VP has an option to send the mechanical sounds to a second audio output.
Slingshots, bumpers, chimes, flippers and coils sounds are then coming from below the screen, and it helps a lot for the immersion.
Note that other sounds like ball rolling, rails, gate, bumps, etc. are also played by the same output. The benefit with the bass shaker is that you can then feel the ball bumping everywhere on the playfield..
I also have DOF and contactors installed on my cab, and can run the contactors and the shakers at the same time. (but I use only the shakers 90% of the time)
Does this allow for a separate audio sound for flippers, bumpers, etc.. to be played on your main sound speakers while also having different sounds played through your transducers?
See, the way my simpit works is, the racing game outputs raw numerical "data" (rpm, speed, telemetry, road bumps, collisions, etc), NOT AUDIO. This is the key difference compared to using bass shakers with low frequency audio.
SimVibe software takes that raw numerical data in real time, and converts it to almost any type of audio tone or frequency and outputs it to 7 channels of 2 sound cards. My main sound card is for game audio, my 2nd and 3rd sound cards are for SimVibe only. I get to choose exactly what effect occurs on each of my 7 outputs. It's really amazing!
This would be the ultimate for pinball feedback via transducers...
I was wondering about some kind of solution for at least the flippers to manually make contactors or transducers operate at simply the push of a flipper button for a only a particular game? (ie PBFX2, TPA, etc)
You don’t want to play sounds directly via the transducers. On my setup, the same mechanical sound is played both on a second speaker system, and on the transducers (but filtered via a sub amplifier).
You can of course decide to send a sound to the main system, but you then lose the benefit of hearing it coming from below the glass.
I agree that the ultimate experience would be with a software like simvibe though, as it would allow to use the transducers with software other than Vp.
Well it was only a matter of time.... but I finally got Visual Pinball up and fully running on my cabinet and in Pinball X with videos, and art. I've got about 160 tables installed so far which includes VP X (10), VP 9, and Physics Mod 5 tables, as well as d2bs backglasses.
This went surprisingly well using the all in one VPX installer that setup everything very nicely. Had to learn a few new things (I used VP many years ago), and needed a few more things added and updated for the newer Stern sam tables. I did have to update the VP PM5 version to the custom version that has separate registry settings (to allow for the nudge keys to be reversed).
I had to use "setDMD" to position and size most of the DMDs automatically, and I also had to edit the settings for DMD rotation for roughly 40 tables in the registry. Then I just had to edit each table's script to allow for the d2bs files to be used.
A perk of the split screen bezel for the third screen I didn't originally plan on, was being able to have the larger size DMDs display in the top portion instead of being squished in the bottom half. (Baywatch, Batman Forever, Frankenstein, Strikes N Spares, etc). I modified Draco's excellent Visual Pinball logo to make it fit a little better to have it act as a marquee for Visual Pinball. (Like I did with PFX2, and TPA)
I "could" extend the d2bs backglass screen down on the third screen like I did with Future Pinball, but that would mean editing each d2bs file! Maybe if I can make some good custom "grill" settings to do that easier, I might...
Here is a video showing off about 70 tables in Pinball X. I mixed up up tables from VPX, PM5, and VP9. I show how the different types of tables and different DMD sizes work with the split bezel on the third screen.
I used OBS MP as I did before to record video of each table / backglass / and dmd / marquee. I could have used other videos, but most of them were of older versions of the table or d2bs file.
As far as the whole VP physics are better than FP war that I keep reading.... I agree that "some" tables do play better on VP than FP, but I'm not blown away by it. I do love being able to play the original rom versions of the arcade pinball machines I grew up with. I know that I will be using VP alot more if I ever go the DOF / feedback / lighting route.
Some of the VP tables are gorgeous (Circus Voltaire, Theatre of Magic, TOTAN, etc). This shows what is possible in VP when its done right.
That said, I do still prefer playing most of the updated and modded FP versions (SLAMT1LTs, etc). Every time I hear the original sound of the arcade rom versions in VP it just doesn't even come close.
I'm not a fanboy by any means.....if its fun "for me", then I'll play anything on any system. Good job on VPX.... man things have changed alot since I last played it back in 2008!
