STAR WARS: Pinball Unleashed - 46"/32"/DMD Widebody Virtual Pinball Build

[Gamester]

Duplicate post removed.

[nipsmg]

Where did you source the DMD from and what did you pay for it?  I've seen a few places but they all want between $480 and $520 for the orange variant.  If that's what it's going to take then fine, but it's pretty steep, and will delay the build for a while.  But now that I've seen the actual DMD there's no way I'm going without one.


***EDIT*** n/m, found it for $279 on preorder at virtuapin!

[Gamester]

***EDIT*** n/m, found it for $279 on preorder at virtuapin!

The one on virtuapin isn't quite the same as mine.  That version actually uses 8x8 LED segments to comprise the pixel array.  Mine, actually has one uniform array of pixels (read more expensive).  The version with the single pixel array (LEE-128G032-1) does look a little nicer, IMO, but the other version is a good compromise between price and image quality.

Here's a closeup of the version on virtuapin (you can see the squares):



And here's mine:



There is also a couple other makers for the DMDs.  There is one called the PinLED (http://www.pinled.de/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1), and their latest version uses 16x16 LED segments, and looks pretty good.  But it's hard to get a hold of here in the States.  There is also one called the Xpin (http://xpinpinball.com) which also uses 8x8 segments.  They have a few different color options.  If you purchase from them, you have to be sure to request the 5v version.

So basically the Vishay LEE-128G032-1 is really the only game in town that has a non-segmented display.  Vishay is also what most of the real pinball machines use and is considered the standard.  But to get the top-of-the-line, there is definitely a price premium to be paid.  To me it was worth it, because it's really the centerpiece display in the cab.

Also, be careful.  There are plasma versions of the Vishay that might lure you with their seemingly low price.  However, they have very special power/voltage requirements and are much more difficult to get working.  The expense of the extra gear to provide all the right voltages, and the extra effort involved is probably not worth it.

[mcseforsale]

sub


scribed


AJ

[dandro]

wow, this needed some explicit advisory notice about the parts porn!! Subbed as well! 

[DaveMMR]

Damn that's insane. My keyboard is all covered in drool.

[darthpaul]

I wish I did see this, I was trying to save some money  . I could see me getting sidetracked again and building one of these.

[Gamester]

Thanks for the compliments folks.  Some of them have really given me a chuckle. 

@darthpaul - looks like you've got your hands full with your cab project. I like the led-lit sith symbol.  You've definitely given me some things to think about for my project. 

I can't wait to get to the bling part of my build.  I've got some ideas I think you guys will dig.   

[mackey256]

Holy cow this build looks great.  I can't wait to see how it turns out.   

[Gamester]

Was hoping to start construction on the cabinet this weekend, but the weather had other plans.  So in the interest of still being productive, I started on the artwork.  Here's my first pass for the cabinet side.  Obviously the full size artwork is over 4 feet long, so this is a VERY tiny representation.  The full size version obviously has a lot more detail...

[Roo5676]

That artwork is awesome -- very professional looking.  It has a lot of detail, but it's not so busy as to be distracting like some of the "mashup" style artwork I've seen.

It will go great with Zen's Star Wars tables.  Maybe if they get the cabinet-ready PC build out, your machine can be part of some viral/social marketing for one of the later Star Wars table packs...

[griffindodd]

Nice first run at the artwork. If you're looking for input I think it looks kinda 'bitty', the central logo works well but the other objects around it lack structure in their layout. Also a good general rule is not to put objects with direction pointing out toward a frame, better to either...

- Have them point in
- Or break the line of the frame

Obviously you know your way around your graphics software and this is just advice for taking or leaving.

Either way, top notch build looking great

[Le Chuck]

Building on what Griff said if you bring the border in a bit and have ATAT, MF, Tie, and X-wing all breaking both the inner and outer boarders it might look pretty good and give the sideart a nice non linear appearance like a lot of the classics.  Of course that will give the appearance of having a side art in your side art so, um, cue Xzibit.

[Gamester]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

So second pass on the artwork.  Been tweaking it a bit more and adding little details here and there (see the glow of the thrusters on the X-Wing as an example). I also decided I didn't like the arrangement of the spacecraft and wanted it to appear a bit more cohesive (reinforced by griffindodd's feedback), like something a bit more organized was actually going on up there.  So I changed a few things so that it represents a battle occurring.  The Rebels are in hot pursuit of a Tie Fighter, and the Millennium Falcon is cracking off a few rounds. 

So based on that, here's the latest iteration:

[yotsuya]

Just beautiful, my friend.

