[4/1/2024] -Pi4/5 Support Incoming -Major League SkeeBall -- SkeeBall Controller

[nipsmg]

Fixed a bunch of bugs in Stranger in the Alps and Riskee related to the issue in the post above..

The issue I was having was something like this:
In Riskee, lets say the player is on their last ball, and they hit 40 to spin the wheel.  What was happening was:

• Spin initiated
• Ball count decremented
• On the next game update loop, 0 balls detected, call game end
• Game end fired, show high score if score merits it
• Sometime after this, the bonus wheel spin completes
• Score or ball count is incremented (or decremented), but game is over and high score is already recorded.

I had to create a game event queue that would allow me to register game actions with a priority.  High priority items always process before low priority items.
In the case above, this happens now:

• "SpinWheel" game event added with high priority. Since it's the only event, it starts executing immediately and is removed from queue
• Ball count decremented
• Update loop detects no balls left, adds "EndGame" event to the queue as LOW priority. Since Something is executing, this sits in queue
• Wheel spin ends. When the "SpinComplete" event fires, it adds the result of the spin as a game event to the queue with HIGH priority.  Since the "wheel spin" hasn't completed, this sits in queue.
• The last line of SpinComplete() is Pipeline.ProcessNext()
• Since there is an item in the high priority queue, it processes first, lets say "Play sound effect and add score" event.
• Last line of "Play sound effect and add score" event is Pipeline.ProcessNext()
• The next thing in the queue is a low priority item.. End Game.  EndGame is called and does the whole check/register high score and display GameEnd thing.

There's plenty of other occasions where this is an issue that I will eventually fix with the pipeline:

In Zap:

• Player hits the same number as another player
• Zap sound starts playing
• Please wait indictor comes up before the sound effect finishes and moves the score to 0

Plenty of others.  These really are the last major nagging bugs keeping me from releasing an alpha for testing.  I am hopeful for a weekend release.

[big420atx]

I would love to get involved in the beta test and what not. This is something I have been interested in for awhile now. Good luck and maybe we can talk a little more about the actual hardware side soon.

[nipsmg]

If you want to be a tester...
I've got a PRE-Alpha release built that I'm happy to share with anyone who wants to test.  I'm not quite comfortable making it globally available currently however.

If you're interested in doing some testing for me, please respond inline in the thread and I'm happy to send you a copy for testing.  Please post any bug reports, etc in this thread as well.

Important things to know:

The current build assumes a Model H/Model S with physical switches.  The way these machines score, is the ball drops through a hole, then rolls down a chute hitting every switch below it, THEN hits a switch in the ball return chute that i call "Ball Drain" on the way out.  The 100 pocket switches are worth 50, the others worth 10 in classic skeeball.

Note: I WILL me making this an option in a future release.  I know plenty of custom built solutions (and even newer real skeeball machines) use optical sensors that don't require a ball drain input.  This will be configurable in the config file in the next alpha release.

For example:

If you hit 100, the score is calculated like this:

score + 50 for 100 switch
Score + 10 for 50 switch
Score + 10 for 40 switch
Score + 10 for 30 switch
Score +10 for 20 switch
Score +10 for 10 switch
BallCount -1 for ball drain switch

Because of this mechanic, all games OTHER than Classic SkeeBall register the first switch it hits, then NO OTHER SWITCHES until the ball drain switch is hit.
So while testing, you have to manually advance the ball count.

Default Keys:

• A-10
• S-20
• D-30
• F-40
• G-50
• H-left 100
• J-Right 100
• N- Ball drain switch
• Esc - Back / Exit
• Left/Right - Left / right in menu.  Also left/right allow you to navigate through game modes for games that support it (310 and ZAP currently)
• UP/Down - Increase/Decrease Players.  Only works in Bowling, Zap, and 310 Currently.
• I - Info / High Score (only works in "game over" mode in a game.  Hit I once to see instructions, again to see highscore table (if game tracks highscore)
• Enter - Select / enter/ start game

So to test a 100 in Classic Skeeball, you have to hit H,G,F,D,S,A,N in order.  (N advances the ball count)
In any other game, you hit the pocket ball then you HAVE to hit N before you can register another pocket.  So to hit 40, you hit F then N.

SETTINGS:
The game is resolution independent, so you can set 4:3 resolutions and it *SHOULD* letterbox. There is a settings.json file you can inspect for settings.
You can also adjust the timeouts for attract mode, set fullscreen mode, etc.

I'm very open to comments, suggestions, etc. 

Please remember this is considered PRE-ALPHA..  it's by no means complete, but is definitely playable.

