Austin, TX
No it isn't a morie pattern.. Hard to describe. I'll try to post a picture later.
Right now I'm knee deep in Backglass "Mirror-izing".
Hopefully I'll have something to post in a few days.
(Topic ID: 34215)
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Star Trek
Bally, 1979-
Star Trek: The Mirror Universe
Pinball-Mods.com, 2014
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I learned last weekend that my Comic book artist continues to have life-getting in the way issues; and probably won't make delivery of the backglass art in time for me to get it on the machine for TPF. I asked him to be done several times... but family / deaths / real-work deadlines keep getting in the way.
So; On Thursday - I decided I was going to scan my existing CPR repro Prototype backglass and create my own. Well; the same HP Scanjet 4670 I used to scan the PF is now giving me a interference pattern on the scans.
As a result; I decided to use an existing scan of the production backglass and "mirror-ize" it to have some of the features of the ProtoType Backglass.
First; here an example of the original Production BG:
Star%20Trek[2].jpg
And here's My current revision of the BG I've modified:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12282654433/sizes/o/
12282654433_f3338d723a[1].jpg
I'm not sure about the nasa render of earth replacing the planetoid... I like it... but it may be too much for the BG.
Comments? Suggestions?
I think the Earth looks sharp. one suggestion which might make it all flow. What if you put some light haloing on the grey thing that is around the earth. it would make it more 3 D and would sort of glue it, visually to the old school stuff.
I like the idea of Earth in there, but agree it should match the style of artwork on the rest of the backglass. Also, why not "mirror" it as well(visually flipping the continents)?
Quoted from Miguel351:Also, why not "mirror" it as well(visually flipping the continents)?
Because if you look at the original logo - Example:
1024_Terran%20Empire%20-%20TOS%20-%20bw[1].jpg
Trying to stay true to the universe.
I'm going to try a few things out tonight w/ regards to Earth.
John
I've taken into account some of the suggestions provided... Replacing the Earth with a custom Terran Empire Logo I created in Photoshop.
Better?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12301105466/sizes/o/
12301105466_b0cbddb532[1].jpg
Quoted from MrSanRamon:Looks great, but I'd change the color of the shirt of the guy just above 3up to red.
Robert
And send him to his doom??? Murderer.
Quoted from MrSanRamon:Looks great, but I'd change the color of the shirt of the guy just above 3up to red.
Robert
LOL - great minds think alike. The wife was like "make that dude a redshirt" Sunday night.
Yesterday before bed - I made it happen. So yeah; There's a red shirt on the BG now. 
Rev5 changelog:
1) Reworked Terran Logo again... Put "blade" behind planet to look similar to existing logos. Blade is smooth as opposed to chiseled. Ideally this would go thru the planet; but no idea how to do it right in photoshop.
2) Due to KLOV peer pressure; "flipped" Player 1&3 with 2&4.
3) Dude on left is now a RedShirt.
4) Uhura now has nipples and dark stockings.
5) All new art has "film grain" applied to it so it blends better with original artwork.
6) McCoy now has some muscles under uniform.
7) Everyone's boots have been blackened to better match the show.
Remember to use URL to get very high rez image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12317085484/sizes/o/
12317085484_9cf79ebe41[1].jpg
I'll be honest, I like it all, but the sleeveless Kirk is a little much. What's next, short shorts and knee highs? 
Quoted from Zitt:Rev5 changelog:
I like it...the only other think I'd add is sleeves on Kirk.
I love the Red Shirt mod...
Robert
regarding the sleeves, my prediction will be that Zitt will remind us that it needs to be correct to the Mirror Universe.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__9PCmBrOEMA/TKiQxgv0HAI/AAAAAAAAEbA/6O9yHCMuTDc/s320/star-trek-mirror-mirror.jpg
Quoted from btw75:regarding the sleeves, my prediction will be that Zitt will remind us that it needs to be correct to the Mirror Universe.