[Acids]

Just beautiful, my friend.

I agree.     My only concern would be that the pinball word is super busy.
perhaps keep the amazing background with the characters etc. but just have the wording star wars and pinball without all the extra stuff..

Make the wording less "busy" ??

Awesome !!

[Generic Eric]

Just beautiful, my friend.

I agree.     My only concern would be that the pinball word is super busy.
perhaps keep the amazing background with the characters etc. but just have the wording star wars and pinball without all the extra stuff..

Make the wording less "busy" ??

Awesome !!

Funny...I had sent a PM about making the purple area transparent.  Is that what you are referring to?

[Gamester]

@yotsuya, thanks for the compliment!   

@Acids, thanks for the feedback, and I hear you regarding the logo possibly looking busy.  However, one lesson I learned when doing the artwork for my Arcade machine is that what looks 'busy' in an image only a few inches wide on a computer screen looks much less so at full size, which in this case is over 4.5 feet wide.  I expect that when the art is viewed at it's actual size, it may look considerably different.  Before I finalize it, I'll do a test print to get a better feel for it.  If it still looks busy on the full size art, one compromise may be to fade the background of the logo a bit so the text is more prominent.

@Generic Eric, got your PM, and thanks for the feedback regarding giving the 'Pinball' text a little transparency.  I think it was a good idea in theory.  Will see how it turns out on the full size test print.  The ability to see the background through the text may be contributing to the busyness that Acids is concerned about.   

[griffindodd]

I wouldn't worry too much about busy on an arcade or pinball machine. The very nature of many if machines is to be splattered with KAPOW and bright colors to attract your attention in the arcades

[Gamester]

I wouldn't worry too much about busy on an arcade or pinball machine. The very nature of many if machines is to be splattered with KAPOW and bright colors to attract your attention in the arcades

Point taken my friend.  You are absolutely right.  Pinball machines are really at the pinnacle of KAPOW, with all the colored flashing lights and other bling, which mine will certainly be sporting.   

EDIT:  The above being said, I do need to make sure things are tastefully done.  My wife offered to convert our formal dining room -- the first room you see when you walk into our front door -- for the purpose of housing this pin and my arcade machine, as well as any similar toys that may find their way into the house some day.   I have a 'real' game room upstairs, but she has mobility problems periodically, and has trouble getting up there.  She doesn't want to miss out on playing it, so the formal dining room table gets the boot in favor of games.  Yes, I'm a lucky man... 

[griffindodd]

Usually I try not to stick my nose too much into people's designs as they really are a matter of personal taste, but this build has got so much potential to be great I have to jump in and wave my design stick around a bit. Please take all of this as advice given from a seasoned art director to be taken, left or cherry picked...

If you look at most back glass / translights you will notice that the art style is very much a collage or mural structure, as I mentioned i my previous post these machines were designed to grab your attention from across a busy room, competing with whatever else may be in the environment, there's a reason why they are loud and covered in flashing lights. Although, be careful not to mix up busy with bitty.

Using Star Wars as your theme is actually a perfect choice because Drew Struzan's paintings were so iconic and also mural like in their execution having many elements of a cohesive theme gelling together to form a balanced composition that tells a story.

I see that you are also going for the same approach but you have two competing composites in the same space, the logo with it's collage background and the larger mural behind. You may want to consider losing the border around the logo altogether, making it a leader for the main image behind. Take the elements that you have used in your existing logo collage and weave them into the greater picture, in much the same way the original movie posters did.

You have all the elements of a great piece of art already, they are just fighting each other.

[griffindodd]

with all the colored flashing lights and other bling, which mine will certainly be sporting.   

Lol looks like we were typing the same thing at the same time.

[Gamester]

@griffindodd, thanks for the well presented feedback.  I agree, and I absolutely would love to compose something that looks as iconic as the example images you provided.  I will definitely let those ideas simmer a bit.

One challenge I've run across is finding source material that is similar enough in artistic style -- and high quality/resolution enough -- to work together nicely.  Mixing photorealistic images with those that are manually composed (e.g. paintings/drawings/cg) is a tricky business and one that can easily fall flat on its face.  That's the advantage to being a true artist, like Drew Struzan; you can create every element of the design from scratch, which ensures that everything in the composition is one cohesive style.  Not easy for a backyard artist like me to accomplish, but that doesn't mean I won't endeavor to do so. 

I think it's actually turning into a blessing in disguise that I was forced to work on the artwork before starting construction.  It gives me time to truly flesh this out and make it something special.  Had I built the thing first, I would probably have produced the artwork in a haste to call the cab finished, and it would have been a big-time missed opportunity.

