a lot more pics soon, I am using three tilt assemblies for nudging, L, R, up, and I have modified every single table to work nicely on my 42 inch LCD and 15 inch LCD. Scott at mamemarquees is printing my artwork as we speak, he had to order a special wide roll of the backlight film for the translite as this one is really wide. Pictures/writeup can be followed here- http://www.ralphwiggum.net/multipin.html

Wow that project really looks sweet.  Congrats to have the vision to see it through. 

I would start small and get bigger with skill.  With 19" widescreen LCDs coming down in price, one can see how inexspensive it can be.  But if you have a family and a lot of outgoing, then its still a dream until the prices come down. 

The tweaks and the error issues on exit have been resolved, and yet a great deal of modifying the tables to give it the depth is very time consuming.  I would have it for Funhouse and Addams Family only, which are the pins I play the most.

I still think Demon-Seed can show us his craft and make one of these beauties, and that I do look forward to. 

I also would like to see a knievel's pinball cab (if he has made one).   As his talents show you the extremes of what you can do to a cab. 

[Tim N.]

I am only loading the dmd/display on the second monitor that is in the cabinet head. I wrestled with the idea for awhile of getting a second full size display for the head, but I decided to keep to a set theme for the entire cabinet including the backglass. Directly below the center logo in the translite, I will be doing a cut out large enough to accomodate just the screen of the second LCD and nothing else, so the display will look pretty integrated into the backglass.

I think the main reason I went this route was not really cost (but it does cost a bit less to go with the smaller lcd in the backglass), but the fact that I have 7 pinballs lined up on my wall in the basement and this one will be at the end of the row. I wanted it to look as similar to a normal pinball as possible when looking at it next to the other pins. While I think the full LCD backglass looks pretty impressive, it just doesn't feel right to me lined up next to my pins. As soon as I get the artwork from Scott, I will post more pics to go along with everything else that is already done...

[Demon-Seed]

Hey
Yea that project looks interesting....keep up the good work...keep us posted. I am wondering how one can use the 2 screens..I would like to have the top screen change the marquee and house the scores....kinda like ultrapin does...

also I am not familiar with this nudging thing?? any one advise how it works/?

[rovingmind]

Hey
Yea that project looks interesting....keep up the good work...keep us posted. I am wondering how one can use the 2 screens..I would like to have the top screen change the marquee and house the scores....kinda like ultrapin does...

also I am not familiar with this nudging thing?? any one advise how it works/?

its the equivalent of giving the pinball table a "nudge" to bump the ball off course, or onto a different course.  Visual pinball and pinmame give you three possible nudges equivalent to bumping the left side, right side or front of the pinball table.  As in a real machine, if you nudge to often the machine goes into "TILT" and you forfiet the game.

[Kangum]

i have not had much luck with the nudge in visual pinball. usualy you can use the left and right nudge to prevent drains on the left and right lanes. center nudge sometimes you can actually pop the ball back up from a center drain and catch it with the flipper bringing the ball back into play. future pinball has a much stronger nudge so it tends to work better.

[Fozzy The Bear]

Hey
Yea that project looks interesting....keep up the good work...keep us posted. I am wondering how one can use the 2 screens..I would like to have the top screen change the marquee and house the scores....kinda like ultrapin does...

also I am not familiar with this nudging thing?? any one advise how it works/?

its the equivalent of giving the pinball table a "nudge" to bump the ball off course, or onto a different course.  Visual pinball and pinmame give you three possible nudges equivalent to bumping the left side, right side or front of the pinball table.  As in a real machine, if you nudge to often the machine goes into "TILT" and you forfiet the game.

Some real tables also include a ball save feature, where they pop up a peg for a couple of seconds to prevent the ball going out of play when you push the nudge buttons. So you need nudge buttons on the panel to emulate that as well.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Tim N.]

