Don't get discouraged with your wire mess. First time doing this, I think you are rolling along pretty well. Just focus on taking your time on wiring, and a piece of advice is get a label maker, and label those wires as you go, you'll be glad you did if you ever have to trouble shoot later.
You're doing great Lee, just keep on chugging forward.
Thank's for the encouragement !
I just put some colson necklace and it's already much better !
IMG_2144 (resized).JPG
I took some time to update my Cobrapin.
Luckily, "the cobra guy" (sorry, I don't know his name) and "Jo" helped me on the MPF user group. It took me half a day, but the cobra is now up to date.
Then it was time for working on the cab.
I was scared with some process.
- How to have an easy moving attachment between the whitewood and the cabinet.
- How to have my plunger on the correct place.
The journey started with a problem : the door was not at the correct place.
Too high !
Impossible to put the playfield and the lockbar, so I did some very bad cut, gluing and painting to hide my awful work...
IMG_2147 (resized).JPG
I made a whitewood support with 2 wheels and some metal angle.
Seem to work nice !
IMG_2145 (resized).JPG
The wheel are blocked in place, they don't move.
IMG_2155 (resized).JPG
My measurments, at the begginning of my project, were totally erratic.
So my plunger is very far on the right.
But it's in line, and it can touch the ball, so I think it's ok ! (i tried some "skillshots" and it's working !!!)
IMG_2150 (resized).JPG
I've put some pieces on my whitewood, to test the height. I don't want some of them coming out of the glass.
I'm happy with the visual result.
But the cab is too long (the result of my wandering at the beginning of my project). Anyway, I will keep it like that.
IMG_2159 (resized).JPG
Now I need the artwork !
At least the cabinet isn't too short! Way better it be long, and give you space, plus you'll have room to add your backbox up there. It's looking great, and I think you're doing very well for just jumping into the hobby. We are here to help you, don't hesitate to ask.
Very few work here (I need to work on MPF but don't have lot of time).
I'm currently stuck with a very simple feature : adding a picture (at the back of the layout). Need time to understand what's my mistake.
I filed and painted my ramp. Just to imitate the chrome effect.
Not very good result but with all the lights, the player will be blind before observing the little problems... 
The ball will probably scratch the paint of her path, but I think it won't be a problem.
Your wireramp looks very nice! Do you need some example code of my TreeHouse Club Background Image Code?
Quoted from stefanmader:Do you need some example code of my TreeHouse Club Background Image Code?
Yes, it will be very helpful !
I didn't have time to spot my errors, but I have already spent 2 evenings on it.. And still stuck...
Thank's in advance !
Thank's Mr Bigg for your support !
Can't wait to be as far as your project !
here is a part of my base-mode file: /modes/base/config/base.yaml
#config_version=5
mode:
start_events: ball_starting
priority: 100
slide_player:
# this shows my normal slide with background image and score when playernumber is 1. On player 2 you can show a different slide.
mode_base_started{player==1}: slide_base_player1
slides:
slide_base_player1:
transition:
type: fade
duration: 1s
widgets:
- type: text
text: (score)
number_grouping: true
min_digits: 2
font_size: 200
font_name: digital-7-mono
anchor_x: middle
x: 960
y: 70%
z: 250
# z is higher than 0 of background, so it is on top
#i have my background image here: /images/background.jpg
- type: image
image: background
x: 0
y: 0
anchor_x: left
anchor_y: bottom
# z: 0 z default is 0
widgets:
# this is an alternative violet background that goes over the background.jpg but because z=200 it will be behind the score text
# /images/backgroundNight.jpg
widgetBackgroundNight:
- type: image
image: backgroundNight
x: 0
y: 0
z: 200
opacity: 0
anchor_x: left
anchor_y: bottom
animations:
add_to_slide:
property: opacity
value: 1
duration: 1s
widgetBackgroundNightFadeOut:
property: opacity
value: 0
duration: 1s
# in mode with the ghost i call the event showBackgroundNight etc. to activate the alternative backgroundNight.jpg. The normal background.jpg stays hidden behind.
widget_player:
showBackgroundNight: widgetBackgroundNight
hideBackgroundNight:
widgetBackgroundNight:
action: remove
Bildschirmfoto zu 2023-05-08 20-13-04 (resized).pngah damn, when i copy the code to the post, the spaces disappear. i have uploaded an image of the short version where you can see the spaces.
hope that helps.
do you have an error, or does the picture not show?
Wow it looks super simple !
I've put code in multiple parts of the script... It was not simple like this.
Thank's for your help, i'll try this way as soon as possible !
For me it was sometimes crashing, sometimes not showing, depend on the tests...
For the wireform it's a fail
The paint fall over every time I work with the ramp (i'm working on supports for switch).
