NOW OPEN SOURCE!!! swill's plate building tool [builder.swillkb.com]

[swill]

Hi swill! Is it by purpose that the switches can move a tiny bit left-right in the cutout?

They shouldn't be able to, but I have seen that if the alps + MX cutout is used and the corners are not cut perfectly square. It won't cause any problems though because they still clip in fine. If you are using a pcb, they won't move once soldered.

How did you fab the plate and what options did you use?

[Eszett]

Hi swill, I chose the "medium" cutout type with 12 edges. The cutouts were precisely  lasercutted into 1,5mm steel. My original MX switches can move freely from left to right for about ... ~0.6mm, I would estimate. They sit tight enough that this is not a real issue. I just ask, if I shall change the cutout design to 15.0mm*14.0mm for the next batch, ie. shrinking the horizontal cutout width by 0.6mm, what do you think?

[jdcarpe]

Hi swill, I chose the "medium" cutout type with 12 edges. The cutouts were precisely  lasercutted into 1,5mm steel. My original MX switches can move freely from left to right for about ... ~0.6mm, I would estimate. They sit tight enough that this is not a real issue. I just ask, if I shall change the cutout design to 15.0mm*14.0mm for the next batch, ie. shrinking the horizontal cutout width by 0.6mm, what do you think?

Do you really need the side cutouts for switch opening? I VERY rarely use them, as I normally just desolder the switches if I want to replace them with another type.

I HIGHLY recommend using the simple square cutouts if you can go without the cutouts for switch opening. And I also recommend picking one type of stabilizer hole and sticking with it, whether it be Cherry or Costar.

The 15.6 x 12.8 Alps rectangle merged with the 14 x 14 MX square is a compromise, designed to allow for use of Alps switches or MX switches on the same plate. It has the added benefit of allowing for easy switch opening, by having the sides cut out for the tabs on the MX switch to open. But it has the disadvantage of introducing instability in the switch hole, if the cuts are not made to EXTREMELY tight tolerances. Like 0.03mm tolerance.

@swill, maybe make the square holes to be the default, rather than the "rectangle on square design." Really, even the "H" cutout would cause less problems, while being more expensive. This tool is designed for ease-of-use, not necessarily advanced options by default, in my mind.

[Leslieann]

A trick I found today...

It no longer accepts blank or 0 for the holes, however, put 4, and then put a hole size of zero will work.

Why do you need to do this?  You can just use the case type of "none" to draw with no holes. You can still specify the padding values.

Last time I tried that (a few revisions ago), it didn't generate the case.

I want the case, but without holes, which I intend to add later.

[swill]

A trick I found today...

It no longer accepts blank or 0 for the holes, however, put 4, and then put a hole size of zero will work.

Why do you need to do this?  You can just use the case type of "none" to draw with no holes. You can still specify the padding values.

Last time I tried that (a few revisions ago), it didn't generate the case.

I want the case, but without holes, which I intend to add later.

It should work, bit I will check tonight. I have been changing the code a lot recently. I know I have been squashing a lot of bugs. If you still have problems let me know and I will get it fixed.

[swill]

Hi swill, I chose the "medium" cutout type with 12 edges. The cutouts were precisely  lasercutted into 1,5mm steel. My original MX switches can move freely from left to right for about ... ~0.6mm, I would estimate. They sit tight enough that this is not a real issue. I just ask, if I shall change the cutout design to 15.0mm*14.0mm for the next batch, ie. shrinking the horizontal cutout width by 0.6mm, what do you think?

Do you really need the side cutouts for switch opening? I VERY rarely use them, as I normally just desolder the switches if I want to replace them with another type.

I HIGHLY recommend using the simple square cutouts if you can go without the cutouts for switch opening. And I also recommend picking one type of stabilizer hole and sticking with it, whether it be Cherry or Costar.

The 15.6 x 12.8 Alps rectangle merged with the 14 x 14 MX square is a compromise, designed to allow for use of Alps switches or MX switches on the same plate. It has the added benefit of allowing for easy switch opening, by having the sides cut out for the tabs on the MX switch to open. But it has the disadvantage of introducing instability in the switch hole, if the cuts are not made to EXTREMELY tight tolerances. Like 0.03mm tolerance.

