MPF Tutorial

Let's learn by example!

This tutorial will walk you through using MPF to create a basic pinball machine config. Since MPF is just software that supports lots of different physical hardware, you don't actually need to have physical pinball machine hardware to complete the tutorial. You can create a "virtual" pinball machine for now and then hook up a real machine later.

The tutorial includes:

• Configuring switches, coils, flippers, sling shots, and your trough.
• Starting and playing a complete game with multiple players.
• Setting up attract mode light and display shows.
• Basic scoring and defining shots and lights.
• Using the display to show what's happening and the score.
• Setting up a "base" game mode.

The idea is that everyone should follow the tutorial, and complete every step, in order. (The tutorial steps all build off the previous steps.) Once that's done, you can then move browse through the rest of the documentation to read specific "How To" guides for everything else you need. (These are in the Control Systems / Hardware, Pinball Mechanisms, Game Logic, Displays & Graphics, Sound, and Shows sections.)

If you want to see us work through the tutorial you can also watch our walk-through video:

Now let's get started...

• 1. Install MPF
• 2. Create your machine folder
• 3. Get flipping!
• 4. Adjusting your flipper power
• 5. Add a display
• 6. Add keyboard control
• 7. Add your trough
• 8. Add your plunger lane
• 9. Add the start button
• 10. Run a real game!
• 11. Add the rest of your coils & switches
• 12. Add the rest of your ball devices
• 13. Add "autofire" devices
• 14. Add your first mode
• 15. Add scoring
• 16. Add an attract mode display show
• 17. Add lights (or LEDs)
• 18. Add your first shot
• 19. Testing your machine
• 20. Next steps

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