I really appreciate any help anyone is willing to give to help squash bugs.
I'm also VERY, VERY interested in feedback on current sound effects, suggestions for in-game sound effects, music, mechanics, graphics, improvements, etc. 
I'm also open for suggestions for new games/game modes.

[jimdeprado]

Thanks!  I would very much like to help test your software.  Let me know and I can PM you my email.

Jim

[nipsmg]

Jim, sounds good, PM me your specs (processor/RAM/OS/version) and I'll send you a link to an alpha copy.

[big420atx]

For anyone on the fence about this build. Let me tell everyone that this is amazing. Please help out with the beta test.

[nipsmg]

So, sorry for the lack of updates.  Haven't gotten any feedback yet, but will be doing some work to shore up some bugs this weekend.   

I spent a bit too much time on this int he beginning (at the detriment of some other home projects) so updates will be slow for the time being.  Sometime in march I'll be ordering the cork and starting the restore, which will likely spark more updates here.

Still would love beta testers of the software (you don't need a skeeball machine, just a keyboard!).  IF anyone else is interested, let me know!

Thanks!

[nipsmg]

For anyone who had been following this at all... it's been a month and a half since my last update and I've accomplished....

NOTHING

Work hit a crazy stride and I've had some difficult clients taking up 100% of my time.  I've made no physical progress on my machine and no progress on the software.  I'm planning on changing that this weekend, so hopefully I'll have some kind of update.  I'm taking Friday off work and my goal is to get the garage cleaned out, get the machine cleaned up, and hopefully look at getting it moved up into the garage so I can really start putting the finishing work into it.

This project is not dead.  Stay tuned.

[nipsmg]

And... here I am at work.  Didnt' take today off    Difficult clients win again.

Maybe this weekend.  *sigh*

[stangx]

This project is amazing.. I picked up a non working skee ball lightning and have been sitting on the fence to either replace CPU or going other routes. I have arduino, Raspberry pi and and a spare laptop. Also have an IPAC 2 left over from my Visual pinball Cab build. I love how you have several different games incorporated and will be waiting for your next release as my machine has optical sensors or I would have gladly helped test your first release. Anyways you have done an awesome job and look forward to your next release.

[nipsmg]

Stangx,

    Thanks.  I'm actually pulling the Skeeball out of the basement this weekend, and am working on the new scoring board.  I'll be routing the slots for the optical sensors, so I should be able to start adding support in the next few weeks.

    The optical sensors will allow me to add support for a lot more game modes.  Ideally I want to get LEDs installed as well, which really opens up possibilities.

[RW]

Like stangx above, I just purchased a non-working skee-ball machine and I've been trying to decide on how to proceed.  I would LOVE to have the setup you're working on, but would need some help getting it started.  I have a raspberry pi and arduino I could salvage from another project, but would definitely need some guidance on setup.  Count me in!

[stangx]

That is great news nipsmg. I have all ready swapped out lane lighting to led. blue tooth controlled and sound activated. I ordered a led wiz, so all other lighting will be controlled by it. Looking forward to seeing more on your project.

[nipsmg]

Like stangx above, I just purchased a non-working skee-ball machine and I've been trying to decide on how to proceed.  I would LOVE to have the setup you're working on, but would need some help getting it started.  I have a raspberry pi and arduino I could salvage from another project, but would definitely need some guidance on setup.  Count me in!

RW, I haven't gotten MonoGame to run on a RaspberryPi hardware accelerated.. yet.  Apparently it can be done, but I've had a lot of trouble getting it working.   Apparently OpenAL doesn't work, so you have to either use ALSA or compile an OpenAL library directly.  There's a thread about it on reddit and on the monogame community forums.

If someone can figure out how to get it set up on RPI for me and give me an image, I'd be happy to be sure it runs properly on that platform.

[RW]

I've got a spare laptop, as well as an older desktop, I could use to test for you.  I spent the day today troubleshooting since I've only had this thing for less than a week.  Even if I can get it working, I'd swap out the insides to this project in a minute.

[nipsmg]

Recent Updates

• Fixed issue in Bowling where game would freeze after game completion when less than 4 players playing.
• Fixed ZAP to allow special events like zapping a player to 0 to finish before game state changes occur (next player / game over).
• Fixed Skricket to allow special events and sound effects to complete prior to game state change.

[nipsmg]

Started working on an integrated particle system for effects such as:

• stars when you hit a mole in whack a mole.
• Explosion and smoke effects when bomb explodes in Riskee
• Snow in Stranger in the Alps.
• fireworks / spark showers for winner animations

Still trying to figure out some weird quirks.