@swill, maybe make the square holes to be the default, rather than the "rectangle on square design." Really, even the "H" cutout would cause less problems, while being more expensive. This tool is designed for ease-of-use, not necessarily advanced options by default, in my mind.

You guys both make great points. I personally chose the square holes for my build for the reasons JD pointed out. I will make the H the default, that's a good call.

Thanks for the feedback Eszett, I hope you are happy with your build.

[Eszett]

swill, I'm especially happy with your support / responsiveness. Thumbs up! Alright, for the next run I plan to take square 14*14. Another question: when powder coating turns them into 13.9*13.9 do you think the Cherry switches will still fit in?

[swill]

swill, I'm especially happy with your support / responsiveness. Thumbs up! Alright, for the next run I plan to take square 14*14. Another question: when powder coating turns them into 13.9*13.9 do you think the Cherry switches will still fit in?

I have heard of people having issues with components fitting after powder coating.  You could set a Kerf of -0.1 to counteract this. This kerf setting will result in 14.1 MM cutouts and the plate will be 0.1 MM smaller (the powder coat will make it the right size again after).

I have not personally used kerf for this purpose (I have never powder coated), but I designed kerf to be able to be used with both positive or negative values to handle exactly this type of situation. 

[VinnyCordeiro]

swill, I'm especially happy with your support / responsiveness. Thumbs up! Alright, for the next run I plan to take square 14*14. Another question: when powder coating turns them into 13.9*13.9 do you think the Cherry switches will still fit in?

I have heard of people having issues with components fitting after powder coating.  You could set a Kerf of -0.1 to counteract this. This kerf setting will result in 14.1 MM cutouts and the plate will be 0.1 MM smaller (the powder coat will make it the right size again after).

I have not personally used kerf for this purpose (I have never powder coated), but I designed kerf to be able to be used with both positive or negative values to handle exactly this type of situation.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the kerf is -0.1mm, won't the final cut dimension be 14.2mm? It would affect both sides of the cut, right? If my presumption is correct, the kerf should be -0.05mm.

[swill]

swill, I'm especially happy with your support / responsiveness. Thumbs up! Alright, for the next run I plan to take square 14*14. Another question: when powder coating turns them into 13.9*13.9 do you think the Cherry switches will still fit in?

I have heard of people having issues with components fitting after powder coating.  You could set a Kerf of -0.1 to counteract this. This kerf setting will result in 14.1 MM cutouts and the plate will be 0.1 MM smaller (the powder coat will make it the right size again after).

I have not personally used kerf for this purpose (I have never powder coated), but I designed kerf to be able to be used with both positive or negative values to handle exactly this type of situation.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the kerf is -0.1mm, won't the final cut dimension be 14.2mm? It would affect both sides of the cut, right? If my presumption is correct, the kerf should be -0.05mm.

No. It may not be obvious how this is written, so here is the basic idea.

I wanted to make it easy for a customer to go to a cutter and ask "what is the kerf of your cutting device?" and be able to just enter that value. Most people would not understand this level of detail.

The way this is developed is to assume that the kerf is calculated along a cut line, so that means that 1/2 of the kerf will be inside the line and half will be outside the line. Because of this, I basically take the value entered and divide it by 2 right away and adjust the positioning of the cutline based on that value.

This means that I will adjust the switch cut line by -0.05mm on each side in this case, resulting in a 14.1mm square hole.

Does this all make sense?  I was torn how to represent this in the UI, so I chose this approach as it seemed least prone to big mistakes.

Edit: I just realized that I don't have this information in the on page help for the kerf setting. I will add that tonight to make it clearer what value should be entered.

[Eszett]

Yes, this does make sense. That means, if the powder coat is e.g. 0.1mm thick, I have to configure the plate in your plate builder with Kerf set to "0.2mm"! Got it.

[swill]

Yes, this does make sense. That means, if the powder coat is e.g. 0.1mm thick, I have to configure the plate in your plate builder with Kerf set to "0.2mm"! Got it.

Well almost. Set the kerf to -0.2mm. Notice the negative.

Kerf will make the openings smaller when using positive numbers. It will make the openings bigger when using negative values.

[Eszett]

Thanks, swill!