Again, thanks for putting so much thought into another man's project, and taking the time to convey it here.   

[griffindodd]

You're welcome man, I hope my ranting is helpful lol. As for mixing source material, perhaps some creative Photoshop artist filters can help you achieve something a little more painted and retro while balancing out the differences between the artwork you find.

[Gamester]

You're welcome man, I hope my ranting is helpful lol. As for mixing source material, perhaps some creative Photoshop artist filters can help you achieve something a little more painted and retro while balancing out the differences between the artwork you find.

Yeah, more subtle differences can often be masked with judicious use of filters.  But using the filters on elements that are too different, the result can look, well, filtered...    Admittedly, that may just be because my Photoshop Kung Fu isn't at the levels required to pull it off totally seamlessly.  I'm pretty proficient, but there are some folks who are just on a whole other level and can really make that software dance.

EDIT: And btw, your ranting is very helpful.  I just have to decide when good is 'good enough' or this project could drag on for a long time.    I'm not saying I'm there yet by any means, but it is something I have to be conscious of.  I don't want to be sitting here a year from now still with an 'unfinished' cab (disclaimer: I realize around here the term finished is used very loosely), still pushing pixels around. 

[griffindodd]

Yeah gotcha, I don't think you're far off, can't wait to see the next version.

[Gamester]

So beautiful Spring weather has arrived in Texas, and with it, my opportunity to get moving on the 'outside' portion of the build.  Woodworking has begun!

I won't go into lots of detail about this process, but I will say, if you have access to professional tools (full size table saw, router table, large work surfaces), the job is a lot easier.  Unfortunately, I don't have access to those items. But, with a few key tools, and some extra time you can achieve the same results.

The tools that I have found to be invaluable for both my Arcade build and this Pin build are:

- Circular saw with a fine tooth blade
- Jig saw with wood finish/smooth cut blade
- Metal saw guide (worth its weight in GOLD)
- Clamps to hold the saw guide TIGHT (but without damaging the wood)
- Big T-Square
- Big 'L' Square
- Accurate ruler (in my case with Millimeters, since I'm following metric plans this time)
- Router (best tool ever?)
- Assorted Router bits (Flush trim bit, 1/16 slot cutting bit for starters)
- Router circle jig

I make almost all of my cuts with the jigsaw, guided by the metal saw guide.  The jigsaw is just easier to control, and the blade is much smaller/narrower, so it makes more accurate cuts than the circular saw.  But, the circular saw is invaluable for one simple thing: 45 degree cuts, as needed for the front and back joints of the cab.

I tell you, the age old adage of 'measure twice, cut once' was in full effect.  In my case, it was measure 3-4 times, cut once.  Can't tell you how many mistakes I saved myself, when I realized on my 3-4th measurement that something was off, especially after working for a few hours.  That ruler gets harder and harder to read right when you're tired! 

So anyway, here's a few snaps of the process so far:








Woohoo, a finished side! Exciting right?  Yeah, until I realized I was a little too careless with my cutting on that piece and screwed up the dimensions of the top.  Lesson learned.  Luckily there was enough ply on the second sheet to make a new one.




Hey, a puzzle! 



After a while I became a machine; I got to where I could cut the pieces to within a fraction of a millimeter tolerances.  But all of the working on the ground sure took its toll on me physically.  After two days of kneeling, leaning over, measuring and cutting ad nauseam, boy am I sore!    So a table saw not only would have probably taken 1/3 of the time, but it would have saved me a lot of back pain.  Ah well, I guess it's like a woman giving birth, the pain only lasts a short time, but the reward continues on. 

Now that all of the shapes are cut, I have to start working on all of the detail work like holes for fans, subwoofer, coin door, buttons, etc, etc..  Stay tuned!

[Gamester]

So decided to give my body a break after two days on my hands and knees doing the woodworking and tweak the artwork a bit more.  So here's round 3...

For this version I decided to open up the logo a bit by getting rid of the border around it and taking the character images from the background and integrating them into the lettering.  I think it opens the scene up a little and helps blend the logo into the background action better.  Also added a couple more details, like some rebel artillery.  One of their cannons didn't fare so well against the imperial onslaught.   

There will inevitably be some adjustments required once I complete the construction of the cab, but from a design perspective I think I'm close to calling this 'good enough.'

[dandro]

So decided to give my body a break after two days on my hands and knees

Oh man I hear you here! I need to invest in something other than buckets to use as a bench. I ruptured my left quad and have arthritis in my left knee as well, so working on the ground down low, etc.. rough times. I was happy when my project became upright and allowed me to stand and work.. LOL.