[nipsmg]

Updates

Implemented new ParticleEffectBase class that wraps a MonoGame.Extended ParticleEffect in a DrawableGameComponent for easy adding to the component collection for drawing.  ParticleEffectBase can be AutoTriggered or the entire effect can be given a lifetime.  For example, if you want to set off a spark shower for .5 seconds every time something happens, you can set the lifetime to .5s and when you call .Trigger(location), it'll track lifetime and keep it emitting for 5 seconds, while the particles decay at their own defined lifetimes.

Added an "OuchParticleEffect" that appears over the mole when you hit it in WackAMole.

I should have a video demoing some of the particle stuff once I implement the "Explosion" particle effect in Riskee either tomorrow or Friday..

Progress is coming again.....

[williams00]

THIS IS AWESOME!!!
I've got 5 Skeeball Model S's with 3 available for testing and would love to be involved in this.
I just started looking into this today and found that you have already done what I wanted to happen, and more!
Will this plug into the existing harnesses or do you need to rewire?

I look forward to following the thread!

[stangx]

I have had the pleasure to test Major league SkeeBall and must say it updates and old skeeball machine into an up to date arcade machine. Games everyone can enjoy. Sounds and animation just add to the gameplay. I have stopped looking for a CPU to bring my machine back to original as the games you are able to play using this software gives an old machine new life with many new features. Well done thus far nipsmg
Help test this software you will not be disappointed. 

[nipsmg]

THIS IS AWESOME!!!
I've got 5 Skeeball Model S's with 3 available for testing and would love to be involved in this.
I just started looking into this today and found that you have already done what I wanted to happen, and more!
Will this plug into the existing harnesses or do you need to rewire?

I look forward to following the thread!

\


All you'll need is:

• a display of some kind to put in the top of the cabinet.. (this one fit nearly perfectly: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073JYHTV6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1),
• A pc/laptop to run it (I'm still hoping someone will help me get MonoGame running on an rPi, but nothing so far
• A keyboard encoder (a cheap joystick-based arcade encoder and Joy2Key might work too)
• Buttons for controlling it (up, down, left, right, select, info, back)
• Some wire and .250 fastons.

You could likely build a harness that connects to current wiring, but I just ripped that out and ran my own wiring to the switches.  My cabinet project thread will get some more images/detail around that sometime in the next week or so.

[redcardkid7]

This is awesome!  I would love to be involved in the beta testing.  I have a custom built Skeeball machine that uses optical sensors for scoring, so I'm not sure if the beta software would work with it.  If not I'm still willing to test it out on the computer.  Let me know and I can PM you my email. 

[nipsmg]

Redcardkid7: send me your email via PM.

It does not currently support optical sensors, but I plan o implementing preliminary support very soon.  Should be relatively easy to implement.

[PL1]

It does not currently support optical sensors, but I plan o implementing preliminary support very soon.  Should be relatively easy to implement.

I recommend using the Adafruit 2167 3mm beam break sensors.

- Extremely fast response time.
- Active low device -- when you break the beam, the white wire drops to logic low.
- They work with 5v (PC) or 3.3v. (RasPi GPIO)

3D printable mount available here on Thingiverse.

You can protect the sensors and wires using 1/2" x 1/2" C-channel aluminum.
- Open side toward back of playfield.
- Cut a notch so the LED and sensor can see each other.

Warning: The prices on Amazon are really high -- $9.99 each or $20.23 for a set of 5.   

If you order directly from Adafruit, they are only $1.95 each    . . . when they are in stock.   


Scott

[nipsmg]

Pl1:  NICE.  I am planning on putting in the break beam sensors sometime in June.   This is a bit easier than notching out the underside of the wood.

I will definitely look into these and the mount.

[nipsmg]

Updates: (no new build yet)

Project / Build Environment:
   - Added required DLLs directly into project to allow for automated builds in Visual Studio Online.
   - Updated project to use MonoGame nuGet packages to allow automated build in Visual Studio Online.
   - Implemented dev and main branch CI builds to prevent regressions.
   - All code now released from VSTS code drops.

Title Screen Updates:
   - Added new exitdialog graphics.
   - Added Exit Dialog functionality for title screen to force confirmation of software exit.
   - Fixed AttractMode keypress behavior to prevent accidental exits from the software.

[nipsmg]

 Alpha SDK and guide ready for testers who want to try their hand at writing add-on games!!

I've made quite a few updates, including the ability to load plugins.  As such, I started writing an E-Book for the SDK that's a walkthrough on making a SkeeBall game. 
I'd love for someone to test drive the SDK and the E-Book thus far and give me some thoughts and feedback.  It goes from setting up a dev environment through creating the add-on, registering it, and getting the game to a fully working state with full game logic and text -only output.  I plan on finishing up the book and the new game over the next 2 weeks.

Note, the game is written in MonoGame, and will require knowledge of C# and a windows environment.

If anyone is interested, please PM me!

