46 replies to this topic

[jpsalas]

I can always help you if you are stuck doing something, but I won't build the table/s for you That you'll have to do it yourself. An original table, like the Ghostbusters Slimer table, will take me from 3 to 6 months to complete but a Taito kind of table I can make it in one week I also have several original tables I want to make, but first I want to complete the Taito tables, and there are just a few of them left

[blisse]

If I some year find enough free time to start learning how to craft a table, the theme will be classic Roland synthesizers; TB-303, TR-808 and TR-909

[bord]

Well... maybe because of that, since I really want this done, you can work here and there periodically. You don't have to make this a daily thing, I know that would be too much for you because of how busy you are. You don't have to do this if you think it's too much for you, but if you could, that would be appreciated as would like the tables done ASAP. You don't have to rush it, by the way, not that anyone would end up doing that with making pinball games anyway. You can let me know if you're ready, jpsalas.

 

 

Hey @RonnyWilliam1, it sounds like you have really big plans. Tell us more about the games you're designing. Are they going to have ramps and color DMD animations or are they going to mimic the era of the video game from which they originated?

[RonnyWilliam1]

 

Well... maybe because of that, since I really want this done, you can work here and there periodically. You don't have to make this a daily thing, I know that would be too much for you because of how busy you are. You don't have to do this if you think it's too much for you, but if you could, that would be appreciated as would like the tables done ASAP. You don't have to rush it, by the way, not that anyone would end up doing that with making pinball games anyway. You can let me know if you're ready, jpsalas.

 

 

Hey @RonnyWilliam1, it sounds like you have really big plans. Tell us more about the games you're designing. Are they going to have ramps and color DMD animations or are they going to mimic the era of the video game from which they originated?

 

I don't know if I would use a DMD display or mimic the era from the game's release date (or use a digital display most of the time). By the way, if I were to use a digital display, the display would be like the displays from for example: Williams's Funhouse pinball.

 

My ideas so far are only on making pinball variations from video arcade games from the 80s and the 90s (and maybe games from the 2000s and today's era). Some games you may not have heard of, like Bubble Symphony, which is similar to Bubble Bobble.

 

If you have not heard of Bubble Bobble or any of it's sequels, follow this link: https://en.wikipedia...i/Bubble_Bobble

 

Oh, and color DMD animations? Do you mean in VP, using UltraDMD animations?

[xenonph]

Why not try re-theming an existing pinball table, as suggested by others?

You wouldn't need to code anything, and you could add your graphics theme, and sound effects.

 

Check out a couple of Masalaja's table mods to help give you an idea of what you could accomplish by going this route.

 

These tables are VP9 tables and are only for example of Video Game table mod.

 

Paperboy table found here...

http://www.vpforums....&showfile=12791

Was made with Superman table.

 

Galaga-Galaxian table found here..

http://www.vpforums....&showfile=12820

Was made with Genie table.

 

You would not need to know how to write any code. Just import your own images into table.

Open a table and look in the image manager. Export these images and edit them to your liking, then import them back into table to see the changes.

I think this route would be best for you to get a completed table the quickest, without having to take a course on scripting code.

Edited by xenonph, 07 May 2018 - 11:25 PM.

[shannon1]

JP do have any plans for converting Scarface to VPX?

[jpsalas]

JP do have any plans for converting Scarface to VPX?

Not for now.

[Wizball]

I was the person that made the Gradius VPX table. My other table, Shovel Knight, is also based on a video game. This is because doing artwork and sounds are not my strong point. I could extract sounds and music easily from the games, and Shovel Knight had a art package provided by its creators. I have themes I would like to make, but I don't see myself doing artwork for them.

[RonnyWilliam1]

I was the person that made the Gradius VPX table. My other table, Shovel Knight, is also based on a video game. This is because doing artwork and sounds are not my strong point. I could extract sounds and music easily from the games, and Shovel Knight had a art package provided by its creators. I have themes I would like to make, but I don't see myself doing artwork for them.

I actually heard of the Shovel Knight game, but never played it before, nor your pinball version of it.

 

Question: How did you extract sounds from arcade games like Gradius? Unless you did that from a home console version of it, I can only see you use only M1 to extract sounds from arcade game ROMs.

 

Also, I ain't a designer for artwork, but what themes did you want to make? I would like to know your plans for the future.

 

And because you did tables based on videos games, and because that is my plans as well, do you want to make the tables with me? I know you used digital displays, and that is OK, but using a DMD display, or UltraDMD is much cooler. You don't have to use any kind of DMD if you don't want to by the way.

[Wizball]

The sounds and music in Gradius are from the arcade version, and I used M1 to extract them. For Shovel Knight I recorded my gameplay with the music muted to record sound effects.

 

The themes I would really like to make are the music of Michael Jackson, and something based on a sentai team.

 

I am hesitant to work on more VPX tables considering my previous releases have been received with chirping crickets.

 

UltraDMD is a nightmare to program for, and should be considered abandoned by now.

Edited by Wizball, 08 May 2018 - 04:35 PM.

[RonnyWilliam1]

The sounds and music in Gradius are from the arcade version, and I used M1 to extract them. For Shovel Knight I recorded my gameplay with the music muted to record sound effects.

