First TEST of the Ice Cream video.

There are still many things to add and correct, this is only the first test. We have to animate the text, finish the dance, add some more special effects with splashes of ice cream, complete the video with a duration of 12 seconds, etc ...

 
Checking the appearance by increasing the transparency of the light bulb effect on the character, and without the light bulb. I think it looks better without the spotlight, we probably won't use it, but I wanted to try it, as many other things are tested, which are finally discarded and not used.

The text we will try to accommodate better at the top, trying to give it a curved shape to prevent it from touching the top of the character, and we are already starting to animate it.

 
TEST_ICE_FOCUS.jpg

 
We continue with the ice cream animation. Corrections have been made in the character tilt angle because the original already has an unnatural position, excessively tilted to the right, was not well balanced.

The dance of this character is somewhat more complicated than the previous ones because it has had to create the flexed position of the legs in a new design and to animate them they need to correct the joints of the knee frame by frame.

As soon as the dance animation is fully corrected, the effects will be added to the text, the background stars will also be animated, which will give depth to the animation, in this case, the rays will no longer rotate because we tried it and there was no good with the stars. I told the designer to try animating the stars to create the 3D tunnel effect, it will be the stars that move from the bottom to the front.

 
helado_001.jpghelado_002.jpghelado_003.jpg

 
We are working on the character's dance, this is quite complex compared to the previous ones.

Progress has also been made on the effect and form of the title, we have opted for the writing effect with some splashes of ice cream, and a cherry on the ice. The background is animated with stars, some fixed that rotate and flash, and smaller ones that will move from the center to the edges to create a 3D tunnel effect.

We hope to have finished the Ice Cream video by the middle of next week. With this video all the videos of the Basic and Medium package will be finished. The following videos will only be available to customers of the Full package, we will start with the Snack Bar or one of the Jackpot/Superjackpot videos.

 
 
ScreenHunter_028.jpgb750ec90-1c23-457e-9cf7-98c74f34bd78.jpg
LISTA_VIDEOS_.jpg

 
One more test, and probably by Sunday it will be finished, versions with and without text. Small stars were added for the tunnel effect, a new step was added to the dance causing the character to raise his arms, by raising his leg now the other foot makes a small jump to make it more natural. This test is only 7 seconds, but the final video will be extended up to 13 seconds with a fade-out output effect, both from the video and the music.

The text is almost definitive, we are only going to make the shadow more diffuse and we need to add the point of the I in ICE. When the arms are raised we will correct them, we must make them somewhat smaller and modify the shape and size of the right arm. The joints of the leg flexion areas are still to be finished. The stars need some corrections, add more small stars for the tunnel effect and make the big stars blink. Extend the video up to 13 seconds with fade effect when finished.

For the version with no text, it will be included at the beginning of the video, a Splash-type comic effect with a sound at the moment of impact.

splash_DOS.jpg

 
There is no problem with the assembly of electronic boards, I have my own Pick and Place machine to assemble all the boards quickly.

In the attached video you can see my machine assembling the Multicolor DMDMK66 screens that I sell. It is a fully automated task, after this machine places the components on the boards, they are welded in an infrared oven in 7 minutes. The boards of the Hologram Kit go in panels of four boards per panel, in total every four boards are assembled in about 10 minutes, and at zero cost because I assemble them, I do not order the assembly to any company.

All this has been ready for a long time, as well as contacts with all suppliers for the supply of TFT screens, screen holders, cables and connectors. All ready waiting for the videos to be finished, I just need to finish the current video of Ice Cream and everything ready to open the order list.

 
71695298_2528462363900651_726639115646271488_o.jpg71714790_2528462360567318_8902560678745735168_o.jpg71872297_2528462343900653_895677217256767488_o.jpg72084815_2514680461945508_1539546046751834112_o.jpg

201c7da4b61b809f184eb6714b0010146343f91b.jpg

 
Preparing the 3D model, for the Creature video found (last video of the list). It is an alternative video to the one we already made with the Creature extracted from the movie.

