Might I suggest it's also possible to put in the effort on the RPi and operating system side to only ever mount the SD card read-only, which would also allow for worry-free power-downs of the RPi? Without that, well, it's not a great idea to sell a thing to that many people that *is* going to get power cycled a LOT and *is* going to corrupt file systems ultimately (rendering the mod a brick until one re-images the SD card and likely making the game look like crap at the worst possible time).

Well, that's assuming the RPi is running Linux. I know it can be done with Linux. I don't know about other operating systems.

--Donnie

Better - much better!! I like the way you take positive feedback.

Agreed

Read only file system is how most embedded Linux systems operate, they basically run in ram only touching disk (ie SD card) to save settings etc... very infrequently. If anything it will run faster as ram is far faster then reading from a SD card. Adafruit got a script that does all the work for you, you just install it. Just remember no files can write back to the SD card so don’t do it until it’s production ready.

Iv had pies running for years using this method being power cycled daily.

A lot of ppl won’t turn there machines off via the game switch but the games will all be powered by a wall switch or something so can’t really rely on game being powered 24/7

If you can't do a read-only filesystem for some reason, the best way around the problem above is actually a DC "UPS." There are some RPi specific ones. Basically just puts a battery between your power supply and the RPi. Keeps the battery charged when you have power, triggers the RPi when you lose it to shutdown cleanly.

Unless I'm missing something, Pinballsp's "hardware" solution will require you to run a separate power plug out of the machine (meaning it'll have two plugs) and as you say, the RPi's power plug has to be put on constant power. Bleck.

--Donnie

Only the domestic US market games have services outlets (the socket is only officially rated for 120V). Foreign games have a grommet to seal the hole and no internal wiring for the service outlet. Also the service outlet is always live regardless of whether the game is turn on or not, you can of course rewire the socket to only be powered when the game is on but not everyone will be comfortable in doing this change.

He wants a socket with constant power. His plan is to have his stuff powered by constant power and it will sense when the game power is shut off and then signal the RPi to do a clean shutdown. So his stuff turns off, too, it just does so a few seconds after the main game. As has been pointed out, this won't work for people who use outlet strips or other remote means to kill the power to their games. And as you point out, it won't work in ROW games.

The best solution really is to finalize the software and then re-code the boot image to load to a ramdisk. That way the end user never has to worry about corrupt filesystems. It makes updates a little more tricky, but the easy button there is to just distribute entire SD images. Not sure how he'll do copy protection or licensing control since the license would need to be stored somewhere, but that's not *my* problem. There are ways to work around these things, but it all complicates it a tad more.

--Donnie

Usually you have the whole system boot read only but can have a read write partition for saving firmware / settings occasionally. I can’t quite see why this mod would need to save anything though? Unless your configuring it and that looks to be done in some config file on the SD card.

Should be easy as installing the Adafruit read only script as is really does take care of everything for you. You can then power cycle the pi as much as you want and it will never corrupt the SD card.

You can’t rely on a game having constant power.

Yes the configuration (settings) file will need to be R/W so you can select which videos you want played but also the OP is allowing people to add their own videos so need to be able to add those, whether that needs to be in the same directory as the provided videos I'm not sure.

The way to solve this is that you simply have to remove the SD card, put it in a computer, and change the configuration there (and obviously you'd have to do this to add video files anyway). But when it *boots* it still boots read-only.

It's also possible he could have controls on his system that allow for read-write remounting to make changes using his own buttons and on-screen config and then it saves that and goes back to read-only when done. I haven't followed along closely enough to know if he has on-screen controls for configuration or not. Honestly I'm still in the "this is never gonna happen" camp, but I'm trying to help in case it does. *shrug*

--Donnie

12 seconds is an Eternity for an animation to play, based on how often videos will get triggered it seems anything more than the first 3 seconds won’t be seen

The pi has a boot drive you can edit on any system where people usually stick files they want people to configure as it can be accessed via windows / Mac etc..

