Making a Virtual Pinball Machine Table Part 6 - The Zen Studios Setup 

Thanks...was definitely a challenge :)

Jashon Moore I must admit, Ive seen some similar projects and the wiring involved looked extremely intense and complicated, especially all the fans, solenoids etc they've added. Ive kept this fairly simple for now with the intention of adding things at a later date once Ive swotted up a bit, and of course as the software develops. Luckily though, things like the i-pac help simplify things a lot...saves a lot of messing around. :)

Thanks...was certainly a challenge. 😊

When I started this project I really didn't have a clue where to begin...and I made a ton of mistakes along the way. It is a nice looking machine...but it's definitely not perfect :)

I will try following your videos as good as possible if i vet stuck along the way al give yoh a shout

Thanks...hoping to make a couple of mods on it soon too.

Yeah they are quite costly to buy...I guess that was the main reason for me making one instead. PS4 is good though. 👍

Greg Palko Cheers...I am thinking about Hyperpin etc, it's just Im looking to upgrade the PC so that it doesn't struggle in any way, as the PC I use isn't up to much, so I'd probably look to use a frontend once I know the computer is here to stay. RE cost...it's difficult to say as I sourced a lot of freebies and end of line stuff. I also had access to good tools and was lucky enough to know a few people who could help out with various parts etc. And it's how far do you go with it...do you make it look like a real machine, or make it to your own style. Real pinball parts (lockdown bar, side rails etc) can be costly, and are needed to make it look authentic, but not necessarily needed if you design your own style. (if that makes sense) Also, I have no idea if the way I have built it is right or wrong. There may be a better way. And depending where you live, you can buy them flatpack or ready made. This could be a cheaper option, but take into consideration shipping costs etc. Virtuapin sell the cabinets and you can get a rough estimate from their site by selecting the parts you'd need if you were going down the authentic look route. I'd say a combination of looking back at the videos and seeing what you'd need, and then looking at relevant websites for the parts and this would probably give you a good idea how much it may cost.

Smugwood Great. Thank you for the information. I was looking into the prefabricated machines, but ultimately I like knowing that I've built it from scratch. Now I just need to find some friends with the proper tools & machines to make this journey a bit easier. ha ha Thank you, again.

Only the rough sketch i made early on...it was more of a build and adjust kind of project really. I found that when i was looking at starting to build this, there was very little plans available. I think this is because one plan doesn't fit all so to speak. The main thing for me was fitting everything to suit the lockdown bar and assembly...that seems to be a good starting point for most.

I slid the glass inside some aluminium channel (I think...was a while back) but the side rails I got from Pinball Heaven in Lancashire. Got quite a few bits from them 👍

Smugwood oh great thank you, b n q have some suitable side rails for now, I guess I can upgrade later on, thanks for the reply I’ve watched your videos too many times now and always wanted to ask haha, have a great day and keep flipping 👊

No problem. Good luck with the build. With all the work Zen are doing at the minute it makes owning a cab much more fun I think. 😊

+Darlington Salgado This is the problem I had when I started mine...the problem is, there are so many variables to these projects that no two projects are the same, which means following plans can be tricky. The only 'plans' I had was the sketch that you can see in the video (part 1 I think). These were 'approx' measurements from a real table. The lockdown bars govern the size of the machines (if you go down the authentic look route) so I found I had to adjust things slightly to get the mechanism(s) to fit properly etc. The other problem is, if you follow a plan of sorts, you may find fitting parts like tvs, monitors etc don't fit right as they can vary so much in size. The sizes in my first video are definitely a good place to start, but you'd find you'd need to alter pieces...mainly the front and back, to accommodate the tv, lockdown bar etc. In fact, if you've watched the series I made, you'll see that I messed up a little and had to remove some of the wood as the tv I bought wouldnt fit :) All these issues crop up when you make one of these...but its all part of the fun. There are kits available on the internet which is another option...but depending where you live they can be expensive to ship...but definitely a big time saver :) In short...you'll probably struggle finding a 'project paper' but if you do, just be aware that you then have the issues of making sure all the monitors etc that you need will fit properly. I bought everything first and then made the cab to fit...some make/buy the cab first and then find parts to suit.

