Quoted from PACMAN:I'm interested but i'm too far way!
I would carpool with you but Im moving my family and business at the end of the year and wont have the proper time to dedicate to the project...thats too bad because this is right up my alley 
This is prob premature to share, but I've started a head to head game and making glacially slow progress
https://chronicdabbler.com
That's great work. You are way further along. Ive made contact with a couple guys locally who are interested in the project. I'm getting a couple real world pieces together to have things to talk about.
I'm also making progress on the programming end as well as the design end. Unfortunately, I'm having to learn to model as well as program and design but it's all in good fun.
I noticed you have a Attack from Mars playfield as a reference. Are you using that as a layout? As could help with a illustrator file.
nice work by the way and would be keen but way to far a way - cool potential theme.
I'm going to 3d print this piece. I'm still learning to 3d model things so this basic shape and size will have to do for my testing.
Hi Swinks. I'm using it as reference initially but I'm planning on getting the others together soon and discussing the real layout. This is all very much preliminary at this point. It's basically my presentation to the others to see what they think and to see what ideas they have.
In the end, I was thinking that this center piece to the game would have 4 positions for balls for a multi-ball mode. I'd like to use either the Fast products for the servo controls or P-Roc rather than build something inferior.
I'm planning on having those involved in this project up to the shop to meet in person. Come to find out... I'm the outsider. Hah. They all know each other. I'm cnc'ing and 3d printing parts this week to have discussion pieces for when people show up. I'm trying to develop a list of items for us to discuss and get nailed down so we can proceed.
I don't speak for the others but my personal intent in this project is to create a machine that could pass as a late 90's pinball machine manufactured by Williams, Bally or Stern. Of course, hopefully, with some twists that have not been done before.
My CNC'd playfield for discussion came out great. I'm very happy with the quality of my work. 
Oh. BTW. Has anyone used one of these wire markers before? I used to be and electrican/PLC programmer when I was a kid. I used to design the electrical, wiring diagrams, program and even wire the machines back then. I'm planning on using wire markers to make things easy on this prototype machine.
I just ordered this printer. Has anyone used. Had good or bad results? I had a Brady marker when I was a kid but that machine was a couple thousand dollars.
I have a Brother label printer, it's pretty easy to use, this modern stuff is fairly well designed.
First CNC playfield looks great! Pretty jealous of your cool toys right now. 
Yeah. I'm going to manually add the flippers. I didn't exactly know how big the holes should be and what distance I wanted to use yet. I have a laser cutter and will make an overlay template to position the holes once I figure that out.
Quoted from SpaceGhost:Yeah. I'm going to manually add the flippers. I didn't exactly know how big the holes should be and what distance I wanted to use yet. I have a laser cutter and will make an overlay template to position the holes once I figure that out.
On my stuff, which is mostly Pinball 2000 (but pretty standard dimensions), I drill the holes at 0.5" for flipper bushings to fit through. The holes on Wizard Blocks for the flippers are about 6.657" from center to center.
I use 03-7568 for the bushings: http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=270
Looking forward to seeing more!
Finally got a chance to meet with most everyone involved and started laying out the play field based on feedback from everyone.
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You need another cluster of three targets and you will have a good game.
3x4=12 rule. Add A,B,C. or 1,2,3.
The 3x4=12 rule, 4x3=12. On a basic pinball layout, the most satisfying layout is a game
- that has followed this rule. Once you understand it, then you can break it.
Quoted from vec-tor:The 3x4=12 rule, 4x3=12. On a basic pinball layout, the most satisfying layout is a game
- that has followed this rule. Once you understand it, then you can break it.
Yeah I didn't follow that either, but I'm interested because game design theory is very important to anyone interested in homebrew
Quoted from vec-tor:The 3x4=12 rule, 4x3=12. On a basic pinball layout, the most satisfying layout is a game
- that has followed this rule. Once you understand it, then you can break it.
What is that rule?
Oh, Boy..... O.K.
Sample:
1) Black Knight: 3 Drop Targets in 4 positions, 3x4=12 Very classic layout.
2) Eight Ball Deluxe: 4x4=16... let us break the rule... 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x. one set of 4 targets.
A, B, C, D, Broken into 2 rollovers on top and two rollovers on the bottom. A four rollover feature.
Let's break the rule again, one long bank of seven drop targets plus the top single drop target makes
eight drop targets. So together 4+4+8=16.
Gottlieb's EMs followed more or less 5x3 rule. Gottlieb would be the master of that one
oddball feature; the points feature.
The points feature helped fill out the shortcomings of some of there pinball layouts.