But if you did want to config via the machine it self you can very easily remount in read write make your changes then remount read only again once done it’s just a one liner. Or just have a separate partition for saving stuff. Loads of ways of doing this but does take some research.

I think all this work is really amazing. The detailed animations, the recreation of all the illustrative artwork, this is no small feat. However, I am wondering if having the screen be so animated at some many points in a given game could be overwhelming?

Ya, try playing The Hobbit! You need an over the shoulder spotter calling out commands. Awesome game though!

I think I said something to this effect a while back. I had a Mike D mod in mine and it was a little too distracting.

The super jackpot is cool but its something most of us will never see, lets get this thing to market before a lot of people lose interest. LOL nice job .

I will not lose interest but I want it finished and tested. You buy a early one and test it out

It needs something for the kids and the fight and the kids making out in the car

This is by far the coolest mod I will never get to experience.

So when will we get to see a video of this mounted in a real pin and in action? New graphics is nice n all but I think we all want to see how it works being triggered by the game signals, eventual delays, display visibillity and so on. I think its time you show this even though all videos are not created yet.

Project looks promising though.

If it comes out before I sell my machine.

I will not sell my creature, ever. It is a keeper.

The OP doesn't have a machine but has sent a kit to a friend to install and film at his pinball restoration factory. Covid-19 has hit Spain (along with other countries) pretty hard and there is a government enforced lockdown, meaning that the guy isn't able to go to his factory. So yes we are all interested to see the mod running in a machine, but we just have to be patient and wait for things in Spain (and the rest of the world) to start returning to normal.

Here are some pics you might’ve able to use

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I sold my CFTBL years ago. I still have this cardboard promotional standee in my gameroom.

One monster flipper.

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I imported a European Creature to the US and did the power conversion. It has has a service outlet, FYI. I've imported quite a few games from Italy and Germany and found many to have the outlets.

What is the size of that?

I really like that promo standee!!!!

About 6 feet tall. . .imposing in a good way.

I'm getting inquiries about selling this CFTBL standee to someone with the game. . .makes sense.

He folds for compact and easy shipping.

I'll see if i can find my standee as well....glad to sell to a Creature owner...

Would love to have one next to my game. My creature is never leaving

I’m in if you find it.

A friend of mine is a Navy Seal and they have a full size creature at the base. They say he is the original frog man.

This thing is going to be way cool but am I going to have to get a loan to buy it?

Accepting offers for this 1992 vintage 6 foot promotional standee. More photos available. Colors are bright, somewhat marginal degradation at the base, otherwise intact and presents well. Folds for easy shipping.

If sold, I will note in a post and donate to Pinside. Thanks for the interest.

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Been looking for my creature....can't find yet. Maybe it's gone. Finding strange stuff though. I C3P0 standee and a Jurassic Park standee (see here folded in half) from McDonalds?

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...and for you Creature and Monster fans...I found these. 11x14 lobby cards signed by a group of people. Some signed by both Julie Adams and Ben Chapman.
1) Card signed by Ben and Julie.
2) Card signed by Julie Adams & Ben Chapman (Creature), Basil Gogos (FM artist), Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Sara Karloff, Tom Savini...and more!
3) Card signed by Ben Chapman, Beverly Garland, Dolores Fuller, Ron Chaney and more!
The first card Ben signed to me, Julie autograph is plain. All the rest are just signed.
I also have a book, maybe 5x7 or 6x9 filled with candid behind the scenes photos from my collection, signed!

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Just found the book. It's actually 11x8.5"...color and BW behind the scenes photos and signed by Ricou Browning and Julie Adams!

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Very cool stuff! Thanks for sharing

If anyone is interested in any of the stuff for their gameroom...lemme know and make an offer...

Signed book is gone!

I had a hand full of these that I sold last year at show so let me check to see if I have any left! Think I was at $250 or obo on them.

Damn it!

Sorry... Still other stuff left.... (just realized, I don't want to highjack the Thread!) I'll move to Creature pinball or something...