 

The themes I would really like to make are the music of Michael Jackson, and something based on a sentai team.

 

I am hesitant to work on more VPX tables considering my previous releases have been received with chirping crickets.

 

UltraDMD is a nightmare to program for, and should be considered abandoned by now.

Yes, I know your tables don't have that many downloads, but don't let that stop you OK? You might get a more positive outcome the more tables you create. You probably don't know this, but as far as I know of, jpsalas has created over 20 recreations with some originals. He is a pro at recreating any kind of pinball table from the 80s and 90s. He also creates some originals here and there like Diablo Pinball, which I think is awesome, and many people may agree with me. If you keep making VPX tables, whether they are originals or recreations, it may mean a higher chance that more and more people will find you and download your tables.

 

Also, do you like my ideas for VPX originals? Just to let you know, they are based on arcade video games.

[HiRez00]

Greetings all,

 

Since I started assembling my a few weeks ago cabinet and 'slowly' learning VP9 and VPX, I've gotten the desire more and more to design some 'original' pinball games.

 

I was thinking that since 'movies' have so much source material to work from (especially classics) ie: video, poster art, audio / sound fx, etc, those would immediately be my go to source for inspiration.

 

With my background in film / video production, and visual FX, and theme park attraction design (my company www.hi-rezdesigns.com), I could contribute a lot to the graphics, visuals, video and audio ... but I am a long way from scripting an actual working table.

 

Here are a couple ideas I had:

 

- Halloween (1978) including maybe a couple sequels

- Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead (Romero Originals)

- Blade Runner (1982)

- The Thing (1982)

- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

- Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

- Creepshow (1981) + Creepshow 2 (1987)

- Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead 2 (1987), and Army of Darkness (1991)

- Return of the Living Dead (1985)

- Death Wish (1974) including maybe Death Wish II and Death Wish 3

- Friday the 13th (1980) and possibly some sequels

 

Those are just a couple ideas I had that I thought would be great tables. Can you tell I'm a fan of horror movies?

Edited by HiRez00, 08 May 2018 - 05:27 PM.

[jpsalas]

I think I have made a few more than 20 recreations Pss click on the link of my web site on the signatur, or do a search here Ahhh, maybe you mean this year? Well, I made only 15 tables this year

 

I too have a few ideas for original tables, and I guess I'll make them sooner or later I prefer tables were you need to fight something, you against the machine or a monster I prefer original themes, but a game based on a game or movie it is easier to make since you may get many graphics and sounds from the web. All it takes is practice. My advice is that you start by changing the graphics to a table, just like xenonph suggested. This way you'll start learning the editor. I remember when I started, it took me almost 6 months to make my first table, Nemesis, but only two months to make my second table, Tru Calling (based on the Tv serie), and 3 weeks to make my 3rd table (Sofie the viking). Those tables are terrible if you compare them to what can be done now with VPX. I started without knowing any VP scripting, although I had program in the 80's an MSX computer, so I knew about variables and loops My knowledge of photoshop was almost 0, and the VP editor was a complete mystery. But after almost one year experimenting, I started making vpinmame tables since they were much easier to make for me. And the rest is history

 

To make tables is a nice hobby, since you do several things, from hunting the web for images and sounds, to scripting, to editing images, creating 3D objects, editing sounds, building objects using the VPX editor... so you don't get bored easily

 

My advice is start slow, check how other authors made their tables, take their tables apart, and read all the tutorials and manuals in the forum, some may be old, but still 100% valid 

 

Good luck

JP

[shannon1]

HiRez00 those ideas are right up my alley. I have been working on a TCM 2 table and will release some screenshots shortly. I released an Ecape From New York table recently and would love someone to incorporate some footage from the movie using PinUpPlayer. I also have very limited scripting ability, but some of our gracious authors do not mind you using their tables as a base. I am constantly blown away by this community and everyone's patience and willingness to help.

[xenonph]

I actually got interested in making table mods, when I came across JPSalas's Whitewater Smurf playfield mod found here...

http://www.vpforums....s&showfile=6122

The download was not a table, but only images.

You will also need to download this table for which these pics are made for.

Find here..

http://www.vpforums....s&showfile=6091

Well I didn't want to be left out on a cool Smurf playfield mod, so I figured out how to import these pics into the editor.

Bam!!! a lightbulb went off in head!!

That got me to understanding how I could modify one of these images, and import back into to table.

And thus I started modding tables. I had always wanted to make a Seahawks NFL table, so the first mods I made were NFL Team tables. I had no prior knowledge of photo editting, or working with script.

(You can tell my first mods aren't the greatest, but I have learned something new each and every time I mess with this pinball program, and I am only going to get better at this!!)

Perhaps this Smurf mod will also help you get started on your way to making table mods.

 

Here are some instructions on how to do convert this Whitewater table to use Smurf playfield that I wrote on JPSalas's download page.

