(Topic ID: 257419)

Truelevel - the pinball adjustment device now available!

By Wolfmarsh

4 years ago


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    #1 4 years ago

    Hi Everyone,

    I wanted to introduce a new device that @wildertronix and I came up with. We call it Truelevel.

    It's a small, usb powered device that you stick on your playfield (typically under the apron) that will help you setup the pitch and roll of your machine properly. We've been torture testing them with the fine folks at Abari Game Bar in Charlotte, NC.

    the truelevel devicethe truelevel device

    The device easily mounts with 3M command strips under the apron.

    truelevel installedtruelevel installed

    We've also written a phone app that lets you interact with the device via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The app is open to everyone, not just owners of Truelevel.
    The idea is if you are a player and go to an arcade where Truelevel is installed, you can check to see if the pins are set up properly with a simple red/green indicator of their status, as seen below.

    **CURRENTLY THE APP IS ANDROID ONLY, iOS VERSION COMING SOON (Q1 2020)**

    app public screenapp public screen

    If you are the owner of the device, you'll have set a PIN number that allows you access to the owners screen where you control the settings and get the raw readouts from the device:

    app owners screenapp owners screen

    We've put a limited initial run of the devices up for purchase on the storefront at: https://www.savepointvideogames.com/

    The app is available in the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.savepointvideogames.truelevel

    **REMEMBER, CURRENTLY THE APP IS ANDROID ONLY, iOS VERSION COMING SOON (Q1 2020)**

    Thanks for reading and remember to look for the "Truelevel Installed" sticker so you can use the app!

    truelevel installedtruelevel installed

    #3 4 years ago
    Quoted from Pinmasher:

    Very cool! I like it!

    Thanks!!

    #14 4 years ago
    Quoted from PghPinballRescue:

    Now you need to make a way for the player to level the machine by using his phone if he sees it is out of level.
    Some kind of servos on the leg levellers or under the playfield or something.

    I like the suggestion, but if that tech did exist I think I'd take it a step further and just automate keeping the machine adjusted properly. If the system knew it was out of adjustment it would instruct the legs to put itself back in.

    Quoted from Luckydogg420:

    This will be sweet for tournament set-ups or opp's that move a bunch of games around regularly. I really like the idea but since I only have 1 game i doubt I'll buy one.

    Yeah we have tested them for a few events and we are pretty happy with how they keep the experience similar for each player! Players can quickly check before their rounds to make sure the games are still setup within parameters.

    We've also set them up in our home pins and there are a couple of features we added to give it some value there as well. One of the things was the voice prompts to help adjust the machine. When I am moving machines around at home it's often just me. With Truelevel installed I don't have to take off the glass just to level the machine or check that it's in adjustment, I can just open my phone. If the game needs adjustment I can turn on the voice instructions and crawl under the machine to adjust the legs. The phone will say things like "Left Front Higher", etc...

    I'm as careful as I can be about taking out glass, but it still makes me nervous every time. This helps me cut down on the times I do that just to check the level of the pin.

    Quoted from zacaj:

    Would be nice if players could see what the inline is

    This was a topic that wildertronix and I went through a lot as well. We decided to start with the least amount of information available to the public and maybe add options in the future for the owners to expose more. One of the considerations was around a game that may play better with "odd" settings, like rolled to the left 0.2 degrees makes the game have less SDTM and is not noticeable by the players. If you saw in the phone app that the desired roll on the machine was +0.2 degrees, you might question the sanity of that.

    We didn't want people to be hung up on EXACT measurements like +6.50 degree pitch and 0.00 degree roll, because that might not be where the game plays the best. We wanted to leave that up to the owner. As a player you get to see if the game is set up the way the owner wants (whatever that may be).

    Quoted from OLDPINGUY:

    Simply Awesome, John!

    Thanks Art!!!

    #19 4 years ago
    Quoted from yaksplat:

    You may want to zoom in on the bubble a bit more on the app.

    Great suggestion, I'll definitely make the middle circle bigger and make sure it uses more of the available range!

    Quoted from yaksplat:

    In order for it to lie flat, it would need an external battery pack and not use usb for power.

    We have a case like this in the works! Good idea.

    #24 4 years ago
    Quoted from russdx:

    Love those ESP8266 chipsets so freaking powerful with built in wireless connectivity!
    Great product to build with one!

    This particular one is the newer generation, the ESP32, but I completely agree. It's a fantastic line of products.

    Quoted from RandyW:

    I did a test of this idea about 3 years ago. I spent about $600 on actuators, relays and a dev board.. But I was able to make a machine that could be adjusted remotely. I have since repurposed those actuators for other projects.. as I found it neat, but not really all that useful at home. Since my machines don't get move and never really go out of level.

    toyotaboy recently did a test of this as well, there's a video of it somewhere on dead flip's stream.

    #29 4 years ago
    Quoted from JWJr:

    Ordered one to try out.

    Thanks for giving it a shot! Please let us know what you think, and if you have any issues reach out to [email protected] we can always help! I'm always available by PM as well.

    Quoted from amkoepfer:

    Are they easily movable between games? And does the board have to be perfectly aligned to get a true level? Definitely interested

    Right now they ship with 3M command strips which is designed to keep it in place until you want to move it. Moving it does ruin the strips, but refill packs are available at a lot of locations. If you are looking for a way to move it between a bunch of games in a little plastic enclosure, we are working on that.

    It should be as aligned as you can make it with the edge of the playfield. The closer you align it with the playfield the better the readings are.

    Quoted from bobukcat:

    Does it ever require any kind of calibration??

    Nope, it shouldn't.

    Quoted from bobukcat:

    Nice job of getting a hand model to do your installation video for you BTW!

    Definitely, hahaha. No need to broadcast my own sausage fingers and beat up hands.

    #32 4 years ago
    Quoted from swizzlefish:

    Fantastic work wolfmarsh !!! Looking forward to adding one to my game

    Quoted from seshpilot:

    Incredible. Love the creativity in this place!

    Thanks!!

    #34 4 years ago
    Quoted from John_I:

    Would be nice if that also replaced the Tilt Bob.
    Still this is very nice. I've heard that this functionality is built into the new Stern system but they're in some sort of patent fight?

    Not entirely sure. I think someone does have a patent on devices that interface with a pinball machine, so we've avoided that for now.

    Thanks to Abari in Charlotte, NC for becoming the first location with 5 units in their rotation!!

    They have a very active player base and Truelevel is helping to offer them the best playing experience.

    FB_IMG_1576587384025 (resized).jpgFB_IMG_1576587384025 (resized).jpg

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