JP's Arcade Physics v3.

0
(jpsalas 2020. 2nd edition)

Why new physics settings?

For several years I have been using the default VPX physics, which are explained in the file
PhysicValues.txt, and they are quite good. But there were always a few things that I always
felt they could be better. Many other authors have made their own changes and all them are
quite good. But I wanted to use what VPX has to offer, and simply adjust some parameters
to make the tables play a little closer to a real pinball. I always felt the default physics make
the ball feel more like a football (a soccer ball) or even a billiard ball, more than a pinball
ball. The same for the flippers which were missing some functionality, and the shooting
angles were not optimal.

Here it is what I wanted to accomplish:

• Stop the ball making strange stops and changes in speed or direction.
• Increase side to side action.
• Enable flipper tricks like drop catches, cradle separation and backhands.
• Consistent flipper shooting angles, including backhands shots.
• Reduce ball rebound on top of a flipper when it is up.
• Better ball bounce on objects, mostly rubbers, both at higher and lower speeds.
• Easy way to control the ball speed.
• The settings should not hogg the cpu.

To do all these I wanted a set of values that should be the same on all the tables, older and
newer, and they should be easy to add to a table. Rubbers should be rubbers on all the
tables, they should not change elasticity or friction values, and the same applies to metals,
plastics and wood. Flippers should work just as good on older tables than in new tables.

I called these physics "JP's Arcade Physics 3.0", because, yes, they are my third effort to get
them right :) And why the name "Arcade", well, I had to call them something ;)

These physics 3.0 set started when I was watching the PAPA videos to learn to make flipper
tricks. They were using the Stern Star Trek pinball machine, so I build my own VPX Start Trek
and I started testing flipper settings. There is only one flipper trick I didn't managed to do,
and this is a flipper pass by tapping the flipper button. If I changed the flippers to do this
trick then those settings ruined the normal flipper behavior, and they feel sluggish.
You will find several files in the download zip:

• JP's Arcade Physics v3.0.pdf this file which explains all the settings
• Rubber_Objects.vpx all the rubber objects you can cut & paste to your
own tables
• Elasticity_Test.vpx a simple test of the new elasticity settings
• JP's Arcade Physics v3.0.vpp table and flipper settings
• JP's Physics Materials v3.0.mat the physic materials for easily change the object
properties. I recommend using collection.
• JP's Arcade Physics v3.0.vbs a simple script you can copy & paste.

I'll be uploading several of my tables changed with these settings, which you may test these
settings.

The Settings

Metals Plastic Wood (made mostly with wall objets)

Elasticity 0,2 0,15 0,25 very low compared to rubbers

Elasticity FallOff on Metals/Plastic/Wood 0 because they are usually walls and don’t have a
fallout value. If you are using primitives for these
objects then you may still use these values, although
you may want to change them all, elasticity, falloff
and friction.

Friction 0,15 0,15 0,15 also very low values

Rubbers Elasticity Elasticity FallOff

(posts) 0,95 0,5 normal sized rubber. Thick plastic or metal pegs with a round
rubber
(pins) 0,85 0,55 thinner rubber. These are metal pegs with just a thinner
round rubber
(pegs) 0,9 0,5 thin rubber. I call “pegs” those metal pegs with a thin rubber
sleeve.
(long bands) 0,95 1,7 + - very long rubbers so they can absorb high speed balls
(short bands) 0,95 0,75 + - a little less bouncing that on posts

Other rubbers with different lengths should have values between 0,75 and 1,7 depending on the
length of the rubber.

Friction 0,25
Rubbers Hit height 27
Rubbers Height 30 pins are a little higher, at 32, but the hit height should still be 27 for
better VPX collision and physics.

Scatter Angle 5+ on everything. Bumpers can usually be 10 or higher.