With the 3D model we will have a sharper image, without the little jump in the original Creature scene when looping. In this 3D model, several things about animation have been corrected, related to the shoulder and waist joints.

However, I have already told the 3D modeler to make improvements to the head of the Creature, specifically in the modeling of the flaps on both sides of the head and in the size of the head, otherwise I think it is fine.

I have also told the modeler to add some newer movements for the Creature, not to leave it simply by repeating the same movements of the Creature in the scene of the movie. Since we have the 3D model, we can take the opportunity to create more varied and longer lasting movements.

 
The software has been done for a long time. I just have to configure some security related details.

As for priorities, the only video with total priority is that of the Creature found, it will interrupt any other video and will remain on the screen while the Creature found signal is active. The videos without any priority are the background ones, these can be interrupted by any other.

As for priorities among the rest of the videos, in principle there is none, just a minimum time before another video can be triggered, otherwise a cascade of video viewing could be triggered with very little time between them, which would be quite unpleasant. The idea is that a video remains at least 5 seconds before another can interrupt it (the triggers are not queued to avoid loss of synchronism with the game in real time), this parameter could be configurable, in a future firmware version , it depends on the feedback I receive from users when they try it.

 
The Ice Cream video, is practically finished, there is only one detail of a sound effect that should sound when the cherry appears but that is practically not appreciated. Now we will prepare the version without text, and everything will be finished and ready to open the order list.

While I have been preparing my new test board, to be able to check the complete kit on my desk. For this version I created a mini board with 92 LEDs that visualize the status of all pinball signals. This way I can check when each video is triggered according to the events programmed in the firmware.

 
TEST_CPU_001.jpgTEST_CPU_002.jpgTEST_CPU_003.jpgTEST_CPU_004.jpg

CPU_TEST_MATRIZ_001.jpg

CPU_TEST_MATRIZ_002.jpg

 
We are already very close to the end, to be able to offer the Hologram Kit for the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Today I was testing my new version of TEST board for CPU, with the mini board for the Creature, this board includes 92 LEDS to see the status of all the playfield signals. The main board has 64 micropulsors, which correspond to the switches of the board, purses and start button, to be able to play the game without having the complete machine, just the original CPU.

In this video I have been checking the signals of KISS, PAID, COLA, HOTDOG, ICE CREAM and POPCORN. All signals are perfectly detected by my board. The firmware of this board is practically the same as the one that installs the Hologram Kit board, only that on this board the signals light LEDs and on the hologram kit board they trigger videos. The firmware of the hologram kit carries some more program routines, to read the SD card with the configuration file and trigger the videos according to priorities, in addition to reading the status of the dash switches that also trigger videos.

On the other hand I have managed to contact another supplier of the screen for the kit, so far I had only found a single supplier that can provide me with that 11.6-inch screen, it does not seem very easy to locate. This other provider offers me a slightly cheaper price, but what interests me most is the delivery time, I will know this tomorrow.

The graphic designer is still working to finish the text-free version of the Ice Cream video, and everything is ready to open the order list.

 
 
A first test for the Ice Cream video without text. I already told the designer, I don't like it very much, we will try another way.

 
While the designer finishes the Ice Cream video, the version with NO text, I am programming the triggering of the videos of the first firmware version, which will look like this. As I said, as soon as this Ice Cream video is finished, I already open the list of orders for those interested.

 
1.- Boot video with logo (only played once at system startup).
2.- Video phases check system (only played once at system startup).
3.- Background videos (Bubbles and RITA boat): played if no other video is playing. LOW priority.
4.- KISS, triggered by switch 15 on the playfield. MEDIUM priority.
5.- COLA: triggered by switch 41 on the playfield. MEDIUM priority.
6.- HOTDOG: triggered by switch 42 on the playfield. MEDIUM priority.
7.- POPCORN: triggered by switch 43 on the playfield. MEDIUM priority.
8.- ICE CREAM: triggered by switch 44 on the playfield. MEDIUM priority.
9.- CREATURE FOUND: triggered by signals 21, 27 and 28 of the Solenoid/Flasher table. HIGH priority.

