[RESOLVED] Pinball guys I need your advice!

[mesk]

ok so I have come to the conclusion there are no more video game emulators out there that I havent tried,so I figure its time I get into pinball but there are so many Im not sure where to start.there is pinmame,visual pinball,future pinball,visual pinmame I mean where to start?

[hansolo77]

I'm not getting my pinball setup right now, but I plan to eventually here soon. Just waiting for some cash to get a bigger drive.

From what I remember, Visual Pinball has user created tables that are either Recreated tables (real tables) or use made up tables. PinMAME or Visual PinMAME are ROMS that go with the user Recreated tables, that give you things like the animated score boards. Future Pinball is the "next stage in pinball evolution" that completely rewrote Visual Pinball from the ground up, giving better graphics, etc. When I last setup Future Pinball, there weren't any PinMAMEs that use it.

[Adultery]

Future Pinball is the coolest set and easiest to integrate. I would start there.

PinMAME/Visual PinMAME/Visual Pinball all use the same base (Visual Pinball) but it's a tough nut to crack. I'd tackle the easiest and most rewarding first (Future Pinball) and then move on to Visual Pinball. Many of the VPinMAME tables are exclusive to that emulator and since VP9 a lot has changed. When you come to that, make sure you get v9 tables since a lot of earlier ones are not gonna work.

.:EDIT:. Actually more than a few PinMAME tables have been recreated for FP (T2 immediately comes to mind) and work much better in FP than VP. Like I stated, I would beyond a doubt start there.

[mesk]

Awesome.I will start there.thanks guys

Personally im not looking for any specific table because TBH,I was never into pinball as a kid ( I was 11 when SF and MK came out,who was thinking of pinball with those games around?!?!) so FP sounds right up my alley

[celly]

I use Future Pinball. Easy to set up, lots of options and a grip of tables.

[rockyrocket]

Please dont give up on visual pinball though it really is not a black art!.

check out this page on the visual pinball site...

http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?automodule=downloads&req=idx&cmd=viewdetail&f_id=2990

its the official install guide with all the info you need.

I think both have a place in a cab.

Enjoy.

[Adultery]

I certainly use both on mine. I just don't see the polish on VP that is there for Future Pinball.

[rockyrocket]

I agree future pinball does have some eye candy, but feels too much like a video game to me, while vp is more of a closer emulation of the experience.

But that being said fp is perfect for a arcade cab.

I know the forums are full with the vp has better physics than fp rants and i certainly agree.

But imho thats less of an issue in an upright cab but in a pin cab now that a different story, lots of people dont even bother to install future pinball as the experience is much weaker.

It would be a shame to miss out on tables like attack and revenge from mars, sorcerer ect as the newer tables being produced have some amazing artwork and are themselves very polished.

In fact i do have a three screen pincab with both vp and fp on it and when you put a table that is available for both side by side many of the vp tables shine in comparison, i dont feel its fair to name any examples as it may be an insult to the table makers effort.

I do admit to being biased though as most of my game time on my mame cab is taken by pinball then centipede then probably vector games.

Everyone is different though and these are just my own preferences.

[Draco1962]

I like both. I just wish that there were no backwards compatibility issues with tables prior to VP9. Also, could be a little easier to setup IMO. Future Pinball is a bit easier to setup and play "out of the box." As for the physics, while FP may not be quite as accurate, it still seems pretty real when compared to many of the PC Pinball type games.

[rockyrocket]

Yeah the vp8 to vp9 thing is a pain i know.

I have to do a new install of vp myself this week on a freshly built system and was planning to take some screenshots of the process to help others but then came across two others that have already done this.

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7905

And...

http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?automodule=downloads&req=idx&cmd=viewdetail&f_id=4070

has a download of a pdf.

Both of these how-to`s have more info than is needed in a mame cab, the latter more so but the extra info may be of benefit to others.

Such things like how to colour and resize the DMD and setting compatability to win NT sp4 ,using the cabinet dll ect.

Anyway as a bit of fun here is my pincab running gameex

[hansolo77]

Wow, what a thing of beauty! I'd love to have a video pinball machine!