Probably bad paint, or too much layer, I don't know.
I will probably try to "erase" my paint by sanding it with a metal brush... To be continued...
Quoted from leeoneil:Wow it looks super simple !
I've put code in multiple parts of the script... It was not simple like this.
Thank's for your help, i'll try this way as soon as possible !
For me it was sometimes crashing, sometimes not showing, depend on the tests...
For the wireform it's a fail
The paint fall over every time I work with the ramp (i'm working on supports for switch).
Probably bad paint, or too much layer, I don't know.
I will probably try to "erase" my paint by sanding it with a metal brush... To be continued...
Paint will not stick well to wire forms, that is why they have them powder coated. You can get a cheap powder coat setup through harbor freight. Com and try that if you have a small baking oven to put them in afterwards?
Another option might be making sure they are scuffed good with sand paper, then using a type paint made for high heat, or friction areas like brake caliper paint. Honestly powder coat is the best method. It's very durable, and magnetically bonded to the metal.
Quoted from leeoneil:Wow it looks super simple !
I've put code in multiple parts of the script... It was not simple like this.
Thank's for your help, i'll try this way as soon as possible !
For me it was sometimes crashing, sometimes not showing, depend on the tests...
For the wireform it's a fail
The paint fall over every time I work with the ramp (i'm working on supports for switch).
Probably bad paint, or too much layer, I don't know.
I will probably try to "erase" my paint by sanding it with a metal brush... To be continued...
Errors are hard to find... 
.
there is a mpf log in the logFolder. It usually gives you the linenumber in a specific code file. Or something even more specific for example i tested something, it crashed when it should have started a show. The mc log told me that the show with its name doesn't exist. Othertimes you'll have to go to the line and figure it out. Often the spaces in front of the line are not korrekt...
Quoted from MrBigg:Paint will not stick well to wire forms, that is why they have them powder coated. You can get a cheap powder coat setup through harbor freight. Com and try that if you have a small baking oven to put them in afterwards?
Another option might be making sure they are scuffed good with sand paper, then using a type paint made for high heat, or friction areas like brake caliper paint. Honestly powder coat is the best method. It's very durable, and magnetically bonded to the metal.
Very useful information! 
Quoted from stefanmader:Very useful information!
Haven't tried painting wireforms yet, but definitly be kickin
Quoted from stefanmader:hope that helps
Thank's, it helps me, I did something very simple like your example for my base mode and it's now ok, I have a static background image !
But still impossible to have something on the attract mode.
I also tried some text or image while playing.
I tried using "slide player". When a shot is it, the image or the text appears but it's permanent, and it's not transparent, the whole screen is erased...
I tried changing "z", but nothing is happening.
So still a lot of work to have a very simple screen.
I'll do more test, i'll read again the MPF tutorial.
Thank's for your help !
Quoted from leeoneil:Thank's, it helps me, I did something very simple like your example for my base mode and it's now ok, I have a static background image !
But still impossible to have something on the attract mode.
I also tried some text or image while playing.
I tried using "slide player". When a shot is it, the image or the text appears but it's permanent, and it's not transparent, the whole screen is erased...
I tried changing "z", but nothing is happening.
So still a lot of work to have a very simple screen.
I'll do more test, i'll read again the MPF tutorial.
Thank's for your help !
i think there is an expire option for the slides, so that it disappears after a couple of seconds.
i did it with widget_player.
basically i have a static slide that shows score etc. and for some dynamic things i have defined a widget. Then on a hit i show the widget and it expires in 3s.
mpf is awesome, because there are always more ways than 1 to make it work
widget expire (resized).pngSuper slow progress here.
Making support for ramp switches and the entrance of the upper playfield.
Not very easy for me, but the result is quite ok for now !
I removed the paint from the ramps, waiting for another solution (the paint was falling on my playfield). Lot's of work for nothing...
Quoted from MrBigg:Keep in mind some guys spend years getting as far as you are now.
Yeah I know, but at the beginning of my project, I gave me a year to finish the cabinet part (I understood at the beginning that MPF will be far more time-consuming).
So I lost this part of the challenge ! More than one year now...
The biggest mistake i made was to take some holidays, away from the project....
Thank's for the encouragement. Reading all these project here on pinside is super motivating, it give lots of ideas and inspiration. And some help too !
Thank's again to the whole community !
I understand now that the final result is just a matter of time, beacause everything is working more or less.
At the beginning, and during the firsts 6 months, my main questioning was "is it possible to do it ?".
To share something, here is a first look on the artwork.
It's a photoshop integration, nothing is printed yet, and it's not finished (and the photoshop integration was super fast, so it's not really fitting the real playfield).
But it give a nice idea of the final result !
