17 replies to this topic

[JeanLucPicard]

Hello All,

I am new to the forums and I have a simple question.

I currently own the Star Trek The Next Generation Pinball. And now I am about to build my own virtual/visual pinball mame machine. However I am confused, how I would use the buttons provided by VirturaPin. Do I wire these directly to USB or do I need some kind of switch board? Any tutorial or manual would be fantastic

[oldskoolgamer]

Welcome 2 different methods are ipac: http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html

or http://virtuapin.net...&products_id=39

Hopefully someone else can help you with the 2nd option...I'm only experienced with the ipac. Thats what I'm running in my 3 screen cab. It has software that you just program the buttons with to match whats set button wise in the VP editor.

[JeanLucPicard]

Hello Enthusiast,

Looks like I screw in my raw wires into this switch and then it connects to USB. looks rather simple. Thanks so much for helping me out.

[Aaron James]

....or just buy a VirtuaPin.

:-)

Edited by Aaron James, 15 October 2012 - 02:57 AM.

[oldskoolgamer]

Hello Enthusiast,

Looks like I screw in my raw wires into this switch and then it connects to USB. looks rather simple. Thanks so much for helping me out.

Correct really all there is too it with an ipac. Then fire up there program to set the buttons for the ipac and thats it takes like 10 minutes.

[JeanLucPicard]

also, pretty cheap - http://www.ebay.com/...=item5ae84851df

[oldskoolgamer]

Yeah super cheap...been using an ipac in my cab for alittle over a year with no problems at all.

[JeanLucPicard]

I would buy a ready built VP. However My game room is running out of room and I only have enough room to make a mini pin. 24" play-field 17" 3:5 back box. As well I do wood working so I can build it on my own.

[JeanLucPicard]

Last question for the day. What gauge wire do you recommend to wire all my buttons?

[Aaron James]

haha..i was trying to give Noah a "plug"

[htamas]

Last question for the day. What gauge wire do you recommend to wire all my buttons?

I don't think this matters much... if I remember correctly, I used 18 gauge wires or something like that. They don't carry much current, so don't overthink it

[JeanLucPicard]

ok, I will prob just use insulated speaker wire? Because I have a few million miles of that stuff.

I am looking into wiring some Solenoids to the flipper buttons. Just have them whack the inside of the cabinet, maybe adjust it so it isn't soo loud. I just need to figure out the "proper" way to wire them?

[DedRok_V]

http://www.vpforums....68

using maxsinners electrical guide should help you with anything you need to know

[JeanLucPicard]

Thanks, checking that out now.

[bub2010]

I'm also having problems programming buttons... I just built a cab and have both Future and Visual pinball working, but I just installed and wired the ipac version 2 and can't seem to get visual pinball to quite work right. I know it is installed right because it works fine with Future pinball and it works great. All buttons work and assign correctly. In Visual pinball however it is weird... it is like the buttons only have partial functionality. I have to enter credits with 5 and play to button 1 and can't seem to get them to map to the buttons correctly. The odd part is that once I get the game started the flippers work correctly even though I never made an attempt at mapping them. I was just trying to get the credit and play (1p) buttons working. Plunger works fine too.

[JeanLucPicard]

I'm also having problems programming buttons... I just built a cab and have both Future and Visual pinball working, but I just installed and wired the ipac version 2 and can't seem to get visual pinball to quite work right. I know it is installed right because it works fine with Future pinball and it works great. All buttons work and assign correctly. In Visual pinball however it is weird... it is like the buttons only have partial functionality. I have to enter credits with 5 and play to button 1 and can't seem to get them to map to the buttons correctly. The odd part is that once I get the game started the flippers work correctly even though I never made an attempt at mapping them. I was just trying to get the credit and play (1p) buttons working. Plunger works fine too.

Soon I will be doing this as well. I am curently waiting for the I-Pac2 to come in the mail. I will update you with my experience and maybe we can help each other out.

[htamas]

The flipper buttons and plunger will work out of the box with the MAME defaults which the I-Pac is set to in stock form, so those don't need extra mapping.
However it's weird that 5 and 1 work for you in Future Pinball but not in VP, since those two keys do the same in both programs, so if it is OK in FP then it should be fine in VP too.

[bub2010]

I figured out that I was trying to program the ipac incorrectly...  I found the easiest way to do it was to click the button I wanted to map and see where it shows up on the "on screen programming tool".  After I see the button light up I click the button with my mouse and then click the key on my keyboard I want the button to emulate....   So... I click the right flipper... it shows up as WHATEVER on screen then I click the representative button on screen and then hit the right shift button on the keyboard.  Then I hit program.  In order to not duplicate buttons I WANT to use any extra buttons that may light up when programming I map to some un-used key until I program in the 7 or 8 buttons I need... then done.