That may be, but I think sleeves just look better.
Robert
Quoted from Zitt:Rev5 changelog:
Love it! Blade behind planet is a great improvement.
Sana'a
Quoted from Zitt:Ideally this would go thru the planet; but no idea how to do it right in photoshop.
Don't know about Photoshop, but in Illustrator, if the yellow border and the planet are separate, you can duplicate the circle of the planet, drop out the fill and outline and just make it a clipping mask for the sword. Then, place it behind the planet but not the yellow border. It's probably good to make that clipping mask circle a little smaller for extra emphasis on the sword piercing the planet.
Here's a little something I whipped up real quick to show you what I mean:
STTMU.jpgOk. Rev 6 is online. Change log is somewhat minor:
1) New Terran Logo Revision; "stabs" thru planet like most artistic representations.
2) Spock has his dagger in his right hand. Beware of Evil Spock... he might just stab u in the back.
3) Kirk's is on his hip.
4) Per anatomical study on aussiepinball; I "raised" the nipples a bit on Uhura.
I couldn't find any "Mirror Universe" position I liked.
Thinking I'm about done here. Ideally; I'd add Uhura's Dagger; but we'll see.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12337362853/sizes/o/
12337362853_66b9406df9[1].jpg
Worksop
OK I've got to say it, I'm not luvin' the brown background for the planet. It seems to me to be too flat and doesn't give any sense of sphericalness(?). Particularly with the darker shade of brown around the outside, it makes it seem as if the earth is sitting in a flat tray.
I'd hate to see you spoil the ship for a ha'port'[''
/
Quoted from Zitt:Ok. Rev 6 is online.
Amazing job and effort, nice to see that someone else is OCD too...
Robert
I take it you have tried to position "THE MIRROR UNIVERSE" at the very top, banner style and moving ST slightly lower, as that would unhide those letters? Also how about moving it to the lowest point and having it mirror style which would reflect correctly on the playfield glass (assuming you are not installing anti glare elements)?
Anyway, amazing stuff.
Quoted from Andy_B:OK I've got to say it, I'm not luvin' the brown background for the planet. It seems to me to be too flat and doesn't give any sense of sphericalness(?). Particularly with the darker shade of brown around the outside, it makes it seem as if the earth is sitting in a flat tray.
I think the planet looks good, imo I think the blade needs more body/depth and colour tweaks to match the rest of the artwork.
Quoted from Zitt:Adjusting the Lettering won't work - Using existing lightboard; so moving Star Trek will cause the bottom to be darker.
ok, does that mean that the mirror universe text will be slightly darker anyway then, just meant swapping the two at the top around, bottom position would be dark for sure I didn't think that through properly 
Rev 7 Change log:
1) More nipple adjustment per anatomical study at AussiePinball.
2) Reduced "The mirror Universe" to be under Trek as suggested. Not sure I like it; but the forum participants have been vocal about it.
3) Changed Can play to more redish purple hue; so it's not completely standout.
4) Some sword shading under the planet to give it a more realistic look.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12356635303/sizes/o/
12356635303_acd2201438[1].jpg
Gonna call this done unless someone wants to take the raw logo file and convert the red pattern background into a "blood red" sphere or something. I've reached the limited of my hobby grade knowledge of photoshop.
Beauharnois
Had you already catered for moving the player numbers to opposite windows, it won't cause you any grief with the corresponding score displays, player 1 will show player 1s score etc?
Been following your commendable series of revisions, but I agree with you that the new, smaller, " The Mirror Universe," is not my cup of tea. Feels like it gets overlooked now: too subtle. Ultimately this is going to be a showpiece in your home (right?), so do what will make you happy.
Best,
Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
www.ElephantEater.com
Love your work. The bg looks great.
I remember reading somewhere that the man just above the new player 4 position was supposed to be shooting an alien and not a ball of..... whatever it is.
IIRC Apparently the Star Trek licensee's would not allow it as it was portraying ST in the wrong light.