My friend made me exactly what I wanted, a cartoon world for this Lovecraft universe !
344779938_988862669150529_2511120703549069780_n (resized).jpg
oh wow that looks really good! and the 3d printed ramp colors look really cool with the graphic as well!
Regarding the ramp paint, on my homemade wire forms, I used a Scott bright pad, cloth polishing wheel (spinning on a drill press) with metal polish followed by soap and water. I was pleasantly surprised how well the stainless steel polished up and how well it has held it shine. It is almost as good as chrome plating. Here is a link for a similar kit. Maybe it will work for you also. Hedume Set of 12 Buffing Pad Polishing Wheel Kits Included 5 Pack Rouge Compound, Cone, Column, Mushroom, T-Shaped Wheel Grinding Hea... https://a.co/d/brnSUrO
You use fusion don't you? How did you draft the left ramp, make sketches for the beginning and end profiles and have it sweep along a curved path?
Quoted from Cmartin1235:You use fusion don't you? How did you draft the left ramp, make sketches for the beginning and end profiles and have it sweep along a curved path?
No I worked with freecad.
It's an extrusion of a sketch with a curved path, going trough 2 others sketches (half of the way and end of the path).
Took me a lot of time to do it, I asked for help on the freecad french forum.
Using the tools "sketch" and "bspline" on freecad.
Finally the artwork for the playfield is over !
My friend did a tremendous job !
I'ts a piece of art by itself !
Now I need to check if everything is ok (no graphics under a plastic or a ramp) and send it to print.
Very important part done here, I can't wait to see it on my whitewood !
The artist : http://www.pulcomayo.com/
Quoted from leeoneil:Finally the artwork for the playfield is over !
My friend did a tremendous job !
I'ts a piece of art by itself !
[quoted image]
Now I need to check if everything is ok (no graphics under a plastic or a ramp) and send it to print.
Very important part done here, I can't wait to see it on my whitewood !
The artist : http://www.pulcomayo.com/
I slowly went over every piece of this and it looks sweet!
What’s going on with this scene here?
IMG_8011 (resized).jpegSo for those that aren't familiar with this artwork, or theme, will there be values, or explanations on the insert areas to explain shots? I see the images over the light inserts, but what will they stand for? Otherwise I think it looks fantastic, and am very impressed by your creativity.
Here is a capture of the file going to print, with some information on the playfield and the inserts.
Artwork_flipper_cthulhu_final_imprimeur (resized).jpg
mrm_4 : these 3 pictures are for the 3 "roaring twenties" missions.
There's a lot of text around the inserts, I like to see it as a "roleplaying playfield" (Call of Cthulhu is a roleplaying game), so it told a whole story.
I hope I will be able to put everything correctly on MPF !
So yes MrBigg there is some sort of explanation. But honestly I think it's not really understandable for people who don't know a little about this Lovecraft universe.
But there will be points like any other pinball machine, so I think it will be ok for neophytes
Quoted from leeoneil:Here is a capture of the file going to print, with some information on the playfield and the inserts.
[quoted image]
mrm_4 : these 3 pictures are for the 3 "roaring twenties" missions.
There's a lot of text around the inserts, I like to see it as a "roleplaying playfield" (Call of Cthulhu is a roleplaying game), so it told a whole story.
I hope I will be able to put everything correctly on MPF !
That’s awesome
Looks terrific. I do think maybe you should consider making the text for the roaring 20s missions white with a brown drop shadow. Those are much less readable than the others.
Quoted from ecurtz:Looks terrific. I do think maybe you should consider making the text for the roaring 20s missions white with a brown drop shadow. Those are much less readable than the others.
Hmm, I don't know if it's important to read these 3 text. I will make some tests to see if I can improve this part, thank's for the advice !
Back to business on the Cthulhu pinball !
I received my sticker for the playfield.
It's almost perfect.
Some inserts are not perfectly adjusted with the artwork (because I worked with a manual drill and not a CNC).
But the result is so awesome that I don't care.
The overall impression is super super nice !
Next step : more cutting, coating and... reassembly !
It will be long !
Quoted from leeoneil:Back to business on the Cthulhu pinball !
I received my sticker for the playfield.
It's almost perfect.
Some inserts are not perfectly adjusted with the artwork (because I worked with a manual drill and not a CNC).
But the result is so awesome that I don't care.
The overall impression is super super nice !
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
Next step : more cutting, coating and... reassembly !
It will be long !
That looks great man! Can't wait to see everything on the playfield!
WOW! Amazing work. Just started following.
Coming along super great.
Gives me inspiration to start mine.
Crazy time devourer : putting back everything on the playfield !
I coated the drawing with a 2K spraymax can (it gave me 5 layers + the first "cloudy" one).
I made some mistakes : I forget that my V2 whitewood was not totally finished !
