How to add machine-wide custom code (2024)

MPF contains a “CustomCode” concept which lets you add custom code to your game.

CustomCode classes are Python modules that run at the “root” of your game. You can use them to do anything you want.

CustomCode classes are sort of “machine-level” custom code. CustomCode classes are nice if you have some kind of custom device type that doesn’t match up to any of MPF’s built in devices. The elevator and claw unloader in Demolition Man is a good example, and what we’ll use here.

(You can read about how to download and run Demo Man in the example games section section of the MPF User Documentation.)

Here’s how to create a custom code class:

Create your custom code file

First, add a custom_code folder to your machine folder. Then inside there, create the Python file that will hold your custom code classes.

Open and edit your custom code class file

Next, edit the class file you created. At a bare minimum, you’ll need this:

from mpf.core.custom_code import CustomCodeclass Claw(CustomCode): pass

Note that MPF contains a CustomCode base class which is very simple. You can see the CustomCode source on GitHub. We called our class Claw in this case.

Pretty much all this does is give you a reference to the main MPF machine controller at self.machine, as well as setup a delay manager you can use and set the name of your class. There’s also an on_load() method which is called when the class is loaded which you can use in your own code.

Add the class to your machine config

Next, edit your machine config file and add a custom_code: section, then under there add the package (folder), followed by a dot, then the module (file name) for your class, followed by a dot, followed by the class name for your class.

For Demo Man, that looks like this:

custom_code: - custom_code.claw.Claw

This references class Claw in file claw.py which lives package custom_code.

Real-world example

At this point you should be able to run your game, though nothing should happen because you haven’t added any code to your code.

Take a look at the final Demo Man claw class to see what we did there. Since custom code classes have access to self.machine and they load when MPF loads, you can do anything you want in them.

from mpf.core.custom_code import CustomCodeclass Claw(CustomCode): def on_load(self): self.auto_release_in_progress = False # if the elevator switch is active for more than 100ms, that means # a ball is there, so we want to get it and deliver it to the claw self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_elevator_hold', self.get_ball, ms=100) # This is a one-time thing to check to see if there's a ball in # the elevator when MPF starts, and if so, we want to get it. if self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_elevator_hold'): self.auto_release_in_progress = True self.get_ball() # We'll use the event 'light_claw' to light the claw, so in the # future all we have to do is post this event and everything else # will be automatic. self.machine.events.add_handler('light_claw', self.light_claw) def enable(self): """Enable the claw.""" # move left & right with the flipper switches, and stop moving when # they're released self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_left', self.move_left) self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_left', self.stop_moving, state=0) self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_right', self.move_right) self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_right', self.stop_moving, state=0) # release the ball when the launch button is hit self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_ball_launch', self.release) # stop moving if the claw hits a limit switch self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_1', self.stop_moving) # We can use this event for slides to explain what's going on for # the player. self.machine.events.post('claw_enabled') def disable(self): """Disable the claw.""" self.stop_moving() # remove all the switch handlers self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_left', self.move_left) self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_left', self.stop_moving, state=0) self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_right', self.move_right) self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_flipper_lower_right', self.stop_moving, state=0) self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_ball_launch', self.release) self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_1', self.stop_moving) self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_1', self.release, state=0) self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_2', self.release) self.machine.events.post('claw_disabled') def move_left(self): """Start the claw moving to the left.""" # before we turn on the driver to move the claw, make sure we're not # at the left limit if (self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_claw_position_2') and self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_claw_position_1')): return self.machine.coils['c_claw_motor_left'].enable() def move_right(self): """Start the claw moving to the right.""" # before we turn on the driver to move the claw, make sure we're not # at the right limit if (self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_claw_position_1') and self.machine.switch_controller.is_inactive('s_claw_position_2')): return self.machine.coils['c_claw_motor_right'].enable() def stop_moving(self): """Stop the claw moving.""" self.machine.coils['c_claw_motor_left'].disable() self.machine.coils['c_claw_motor_right'].disable() def release(self): """Release the ball by disabling the claw magnet.""" self.disable_claw_magnet() self.auto_release_in_progress = False # Disable the claw since it doesn't have a ball anymore self.disable() def auto_release(self): """Aumatically move and release the ball.""" # disable the switches since the machine is in control now self.disable() # If we're at the left limit, we need to move right before we can # release the ball. if (self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_claw_position_2') and self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_claw_position_1')): self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_1', self.release, state=0) # move right, drop when switch 1 opens self.move_right() # If we're at the right limit, we need to move left before we can # release the ball elif (self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_claw_position_1') and self.machine.switch_controller.is_inactive('s_claw_position_2')): self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_2', self.release) # move left, drop when switch 2 closes self.move_left() # If we're not at any limit, we can release the ball now. else: self.release() def get_ball(self): """Get a ball from the elevator.""" # If there's no game in progress, we're going to auto pickup and # drop the ball with no player input if not self.machine.game: self.auto_release_in_progress = True # If the claw is not already in the ball pickup position, then move it # to the right. if not (self.machine.switch_controller.is_active('s_claw_position_1') and self.machine.switch_controller.is_inactive('s_claw_position_2')): self.move_right() self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_1', self.do_pickup) # If the claw is in position for a pickup, we can do that pickup now else: self.do_pickup() def do_pickup(self): """Pickup a ball from the elevator""" self.stop_moving() self.machine.switch_controller.remove_switch_handler( 's_claw_position_1', self.do_pickup) self.enable_claw_magnet() self.machine.coils['c_elevator_motor'].enable() self.machine.switch_controller.add_switch_handler('s_elevator_index', self.stop_elevator) # If this is not an auto release, enable control of the claw for the # player if not self.auto_release_in_progress: self.enable() def stop_elevator(self): """Stop the elevator.""" self.machine.coils['c_elevator_motor'].disable() if self.auto_release_in_progress: self.auto_release() def light_claw(self, **kwargs): """Lights the claw.""" # Lighting the claw just enables the diverter so that the ball shot # that way will go to the elevator. Once the ball hits the elevator, # the other methods kick in to deliver it to the claw, and then once # the claw has it, the player can move and release it on their own. self.machine.diverters['diverter'].enable() def disable_claw_magnet(self): """Disable the claw magnet.""" self.machine.coils['c_claw_magnet'].disable() def enable_claw_magnet(self): """Enable the claw magnet.""" self.machine.coils['c_claw_magnet'].enable()

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