[swill]

Small update tonight. 
- I changed the default switch cutout to the H style as per the recent conversation. 
- I updated the kerf help text to minimize confusion about what value to enter. 
- I found a couple places in the code that was causing errors/stack traces, so I fixed them. 
- I wrote a simple monitoring tool to notify me if there are any errors.  If you are interested, it is available here: https://github.com/swill/slackd

Think thats it for this update... 

[Eszett]

Nice, swill. As for me, I double-check the layout/cutouts in CAD, and I recommend that. If someone needs help with that, he can send me a PM.

[swill]

Nice, swill. As for me, I double-check the layout/cutouts in CAD, and I recommend that. If someone needs help with that, he can send me a PM.

I always do the same thing just to be sure.  No reason not to check and validate before you spend $100 (or more). 

[LeandreN]

Hey! i used to 3D print my plates, but mesh formats are no longer supported anymore! I haven't found a way for me to convert DXF to STP. Wanted to change the plate thickness to 3mm and download it and make a case in FreeCad.

Can you add this feature again, i see no reason to remove it.

[swill]

Hey! i used to 3D print my plates, but mesh formats are no longer supported anymore! I haven't found a way for me to convert DXF to STP. Wanted to change the plate thickness to 3mm and download it and make a case in FreeCad.

Can you add this feature again, i see no reason to remove it.

Check this post for how to make a 3D object from the output of the current tool.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=65189.msg1804952.msg#1804952

I removed the ability to output 3D objects because it was about 300x slower to produce them because I had to use an actual cad engine. Now I have trimmed down logic that produces an SVG natively and does not use a cad engine at all anymore. The last 3 months I have been redeveloping the tool from scratch to make it faster and better support the standard 2D formates that most people use.

Make sense?  Let me know if you have problems following my guide. I recommend you cut the faces before you extrude because I have found it to be faster in that order (not the order I did in the video).

[StinkyTheDonut]

Is there a way to make it draw multiple cutouts types for the same plate to make a cutout tester?
Or is it simpler to just have the same plate be cut from multiple drawings with different cutouts in different positions?

I'd also like to know if the switch top removable cutouts leave a thin visible gap at the sides of the switch?

[swill]

Is there a way to make it draw multiple cutouts types for the same plate to make a cutout tester?
Or is it simpler to just have the same plate be cut from multiple drawings with different cutouts in different positions?

I'd also like to know if the switch top removable cutouts leave a thin visible gap at the sides of the switch?

I am not entirely sure what you mean by multiple types of cutouts on the same plate.  Do you mean making a plate that can support more than one type of layout.  So for example, a split caps lock and a full caps lock?

The short answer is Yes, you can do that.  The basic idea is that you specify overlapping keys in the layout editor and then when the builder encounters that, it will create a union of the overlapping cutouts.

Checkout this post for more details: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=65189.msg1803133#msg1803133

If you have specific use cases that you want to support, just let me know and I will figure out how to modify the layout to give you what you are looking for.

As for the Alps+MX cutout and the thin line.  I can not remember, so I would have to look on a plate at home and get back to you.

[swill]

Small update that I did on my way into the office this morning on the train.  Now that I have push notification logging setup using a tool I built, I am actually notified when people have problems with the builder.  I found that a bunch of people were trying to create a sandwich case with a padding size of zero.  This is not a valid configuration (well not if you expect to have mount holes).  I have adding checking in the UI that requires that the padding is larger than the diameter of the holes specified so the sandwich case is actually functional. 

[Eszett]

I sketched in keyboard-layout-editor.com an ergodox key 1u wide and 1.5u tall, and the plate builder rotated the cutout by 90°. Why? 

[swill]

I sketched in keyboard-layout-editor.com an ergodox key 1u wide and 1.5u tall, and the plate builder rotated the cutout by 90°. Why? 

Post the raw data you used and I will check into it. Thx...

