The Steampunk Time Machine Virtual Pinball Cabinet Build, Part One
One of the reasons I started this blog back in 2011 was not only to talk about real pinball machines, including the five that I owned at the time, but also to document a virtual pinball cabinet build. Virtual pinball is a video game, not a real machine, so I get why pinball purists don't like it. However, if you also like video games (I do), and approach virtual pinball as a simulator, you know that it can't replace the real thing but it's the next best thing. It's kind of like playing a flight simulator without actually flying, or playing Call of Duty without getting shot!
A virtual pinball machine seemed to me like an economical way to add value to the game room, and also helped save space. There's no way financially I'd be able to add all the real pinball machines I want, not to mention having enough space for them, so the virtual machine is a great compromise. Another great aspect of virtual versions is that they can help you identify shot locations and learn the rules for each machine, which is an invaluable resource. And with the Coronavirus floating around, most arcades near me are closed, so the virtual machine allows access to games beyond my own collection when I'm looking for something different to play. A cabinet build with real flipper buttons and force feedback gets the experience pretty darn close.
This is the first in a series of posts documenting the continuation of my original virtual machine cabinet build. I'll be alternating these posts with my playfield swap/rebuild of Creature from the Black Lagoon.
To summarize my virtual pinball build prior to now:
There are two pieces of software that make emulating pinball machines possible: PinMame and Visual Pinball. In 2011, Visual Pinball was transitioning from version 8 to version 9; today, the current version is 10.6. Tables from version 9 and older have the file extension ".vpt" in the filename; tables from version 10 (VPX) have the file extension ".vpx". The graphics and lighting in VPX are beautiful and realistic-looking, with many tables updated to 4K HD resolution (greater than what my original playfield TV can display). The physics have also been greatly improved. Almost all of the skills you can perform on a real machine, like dead flips, drop catching, post passes, and flipper passes ("Shatzing"), can be performed in virtual pinball.
I'm taking a measured, step-by-step approach to continue with my cabinet build:
I still had some parts from the first build attempt, but there was a significant amount that I needed to acquire. My biggest regret was not getting the DMD panel with the Lethal Weapon 3 cabinet when I bought it all those years ago. Data East parts can be impossible to find! I did manage to get a Stern DMD panel that will work - with some modification.
Below is the parts list of all the components so far, not counting any steampunk features. The bill of materials to date is about $2600, with the largest expenses being the 37" Panasonic TV (which I got on sale back in 2011) and the contactor solenoids for the force feedback...I spent a bit more to obtain high quality, louder contactors ("Thunderclaps") to provide a more realistic experience.
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| Bally's Attack From Mars VPX by jpsalas (desktop setup), modified by Bigus |
A virtual pinball machine seemed to me like an economical way to add value to the game room, and also helped save space. There's no way financially I'd be able to add all the real pinball machines I want, not to mention having enough space for them, so the virtual machine is a great compromise. Another great aspect of virtual versions is that they can help you identify shot locations and learn the rules for each machine, which is an invaluable resource. And with the Coronavirus floating around, most arcades near me are closed, so the virtual machine allows access to games beyond my own collection when I'm looking for something different to play. A cabinet build with real flipper buttons and force feedback gets the experience pretty darn close.
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This is the first in a series of posts documenting the continuation of my original virtual machine cabinet build. I'll be alternating these posts with my playfield swap/rebuild of Creature from the Black Lagoon.
To summarize my virtual pinball build prior to now:
- A real cabinet - I bought a gutted Lethal Weapon 3 cabinet with many extras
- A real DMD - I bought a Vishay LED DMD
- A different build style - I use steampunk elements rather than traditional cabinet art
- In 2014 the video card died, which I finally replaced in 2016
- The Vishay DMD and Pin DMD (the interface) were not recognized by windows
- My solid state hard drive died in 2016 with all my configured files on it
- Then my home PC died so I "stole" the remaining virtual pinball PC parts
- Acquiring 9 new "real" pinball machines in 3 years occupied my attention
- After 2 full playfield swaps on machines in my collection, I was ready for a different challenge: restart the virtual pinball machine project
There are two pieces of software that make emulating pinball machines possible: PinMame and Visual Pinball. In 2011, Visual Pinball was transitioning from version 8 to version 9; today, the current version is 10.6. Tables from version 9 and older have the file extension ".vpt" in the filename; tables from version 10 (VPX) have the file extension ".vpx". The graphics and lighting in VPX are beautiful and realistic-looking, with many tables updated to 4K HD resolution (greater than what my original playfield TV can display). The physics have also been greatly improved. Almost all of the skills you can perform on a real machine, like dead flips, drop catching, post passes, and flipper passes ("Shatzing"), can be performed in virtual pinball.