+Eric Barreau Whilst the tools I have are good...they aren't large enough to be able to machine the pinball cabinet in one go. I managed to get around this problem by machining one half at a time...but it wasn't easy. If I ever get the opportunity (or finances) I would consider making these machines, but at the moment its not something I could do. I would like too, especially as I don't know that many that do. And to be honest, there are lots of companies out there that have the facility to do so and I think they are missing out on an opportunity. One thing I have been considering...and looking at the possibility of...is a mini cabinet :) Lots of people want a cab but don't have the room...perhaps a mini cab is the way forward. :)

Thanks. Im looking to do a more up to date video with a bit more explanation soon...and im trying to think now what i used. Its either a 40" or 42" sony hd tv i used. Its not the greatest but it was on offer at the time :)

By vertical do you mean the orientation of the screen? If so, Zen pinball on the PC via Steam has a cabinet mode option now which allows the screen to be rotated...in addition to many other options. Hope that helps :)

Hi...the machine runs off a PC computer, yes. The Zen Games I have downloaded from STEAM...not sure if you have used STEAM or not...Id never heard of it until I looked up where to buy the Zen Games. Just google STEAM games or visit their website and that should make more sense...it may come under steampowered or something like that.

Smugwood Thanks, that's perfect. I've downloaded 3 tables on my phone but could do with screen being a bit bigger!

Yeah, I used to have the games for the iPad...but whilst its a great game on the iPad, I couldnt really get full use out of it...little things like nudging etc. Zen have been great adding cab support and its a shame The Pinball Arcade doesn't have official cab support. I used to be a bigger fan of TPA but now I don't really play it...with Zen giving the fans cab support I tend to play more Zen now.

Smugwood Ah that's awesome thanks. are you running all three screens on one GPU?

Yeah...dont know too much about computers, but i think its a GTX 960 or GTX 970. It handles Zen no problem...youd think Zen would be more taxing than TPA but Zen seems a lot smoother than TPA for some reason.

I’m using a gtx 970 graphics card so that allows 3 monitors to be connected at any one time. It’s a few years old now the card but still works well.

I’ll have to check. Not so well up on computers etc. I did promise to do a follow up video of the electronics side so it might be something I’ll look at this week.

If i had them I would...Not sure if you have seen my other videos, but basically i went and measured a Funhouse Pinball Table. I then built it roughly around those measurements, tweaking where necessary. I wrote the measurements on a rough piece of paper and if I remember correctly, it was on one of the earlier videos in the series...so you may be able to see it on there depending how clear it shows up. But i never kept that piece of paper once Id finished the machine, and even then, it was only a guide. Im quite happy to take rough measurements of the finished machine if thats of help, but if you have access to real machines then it maybe worth while checking them out and seeing which size would suit best. Originally i was wanting a widebody but when i saw the funhouse table i realised that was a better size for what i wanted and went on from there.

Yeah 3. If you get chance to watch the other videos I’ve done you’ll be able to see the different TVs I’ve used 👍👍

Mainly because VP is just that...virtual. The games can be difficult to see when the monitor is angled low especially as most games are angled within the software anyway so angling the monitor can create an even bigger angle. I originally made mine at an angle greater than this but you couldn’t see the picture properly...I got the best picture when it was flush with the glass.

I dont mean to angle it...I mean lowering it under the glass...like a real playfield

I'd say it help to see it better. I did do a fair bit of experimenting before setting it all up, and i found it was easier to see and much clearer towards the top. And can depend on the monitor too...some aren't that great to see depending on the position of the tv. I guess it comes down to personal preference too.

The Zen tables have grown on me...wasnt a fan of them at first, but installation is so easy now they have given cab support. I think they have gotten better over the years. But I do have Pinball Arcade etc on their too :)

Hi...unfortunately I no longer have the artwork. I deleted everything after print as the files were HUGE...over 20GB if I remember correctly. You could try contacting Zen direct, but one thing to be aware of is that all the files were massive...and were constantly causing my computer to crash as a result of the rendering power needed. I almost gave up at one point. The artwork is really nice...but very stressful to put together :)

Ok, thank you anyway ;)