[Eszett]

Hi swill. Of course, let's take this dummy code:

Code: [Select]

["Num Lock","/","*","-"],
["7\nHome","8\n↑","9\nPgUp"],
[{y:-0.75,x:3,h:1.5},"+"],
[{y:-0.25},"4\n←","5","6\n→"],
["1\nEnd","2\n↓","3\nPgDn"],
[{y:-0.75,x:3,h:1.5},"Enter"],
[{y:-0.25,w:2},"0\nIns",".\nDel"]

[swill]

Hi swill. Of course, let's take this dummy code:

Code: [Select]

["Num Lock","/","*","-"],
["7\nHome","8\n↑","9\nPgUp"],
[{y:-0.75,x:3,h:1.5},"+"],
[{y:-0.25},"4\n←","5","6\n→"],
["1\nEnd","2\n↓","3\nPgDn"],
[{y:-0.75,x:3,h:1.5},"Enter"],
[{y:-0.25,w:2},"0\nIns",".\nDel"] (Attachment Link)

Yes, that is normal behavior.  Basically, if a key is taller than it is wide, it expects you are working with a rotated switch, so it rotates the switch to be a vertical key.

You can easily turn the cutout back to the other way if you want using the {_r:90} custom flag.  You can click on the ? next to the raw data entry to see a list of all of the different operations or overrides you can do on a key by key basis.  You can even change cutouts on a key by key basis (which I don't think many people realize).

So this is how you would change your code to make it behave the way you would like it to:

Code: [Select]

["Num Lock","/","*","-"],
["7\nHome","8\n↑","9\nPgUp"],
[{y:-0.75,x:3,h:1.5,_r:90},"+"],
[{y:-0.25},"4\n←","5","6\n→"],
["1\nEnd","2\n↓","3\nPgDn"],
[{y:-0.75,x:3,h:1.5,_r:90},"Enter"],
[{y:-0.25,w:2},"0\nIns",".\nDel"]

In your case, your 1.5u key is actually taking two vertical spaces though, so maybe I am not clear on the point.  Don't you want a stabilizer if it will actually be a 2u key?

[Eszett]

Didn't know about this "_r:90" option, I'm glad you helped out again, swill!

In your case, your 1.5u key is actually taking two vertical spaces though, so maybe I am not clear on the point.  Don't you want a stabilizer if it will actually be a 2u key?

No, this was just a quick code sample, I didn't mean it to take up 2u. In my layout I completely avoid everything beyond 1.75u to get around using stabs at all!

[swill]

Didn't know about this "_r:90" option, I'm glad you helped out again, swill!

In your case, your 1.5u key is actually taking two vertical spaces though, so maybe I am not clear on the point.  Don't you want a stabilizer if it will actually be a 2u key?

No, this was just a quick code sample, I didn't mean it to take up 2u. In my layout I completely avoid everything beyond 1.75u to get around using stabs at all!

Cool. Looking forward to checking out the layout. Fun to see everything people are creating.

[StinkyTheDonut]

Is there a way to make it draw multiple cutouts types for the same plate to make a cutout tester?
Or is it simpler to just have the same plate be cut from multiple drawings with different cutouts in different positions?

I'd also like to know if the switch top removable cutouts leave a thin visible gap at the sides of the switch?

I am not entirely sure what you mean by multiple types of cutouts on the same plate.  Do you mean making a plate that can support more than one type of layout.  So for example, a split caps lock and a full caps lock?

The short answer is Yes, you can do that.  The basic idea is that you specify overlapping keys in the layout editor and then when the builder encounters that, it will create a union of the overlapping cutouts.

Checkout this post for more details: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=65189.msg1803133#msg1803133

If you have specific use cases that you want to support, just let me know and I will figure out how to modify the layout to give you what you are looking for.

As for the Alps+MX cutout and the thin line.  I can not remember, so I would have to look on a plate at home and get back to you.

I meant cutout types. Basically having a square cutout beside the H cutout on the same plate.

[swill]

Is there a way to make it draw multiple cutouts types for the same plate to make a cutout tester?
Or is it simpler to just have the same plate be cut from multiple drawings with different cutouts in different positions?

I'd also like to know if the switch top removable cutouts leave a thin visible gap at the sides of the switch?

I am not entirely sure what you mean by multiple types of cutouts on the same plate.  Do you mean making a plate that can support more than one type of layout.  So for example, a split caps lock and a full caps lock?

The short answer is Yes, you can do that.  The basic idea is that you specify overlapping keys in the layout editor and then when the builder encounters that, it will create a union of the overlapping cutouts.

Checkout this post for more details: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=65189.msg1803133#msg1803133

If you have specific use cases that you want to support, just let me know and I will figure out how to modify the layout to give you what you are looking for.

