Making a Virtual Pinball Machine Table - Virtuapin Plunger Kit

The launch button looked lonely on it's own...and I guess every Virtual Pinball Machine Table needs to have a plunger, so I went for the Virtuapin kit. Until I got help with the install I struggled a little, so I posted this up in the hope that it may help someone with their install and also for those interested in seeing what the Virtuapin kit looks like.
Intended use: visual pinball, zen pinball pfx2 and the pinball arcade
Equip: Maxicam CNC, Axminster AW10BSB2, Bosch GCM12GDL

[@Spawn-wt6ul]

I just got a Game Room Solutions 43” virtual pinball cabinet and your videos are helping me a lot, thank you Sir!

[@Smugwood]

Glad they are helpful. It’s a few years since I made it but still enjoy playing it every week. Currently trying to look at ways of making an exact copy but a miniature version. Half the battle is finding the monitor 😂

[@SourceEastAnglia]

Is The Nudge Feature Part Of The Board Supplied By Virtuapin ? Or Do You Have Another Part/Kit That Does This Thanks :)

[@Smugwood]

I’m trying to think now. I’ve actually to reconnect it all soon...I disconnected it a while back when I changed computer. But as I recall I’m pretty sure the little circuit board that comes with it has some kind of nudge thing on it. I just can’t remember what it’s called...I want to say accelerometer but not sure if that’s right.

[@lucasbonasio8440]

Great video, man! And awesome work on the cabinet!!! I'm trying to build my own cab too, but I'm having trouble with the controls. Just like you I am using iPad and the virtual plunger. So my questions are: 1-Why did you chose to go iPac+plunger instead of just the plunger? Seen that the board that comes with the plunger also emulates the buttons? 2-How do you get the iPad (keyboard interface) and the plunger (joystick interface) to work together in a game like pinball arcade, pinball FX3 and visual pinball (the ones I'm installing on my cabinet) Thanks!!

[@Smugwood]

I felt that with the ipac it was easier to set up and programme. Setting up the plunger was tricky...i don't actually use it at present as i recently swapped computers and haven't yet downloaded the things i need to get it working, so at the minute I'm using the launch button (much easier to set up). Also, to nudge the machine i use buttons on the side, so i never needed the nudge feature on the plunger. I prefer nudge buttons so that i'm not having to physically nudge the machine and wreck my dining room floor! :) If you've been on the website pinballarcadefans (.com) there is a section for PC. Then look for 'Building A Virtual Pinball Cabinet' by L33 (that's me) then look at page (8) i think...i ask the same question on setting up the plunger and a few of the guys instruct me how to do it. Im not sure the info is still relevant as things move on...but basically the xbox360 controller works for pc so the program you download allows the plunger to be used as if it was a 360 controller (or something like that). It took me a while to suss out...but once it was working, it worked quite well. Double check though that its still relevant...there may even be an easier way now I'm not sure. Perhaps try asking the question on the forum... Not sure if FX3 will have cab support (at least initially) but they did say something to indicate its likely at some point. But FX2 is a breeze to setup on the cab. TPA is a little trickier as there is no official cab support...but the NOEX mod makes it possible and theres plenty of info on setting this up on the pinballarcadefans website. Visual pinball isn't something I've tried (yet) as it looks too technical to setup...but apparently its getting easier to set up and there seems to be a lot of info available to help set up the program. Ideally...it'd be great if PFX3 has cab support...thats one box ticked! And better still...if TPA would just provide cab support...thatd be the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. One can only hope... :) Good luck with your build by the way...no an easy task...but worth it in the long run i think.

[@stevewyche5232]

If you only used x360ce for the plunger, what did you use for the other buttons?

[@Smugwood]

Everything works from the ipac

[@jhidalgo_]

Hi, I followed the construction of the table but I get lost when you get the nudge working in Pinball Arcade. How is that? through the plunger? I may have missed something or some step. What part does it? does it work with Pinball FX 2?

[@Smugwood]

The virtual plunger kit has a little box connected to it with a sensor in...when you move the table, the sensor detects the movement and if setup up correctly...nudges the ball. Its a clever idea and I know many use the facility, but I ended up disconnecting the nudge because I was concerned that nudging the table was moving the table legs and in turn, scratching the floor. So i chose to use buttons on the table to control the nudging instead. (I only tried it with TPA so Im not sure if it would be PFX2 compatible or not.)

[@jhidalgo_]

Nice, thank you it was very useful. The video steps are awesome too.

[@Smugwood]

Thanks...the videos are fun to make...currently on with fitting a real dmd to the cabinet so hopefully...if all goes well...that video will be up in a week or so. Just got to suss out how to do it :)

[@wladimirreyes5923]

Link the kit?

[@Smugwood]

Think I got mine from Virtuapin

[@Games_20238]

Hi! where it can buy?

[@Smugwood]

I got the plunger kit from Virtuapin. Not sure if they still do them or not, but thats where I bought it from :)

[@meowwoem6372]

hey, mate. just found this vid by chance. i was looking for something else and your vid popped up and it wasn't about building a telecaster.

[@Smugwood]

Yeah...Ive done a whole series on Building A Virtual Pinball Machine :-)

[@meowwoem6372]

i'm going to check it out. I planned starting watching them earlier on, but my mates turned up online wanting to game. so I ended up doing that instead.

[@Smugwood]

Seems like forever ago that I built it...still got a couple of mods I’d like to make for it 😊

[@meowwoem6372]

i'm thinking of building one at some point. atm I know jack about what is involved. I could build the body ok, that's not rocket science. but all the wiring and digital plunger I know, atm, absolutely bollocks all about. i'm not sure where to even start trying to learn about it. or even what questions to ask on the forums or on the fb groups.

[@Smugwood]

I kept mine really simple as I didn’t really know much about them. So people build them with all the bells and whistles but seem to be constantly messing with them. I now just intend to run Zen via Steam...and it runs pretty much flawlessly.

[@Kurdt94]

Screw it ill keep the button

[@Smugwood]

To be honest…I used the button far more.