Perhaps you can put an alien being shot at instead of that ball.
Just a suggestion.
you will have to work Zitt into the end of the current signature for the art as now it is a combined art piece
I think it looks better with the Mirror Universe small. Thought about moving it to the left, under STAR? Would make it more prominent without making it bigger. I also like the suggestion of having it upside down but thats just me.
Either way, it looks great! Nice work. The shadow on the blade really makes a big difference.
Quoted from ReallifePin:I think it looks better with the Mirror Universe small. Thought about moving it to the left, under STAR? Would make it more prominent without making it bigger.
Either way, it looks great! Nice work. The Shadow on the blade really makes a big difference.
If you add it under STAR as well then mirror it under TREK, just my opinion.
Sheesh people! You can't please everybody! (I still want Uhura's dagger though!) Just kidding. Really looks great. There's only so much you can do. 
It's was an awesomely mild weekend here in Austin; so I spent quite a bit of time in the garage working on the underside of the Playfield.
Thru the cold snap earlier in the week; I sent an internal goal of wiring the GI circuits/Lamps with color coded wire - A color a night. Rather than wiring each lamp with a bare stapled wire - I point-to-pointed each in it's specific color. IE Green, orange, red, and white. With the GI squared away during the week; I spend this weekend tackling the Hot common of the switch illumination (Blue). I also crimped my fingers swore; as I completed the Inserts wiring.
For the top GI connection; the original harness had two blue wires which were soldered to the "Common" of the lamp matrix. Instead I made a custom harness out of some 22gauge blue wire. Each one of these lamp boards had to be wired into that common.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12426863193/sizes/o/
12426863193_6428719df8[1].jpg
I tinned a piece of raw copper clad (blank circuit board material) and used it as a common tie point for the upper playfield's common hot. Each board was crimped to a length of blue wire and it was soldered to this tie point. The inserts were then crimped and installed on the connectors. Each LED board has a header so it can be uninstalled and fixed if necessary. For the upper playfield; A chain of 22awg blue wire moves between each led board in a circle; so in effect - each board has two 22AWG paths to hot. This should help with redundancy and supply more than enough current flow to lite the leds on the board. In the case of the upper two boards; they have 4pin connectors ... with 2 Anodes and the 2 signal wires.
And yes; for the most part; each LED board has a little Terran Empire logo in copper and silkscreen.
For the middle of the PF; I tapped into the blue wire harness and used a rounded barrel terminal to house the common hot. This common point feed the Klingon LED board as well as the center Enterprise inserts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12426714255/sizes/o/
12426714255_04db8181e1[1].jpg
2 qty 22AWG blue wires feed the center inserts common point:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12426703505/sizes/o/
12426703505_4cafa30f29[1].jpg
I had to cut the tie wraps for the middle of the harness and feed some of the shorter wires between the drop target inserts and the led nacelle boards. With this new route; I had enough slack to make it to the large center insert connector for all signals.
Finally; I added another common hot tie point for the center Xk's inserts:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12426707585/sizes/o/
12426707585_4421340629[1].jpg
I'm not real happy with the way this turned out... the wiring harness and connector are in the way of each other. Can't really be helped at this point; but you can still disconnect the board with minimal effort so it's still a win.
At this point; I'm about 80ish-% complete on the bottom side of the PF:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/112427199414/sizes/o/
12427199414_11f3cbfefb[1].jpg
What's left to do on the bottom side?
1) Still need to wire in proximity sensors.
2) Flippers
3) Slingshot switches
4) Drop target assembly
5) Wire GI to nacelle boards; need to double confirm PSU board outputs the polarity I think it does for the GI so I don't hook it backwards.
6) Mount outhole switch and inlane switches.
My only question for you guys; is there typically a suggested method to refurbing the drop target assembly? I already have some new drop targets; but I'm wondering if I should try to source some new springs for assembly. Thoughts?
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