Note: from a Gottlieb designer I had the opportunity to talk to many years ago. "If the special /extra ball is easy to light you have to make it hard to award".
I hope this helps.
O.K. add A,L,P,H,A targets.. ALP one cluster HA second cluster. You could make the A's square shaped and the others
oblong or round. You would have to do a mockup to see if it looks good or not. you could even add a mini flipper.
You could even have the A, L, P, H, A targets in a straight chain or a snake-like layout.
Thanks vec-tor! I appreciate it. I'm not sure how this will layout in the grand scheme of things yet. We're still working on specific shots we want. I do appreciate the input though. I'm going to try to keep that in mind when we are setting up the shots this weekend. I'll have more info and pictures then. Right now, we are looking like we have 3+2+2+3=10 but I'm not 100% sure at this point.
We had ramps in the design but now have removed some of them so it's very up in the air at the moment.
I can possibly see getting 11 total targets not including any upper roll-overs or anything like that but I think 11 is really pushing it on this playfield.
Quoted from vec-tor:1) Black Knight: 3 Drop Targets in 4 positions, 3x4=12 Very classic layout.
2) Eight Ball Deluxe: 4x4=16... let us break the rule... 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x. one set of 4 targets.
A, B, C, D, Broken into 2 rollovers on top and two rollovers on the bottom. A four rollover feature.
Let's break the rule again, one long bank of seven drop targets plus the top single drop target makes
eight drop targets. So together 4+4+8=16.
Gottlieb's EMs followed more or less 5x3 rule. Gottlieb would be the master of that one
oddball feature; the points feature.
This is complete nonsense. Don't listen to crazy bananas here, there's no "rules" for playfield layouts except the laws of physics.
Quoted from jwilson:there's no "rules" for playfield layouts except the laws of physics.
There are things you can and cannot do, but only in the video realm can you break them.
When one designs a pinball and has to comply to that manufactures specific components
and cabinet design there is restriction already in play.
As Jon Norris said, " I have to work around no man's land ".
Well, we'll continue to do our best to make what, will hopefully, be a fun pinball machine that could be mistakable for a machine straight off the production line in the late 90's. I hope. 
Quoted from vec-tor:When one designs a pinball and has to comply to that manufactures specific components
and cabinet design there is restriction already in play.
Sure but that has nothing to do with the number of drop targets or some weird magic number ratio of targets to flippers or whatever bonkers thing you're on about.
I cut the electrical back panel for the back box at lunch today. I'm going to start mounting components and wiring them up. I'm going to use standard molex connectors for everything between the back panel and the cabinet body. Originally, I was going to keep everything local but have decided to add two linear power supplies into the head to power the PC, usb ports, Fast Pinball Nano, etc. The switching power supplies will be located in the cabinet body to power the solenoids, lights, magnets, etc.
It's a privilege to be involved with this project and we had a great brainstorming session a couple of weeks ago in person.
We have another meeting this Saturday to figure out another ramp(possibly with a diverter) and pop bumper placement.
Looks like we have some great magnet fun in store too!
Damn. I just found out that my wire is just shipping today. I won't get it until this coming Tuesday.
There are five of us currently involved in this TLS pinball machine. We're going to meet on Saturday morning to go over shots, ramps, etc.
It's nice to get input from other real players who've been immersed in pinball for years. I'm relatively a new comer.
Getting there! We're meeting on Saturday to discuss shots and ramps. I should make some VERY fast progress once we all get that stuff locked down.
Hopefully this weekend or next week. Actually excited to see these guys and get some things nailed down. We have the simple version of the playfield almost complete and will have the components mounted tomorrow. Hoping to have thing flipping on Saturday.
We had a great meeting. We came up with a great first layout.
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Someone messaged me asking "why are you going so nuts with the panel?".
LOL. Well, it's not really nuts. I'm trying to make this simple for myself. Drilling and tapping some holes and the added cost of terminal blocks and such is well worth it when I have to hunt down problems. The cleaner things are and the better labeled, the easier it will be for anyone. IMHO
The good thing about the industrial controls approach is that troubleshooting is much easier. Everything is labeled. The wire tracks hide the wires but allow you to pull out a wire that needs attention. I, of course, do not think this should be how a production machine should be made but for a one-off, or in our case, a four off, this will work great.
Only got a little footage of the ramps being printed. All of these should assemble into a multicolored left ramp.
On these lower end printers, they flat sections only take about 3 to 5 hours. The ramp up and down sections take about 12 hours or so. I also have the right side ramp printing right now all in one piece. That's about 22 hours. It should be done by morning.
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