[nipsmg]

The first pass at the SDK Programming Guide is split into the following chapters:

The ebook is split into the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Getting Started
This chapter goes through installing monogame and setting up your dev environment to make plugin development easy.

Chapter 2: Hello, World!  Creating a Basic Add-On Game
Chapter 2 takes you from no code, to creating a plugin with an Add-On game, defining the game metadata, and getting it to load in the menu, and launch displaying Hello, World!.



Chapter 3: Adding State Switching and Scoring Logic
Chapter 3 has the developer adding in game logic and text-based display, fully implementing the game logic into a playable, functional game with user switching and win detection.

[nipsmg]

Finished a new chapter in the programming e-book and advanced the Tug-Of-War sample game!
Chapter 4: Adding Background Graphics and Scoring Displays
In this chapter, we add background graphics and digital displays for player score and balls left.  We also walk through using color intensity to indicate the current player.
At the end of this chapter, our game is starting to shape up!



The coming chapters will deal with

• Adding sound effects
• Adding animations and using timers
• Leveraging built-in Please Wait and Player Up Indicators
• Using the pipeline to schedule events

[nipsmg]

I've come up with the final design of what the SDK sample game will look like:



The game will feature the following:

• Custom game start and player change graphics
• Animated foreground and background sprites
• Background crowd sounds
• Crowd reaction sounds for scores, getting close to winning, and scoring high or low
• Custom winning event and graphics.

It'll probably be my most "complete" game so far,  and the SDK programming guide will walk you through building it step by step.  Even if you've never coded before, you should be able to follow the guide exactly and end up with a final game, and an understanding about how it works.

I also made the following updates to the sdk:

• Updated screenshot in menu to be final screenshot
• Separated score box and background graphics
• Updated guide for rendering score box and background separately
• Updated screenshots in guide where necessary

[nipsmg]

Finished a new chapter in the programming guide:
Chapter 5: Adding Sound Effects and Ambient Background Sounds

In this chapter, we walk through adding sound effects and background sounds.  WE add an ambient background crowd sound, and add crowd reaction noises for things like:

• Hitting a pocket worth 40 or more
• Getting within 50 points of winning (Crowd chants "Go! Go! Go!)
• Crowd groans if you hit a gutter or are within 50 and don't win in that round

[nipsmg]

Finished a new chapter in the programming guide:
Chapter 6 - Adding Background and Player Sprites

• Added crowd sprites
• Changed rendering order of score boxes so crowd is behind boxes
• Added TugOfWar sprite
• Animate crowd sprites so the crowd on the side of the current player jumps up and down when it's their turn
• Animated move of the TugOfWar sprite left or right depending on current score

-----

I'm getting towards the end of the Programming Guide for the SDK.  Once that's done, I will be releasing a public beta of the game and programming guide.

[nipsmg]

Stock Game Updates:

• Riskee:
  • Added background music.
  • Amplified "add bomb" sound effect
• Stranger in the Alps:
  • Added High (actually ,low) Score Tracking for fewest number of balls
  • Implemented pipeline delays to support high score tracking.

[Amusinggestures]

I'm definitely interested in testing. Do you have any plans to support relay controls for ticket dispensers? And ball dispenser?

[nipsmg]

I hadn't thought about ticket dispensing, but no ball dispensing, no.  Many of the games are time-based not ball-based.  That's an issue with legacy rocker-arm style ball dispensers that only allow 6 or 9 at a time.

I'll work on getting a test build to you, but am going on vacation tomorrow so it might have to wait until I get back in a week :-/

[Amusinggestures]

Awesome looking forward to your message containing the build. I guess I could wire it up so that when a coin is inserted it releases the relay to dispense balls and that after a certain time period it locks the balls in again. But definitely interested in ticket dispensing. My kids love tickets and I can have them redeem them for prizes

[nipsmg]

Awesome looking forward to your message containing the build. I guess I could wire it up so that when a coin is inserted it releases the relay to dispense balls and that after a certain time period it locks the balls in again. But definitely interested in ticket dispensing. My kids love tickets and I can have them redeem them for prizes

@amusinggestures - check your PM

@everyone - sorry for the lack of updates.  Between work and vacations I have been nowhere near able to dedicate time to this, but will pick it back up soon.

[ScotyMac]

Been working on plans to retrofit a pinball size/type skeeball.  this would be awesome to use with that.  I would love to get a version to try it out.  Let me know if that is still possible.  Thanks Scot

[Howard_Casto]

So how hard do you think it'd be to make a decent skeeball machine?  I'd like to make something that could be kept outdoors (could be on the porch if necessary) as I don't have the room.

[Mike A]

An all weather Skee Ball machine would be cool.