 
Videos with HIGH priority may interrupt the playback of any other lower priority video (LOW and MEDIUM). The LOW priority videos cannot interrupt any other video, and they only play if there are no other videos playing.

MEDIUM priority videos can interrupt LOW priority videos. They can also interrupt other videos of MEDIUM priority, as long as the video is played is playing for at least 3 seconds, in order to avoid triggering several videos with very little time between them (this time of 3 seconds we will discuss it when I receive the feedback from users, I could even put it as a configurable parameter on the SD card). A MEDIUM priority video can never interrupt a HIGH priority video (Creature Found). If a video cannot be played because it conflicts with the priorities or times, the event is not queued to avoid a loss of synchronism between the videos and the game.

I have already programmed all this in the firmware, now I am making some small adjustments. I enclose images of the Switch, Lamp and Solenoid/Flasher tables, where the trigger signals of the videos are identified.

An important consideration, which demonstrates why I ruled out from the beginning to use a video trigger system based on the Sounds signals, is that some events do not trigger any special sound that identifies them, for example, the characters, COLA, ICE CREAM, HOTDOG and POPCORN, which can only trigger videos based on the state of the playfield switches.

The most complete and versatile system to be able to trigger videos for any event, is the one I am using, checking the status of ALL the Switches, Lamps and power output signals (Solenoids/Flasher table). It is more complicated to program than using other hardware systems, but it is the only one that allows controlling EVERYTHING, any event can be detected and programmed to trigger a video, or in a future product to CONTROL OTHER MODs.

 
DIAGRAMA_SWITCHES_COLOR.jpgDIAGRAMA_LAMPARAS_COLOR.jpgDIAGRAMA_SALIDAS_DIRECTAS_COLOR.jpg

KISS is triggered really by switch 16, as seen in my video.

Thank you for your detailed information.
I was wrong, I really meant that the KISS is triggered by the closure of the switch 16 of the playfield, as seen in my video with the TEST board.

If there are other conditions that also trigger it, I will have to check and program it. In the tests I was doing, only with the switch 16 were the KISS lights going on and the animation on the DMD comes out. Surely I have to play longer games so that other conditions appear.

I can program that a video is triggered for each letter of the KISS, for that after detecting the closing of switch 16, I can check the status of the lamps to know which letter is being lit.

 
Hello, happy new year.

Yes, I am selling this TEST board, for a price of 219 Euros + shipping costs (the mini LED board for the Creature is not included). For now, it only includes adapters for Bally/Williams WPC89, WPCS, and WPC95. I can make adapters for Stern SAM and Stern WhiteStar in the future.

The current kit included what you see in the attached photos. Motherboard, adapter for WPC89, WPC95 and WPCS, flat cables and mini universal board with two 8x8 LED arrays (one for insert lamp status and one for solenoids/flashers). The mini plate for the Creature is optional, not included in the price.

The firmware is upgradeable by downloading new versions of the Github from the project and loading it on the motherboard with a micro SD card.

Best Regards

CPU_TEST_MATRIZ_001.jpg

CPU_TEST_MATRIZ_002.jpg

 
The video of the Ice cream without text is almost finished, we are deciding what sound effect to put when the two splashes come out at the beginning.

Now I am dealing with lead times because screens are the most problematic component. I contacted other suppliers and I ordered some samples to decide which provider to order. In addition, the Chinese go on holidays, for their spring festival, in mid-January and no longer return to work until February 7. I think I could get 20 screens before the Chinese holidays (from the only supplier that has stock, only 20 units available), and the rest of the screens would be for February, but then with 2-3 weeks of lead time counted from that date.