Yep, the hardest thing about building this was playing every table and figuring out exactly which buttons I need. Since so many tables have different buttons, I tried to make a universal layout to accomodate all the different tables. The updated pictures (when I post them) will show that. I have two flipper buttons on each side, this was done mainly for the Shadow, but I also use the extra button on the side for games like you mentioned that have up-posts like Champion Pub. I also have the factory Williams coin door buttons wired and working correctly for all game adjustments ,volume, etc. just like they were originally designed. I have a large Williams Ball launch button, a Data East Start Button, and a Williams extra ball button on the front. On the front of the coin door, I have three small Stern buttons that I use for admin functions. They reside wherethe dollar bill acceptor plate is. One is power for the computer, the second is Escape/Exit, and the third is coin. Not all games utilize free play, so the coin button is needed. I also have the coin acceptor wired to work, but that is just more for fun than anything...

[unclet]

What do you have to do to each table to get it working properly with your display?  Did you have to go into the Visual Pinball editor for each table and tweak them?  What did you do?

[ChadTower]

i have not had much luck with the nudge in visual pinball.

That is because it sucks in the software.  You can't make something work well in a cab that doesn't work well in the software.  Frankly, nudge is going to be nearly impossible to get right in software, since it is all feel and intuition on the player's part. 

[Tim N.]

i have not had much luck with the nudge in visual pinball.

That is because it sucks in the software.  You can't make something work well in a cab that doesn't work well in the software.  Frankly, nudge is going to be nearly impossible to get right in software, since it is all feel and intuition on the player's part. 

..Yep agreed, there is some slight physics tweaking you can do with the software, but it really is nothing like pinball at all. Even in real pinball, you can have two seemingly identical machines next to each other and they may nudge differently alltogether.

I should note that this visual pinball table I am doing is not made to replace any real pinball tables. If anyone thinks this will do that, it absolutely will not. But I am fairly limited on space, and have 6 pinballs that are keepers, and 1 rotation pin (Currently Demolition Man), so this table allows me to learn rule sets and gameplay for those tables I may be interested in as my next rotation pin. It also allows me to get a feel for games that I know will never make their way into my basement EVER... Games like KingPin and Big Bang Bar....

[Tim N.]

What do you have to do to each table to get it working properly with your display?  Did you have to go into the Visual Pinball editor for each table and tweak them?  What did you do?

There is actually quite a bit of tweaking and customizing that goes into each individual table and I couldn't count the number of hours it took me to adjust the tables to my setup. It really is kind of a long explanation, but a good start would be to head over to vpforums.com and check out some of the different methods of adjustment....This thread in particular may help answer some of your question- http://www.vpforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=0622297da045c2db6feb405fcdfc5f93&threadid=36732&perpage=20&highlight=vertical&pagenumber=3

[ChadTower]

There are two problems with the nudge as I see it.  There is only one strength of nudge - that is not how one nudges.  It is not a digital action.  The other problem is that no one ever nudges purely left, right, or up.  An effective nudge is always some angle relative to where the ball is headed and what it is headed towards.

This is one of the reasons I always say that people need to think of VP as a video game rather than pinball.  You pretty much have to learn to play without nudge, without spin, without any slop in mechanicals, without airballs, and with the knowledge that fairly often the ball is going to go right through your flipper for no damn reason.

[divemaster127]

This post is in responce to Daz about his needing a new Tv before Feb. of 09, if you have cable, or sat. it will not matter if your TV is still analog you will be fine.  If you are using over the air you can get a convertor box for approx. $40.00
dm

[Dazz]

I am aware of the options that are out there for 2009...  I'm just looking for an excuse to have all flat panel displays in the house.  The woman is oblivious to the new technology, so this is my chance to pounce and get all new TV's for the house.  

While I would love to have a dedicated VPM/Future Pinball cabinet; it is not a priority.  I'm perfectly happy with my MAME cabinet setup for pinball and can live with that for a while.  I am finally going to get my 1969 D. Gottlieb & Company Road Race pinball machine that I've had for 30 years restored!  If for some reason I can't restore it, and ONLY if I can't restore it, then I will see about converting it to a VPM table at that time.

[ChadTower]

  If for some reason I can't restore it, and ONLY if I can't restore it, then I will see about converting it to a VPM table at that time.

