iOS iCade Support? (Bitty)

[Quozl]

I don't know if there's any way around this (and I don't see it as much of a problem at all, TBH) but it looks like PA is still looking for a BT keyboard input when the iCade is switched off, so when it can't see it, it switches to the in-built iOS keyboard. Might not be something that needs to be fixed, but definitely something to be aware of.

Edit: Okay, and it looks like if you enable iCade and restart without having anything connected, it comes up with the keyboard all the time as well. Like I said, no fuss but something to keep an eye out for.

Ok now if you have an iPhone and accidentally get stuck with the keyboard constantly displayed how can you turn it off? The keyboard blocks the options button.

 

[Zyo75]

Time to buy an icade

 

[vfpcoder]

Wow!! That video looks *awesome* !! I'm ready to order my iCade Core!!!!!!

One question: Amazon lists both an iCade Core and an iCade Audio Core. Which one is featured in the video? *** Edit *** Never mind. It looks like the name of the company is "ion audio" so I guess these are both the same devices.

Also, are *all* of the side buttons "mods"? I don’t see any side buttons in any of the pictures for the device. *** Edit *** Never mind. I just read through the thread (blush) ...

 

[daduki]

Can anyone with iOS 5.1.1 confirm if iCade support is working for them? I still have the app crashing (even after a reinstall) as soon as I pull the plunger (iPad 3). Thanks

 

[Sean]

I'll give that a go tonight. I have the original one with the cabinet. I'd be all set to mod it, but I think Apple is long overdue for a controller API to standardise controls. When that happens I'll likely try to build my own rig. Using a Bluetooth keyboard was inspired, but as people have noted it can be slightly annoying when you want to do something else!

 

[Tim Thornton]

I made a quick gameplay video of my 9-year with my modded iCade Core. Before she starts playing she demonstrates table navigation with the iCade's buttons. During play she demonstrates nudging and Harley's Pop-Up Bumper using a new side button which I added.

Black buttons - Flippers
Red buttons - Nudge
Small White buttons - Specials (Black Knight's Magna-Save & Harley's Pop-Up Bumper)

I've just ordered an iCade Core for my iPad 4 and I'd love to mod it like you have. Have you described the process elsewhere on the forum that you could point me to? I'd really appreciate any advice because I'm not much of an electronics expert and wouldn't know where to start really but I can follow instructions and really want to get a setup like that.

 

[russ99]

iCade support rocks! Gonna be hard to play Pinball Arcade the normal way...

The best placement for me is to place the iPad in landscape, into the little landscape-size groove in the front of the iCade and slide it over a bit right so the buttons line up better with the flippers on-screen.

 

[Shaneus]

I had a box where I added some spare HAPP buttons to a motherboard box, and added some male/female RCA cables to the 360 pad and motherboard box so they were mapped to LB/RB. I have an iCade Core but no Dremel so I couldn't cut holes in that... but I had a spare iCade Jr. I never used and this motherboard box... so I wired up L&R flips and added nudge buttons and launch/down arrow. In practice, it actually works pretty well Seems to be a bit of lag (and I may be mistaken, but slightly more on newer tables... Firepower was fine, but AfM seemed to have a little more lag).

Still, fun little way to play it when I'm at home! Will be adding magnasave/special buttons, but not worrying about menu navigation etc. Perhaps when/if I make a proper box for it.

 

[sotie]

I've just ordered an iCade Core for my iPad 4 and I'd love to mod it like you have. Have you described the process elsewhere on the forum that you could point me to? I'd really appreciate any advice because I'm not much of an electronics expert and wouldn't know where to start really but I can follow instructions and really want to get a setup like that.

I have answered a few questions about the process in this thread and another thread in a different area of the forum. I'll find time this weekend to create a new thread dedicated to the conversion with a lot of details.

 

[Gord Lacey]

I think maybe I should create a "Custom Cabinet" forum for the site, that way people can show off their custom builds for tablets and PCs. Maybe making those more accessible will encourage others to do it as well.

Good idea?

 

[haj]

I think maybe I should create a "Custom Cabinet" forum for the site, that way people can show off their custom builds for tablets and PCs. Maybe making those more accessible will encourage others to do it as well.

