Got a Pinball Wizard controller

[SunWizard]

I bought a Pinball Wizard controller:
http://www.nanotechent.com/pinball-wizard.php
and its good and bad:

Good:
Its built solid using real pinball machine parts: buttons, plunger, lockdown bar. After much experimenting to get it working right, and putting it on a small table with the right height and amount of give to the legs, in front of my 45" HDTV as a monitor, it feels like I am playing a real machine. The ability to stand up and nudge really adds to the experience. I don't like it sitting on my computer desk as well since the nudging just isn't the same because the desk is solid, and the height doesn't feel right for those long playing sessions. It looks better than the computer modeled picture they still have on their website.

Bad:
When I play with their special version of the VP program its altering the table slope as if I had a pinball machine lifted 6" off the floor and was wiggling it around, basically unplayable. And the analog plunger doesn't work with it. So to get it working right I used the JoyToKey program and the normal VP and experimented a lot to get the JTK settings to feel right for nudging. With JTK the analog plunger when pulled out to a certain point, works like when you hit the Enter key. There is also a plunger button mapped to the Enter key.

It came with a config. utility, I get ERROR: the procedure entry point HidD_SetOutputReport could not be located in HID.DLL, and there is no documents on how to use it other than the manual says that I can store multiple configurations to quickly load different mappings.

I have been unable to get any tech support after a week on either of those software issues. If anyone wants the JTK config file I can post it to this thread since it took a while to get it working. It would be interesting to try it with the Ultrapin version of VP, since its the same hardware inside for the nudging and plunger.

 

[Phoenixx]

It is possible that the HID.dll has a config menu that can be directly opened/accessed via rundll32. The only problem is: You need to know the string to call it.

Example: To access the config of Petes ePSXe OpenGL GFX PlugIn, (in this case used with ZiNc, hence the .znc extension), you would type:

rundll32.exe ogl_renderer.znc,GPUconfigure

This opens the config window where all parameters can be set.


For the HID.dll, if it really has a menu, it would be:

rundll32.exe HID.dll,something

where 'something' is the string we need to know. These strings vary greatly from app to app since it can practically be anything, but it should be possible to find it out by opening the DLL in a disassembler. I can do this for you if you want but obviously i would need a copy of the DLL. See if you can attach it here and i will take a look,...

 

[SunWizard]

Thanks for the info, but since I got it working good with joytokey, I don't think I need that config utility anyway since it sounds like it does the same thing. I think that nanotech will get it revised and working someday, and then I can see if its any better.

 

[Phoenixx]

As you wish.

 

[faralos]

wow $300 and they can't even give any support for it! Sounds like my old Atari computer (400/800/1040ST!) days!

 

[LeXX]

12 amzing tabes...

from the Nanotech Webpage: "The best PC Pinball Engine and 12 amazing Pinball Tables are all included for free"

please, can you tell us which gamesa dn VP Version are included? The same as for UltraPin? (http://www.globalvr.com/products_up.html)

 

[destruk]

das-r - no, the vp on their website is the same as Randy's vp8 with added support for their Pinball Wizard product. If you have the Ultrapin vp, I'd recommend keeping that one as it's still better.

 

[SunWizard]

from the Nanotech Webpage: "The best PC Pinball Engine and 12 amazing Pinball Tables are all included for free"

please, can you tell us which gamesa dn VP Version are included? The same as for UltraPin? (http://www.globalvr.com/products_up.html)

No tables were included for VP, there are 15 FP tables. The VP version is 0.8.1693

 

[LeXX]

@destruk: yes, thank you.

at the moment I prefer UltraPin even over my realpins :)
like any new toy: its fresh its new, and has so many possebilitys

 

[Pinball_Ken]

Oh, SunWizard, the FP forums have some good postings on configuring your PinWiz!

PK :)

 

[SunWizard]

Thanks PK, I have read the threads over there. Did you ever get the one you ordered back in Nov.?

 

[Pinball_Ken]

Not yet! SunWizard.

You just reminded me to chase it up earlier today, though.

PK

 

[SunWizard]

On mine they told me it shipped on 12-30 and sent me incorrect tracking info, but it actually shipped on 1-13 (over 2 weeks later.) That was the day I called and emailed them about it being lost since normal ground shipping is 3 days. Yours could have been waiting until 1-13 as well.

 

[Joshua B]

After much experimenting to get it working right, and putting it on a small table with the right height and amount of give to the legs, in front of my 45" HDTV as a monitor, it feels like I am playing a real machine.