Flipper size 3” (Williams/Stern)

Rubber: 5,9, 17,6 , 23,5
Size: 20,6 11,7 114,7
Angle: between 50-53 degrees, f ex.
Start angle: 118 to 122, depending on the table. This angle should be aligned with the inlane
plastic, so the ball should not jump or change its speed.
End angle: 68 to 72. 68 will give you better strait up angle shots and backhand shots. It will
make it easier to trap the ball.
End angle of 70 is average, but backhands will be weaker.
End angle of 72 will make it harder to catch the ball, but it will make it easier for the ball to
pass from one flipper to the other. Backhands shots will be harder to do.

Flipper settings (all flippers: 2.5”and 3” )

Mass 1,5
Strength 5000 very strong, use Const maxvel to limit ball speed in rolling sub
Elasticity 0,85 thin rubber, but can be changed to thick rubber (0.95)
Elasticity Falloff 1,2 +- from 0,5 to 1,7, 1.7 gives hard rubbers, this is easy flippers.
Friction 0,25
Return Strength 0,15
Coil Ramp up 0
EOS Torque 0,75 (it is adjusted in the script’s flipper subs from 0,1 to 0,75) EOS
Torque Angle 10

Playfield settings

Gravity constant 0,980665

Playfield friction 0,025
Playfield Elasticity 0,2
Contact Scatter Angle 5
Min & Max Slope 4 +- (EM) 5+ (early SS) 6 +- (SS)

Ramps same as metal/plastic

Bumpers strength 10+
Slingshots strength 10+
Plunger strength 140+

Script changes
The changes in the script are minimal. Just 3 main changes:

• the ball size and mass

• the flipper section with the EOS changes
• the rolling sound routine which includes the ball speed control.

Ball: Size: 50
Mass: 1,7 this value fits well to a flipper’s mass, and it was first mentioned by Clarkkent
in his flipper settings. Due to this higher ball mass, the bumpers & plunger need to
increase their force. With the ball speed control it is not a necessity to use this higher ball
mass, but it will give you a better range of speed on the bumpers, and the ball will make
some more small bounces on the rubbers at low speeds.

Flippers:

Change EOSTorque value in the script when the keyup or keydown is pressed to reduce the
rebound when the flipper is up, as this value will be high, and to enable some flipper tricks
like cradle separations and drop catches when the flipper is on its way down..

Sub SolLFlipper(Enabled)
If Enabled Then
PlaySoundAt SoundFX("fx_flipperup",DOFContactors), LeftFlipper
LeftFlipper.EOSTorque = 0.75: LeftFlipper.RotateToEnd
Else
PlaySoundAt SoundFX("fx_flipperdown",DOFContactors),LeftFlipper
LeftFlipper.EOSTorque = 0.1: LeftFlipper.RotateToStart
End If
End Sub

Sub SolRFlipper(Enabled)
If Enabled Then
PlaySoundAt SoundFX("fx_flipperup",DOFContactors), RightFlipper
RightFlipper.EOSTorque = 0.75: RightFlipper.RotateToEnd
Else
PlaySoundAt SoundFX("fx_flipperdown",DOFContactors),RightFlipper
RightFlipper.EOSTorque = 0.1: RightFlipper.RotateToStart
End If
End Sub

Ball speed control:

Added to the ball rolling routine. Change maxvel variable according to table, for ex. 25-30 for EM, 30-
40 early SS or 40-50 for modern tables with high ramps. It all depends of the speed you want to give
to the table.
Const maxvel = 45 'max ball velocity

If BOT(b).VelX AND BOT(b).VelY <> 0 Then

speedfactorx = ABS(maxvel / BOT(b).VelX)
speedfactory = ABS(maxvel / BOT(b).VelY)
If speedfactorx <1 Then
BOT(b).VelX = BOT(b).VelX * speedfactorx
BOT(b).VelY = BOT(b).VelY * speedfactorx
End If
If speedfactory <1 Then
BOT(b).VelX = BOT(b).VelX * speedfactory
BOT(b).VelY = BOT(b).VelY * speedfactory
End If
End If