Good idea?

absolutely!

 

[Shaneus]

I think maybe I should create a "Custom Cabinet" forum for the site, that way people can show off their custom builds for tablets and PCs. Maybe making those more accessible will encourage others to do it as well.

Good idea?

I like this idea! But maybe, if it's possible (I can't think of an example right now) something a little less specific... um, like "Pinball Projects and Mods" or something, so that it has scope for other things like people modifying existing tables and cool conversions like Dutch Pinball's BoP DMD effort.

Just an idea

 

[Gord Lacey]

Hmm... I think modding a real table should be in "Real Pinball."

 

[an ox]

Glad this is in, but I hope they either do configurable buttons in a later update or provide an option specifically for the 8 Bitty. It is playable on that, the layout isn't a complete dog's breakfast, but it is a bit odd (left flipper is left shoulder, right flupper is bottom right button, plunge is on the d-pad and nudge is on some other button I can't recall). Would be nicer if the flippers were both on the shoulders, or if left dpad was left flipper and the shoulders were nudge.

 

[Dutch Pinball ball]

Ok, 8bitty diffent lay out then steel series. Hmm.... Then we need a customable buttons lay out. Not only for 8bitty.

There are tons of gamecontrollers for ios, but many of them have different button lay out. (Thanks to apple)

I think there are many more controllers then icades on the marcet. Probably cause icade is hard to get in sime countrys without paying a gold barlike amount of cash.

But at the end i want an icade too. Or something similar which i can use to build an own cabinet.


Oh.... A subforum dedicated to ipad pinball cabinets? Awsome!

Edit

If i see this.

http://youtu.be/AOTZzRmxAgs

I cant wait to start myself. Add some extra buttons, make own grafix for cabinet.

It will be great.

(Need to pay some bills first, grrrr)

 

[Shaneus]

(Need to pay some bills first, grrrr)

Have you had the final reminder letter for any of those bills yet? If not, well...

 

[Sean]

Well I think it's okay, but to be perfectly honest using my thumbs on-screen feels more responsive. I honestly don't think I'd bother with even a custom rig just because using touch in the corners works well for flippers. I do agree that games which use buttons for in-game events would benefit, so I might use it occasionally, but naked iPad is how I expect to play this most of the time.

 

[Tim Thornton]

I have answered a few questions about the process in this thread and another thread in a different area of the forum. I'll find time this weekend to create a new thread dedicated to the conversion with a lot of details.

That would be fantastic.

The only way I'll be able to do this is if someone does a step by step guide with pics, vid, link etc. Hopefully someone will have the time to do that.

 

[Fungi]

Well I think it's okay, but to be perfectly honest using my thumbs on-screen feels more responsive. I honestly don't think I'd bother with even a custom rig just because using touch in the corners works well for flippers. I do agree that games which use buttons for in-game events would benefit, so I might use it occasionally, but naked iPad is how I expect to play this most of the time.

When I first got TPA last year, my timing was way off. I'm used to resting my fingers on the buttons, so I knew how much pressure is required to get the results I want. But with the touch screen, I couldn't rest my fingers anywhere, so they just hovered somewhere above the screen. Either I was late because the space between finger and screen was larger than expected, or I would inadvertantly engage the flippers because eventhough I wasn't touching the screen, it was close enough for the screen to sense my fingers. So I would again, overcompensate and place too much space between screen and finger.

After playing TPA for over a year now, that no longer happens. I don't even think about finger placement anymore, it's second nature. I wanted physical buttons so bad at first, but now I'm over it.

That being said, having actual buttons for nudging and "specials" is the real appeal now. Oh, and modding the iCade with flippers on the side makes TPA feel so much more natural.

 

[Sean]

That being said, having actual buttons for nudging and "specials" is the real appeal now. Oh, and modding the iCade with flippers on the side makes TPA feel so much more natural.

I think if they use the gyro for nudge to help tweak it, using motion for it will be more nicely nuanced. I haven't completely ruled it out; I occasionally will miss a flipper hit due to touching the border of the pad rather than the screen area. I think generally using the iCade is more of a palaver than it needs to be because of the fact it's a keyboard at heart which does unwelcome things when you DON'T want to use it - an off switch would have been a nice feature!