chimera15

Wow, that's really amazing, how'd you do that??? lol
Good luck on getting the software made for it!! Wish I could help.

________________
Alps boards:
white real complicated: 1x modified siiig minitouch kb1903, hhkb light2 english steampunk hack, wireless siig minitouch hack
white with rubber damper(cream)+clicky springs: 2x modified siig minitouch kb1903 1x modified siig minitouch kb1948
white fake simplified: 1x white smk-85, 1x Steampunk compact board hack
white real simplified: 1x unitek k-258
low profile: 1x mint m1242 in box
black: ultra mini wrist keyboard hack
blue: Japanese hhk2 lite hack, 1x siig minitouch pcb/doubleshot dc-2014 caps. kb1903, 1x modified kb1948 Siig minitouch
rainbow test boards: mck-84sx

lam47

Its a stunning board! I love the look of the layout too.
May I ask where the key caps were made? They look very nice.

Great work!

lowpoly

Very, very nice.

How did you do the case and keys?

________________
Mini with Pointing Stick thread@geekhack.org preview@guru-board.com (production canceled)
HHKB Pro2 BN ● Cherry ErgoPlus + NumPad ● Marquardt MiniErgo ● Marquardt Industrial ● IBM 5576-A01 ● Symbolics 3600

IBI

I can't see a semi-colon key?

________________
Owned: Raptor-Gaming K1 (linear MX)(Broken), IBM Model M UK, Dell AT102W, Left-handed keyboard with Type 1 Simplified Alps.

DarthShrine

This is really quite an awesome project! Was the case made from scratch?

________________
Das Keyboard Ultimate
IBM Model M 1391401 (born in 1990)
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2

dmw

Thanks for all the kind words. I've updated the article with more information about the case and keys, and corrected some minor mis-statements (apparently, I can't tell my left hand from my right).

IBI: The layout is Dvorak, so the semicolon key is found on the bottom-left, next to the left shift key.

itlnstln

Beautiful keyboard. Great work. How much did the key cost? I love the font on the keys, and I think it would be cool to replace the keycaps on my Filco with a set of those (in black, preferably, but white might be nice, too, similar to what iMav did with his HHKBs). Do you know if they have Cherry interfaces?

________________
HHKB Pro2 (Laptop)
Cherry G80-1863HUMUS-2 (Current Home)
Realforce 103UB (Current Work)

ripster

No Windows Key? (Sorry, just kidding).

That part where you modeled it with a google tool, send it in, and then had it made is amazing. Kinda reminded me of that Star Trek replicator.

________________
(ordered by current faves)
Filco Blue Cherry Tenkeyless - IBM Model M Space SavING Keyboard (mini) - Modded Realforce 87U - Filco Brown Cherry Tenkeyless - Unicomp Space SavER with black key/red led mod - IBM Model M 1391401 - IBM Model F AT - Model M 1397000 - IBM Model M13 - IBM M4 - Chicony 5181 (Montereys) - Anything with ALPS (Focus 2001,SGI Granite,Apple AEKII, ALPS MCL-101,NeXT) - OTHER STUFF: Kinesis Keypad - the ALPSulator - CH DT225 Trackball - CST LaserTrac Trackball - Evoluent mouse - Balls Of Steel - IBM Selectric, The Ultimate Gaming Device: Cherry Modded Nostromo N52

IBI

Ah, it's so faint I'd assumed it was the ¦ \ key that I'm used to seeing there.

Now that I've had a closer look uou do seem to be missing various other common characters characters though, where is equals for example? On one of the blank keys?

________________
Owned: Raptor-Gaming K1 (linear MX)(Broken), IBM Model M UK, Dell AT102W, Left-handed keyboard with Type 1 Simplified Alps.

dmw

Everybody sit down for this one. The amount of money I've spent on this keyboard is rapidly approaching the cost of an optimus maximus keyboard. For $500, I got two sets of keycaps - the ones pictured, and another set of blank black caps. The case was around $200. Circuit board, when I finally get it made, will be another $250, provided I get it right on my first try. Then there's all the components for the circuit board, and a steel backplate to finish it off.

Signature plastics does have the tooling for Cherry keycaps as well as Alps (and maybe others). I looked again at my original purchase order, and my set of blank black keys was $140. Adding labels adds another $300.

itlnstln

Ouch.

It's worth it for a prototype, though. Hopefully you can get it into production and recoup the investment many times over.

________________
HHKB Pro2 (Laptop)
Cherry G80-1863HUMUS-2 (Current Home)
Realforce 103UB (Current Work)

dmw

All of the keys you're looking for are found on secondary layers. Basically, hold down Fn2 (on the right), and you'll have them all right under your left hand. To give you some perspective, the Fn2 key would be in about the location of the left [ on a standard keyboard - not a difficult reach at all. I'll dig up my layout documents and post these to the article.