Tell me you're just being a troll with that statement.  Unless you pulled the thing out of a lake there would be zero excuse to make an EM pin into a freakin' VP cabinet.

[Dazz]

  If for some reason I can't restore it, and ONLY if I can't restore it, then I will see about converting it to a VPM table at that time.

Tell me you're just being a troll with that statement.  Unless you pulled the thing out of a lake there would be zero excuse to make an EM pin into a freakin' VP cabinet.

I didn't realize that it was an EM machine, but yes, I'm just being an ass.  Believe me I'm not going to convert it if I can absolutely help it... I'll call in the pros to help fix it if I must.  The machine probably isn't worth much, but it has more sentimental value than anything that I've ever owned.  The problem is that I'm sortta scared to move it, so I can start the restore process... 

The pin was given to me at the age of 2 years old and previously it was in my grandfathers restaurant where I played it many times.  The restaurant burned down to the ground and all that was pretty much left/salvageable was this machine.  The glass was broken and some minor water damage when he brought it home. 

The machine has been stored in my grandfathers garage and in the same exact spot for 30 years.  It has never been moved, but the garage housed as many as 20 dogs at one time or another.  I'm really worried about the legs being extremely rusted (by dog piss) and how difficult it will be to find replacements.  All rubbers and lights are probably going to need to be replaced as well.  Another primary concern is that the garage was also overrun with German cockroaches at one time and no telling how much damage they have done with the electronics or playfield inside.  I haven't seen the machine in a couple years, but my grandfather is about to pass away and I will move the machine at that time.  I am really afraid that there are still roaches in that unattached garage, I sure as hell don't want to bring any home with me. 

I didn't drag it out from a lake litterly, but if you ask me I might of well have. 

[Demon-Seed]

Hey
Well this topic is sparking some interest I would like to see more photos and info on the project being made mentioned here... I wish I could find more examples and plans etc.

Why is vp so hard to make landscape? I do not get it...can't it be squeezed and keep aspect?  just seems odd that all this work has to go into it. FUnny how that is yet ultrapin doesnt have that need. I think vp creator can do it however isn't implementing it so he can make $ for commercial use... just a thought

Jim

[Kangum]

i think you can still have a very enjoyable machine without the backglass and rotation. i have a 17 inch non widescreen and visual pinball looks exceptional. you dont loose the height on a 4:3 screen like you do on widescreen.

there is also the bonus that every table ever created will work.

[rrcade]

Hey
Well this topic is sparking some interest I would like to see more photos and info on the project being made mentioned here... I wish I could find more examples and plans etc.

Why is vp so hard to make landscape? I do not get it...can't it be squeezed and keep aspect?  just seems odd that all this work has to go into it. FUnny how that is yet ultrapin doesnt have that need. I think vp creator can do it however isn't implementing it so he can make $ for commercial use... just a thought

It's not Landscape that is the problem, it's  Portrait (you know Vertical display) like a pinball should look. People have done it but there isn't any real documentation out there to help anyone which is really pissing me off

Jim

[RayB]

This post is in responce to Daz about his needing a new Tv before Feb. of 09, if you have cable, or sat. it will not matter if your TV is still analog you will be fine.  If you are using over the air you can get a convertor box for approx. $40.00
dm

Doesn't even have to be your own money. The US gov is giving out vouchers to cover the cost of the convertor box.

[rrcade]

Tim N.  have you gotten any further on your vpinball machine? If so please help a brother out and let us know how you do the two monitors and Landscape playfield

[telengard]

This guy has made a particularly nice looking one.

http://www.youtube.com/user/lordhiryu

I hope to eventually getting around to building one.  The big issues seem to be portrait mode and, well for me, allowing realistic input for nudging.

~telengard

[rrcade]

Yes his is really nice, I can't understand why all the info on doing this is so hush hush in the vpforums.

[Demon-Seed]

Hey
I know its a major piss off..many have made some cool tables however they will not share how it was done.. friggin stupid if you ask me.

Jim

[lanman31337]

On my MAME machine i put the flippers and tilt buttons on left and right, and a center tilt button so i can bump it with my hip.  I use player two joystick down like the plunger.