 

THE SMURF MOD DOWNLOAD CONTAINS THESE FILES THAT NEED TO BE EXTRACTED OR UNZIPPED FROM ZIP FILE

Backdrop.png
pf0.png
pf1.png
pf2.png
pf3.png
pf4.png
pf5.png
pf6.png
pf7.png

FIRST, YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ORIGINAL TABLE
IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, DOWN LOAD HERE..
http://www.vpforums....s&showfile=6091

WITH THIS TABLE LOADED INTO VISUAL PINBALL EDITOR,
YOU WILL SEE AT TOP OF EDITOR

File  Edit  Insert Table  Preferences  Layer  Window  Help

CLICK THE "Table" TAB

YOU WILL SEE

Play                          F5
Table Info...
Sound Manager...
Image Manager...
Font Manager...
Dimensions Manager...
Collection Manager...
Magnify

CLICK THE "Image Manager..."

YOU WILL SEE THE IMAGE MANAGER WINDOW POP UP.
ON THE LEFT SIDE ARE THE IMAGES

CLICK THE WORD "Backdrop" SO THAT IT IS HIGHLIGHTED

ON RIGHT HAND SIDE OF IMAGE MANAGER CLICK IMPORT
A WINDOW WILL POP UP ALLOWING YOU TO LOOK FOR THE MOD PICS YOU JUST UNZIPPED
FIND THE "Backdrop.png" AND DOUBLE CLICK IT

NOW FIND "pf0" ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IN LIST...HIGHLIGHT IT BY CLICKING ON IT, THEN PRESS IMPORT

DO THE SAME FOR THE REST OF PICS BY MATCHING THE FILENAMES WITH WHAT YOU DOWNLOADED.

NOW CLICK "OK" WHEN FINISHED IMPORTING ALL PICS

NOW PLAY TABLE AND THANK JPSalas FOR A WORK OF ART!!!

 DON'T FORGET TO SAVE TABLE AFTER MAKING CHANGES OR YOU WILL HAVE TO DO THIS EACH TIME!!!
HOPE THIS HELPS PEOPLE WHO HAD TROUBLE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
 
Nice MOD!!

Edited by xenonph, 08 May 2018 - 09:22 PM.

[HiRez00]

HiRez00 those ideas are right up my alley. I have been working on a TCM 2 table and will release some screenshots shortly. I released an Ecape From New York table recently and would love someone to incorporate some footage from the movie using PinUpPlayer. I also have very limited scripting ability, but some of our gracious authors do not mind you using their tables as a base. I am constantly blown away by this community and everyone's patience and willingness to help.

 

Shannon,

 

I actually tried playing the Escape from New York table, but there were so many overlapping sounds that it made it hard to play. I am sure it is just some scripting issues that still need to be worked out.

 

I think I am going to take JP's advice and try using another table as a basis to start from and then work my way through making an original table.

 

Here's what I am debating ... say I choose to create a "Death Wish (1974)" table. Do I use a modern style table with lots of action, or do I use a 1974 style table and then do the artwork accordingly for that style. I'm unsure as to if I use a table that WOULD have been made when the movie came out, our do I modernize it using a newer style?

 

Oh the choices ...

[shannon1]

I would play different tables to see what you like and would fit the ideas and challenges you have for the table in your head. Personally, I like tables where you have to complete certain challenges.

[updon719]

I haven't even touched scripting yet lol, I think I spend more time drawing, still working on plastics, and this is about 4 months off and on there's plenty of help around when you have scripting questions but trying to produce a quality playfield or the visual side seems to be the more time consuming

 

http://vpforums.org/...1/untitled0.png

Edited by updon719, 09 May 2018 - 02:54 AM.

[bord]

I haven't even touched scripting yet lol, I think I spend more time drawing, still working on plastics, and this is about 4 months off and on there's plenty of help around when you have scripting questions but trying to produce a quality playfield or the visual side seems to be the more time consuming

 

http://vpforums.org/...1/untitled0.png

 

This looks really great, man. Keep us posted.

[RonnyWilliam1]

Hey guys, i'm back! I just got busy doing something else.

 

Just a quick update:

Maybe I'll make the tables similar to the ones in Pinball FX/Zen Pinball 2 and/or 3, with of course a few differences.

Like for example: In bubble symphony (bubble bobble 2) pinball, you kill an increasing amount of enemies to advance to the next level by shooting certain lanes, targets and ramps, and at levels 8, 16, 28, 42 and 76, you fight a boss. Boss levels would be timed (unless I change my mind and make them some kind of multiball mode like in diablo pinball by jpsalas), and if time runs out before you kill the boss, you have to start at the level after the last boss level (levels 9, 17, 29, 43, or if you haven't defeated any of the bosses, level 1). And on the final boss, the targets you would shoot to hurt the boss would change over time, and if you fail, you would have to start all the way back at level 1, much like with the missions on Pinball FX/Zen Pinball 2 and 3. And after the final boss is defeated, you get what I like to call a "Wizard Multiball" mode with exclusive features to celebrate your success.

 

Something like that. And sorry for the long details. This is not all that I planned.

Also, I am not a table designer. I tried though. I may need some kind of tutorial or something...

As with the table music, I will either extract it from the original game ROM thanks to M1, or download the music from a different site. both outcomes may be the same after editing the music to make it a looped music track.

 

That's all I have for now.