This is how I tackled wiring up a game

Populated mechs
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Switch wiring along the sides
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Central high voltage trunk that coils tie into
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Looks like 2 months of work there in this dimension

I've never done one from scratch, only pf swaps. However, I'm guessing inventing a new one is a major pain in the ass and takes time.

I stripped the guts of the game (severe fire damage), made a new wire harness, and put on connectors, all in a 3 day weekend. It's really not that bad if you just sit down and get to work.

It's really easy to make a harness if you're not dealing with a matrix.

Are you tempted to make the original 3 pop- jon norris design into a working whitewood yet?
Or is anyone else considering it?! This pin needs to be built and flipped. (Motorhead themed preferred!)

We are all somewhat addicted to the daily beer count. Is it possible that for this phase of the build we could also get a daily wire count? It was a herculean effort I'm sure to get those critical first 4 done... will be interesting to see if the pace picks up now.

People ask me this a lot in private.

The more John deviates from the original, the more I want to. But I'd want to talk to Jon Norris about it since it's his design. I don't want to make a lot of drama for him (or GWJ). But also, I wouldn't do the original design verbatim. I have some of my own tweaks based off what parts I happen to have and original ideas I want to utilize in a homebrew game. I've written a lot of chicken scratch on the print out...

I have another design I've been mocking up in virtual software. It features the figure 8 shot on the right, but the left is totally different (and is a four flipper game). I'm also still curious about the Elwin Bond that is MIA and what sort of ideas he has for a single level, and if there is anything worth stealing iterating on.

tl;dr maybe

I need to re listen to last weeks super awesome pinball show. Franchi had Gomez back on to talk about Bond and I swear he mentioned Elwin’s game had some sort of figure eight shot.

Just finished packing a backglass & had my lunch. See what the wire count is today.

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Can't wait to see today's progress on the wiring!

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A vegan thread has already been done but that was 5 years ago. Bump it or begin anew? I'll participate either way.
I'm a part time vegetarian and yes, I know that's confusing.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/a-vegan-thread-for-bobukcat

OK, back on topic.

John, do you ever sleep with one foot on the floor?

or not?

Thanks Kim I responded with my address about the coats.

I will give John credit for a nicely packed backglass! I like the solid metal corner protectors.

Regarding the harness - looks like there's just random wire lengths getting attached (i hope not all the same color!) to mechs, nothing on the other end setup. So no real planning here.. rat's nest for this whitewood.. which is fine to test geometry and make all the tweaks (that may or may not happen). But a "final" version is going to require a lot more planning and time to properly manage all the wires. It gets real messy once you add in the LED's everywhere as well..

I spent many hours this weekend killing a few bugs in my homebrew code, and adding in a few video clips and animations with text for ball saves.. and it reminded me how much time you can kill in coding (where I am lumping sound, lights, points, controlled coils, machine behavior etc.) something to get it right. I'll have a beer or whiskey sometimes while I work.. but it's easy to see things get sloppy if you keep drinking. Wiring takes a long time.. all the pinning of connectors, tracing things out, making sure it's correct. Ideally you are writing down somewhere (not a napkin!) which switch and coil..etc is pinned in to which place on a housing. Once you pin a few and insert into a housing.. wires get crossed up really quick and the rat's nest is real.

How much programming is required to actually do something with this wiring? Is the programmer ready to roll?

Yes I am still reading up on the wiring. For my glass shipments those are cardboard strap protectors I use to buy in a big box. Never had any problems with UPS dropping the glass on a corner, & glass had honeycomb cardboard spacers. You can not protect from heavy objects going through the sides. Do not waste your money on insurance that they will refuse to pay. About 3% loss over the years that I took care myself.

Very minimal with MPF and a P3-ROC. Most of the configuration file could be written in a few hours, assuming John gives them decent notes on how everything connects to the boards.

Because of the type of flipper coil he is using, he has to hook it up to a controller. If it was a dual wound, then he could have hard wired it to the power supply directly and used an EOS switch to make the power to hold transition. But with single wound, you have to have a capable transistor changing the pulse width timing, otherwise it'll burn up within seconds of continuous activation.

I think those are just pieces of the hard fiberboard corner protectors.
Could be metal but looks to me like the fiberboard ones.
Those are thick and sturdy as well though...

Edit: Ok, never mind John already confirmed this

When I first got into the homebrew rabbit hole, I devoured every work log I could find to learn as much as I could.

The number one conclusion I drew from that: the vast majority of people quit once they have to program more than the most basic of gameplay elements

It's part of why I dove into a retheme first. I didn't know how much of the coding I would like/want to do, so I was iffy about spending a lot of time on a total custom build (also a retheme gives you less to bite off at once, while still being...a lot). And now having done it, I know I can do an early classic solid state or early alphanumeric...and that's about where my capabilities/willingness-to-learn hit the wall.

My perspective of pinball software is night and day difference after getting into homebrew. The software >> physical layout and it's not close IMO. You can make a bad layout fun with software. Bad software on a fun layout is a dull game no matter how well it shoots.

Hell, I'm sometimes more interested in how a company like Stern uses the LCD screen than the layout itself.