Looking good so far, love the progress and sub'd for sure!

[ids]

Latest artwork looks incredible!

[Gamester]

Thanks guys!  I'm really looking forward to seeing the full size printed image down the road.  Viewing a 4.5+ foot wide image at 1:1 on a monitor, you can obviously only see a section at a time.  Will be cool to be able to step back and see the whole thing at once, at actual scale and in full detail.  Then I'll know if I really succeeded... 

EDIT: PS- nice avatar there ids! 

[ids]

Judging by the avatar, you have exceptional taste and intelligence, and I'm certain the final result will be most excellent 

[RetroACTIVE]

"Impressive.  Most impressive"

[mrPiklz]

gonna check this build  avidly !

[BC_Jeffro]

we shall all be crushed under the weight of the glory 

[Gamester]

Thanks for the compliments guys! 

Spent a several hours on the cabinet over the past week, and made some progress on the woodworking...

Cut slots in the cabinet sides for the playfield TV using a 1/2" router straight bit.  After cutting the initial half-inch slot (which took three progressively deeper passes), I adjusted my metal guide to enlarge the slot just a hair, since the TV is pretty much right at 1/2" thick, and I didn't want the TV to bind or rub too much when sliding it in and out.  I cut the slot 3/4" from the top edge in the front and approximately 4.5" from the top edge in the back, which seems to be a pretty common approach lately.  Gives the monitor some depth in the cab, but also a decent angle toward the player.  The shape of the side almost gives the illusion that the playfield slopes backward, but it doesn't. 




Also used a 1/16" slot cutting bit and the router to cut the slots for the playfield glass plastics and t-molding, which I'm planning to put around the backbox.  I hear 1/16" is pretty tight for the glass plastics, so I may end up enlarging those slots slightly.  We'll see when I get them.  Luckily that's something that can still be done after the cabinet body is assembled.





Backbox partially assembled.  Got some intake ventilation holes cut, as well as an access hole for the wiring between the backbox and the cab body.






Test fitting the pieces for the cabinet body.  Strap clamp was a new purchase for this project.  Love it!  Every project is an excuse to buy new tools, of course! 





Playfield TV de-casing time!  Have to admit, it's a slightly cringe-worthy process, taking apart a several hundred dollar, brand new piece of electronics like this.  Luckily this thing was extremely easy to de-case.



Inner cover removed:


The on/off switch and remote sensor were just held in with two screws and then slid right out:


After unplugging the cable, the speakers simply lifted out:




Fastened the on/off switch and remote sensor board onto one of the available screw holes (after insulating the board from the metal of course with some tape).  Faced the sensor toward the front of the monitor (front of the cab) so if needed, I can simply open the coin door and point the remote in to make adjustments, etc.


This TV is perfect for a cab; even after de-casing it has a nice black bezel around it.



Test fitting the TV:


About 1/4" of black bezel showing on each side, so the playfield isn't completely edge-to-edge, but looks really nice.  Once the sides are painted black and with glass over it, I doubt anyone would even know the difference.


Installed some 1x2 railing to give the monitor extra support on the sides. I actually made the slots a bit deeper than I needed to.  I'll probably run some insulation through there to fill the extra gap and give the monitor a little cushion on the sides.


Woohoo!  Finally taking shape and looking like a pin!  But oh so much more work to do... 


So remaining woodwork items consist of cutting the holes for the fans, intake vents, coin door and subwoofer, building the support framework for the backbox monitor, and cutting/routing the DMD/Speaker panel.  As soon as I get the cabinet hardware, I'll make sure everything fits okay, and then I'll probably add some glued blocking to reinforce the joints too.  So hoping to have the woodworking done over the next week or so, so I can start on the finishing/painting.

[Fursphere]

That's some excellent work you're doing there!  keep it up! 

[kahlid74]

Dolla Dolla bill yall!  Very nice man.  I love the build and idea.  I'm definitely stealing this stuff when I embark on my Pinball creation.  Subscribed.

[dandro]

Very nice, I especially like the proper tools for the job, in regards to the clamps.. I had to use a dog leash as a cable clamp the other day...LOL

[Gamester]

@Fursphere - Thanks!

@kahlid74 - Steal away! That's what these forums are for. I've definitely done my share of 'stealing' ideas from here.  Now it's my turn to give back... 

@dandro - Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.    Amazing what can be done with a little ingenuity.  But yes, having the right tools makes a big difference, if not in the final result, usually at least in the time spent to achieve it.