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| Stern's Lord of the Rings VPX (desktop setup) by jpsalas |
I'm taking a measured, step-by-step approach to continue with my cabinet build:
- Download the new, updated VPX tables and test them on my desktop PC first
- Rebuild the virtual pinball PC
- Add surround sound for ball effects
- Use real solenoids for force feedback
- Use an I-Pac keyboard controller for buttons
- Use an LEDWiz to control force feedback devices and some LED lighting
- Replace the Vishay DMD with a 1080p laptop screen for color DMD simulation
- Install steampunk mechanisms that are triggered by game events
I still had some parts from the first build attempt, but there was a significant amount that I needed to acquire. My biggest regret was not getting the DMD panel with the Lethal Weapon 3 cabinet when I bought it all those years ago. Data East parts can be impossible to find! I did manage to get a Stern DMD panel that will work - with some modification.
Below is the parts list of all the components so far, not counting any steampunk features. The bill of materials to date is about $2600, with the largest expenses being the 37" Panasonic TV (which I got on sale back in 2011) and the contactor solenoids for the force feedback...I spent a bit more to obtain high quality, louder contactors ("Thunderclaps") to provide a more realistic experience.
- Cabinet body
- Backbox
- Lockdown bar
- Lockdown accepter mechanism
- Siderails x2
- Backbox hinge
- Gun plunger
- Glass
- Legs x4
- Leg levelers x4
- Leg brackets x4
- Flipper buttons x2
- Panasonic Viera 37" IPS-Alpha TC-L37U3 1080P (playfield monitor)
- Hanns-G 28" 1080P (backbox monitor)
- I-Pac 2
- LG LP156WF4-SPK2 15.6" Replacement LCD 1080P (DMD screen)
- MSI Gaming 990FXA motherboard
- AMD FX-8350 Black Edition Vishera 8-Core 4.0 GHz
- G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB DDR3
- EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB video
- Rosewill Valens-600, Valens Series 600W Power Supply
- 2nd 5v/12v power supply
- SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 120GB SATA III SSD
- CORSAIR Hydro Series H105 240mm CPU Cooler
- HP SATA DVD
- Windows 7 Pro
- TP Link wireless adapter
- USB Flushmount 6' cable
- Various colors and lengths of 5 x 22 AWG Stranded Hook-Up Wire
- 6 x Pal Nut - Nylon
- 24V power supply
- 10 Virtual Pinball DOF Force Feedback 24VDC Contactor Solenoid "ThunderClap"
- Altec Lansing 5.1 PC speakers (table surround effects)
- Pyle PL42BL Blue Label 4" Coaxial Speaker Pair (backbox speakers)
- Stern Speaker Panel
- Speaker panel brackets
- Tripp Lite DisplayPort to DVI Cable Adapter
- COOLER MASTER Silent Fan R4-S2S-124K-GP 120mm, 4 pack (exhaust fans)
- APEVIA CVT334 Power 3 PIN TO 4 PIN Fan Converter, 3 pack
- Noctua NA-SEC2 Fan Power Extension Cable 3 Pin, 3 Pack
- LCD Controller Kit for LG 15.6inch LP156WF4(SP)(K2)
- LED-Wiz 32-port USB Compatible Lighting and Output Control
- Phanteks PH-F200SP_BK 200mm Case Fan (intake fan)
- 1N4007RLG diodes x100
- Fuse Holder 1 Pole MTG x30
- Cartridge Fuses x30
- Dual Row 600V 25A Screw Terminal Strip Blocks with Cover x5
- Red Insulated Fork Spade Electrical Crimp Terminals 18-22AWG, 100 Pack
- Flipper/Magnasave RGB board x2
- Clear flipper buttons x2
That's quite a list of materials...you can see why a full-blown build of a virtual machine is not for the faint of heart! There's a couple things left to buy that aren't on the above list: a cheap amp to drive the backbox speakers, a Pinscape board for nudging, a real tilt bob, and possibly a relay board (depending on how much current my steampunk mechanisms will draw).
This guide on how to build a virtual pinball machine, written by Michael Roberts, is the single most comprehensive, incredible aid for a VP build that you can find on the internet. Youtube videos are certainly valuable, but Michael's guide is simply full of so many little details that aren't captured in a video format. Using graphics I borrowed from Michael's guide, with some quick and dirty Photoshop work, here's how I conceptualize the interior of my cabinet (I will elaborate more in future posts):
In the next entry of this series, Part Two, I'll discuss the PC, software, and beginning installation of some of the components...
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