[update] I couldn't find any of my current layout images. They're all tied up in xml files and it seems my xml to pdf conversion program has died of bitrot. Until I can resurrect it, here is a very old preliminary image that shows some ideas of what you can expect with the multiple Fn layers.

chimera15

That's really amazing. It's nice to know it's still possible to completely design a new keyboard at all. So Signature Plastics can make custom keycaps like that? I asked them about keycaps for my siig minitouch which uses alps keys and they didn't seem to be able to do anything... I may have to ask them again...


It's also nice to see you used Shapeways. I plan to use them for an upcoming project. How much would it have cost to get shapeways to make the keys? Or is the plastic not of a high enough grade or something? It cost $200 for a top and bottom from them for the case? Don't they have a thing where subsequent people can order the same design as well? So if we wanted to buy the case from them we could, and you'd get a commission or something?

Who is going to do the circuitboard? Or what are your plans? That's the part that's really going to fascinate me and has held up so many of my ideas....this is really mind blowing to me!!!

________________
Alps boards:
white real complicated: 1x modified siiig minitouch kb1903, hhkb light2 english steampunk hack, wireless siig minitouch hack
white with rubber damper(cream)+clicky springs: 2x modified siig minitouch kb1903 1x modified siig minitouch kb1948
white fake simplified: 1x white smk-85, 1x Steampunk compact board hack
white real simplified: 1x unitek k-258
low profile: 1x mint m1242 in box
black: ultra mini wrist keyboard hack
blue: Japanese hhk2 lite hack, 1x siig minitouch pcb/doubleshot dc-2014 caps. kb1903, 1x modified kb1948 Siig minitouch
rainbow test boards: mck-84sx

wellington1869

its amazing that you can have a completely custom keyboard made at all. I dont think a thousand (or even two thousand by the time its all done) bucks is all that much for a completely custom design from scratch including internal electronics. If I ever have the time I'd love to do something like this from scratch.

It does look very original and neat. I'd have minor quibbles with layout (naturally ;) (for instance, why no home/end keys near the cursor keys? Or are the there and I cant see them?). But if its going to be user-programmable anyway, then even those things wont matter.
Also I've never used a non-staggered board, though I did ogle the typematrix for a while.

Really like the concept of multiple Fn keys for multiple layers. My autohotkey layout works similarly (I have "three layers" i guess).

________________

"Blah blah blah grade school blah blah blah IBM PS/2s blah blah blah I like Model Ms." -- Kishy

Using Now: Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 7000; Das S Professional
In Storage: Scissor/Domes: IBM Ultranav Travel USB; Stock Dell RT7D50 "Midnight Grey"
Previously Owned: Topre: Realforce 87U (all 45g mod); White "Cherries": Qtronix KT305; Blue Cherries: TVS Gold, DAS III Pro, Scorpius M10; Brown Cherries: Compaq MX 11800; Black Cherries: SMK88; White Alps: Macally MK96, AEK II; Black Alps: Dell AT101W; Grey Strongman: SMK85; Fukka Type I White Alps: Filco Tenkeyless Zero, Matias TP2; Fukka Type I Black Alps: ABS M1; Buckling Springs: '91 M 1391401 Grey logo; IBM Model F, '96 M 1391401; IBM M13 (13H6705, 1996); Unicomp Endurapro (Sound-dampened); Notable Domes: Keytronic 3600
Tried Once: Topre: Megarat's HHKB
Wishlist: "I'm done buying keyboards. Really, I mean it this time." (Unless someone makes a Fukka board that actually works).
Dreamboard: DSI (or Lowpoly's) Modular PC w/ Fukkas or BSprings (Update: Dream was crushed!)

GH has an ignore list. Use it!

wellington1869

what kind of switches by the way? (or did i miss that in the above discussion?)

________________

"Blah blah blah grade school blah blah blah IBM PS/2s blah blah blah I like Model Ms." -- Kishy

Using Now: Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 7000; Das S Professional
In Storage: Scissor/Domes: IBM Ultranav Travel USB; Stock Dell RT7D50 "Midnight Grey"
Previously Owned: Topre: Realforce 87U (all 45g mod); White "Cherries": Qtronix KT305; Blue Cherries: TVS Gold, DAS III Pro, Scorpius M10; Brown Cherries: Compaq MX 11800; Black Cherries: SMK88; White Alps: Macally MK96, AEK II; Black Alps: Dell AT101W; Grey Strongman: SMK85; Fukka Type I White Alps: Filco Tenkeyless Zero, Matias TP2; Fukka Type I Black Alps: ABS M1; Buckling Springs: '91 M 1391401 Grey logo; IBM Model F, '96 M 1391401; IBM M13 (13H6705, 1996); Unicomp Endurapro (Sound-dampened); Notable Domes: Keytronic 3600
Tried Once: Topre: Megarat's HHKB
Wishlist: "I'm done buying keyboards. Really, I mean it this time." (Unless someone makes a Fukka board that actually works).
Dreamboard: DSI (or Lowpoly's) Modular PC w/ Fukkas or BSprings (Update: Dream was crushed!)

GH has an ignore list. Use it!