May we see a picture of your setup?

 

[SunWizard]

May we see a picture of your setup?

Sure here's a pic showing the antique table I have it on:

 

[faralos]

hmmm a $1500 monitor on a $10 table huh? i'd be afraid of breakin its legs when you start to shake that oh-so-stable table looks sweet though, do you stand up while playing or just pull up chair (hopefully in better shape than that table!)?

 

[SunWizard]

hmmm a $1500 monitor on a $10 table huh? i'd be afraid of breakin its legs when you start to shake that oh-so-stable table looks sweet though, do you stand up while playing or just pull up chair (hopefully in better shape than that table!)?

Its only the pinball wizard thats on the little table, so that it has the right amount of wiggle when I nudge and feels like a real machine. Its realistic when I get too excited nudging during 6 ball multiball and Tilt the table! My big TV has its own solid stand, about 4' back from where I stand. If I get tired of standing, I take it back to my PC where I can sit, but it just doesn't have the same feel for nudging because my computer desk is solid and my arm angles not right. Here is a better pic:

 

[faralos]

oh ok, me and my crappy eyesight. It looked like it all was on that rinky-dink table! It looks neat, tho. so does that thing really work well? does it also support FP tables? do you have to recalibrate it for each table or does it 'default' with VP? and play them all with no programming adjustments? it looks awfull expensive if it's just m,echanical, considering one can pick up a flipper button for a couple of bucks. Back in the 80's I used to custom build joysticks from commercial video game systems for use on my Atari computers, since I knew they'd last forever, well longer than those crappy 1 button joysticks that Atari used to sell. I had 4 buttons and the joysticks built into a wooden box for durability mush like that thing except for video games!
it was free since i used to work for a vending co. at the time.

 

[SunWizard]

so does that thing really work well?

Yes after lots of experimenting.

does it also support FP tables?

Yes it comes with 15 FP tables.

do you have to recalibrate it for each table or does it 'default' with VP? and play them all with no programming adjustments?

No, calibration is part of windows control panel. No adjustments for each table.

it looks awfull expensive if it's just m,echanical, considering one can pick up a flipper button for a couple of bucks.

Its got electronics and firmware in it for the nudging, analog plunger, and USB interface too, those are the parts I haven't seen anyone else create. Except in a UltraPin which I can't fit in my house, and I didn't need another PC since I already have 4 good ones.

 

[destruk]

Anything that costs money is expensive Faralos. I suppose people will start posting how they built the same thing for $10 from a parts supply house. Good for them - show us a picture. I think it's awesome that SunWizard can enjoy pinball better now.

 

[Pinball_Ken]

Nice to have some positive comments, SunWizard

On mine they told me it shipped on 12-30 and sent me incorrect tracking info, but it actually shipped on 1-13 (over 2 weeks later.) That was the day I called and emailed them about it being lost since normal ground shipping is 3 days. Yours could have been waiting until 1-13 as well.

My PinWiz has arrived in the UK and, having now paid value added tax on it, will be delivered on Monday. Hurrah!

PK

 

[faralos]

he yI didn;'t mean to sound so insulting, i think its great to actually emulate a real pin, yeah it does seem odd to play pinball with my shift keys, when sometimes i want to slam my fingers into a real flipper button and nudge the table. It's for that reason i don't use 'nudge' with VP, it's tough for me to hit the shift keys and try to also use the alt keys (or whatever they are mapped to) to nudge the tables. so I don't, but at times i wish for real buttons so I know where they are to hit!

oh what exactly are these ultrapins I keep on hearing about? how large are they that you can't fit one into your house? or is it just that you can't fit ANY pin table into yer place?

 

[destruk]

Faralos - I think you can home build a controller for about $80 that will have everything this does, minus the motion sensors. For that, some guys I heard were working on interfacing a Wii remote to their pc. I have no idea how much those cost.

 

[bob]

It really does look pretty cool.

PK, I would be interested in your opinions of it after you receive it, since you have an UltraPin and know the VP program so well. I am mostly interested in the VP software that's inside it and how it would affect my enjoyment of playing and creating tables.

 

[SunWizard]

oh what exactly are these ultrapins I keep on hearing about? how large are they that you can't fit one into your house? or is it just that you can't fit ANY pin table into yer place?

Ultrapin is the same size as a regular pinball machine, with a computer inside and 2 monitors, and the same plunger and nudge hardware as this controller, and a special version of VP. Any web search will get you plenty of info like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UltraPin
http://globalvr.com/products_up.html