So I had to work and drill on the new perfect glossy playfield... I was scared to make a mistake...
I've redone the outlane with one piece of brushed aluminum (it was composed of 3 parts before), modelising supports for this new piece (it probably exist already but modelising easy part is fun).
Now I need something to put everything back under the playfield...
I think it will be horribly long....
Holy hell that looks fantastic. The graphics really pop. I am really looking forward to a gameplay video! to see your machine in action
I think you're rushing too fast out of desire to see it come to fruition? You really needed more cure time, and more clear on the playfield, but if this isn't the final revision I don't think it'll matter a ton. Definitely slow down on the final version, and do that clear correctly, or take it somewhere to be clear coated.
Otherwise, it looks amazing, and I think your ideas, and build are really beautiful. Gorgeous on the eyes for sure.
Oh, sorry, but I think it will be the last version.
Some builder don't coat their playfield, I was hoping a little coating will be ok.
When I asked in the main subject 6 months ago, nobody were totally agree on that.
Vinyl, coating, non-coating, direct-print, playfield protector... There lot's of option.
The better is probably a direct print and a coating by a pro.
But I can't do that so it will be vinyl print and this little coating.
Hope it will be ok...
edit : just saw your message on the other subject... So... I'm f...ed, I need to undone everything....
Edit 2: ok everything is unmount, I was to annoyed by my mistake to wait. I'll do other layers of coating with my last can. I'll try to do something more thick.
You will be glad you did, otherwise I think in a few months you would be regretting not adding more clear coat.
Most games, including professional ones have a very thick protective layer. This is something you want to last, and you've put a lot into, so cheaping out on one step doesn't make sense in the grand scheme of all your time, effort, and money. I've painted many cars, guitars, etc over the years, and this is your best bet. It already looks better.
So, today was the day I fucked up "everything".. Not eveything, just my coating on playfield, but it's hard to swallow.
I finally received 2 cans of spraymax (one of the order was lost... So I lost 3 weeks...).
Everything was fine until the very last layer....
I don't know why, I just sprayed a little bit more around the rollover, but it was the end of the can.
Big "running" appeared.. I was in total panic... I used a handkerchief to get rid of them.. And I "destroy" the whole playfield everywhere I tried to save it.
It's a visual disaster, and it's not flat anymore.... I don't know if I will "correct" a little bit of this mess, but right now I just want to throw away eveything...
What a morron...
In real life it's a visual catastrophy, the pictures don't really show how bad is it... I'm disgusted...
IMG_2965 (resized).JPGIMG_2966 (resized).JPG
Maybe I can sand it and redo a layer.. Maybe... But it won't be clean like it was before...
I would just do some light sanding to try to reduce it. If only the top layer, you should be able to sand out and redo.
Wet sanding, and a trick I will share with you...
Take some 1000 grit, be patient, and cut it into strips about an inch wide, maybe 6 to 8 inches long. Place your finger on the spot that needs cut down, and put the sand paper under your finger, and pull it out from under your finger. You can be very precise in this method, and I do this on guitars a lot if I have small runs, or build up.
Follow that up with a small piece of wood that is very flat and small. Wrap the sandpaper (1000) very tightly on that small block, and gently rub that spot with water. Dry with a rag, and check it. Repeat as needed, and you'll have this fixed in no time. I know it sucks, but it's not any where nearly as bad as dropping your playfield and splitting it in two like i did. Paint runs are common, and easy fixed if you be patient, and watch your depth. If you need me, feel free to contact me, and I'll be glad to help
Thank's everyone for your messages and your tips.
Yesterday I was depressed because it's a so long project, with so many hours on it...
This morning I started to sand it (by hand), first with 280 (because some of the drip were huuuuge) and then 500.
It's clearly better !
I need to do some 1000 passages, because the playfield is quite opaque now (when I put some water the color comes back).
MrBigg I'll try your tips !
Maybe I'll do more layers with coating... I have "lost" so many hours on it, maybe I can take some time to do it as good as possible...
2 first pictures at the beginning and the 2 last now.
Much much better. Not perfect but much better. On the bottom there is still huge drip that need sanding.
IMG_2967 (resized).JPGIMG_2968 (resized).JPGIMG_2969 (resized).JPGIMG_2971 (resized).JPG
Only downside to starting with grit that big (280) is that it's very hard to ever get those scratches back out. Try not to go below 500 or 600 to avoid those deep scratches that will show back up after you clear again. Try the flat blocks, and avoid hands because of the fingers, and spots putting more pressure. Try not to do a lot of swirls too.
I know your past that advice point now, but it's a good rule to stick to. Stay with it, you'll get it figured out. Don't rush, and don't worry about time so much. That where mistakes start biting you.
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