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That's How I Roll! (Skeeball build)
nipsmg:
14,000 lines of code deep? What are you writing? What language? Any examples?
This is my software:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,156300.0.html
I’d love to collaborate with someone!
netlohcs:
Your software looks awesome!
I wrote my code in python, using Tkinter as the front facing GUI.
I would LOVE to go into more detail, I am not sure exactly where to start - trying to explain everything at once would be quite literally a novel. (I actually have grown accustomed to warning people at the beginning of these converstations that i LOVE talking about skeeball, so you need to stop me if i'm going overboard).
I have built two tables. Each tables rings are made out of stacked layers of polycarbonate that have red and blue LEDs built into each ring. (there is also a piece of rubber clamped to the top of these rings so that they play properly). This allows for direct feedback from the playfield, which opens up a TON of game design options. Additionally, my two tables communicate with each other in real time, allowing for the creation of head to head and co-op games that are time based. As a simple example, I also have a game called "whack a hole". In this vs. game, two players would each be standing at their own skeeball table. Random holes will light up on both boards. So for example, the 10 hole would light up both on player 1 and player 2's tables. Whoever hits the hole first gets the points, and a different hole lights up. This game is 60 seconds long, and there are actually 2 holes lit at an given time, but you get the idea.
The biggest difference between my tables and other skeeball tables are the lights embedded into the playfield that give feedback as to the status of the game. I will try to get some pictures up soon.
As to the amount of code, Ive written about 40 different games. Some of them seemed great in theory but turned out to be clunkers. Some of them on the other hand are great, and have extremely addicting replay value. Additionally, each one of my tables has a built in camera. If you get a high score for any given game (top 4 high scores), it takes your picture, overlays the score on it, and displays these scores/pictures in the menu for that game.
It should be noted that I am NOT a computer programmer, or really someone who normally writes code. The way that I have the two tables communicating with eachother would probably give a legitimate programmer a stroke. But, it works for me, and I am able to achieve roughly a 20hz communication refresh rate between the machines (this is with Pi 3s, and I am in the process of switching over to Pi 4s which i'm hoping will improve that number by about 20%).
I'll get pictures soon. You have no idea how giddy I am that there are other people out there that are nerding it up as hard as I am over skeeball.
netlohcs:
I'll post more soon, but for now heres a picture of my playfield so you can get at least a rough Idea:
https://imgur.com/a/7XVExUX
I apologize, because these pictures are actually about 4 years old now. This is table 1 and 2 of mine. I'm currently in the process of building tables 3 and 4, which I plan to have "in the wild", starting with the game room at my church. Either way, I'll get better pictures soon.
netlohcs:
Didn't realize I could attach pictures to my post directly. Heres a few.
thatpurplestuff:
--- Quote from: Entropy42 on October 05, 2020, 09:57:10 pm ---The ball return lighting looks great with those black balls. I think your net looks good, better than a fake plexiglass netting. I made mine out of EMT conduit, bent to follow the wood frame, and I'm really happy with the way it looks (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,116309.msg1325158.html#msg1325158), but that's also pretty much how yours looks now and you said you don't like it, so I guess to each his own. I just need a better string for holding the net on. The yarn I'm using is garbage and is fraying badly but I haven't bothered to redo it. My net is really tight and the balls come off of it pretty well.
--- End quote ---
Thanks, but your netting turned out a LOT nicer than mine haha. Mine is droopy in sections and just doesn't do a great job of keeping the balls in the playfield (they don't bounce out, but they usually have to whack against the pvc frame before they head back to the scoring area). I've tried multiple times trying to thread the frame through the net to tighten things up, but it just looks funky. It's funny because when I was looking up net ideas I did a google image search and your net came up, I love it and somehow I didn't see it when you posted it here. I'm not dead set on the plexi net, but I'm excited about the idea of the led/plexi net and at least want to see a proof of concept before I decide one way or the other.
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