I added led lights to the speaker bezel. I had to basically mount some thin cardboard inside around where the speaker holes are (had carbon fibre wrap on the cardboard). Then I stuck led lighting strips on the inside and connected them to the same molex connector for my rear fans. Then I put speaker fabric over the opening. Its not the best solution, but its easy, and it works with the small space I had.
Each speaker light strip can have its light colour separately changed to any light colour via a remote just like under the cabinet.
...and now I'm on to getting MAME media started.... blah!
Well here we go. I got MAME up and running in PinKadia!
I have it setup to have Pinball X show the marquees on the backglass screen. (which I had to make into 16x9 pictures, over 2700 of them!)
I captured videos of gameplay using OBS. I liked Tom's MAME videos from the GameEx FTP, but Pinball X makes them stretch and fill the whole screen with the wrong aspect ratio. I do use them for the games I haven't video captured yet.
The vertical games are perfect for the playfield screen. Horizontal games could be played on the backglass screen, but they would be alot smaller compared to the playfield screen, and I would need to have my head looking upward all the time to play.
My main priority was to have the game screen as large as possible with HLSL effects (no screen curve, or glow, etc). With the game this big (42 inch TV for the playfield screen) HLSL really is needed to make the game not look blocky and yuck! I also wanted no bezel obstruction of the game screen.
I use Rocket Launcher to manage the bezels and backgrounds. This allows me to use a default bezel / background for ALL games, and I can have it easily change to a random / specific one or use MAME's artwork. Its easy to just add another background this way, and I don't need to deal with "lay" files!
If the original arcade or a custom bezel works well to cover the leftover unused screen area, I'll use it. Otherwise I use a chrome / metal hexagon bezel that I made to match the style of my Pincab (it looks much better in person than it does in the videos!).
I made several different ones to better fit the different sized marquees as well. I used Pinball X to have my backglass screen act as a DMD screen sized the same as the marquee, and centered. Then I had windows use the "blank" metal hexagon / chrome trim picture as a wallpaper background picture. When I ran Pinball X this way it displays the marquee overtop of the metal hexagon picture. I used OBS to capture the entire backglass screen with the new 16x9 marquee as a small video. (I would hit flipper button, then "record" over and over and over again) Then I just played all the recorded videos back to back, and saved each as a picture with the name of the MAME rom file to match. It sounds complicated, but it was the easiest way to do this. I got over 2700 done! I know...,. I'm crazy.
The reason I had to use OBS is because I couldn't find a program to "screen capture" the backglass screen (acting as the dmd screen) properly. They either require the "screen to be captured" to be the primary screen (which messes up Pinball X), or they will only capture the DMD portion of the DMD screen in Pinball X. I needed the entire screen with the marquee AND background....and OBS only does video capture.
I have over 2700 MAME games setup.... I'm not about to make custom backgrounds or bezels for that many games!
Here is a video showing around 80 MAME games. It shows a mix of vertical and horizontal games with and without the arcade bezels.
That is so crazy cool! Amazing work really! Too bad we don't have a central place to share and create these backgrounds and video captures for everyone to share and co-create. I'm finishing up the pinball side of mine but this is definitely the next project. Thanks for the inspiration.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk P.S. I could use some help on the acronyms and where I might read more information.
OBS = Open Broadast Software. Free program that alot of people use to do video captures of games, web cameras, etc...
HLSL = ....not sure what it stands for, but it is a graphical effect built into MAME that allows you to mimick the look of an older CRT (tube) TV. This helps the game to look more like it originally did, instead of looking all blocky and pixelated when displayed on our modern HD TVs.
This project is just amazing... I assume each game lights up the appropriate buttons on the control panel? I'm a long way off getting to where you are, still playing around with all the DOF stuff on the pinball front and still need to make a cabinet but this is in the future somehow, I'm picturing some sort of plug-n-play solution rather than building it all in one like you have... but yours is just amazing. Any plans for side art?
I don't have any LED-wiz or DOF installed yet, so the buttons don't change colours at all. The colours match the same as the buttons on an XBOX 360 gamepad.
