Not sure if this was mentioned by anyone else before: Just wanted to let you know that a fellow pinhead from Germany published a pinball machine leveling tool in the iOS Appstore. Nice little app that helps with leveling pinball machines even ON GLASS.
Thanks to Frank for programming it and especially for letting us have this for free!
I have not tested it yet... but here is the link...
https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/pinguy/id782973821
Thanks!
Well, i'm not really involved with this directly but since the autor of the app is not on Pinside i can just pass on what is posted in the German forum: He will not port it to Android himself but is willing to pass on the source code to anyone who wants to port it to other systems.
You know what we REALLY need? A pinball leveling app that works with the iPhone on it's back. Then, every 5 seconds (or set interval) it says the degree pitch. That way, you don't have to get up and down 5 times to know if your machine is level.
Quoted from jalpert:You know what we REALLY need? A pinball leveling app that works with the iPhone on it's back. Then, every 5 seconds (or set interval) it says the degree pitch. That way, you don't have to get up and down 5 times to know if you're machine is level.
Awesome idea!!! I agree 100%, integrating a voice that can say numbers and the word degrees, shouldn't be all that difficult. Wish I was an iOS Dev so I could help them out. Really cool app idea though, I'm downloading it now...
Quoted from jalpert:You know what we REALLY need? A pinball leveling app that works with the iPhone on it's back. Then, every 5 seconds (or set interval) it says the degree pitch. That way, you don't have to get up and down 5 times to know if your machine is level.
I was thinking the same thing. Doesn't have to be voice. Could just be a tone or beeping or something.
There are "virtual" leveling tools downloadable with a speech option.
But... i am not sure if this works in this case, since not only one angle is measured, so the announcements can be very confusing.
Hey - it is a free app, especially made for our purposes, that's great 
... and this is good reason to get someone in your gameroom... in my case I will use the speech option of one of my daughters 
Hello, I'm Frank, the author of Pinguy.
The program is my first app I've put in the store. Unfortunately, I have not so much experience in proffessional programming. But the tool is not so complicated.
The idea of the voice acting is great. I try to implement this. Either with commands such as: higher at the back, left or down with telling the degree for both axis.
Next Version:
There will also be an indication of the degree of x and y axis on the screen.
Later, I would also install a database in order to teach more than one Pinball on glass.
but please give me some time.
regards
Frank
Just make sure when you do this, you design it so the iPhone is on it's back. With lifting the the game etc, the iPhone will fall over if it's on it's side.
Looking forward to it!
Quoted from Gnassel:The idea of the voice acting is great. I try to implement this. Either with commands such as: higher at the back, left or down with telling the degree for both axis.
Thank you for this amazing app! My pins are leveled entirely better. You have made my pins 300% more accurate and 10 times more fun to play. My scores that were too high have been resolved and scores that were too low have been resolved.
Good news friends,
today I put a little update to apple for review.
With following new functions:
- Actual angle for x and y- axis will be shown
- Two point calibration for better accuracy
- Voice guide to tell you where we are when you´re under your pinball
- new icon
- Info button to jump to my homepage to get more informations
I hope It will be turn to store next days
regards
Frank
That is very, VERY cool.
Quoted from Gnassel:- Voice guide to tell you where we are when you´re under your pinball
So the first step is "1. Just calibrate your iPhone the first time on a perfect 0° ground as Zero".
Does anyone have any tips for doing this? Just get an old-fashioned bubble level out and look for a flat surface somewhere in my house? (There's got to be one somewhere.)
The button 'Learn glas' or 'Learn on glas' - is that for leveling a machine with the glass on?
I have a few friends who try to level out machines in bars, where we have no access to the lockdown bar or playfield.
If so, that's pretty cool.
Quoted from jpolfer:The button 'Learn glas' or 'Learn on glas' - is that for leveling a machine with the glass on?
I have a few friends who try to level out machines in bars, where we have no access to the lockdown bar or playfield.
If so, that's pretty cool.
Yes but in order to calibrate that, you first need to level the machine with the glass off.
Quoted from Solder_Splash:Yes but in order to calibrate that, you first need to level the machine with the glass off.
In theory you could build a database of machines where you list the game title, level it to a perfect 6.5°, and then check the glass level and record it. Then anyone would be able to walk up to that game and level it off the glass. Might not be *perfect* every time, but should be damn close, and more than good enough to fix on location games and the like.
I wonder if all modern Sterns say, have the same relationship between playfield and glass, or if it varies from title to title.
Quoted from Aurich:In theory you could build a database of machines where you list the game title, level it to a perfect 6.5°, and then check the glass level and record it. Then anyone would be able to walk up to that game and level it off the glass. Might not be *perfect* every time, but should be damn close, and more than good enough to fix on location games and the like.
I wonder if all modern Sterns say, have the same relationship between playfield and glass, or if it varies from title to title.
When reading the description (I don't have iOS so didn't download) this is the way I imagined it had already been set up. So good idea!
Quoted from revmex:How much is this app?
-Rev
free! 
Quoted from domijr:I tried this app a few days ago. It didn't work well for me. I ended up just using a small level.
You know, some details might be helpful. I doubt the author can investigate or fix "it didn't work well for me".
This is really awesome!
I haven't used an iPhone in awhile though, thinking about getting one just for this!
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com
Quoted from markmon:You know, some details might be helpful. I doubt the author can investigate or fix "it didn't work well for me".
Just didn't seem level when i had all the green bars where they should be. And each time i would grab the phone and turn it 90 degrees to take another reading, it would be off. And yes, i calibrated it with a level that is properly calibrated. Was much easier to just use a regular level.
This app seems like a great idea though, but i don't believe it's accurate. Maybe it's my Iphone 4s, i dunno.
Yup. That. I don't think the new version is out yet, but looking forward to it.
Quoted from yonkiman:So the first step is "1. Just calibrate your iPhone the first time on a perfect 0° ground as Zero".
Does anyone have any tips for doing this? Just get an old-fashioned bubble level out and look for a flat surface somewhere in my house? (There's got to be one somewhere.)
Tried to install it, but it requires ios6.1 or later. Any chance it can be shifted to support 6.0 or later? I have no desire to update to ios 7 (and I can't just go to 6.1 anymore).
Quoted from Linolium:Tried to install it, but it requires ios6.1 or later. Any chance it can be shifted to support 6.0 or later? I have no desire to update to ios 7 (and I can't just go to 6.1 anymore).
Good luck, 7 is the App Store standard now, you're going to just keep seeing this. Personally I'd go nuts going back to 6 even with the parts of 7 I'm less than crazy about. It's definitively still better.
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