[Adultery]

If youre gonna run mame on it like that you should use GameExtender to display snaps on the 2nd monitor (I use it to display marquees on mine). Would look cool for sure!

Thats pretty awesome for sure! Does the DMD work and if so where did you get it from? I want one and have been unable to find one.

[rockyrocket]

Hi, thanks

Yep dmd is a 15" screen(two in backbox other 22" and the playfield is a 32" led tv decased)you can drag the dmd onto any screen you like then set that as the default for all tables.

If you want to see the evolution of pincabs then both of the builds chris has done are the best examples..

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4826

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13146

As pinmame is rom based people are using a ledwiz to output events to led flashers , gear moters, soleniods,knockers, strobes ect to create force feedback as the ball hits a ramp or flippers ect.

These builds make mamecabs seem both simple and very cheap in comparison as some people are putting very high end pc`s inside (hell mine has two GT460`s).

Anyway enjoy and sorry to hijack the thread but hope to of added some more info.

[celly]

Man that cab is super slick! It'd be extremely cool to have one of those in my house. Nice job.

[rockyrocket]

Well now the seed is sown its only a matter of time before you you make one!.

[celly]

Well now the seed is sown its only a matter of time before you you make one!.

Ha! Maybe after I finish the kids mini jamma I just got them. Too many projects already....

[hansolo77]

If I could afford a TV to build one I would, but I can't even afford to replace my dad's old 20 inch CRT we have in the living room. I'm kinda luxury living in my bedroom now, with a 42 inch and surround sound. He's got a stereo tv, with 1 speaker blown. HAH! Can't wait for this next tax season!

[rockyrocket]

Ha, yep know what you mean but cant you sell a child or an organ or something (whats the going rate for a parent? - bad taste I know)?.

Or do what i did and build some cabs to sell (seems that here in the uk bartops sell for more than uprights - smaller homes I guess).

Sadly the tv is not the only expense did you check out the links to chriss`s builds? now those ARE expensive.

My cab started of as a bartop with only a 22" and 15" display and some componants i had already, then I spotted a 32" 1080 LED tv going for £300 so that was that.

At some point in the future when the main tv gets upgraded the process will start again and the 32" will be the backbox!.

[Draco1962]

We just made the jump to the widescreen HD LCD era last Christmas. We still have several CRT TVs about the house - dunno if I could even yard sale them at this point and not sure if I want to even try using them as part of a cab - just too danged big!

[rockyrocket]

Yeah big and hard to dispose of too!.

Hey Draco I just need to reasure myself that you are a jedi of the opensource photoshop kind and not the"zeds dead baby zeds dead" kind, just checking?.

[Adultery]

We upgraded all our TVs a few years ago and put the CRTs out on the curb with a "free - works great!" sign. Not one taker for any of the 4. Lol!

[mesk]

you guys wanna laugh hard? last year when we all upgraded the tv's,I had 4 crt's a 25",27"32"40",my buddy had a uhaul for the day as he was moving,so we loaded them up and took them to a pawn shop:for all 4 tv's $50! I took it though,it was better then unloading them again!

@rockyrocket: I didnt give up on visual pinball\pinmame.I actually like it better then FP,the VP tables are more of what I remember as a kid.

[Draco1962]

LOL! Yeah, more of the first than the second, but I could be more of the second, I imagine.

[Draco1962]

I actually have 2 27" that are the same - with great pictures. I may just use one for a gaming system and the other as a backup. Or maybe just put the second one in the garage for watching stuff, although I hang out there very little because it is overcrowded, usually hot 9 months of the year.

[rockyrocket]

I remember as a kid my physics teacher getting myself and one other to throw a dead Oscilloscope in a skip with instructions to break the screen so that it did not implode on anyone else who may happen to get in said skip, happy times.

You cant do that now!.

Mesk glad you gave vp a go, I seem to be a bit protective of it!.

Draco I just did a google for images of "gimp jedi" and nothing good came up, not like the time I was looking for a manual for my 3 way rear shock on my mountain bike.