Part of me is considering changing the joysticks to a BAT top instead of ball tops, and I now really want to change the buttons to a more classic leaf-type (which is what I use for the flippers). I really like the way they feel, but I can't find RGB versions of leaf switch buttons anywhere. I may just go with the same non-backlit like I use for the flippers.
I also want to have a dedicated 4-way gated joystick in the middle / top of the panel for the games that NEED this (pac-man, etc). I also would like to fit a spinner in there somewhere....
Shameless plug... but I see you are in Canada, if you decide to go the DIY route for DOF and look into the Pinscape project rather than the LEDWiz I can sell you a set of unpopulated boards at cost as I had to order 10 of all 3 boards and I've got lots left
Wow...how did I miss those RGB leaf buttons.... I got my flipper leaf buttons from GGG as well! My flippers are True-leaf, my nudge buttons are micro-leaf, and my 2nd flipper buttons are normal micro switches. I wanted each of the 3 buttons on the side of the cabinet to "feel" different since I won't ever be looking at them. Works nicely that way.
Man the CDN dollar sucks right now. Makes buying anything for this hobby expensive! That $150 CAD just for 16 of those RGB leaf-switch buttons, without any controller boards. (now I remember why I bought the buttons I have from someone here in Canada for a cheap price) Man those would be nice though...
I know exactly what you mean. The 8 buttons I bought were $80 so your pricin sound about right. One the reasons I'm well behind on my cabinet build is cost... Looks like you've fabricated a lot of your trim... I'm not in a position to do any fabrication so I'm looking at virtuapin's ultimate cabinet kit and that will cost about $900-$1000 to bring into Canada after shipping taxes and duty. Still cheaper then buying the parts local though... I believe a new coin door is $350 alone.
I got my single coin door for $65, but it seems like they now have the dual pinball style now for $85....doh!
By far, the cheapest for what they have compared to anywhere in Canada, and compared to importing from the US. GGG has excellent stuff that I couldn't find anywhere else... so I got a few things from them. I also had to get the T molding from T-molding.com, as I bought an entire roll from them for a good price.
My "trim" is just aluminum railing from Home Depot. I just used a hacksaw and I smoothed the edges with a file. The pinball legs and bolts I found on e-Bay from someone in Quebec.
My total build of the cabinet (not including TVs, audio and computer) which included the materials, paints, wood filler, legs, trim, vinyl wrap, joysticks, buttons, coin door etc., costs around the $800 CAD range.
As for artwork on the cabinet... maybe someday. I still gotta save up for a VR headset for the simpit!
Wow that coin door looks perfect! I don't know if it has the operator buttons on the inside but for the cost savings I can live with that. Thanks for the link! that can save some cash for sure.
Well, now it is time for more upgrades.... as a result this is what happens in the middle of a project upgrade... total mess everywhere which makes my wife sooooo happy!
I always wanted to add in a plunger and a big LAUNCH button. Can't easily find either in Canada, and buying from the US is costly with our crappy CDN dollar and costly shipping.
So, I found a place in Ottawa that does repairs and sells parts called Pinball Medics.
Since I was taking my daughter to Ottawa Comi-Con, I was able to stop by his place and buy what I needed from him. He had everything except for the mounting plate for the plunger, which I didn't need anyway. He's a great guy and had a fantastic Pinball collection which I sadly didn't have time to check out....
Here's a video demonstration of my plunger setup:
Hopefully I can maybe make a couple of custom tilt-bobs to work as a digital nudge type of setup. Then, I'm off to update the control panel with a different button layout, a third 4-way joystick, and all three joysticks will have BAT tops instead of BALL tops.
After all this is done, its just a waiting game for all my parts to arrive from China, so I can install feedback via 10 solenoids. I'll also be installing led strip lighting to act as 5 rgb flashers, addressable led strip lighting / matrix for animation, white strobes, and red / blue beacons (LED strobe versions). Lots of work to do!
Top
Contributor
Simply amazing man I love it 
.... You make me even more proud to be Canadian 
are all trademarks of VPFORUMS.