This Month in Pinball October 2018

28 Oct 2018 - jab

What happened in MPF-land in October 2018? This post will highlight changes in MPF, MPF-MC, MPF monitor, documentation and the rest of the ecosystem.

News

• Actually we messed up the month in the last post. So this is the second post for October ;-).

MPF Projects

Some active publicly documented projects by MPF users.

• The Crazy Mansion
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Minions Pinball
• The Last Starfighter
• Good vs Evil Head2Head
• Spaceballs - The Pin
• Queen Pinball
• HotRod
• Gravity Falls
• Haggis Pinball (new)
• Powerman 5000 (new)
• Doctor Who Redux (new)

We know that there are a lot more projects. Let us know if you want to be listed here as well.

Current stable release (0.50)

We released MPF 0.50.20 and MPF-MC 0.50.8 with bugfixes and backports.

Changes

• Add support for flipper tapping for OPP - jab and Hugh based on forums discussion (backport)
• sw_flip_events and sw_release_events for flipper to flip from software - jab based on request from Philip D (backport)

Bugfixes

• Prevent broken flipper rules when using multiple flipper devices in FAST/OPP - jab (backport)
• Actually use poll_hz in lisy section - jab (backport)

Documentation

No changes

Dev release (future 0.51)

We pushed MPF 0.51.0-dev-11 and MPF-MC 0.51.0-dev.2.

Changes/New features

• Support multiple (stacked) style values for widgets - avanwinkle
• Validate that ball_count for multiballs is the right range - jab based on question from Alex
• Better error when showing images too early - jab based on question from Brian C
• Allow variable_players outside game modes for machine variables - jab
• Allow widget styles to set z values - avanwinkle
• Only reset drop target banks if a target is down - jab based on request from Mark M
• Add support for flipper tapping for OPP - jab and Hugh based on forums discussion
• Serial LEDs support for PD-LED - jab with help from gstellenberg
• Only send lamp updates when lamps change in LISY - jab
• mpf test can now parse example/tests from rst files - jab
• sw_flip_events and sw_release_events for flipper to flip from software - jab based on request from Philip D
• Add event handlers to start game and add players - jab based on request from Cole M
• Update kivy dependencies - jab

Bugfixes

• Fix iMC initialisation - avanwinkle
• Fix pulse calculation error in Stern Spike - jab
• Actually use poll_hz in lisy section - jab
• Prevent broken flipper rules when using multiple flipper devices in FAST/OPP - jab

Documentation

• Document how to use machine and player variables from code - jab
• Document multiple styles for widgets - avanwinkle
• Document how to use start button for mode selection without added new players - jab based on example provided by alex
• Document which hardware rules are used in MPF - jab based on discussion in the forum
• Document Molex KK part numbers for connectors - jab
• Document how to maintain a stable high voltage rail - jab based on suggestion by Hugh in discussion
• Common events and example for shots - jab based on question from Alex
• Autogenerated event lists for events - jab
• Initial documentation for sequence_shots - jab
• Fixed typos - travisbmartin
• Weak flippers mode - jab based question by Brian C and Philip D
• Document how to use widgets from code - cloudjor
• Extend event documentation for game_start - colemanomartin
• Doctor Who carousel example - travisbmartin
• Document sw_flip_events and sw_release_events - jab
• Example game mode with multiple shots which need to be active a the same time - jab and improvements by coleman based on question by Cole M
• Cookbook/tutorial for a super jets mode - travisbmartin
• Document how to send data from MPF to MPF-MC in custom code - cloudjor
• Added a minimal OSC plugin - jab

Have a look at the dev documentation. Do you have an example which is missing there? Please send it to us!

Open PRs/Not landed yet

• Move libpinproc to a separate thread - jab
• Reusing named widgets - avanwinkle
• Multiply volumes instead of overwriting them in sound_player and sound_loop_player - qcapen
• Multi display updates improvements - qcapen
• Spike 2 support in mpf-spike-bridge - jab and wolfmarsh

Upcoming changes

• Support for the Pololu Tic stepper controller - wolfmarsh
• Stern Spike 2 support - wolfmarsh and jab
• More stepper and servo hardware - jab
• Full support for LISY35 - jab

Do you want to contribute?

A list of things where we would love contributions (not exclusive):

• Adding more devices to the built-in service mode
• Pictures for the following devices: pop bumpers, incandescant bulbs, GI bulbs, GI LEDs, WS281x or serial LEDs, data east optos, dual wound coils, coils, orbits, kickbacks, kicking targets, drop target banks servos, accelerometer, playfield, flashers, flippers, score reels, diverters, trough with optos - please only send us picture where the rights belong to you
• Document the stepper device config options and add an initial stepper device howto
• Document asset pools such as video_pools, image_pools or show_pools
• Create an electronical drawing for mechanical switches in matrix and on direct inputs
• Document motors
• Add an example or howto for timed switches
• Add an example or howto for ball holds
• Add an example or howto for combo switches
• Add an example or howto for diverters
• Add an example or howto for shot_profiles
• More good first issues in MPF
• More TODOs in the documentation

Other contributions are welcome as well. Those are meant as starting point. Let us know in the forum if you want to work on something or got questions.

New contributors

Welcome colemanomartin and cloudjor

Did we forget anything? Please let us know! Discussions in MPF-Users.