I'm beginning to think the only chance for John's Stern pro style game debuting at TPF involves going into business with Rumpelstiltskin.

I still think there's a second pin being built behind the scenes and maybe not by John.

Interesting conspiracy theory. Did you pick that up from the breadcrumbs?

Are we reading the same thread?

There "IS" a separate pin being built.

Along the lines of the Dominos pin, but for Sobey's.

GWJ is their corporate spokesperson, pinball designer and builder.

All the rest is a smokescreen.....

I've mentioned it before I cannot believe Ice is gonna go down like this lol. If hes got 10 grand to fund this, then he definitely got 10 grand to make it happen somewhere else.

Yes, OrNot.

yeah, as TreyBo69 mentioned -- With MPF anyone can follow the well-written tutorial and if you wired everything correctly, get the game flipping within hours, with a basic score showing and even running start to end thru a 3 ball game with trough management. After that.. it becomes a lot more reading and work to put all the coding together.

You forgot who is building this, & it will be lucky to be flipping in days if not weeks. Lots to learn on how to get it done, & again there is no second pin hiding out some where to be revealed. Might get off the beer wagon, or not! Stuff has to get out of here.

I think this is the bare minimum to get it to work

config_version=5

hardware:
platform: p3_roc
driverboards: pdb

switches:
s_left_flipper:
number: [tbd by GWJ]
s_right_flipper:
number: [tbd by GWJ]

coils:
c_flipper_left:
number: [tbd by GWJ]
allow_enable: true
default_hold_power: 0.125
default_pulse_ms: 20
c_flipper_right:
number: [tbd by GWJ]
allow_enable: true
default_hold_power: 0.125
default_pulse_ms: 20

flippers:
left_flipper:
main_coil: c_flipper_left
activation_switch: s_left_flipper
enable_events: machine_reset_phase_3
right_flipper:
main_coil: c_flipper_right
activation_switch: s_right_flipper
enable_events: machine_reset_phase_3

playfields:
playfield:
tags: default
default_source_device: None

I think that's the absolute bare minimum to get a game flipping in MPF.

TreyBo69 your posts today have been inspiring. Between your playfield wiring post and steps on jumping into P-Roc I have the confidence to continue to the flip phase. Thank you for that!

You've caught me. I'm actually building a true-to-detailed version of the Jon Norris Pinball to unveil at the Texas Pinball Event. I wanted to keep it a secret and all but now that you've cleverly seen it.

Then why pay GWJ at all?

We owe for his nirvana like characterization of Nova Scotia as xanadu and shangri-la
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Welcome, to the machine.. This is all a simulation. Answer me this, has anyone ever seen Keanu Reeves & Avi in the same room?! Didn't think so! This is some next level Johnny Mnemonic / Matrix 1, 2 & 3 shit going on. Just saying! * side note.. headed to a friend's to play pins. Yes, a jon norris designed Surf n Safari is in the line-up!

We should be tracking daily beer count in Excel.

Err, maybe not.

No beer today. Spent my day cleaning up the shop for Avi on Tuesday. I still need to work on getting games out this week.

What is your mailing address John?! I got a lil something to send and maybe help brighten up the long days that turn to nights at the shop! Breadcrumbs have previously been dropped as to what it is !

Pm me if you prefer

John, serious question, if for some reason you do not have the pin ready for TPF do you still plan to attend?

I will know by March 1, 2023 what the status of the project is.

It’s a lot easier than that.

Get a power supply, some old early SYS11 flipper mechs and some flipper switches. Grab some old style pop bumpers.

Wire the switches straight to the power supply. Just like the old days.

Flip flip flip!

Not something you’d use permanently but perfect for testing.

What John is making now will be used as a wall hanging in time, when he makes the *actual* playfield.

Then we can go through all this all over again.

rd

How do you think you are trending with your plan? Are you ahead of schedule or behind? What lessons have you learned so far?

Pinball building is hard. Glad I do not have to do 10.

Uh huh, Im waiting for the Sobeys pinball reveal....

Street Hooker mode

Gray ham mode

Daily expired food hunt

Broken grill mode

Crazy street person mode

There are too many to list.

I think we all know what the status will be .........

Or not, on my way to Sobeys & see Avi at the shop. They had the executive funeral sandwich tray discounted Monday, looked good but too much for one person.

I've been holding this in, but Avi has begun to take over some pin tasks and the conspiracies continue to swirl. My angle is as far-fetched and improbable as the others...

Avi is a plant sent by Ice- JPOPS nephew in fact, and knows more than he is letting on. JPOP has been banging on closed doors + GWJ is building a pin + Ice has money to lose. Some photos on a bulletin board, some yarn connections, and Avi quietly takes over the build at the direction of JPOP. TPF reveals Alice in Wonderland. Ice's final trophy, last laugh, mic drop. Everyone wishes they were a whale. Roll credits.

I like Avi- I believe it is uncommon that a new member garners such goodwill so quickly. I hope this post is not somehow interpreted as a cheap shot at him, or anyone else.

The real conspiracy is Avi is JPop after cosmetic surgery in Tijuana