As for the Alps+MX cutout and the thin line.  I can not remember, so I would have to look on a plate at home and get back to you.

I meant cutout types. Basically having a square cutout beside the H cutout on the same plate.

Oh, I understand. Yes that is possible. Use the {_t:<0-2>} declaration for the key. You can check all the additional options in the help menu for the raw data field.

Edit:  you can also change the stabilizer type per key as well with the {_s:<0-2>} declaration. Check the help for all the options.

[BigBlueSaw]

If you have a really great idea, don't worry about people stealing it. You'll have to pound it into people's heads.

[BigBlueSaw]

I've taken a couple sample designs run them through swill's tool, and put them  up as examples on the Big Blue Saw website:
http://www.bigbluesaw.com/big-blue-saw/big-blue-saw-special-info/waterjet-and-laser-cut-keyboard-plates.html

This lets you get an idea of prices for a variety of materials and designs.

[swill]

I've taken a couple sample designs run them through swill's tool, and put them  up as examples on the Big Blue Saw website:
http://www.bigbluesaw.com/big-blue-saw/big-blue-saw-special-info/waterjet-and-laser-cut-keyboard-plates.html

This lets you get an idea of prices for a variety of materials and designs.

Cool. Thanks for doing that. I think that will help people a lot as they begin to plan their builds.

[wlhlm]

Today I received two carbon fiber plates I had custom made using drawings from your tool. A Planck plate and a 60% plate for a SA Carbon build.


I just wanted to thank you for creating the plate builder, it makes everything so easy, almost anybody could make a plate. The svg-output is great to work with - toss it in Inkscape and have a last look at the plate, check dimensions, or add holes to the Planck plate. Then have your custom plate made!



I myself tried to write a FreeCAD plugin for importing KLE data, which was pretty frustrating as FreeCAD's documentation is basically zero and I was new to its paradigms and conventions. Glad I've discovered your tool before I could finish the plugin.

The plates:
Both plates were made by Alfa Carbon from 1.5mm carbon fiber plates. Communication was great and all I had to do was to give them the SVG files (attached to the post) and the plates turned out exactly like I wanted them. The typical carbon fiber texture could've been a bit more pronounced, but it still looks damn awesome!


All in all, I've paid 67.00€ for both plates together.

The switches fit perfectly, the stabs are a tight fit and required some additional force (tried using PCB and plate stabs). The builder generates some thin spots when using the Poker case-option in combination with split Backspace and split right Shift keys, but Alfa Carbon was able to mill them without problems and they feel pretty solid.



60%: Layout

• split Backspace
• split right Shift
• winkeyless bottom row

Planck: Layout

• MIT style
• holes added manually using Inkscape

Suggestion:
Minor convenience feature you could add is to automatically fetch the KLE layout data when inputting an URL instead of having to copy the raw data. KLE already returns the layout in valid JSON when going to a special URL:

Code: [Select]

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/dabd8749f09edc2cb1ce3f0900daac5e
↓
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/layouts/dabd8749f09edc2cb1ce3f0900daac5eI'm not sure if this has been suggested before or if it's already supported.

Thanks again.

[swill]

Great post.  Those plates look awesome.  I will look into adding the functionality to add the ability to just specify the URL instead of having to enter the raw data.  I would likely implement it so if you specify a url, it will go and fetch the raw data and put it into the text field so you can make modifications to it if you would like (like rotating switches or stabilizers or changing switch cutouts on specific keys, etc).  I will look into this now that they have added the 'download json' button.

Others have had concerns about the thin areas when using the default poker case with non-standard layouts.  I have recently added the ability to modify the size of the holes in the poker plate so you can make them a bit smaller and still have them be functional if that is a concern.

I am glad you are happy with your plates.  They look awesome...  Also, thank you for the donation, that was very generous of you. 

Today I received two carbon fiber plates I had custom made using drawings from your tool. A Planck plate and a 60% plate for a SA Carbon build.
(Attachment Link)

I just wanted to thank you for creating the plate builder, it makes everything so easy, almost anybody could make a plate. The svg-output is great to work with - toss it in Inkscape and have a last look at the plate, check dimensions, or add holes to the Planck plate. Then have your custom plate made!



I myself tried to write a FreeCAD plugin for importing KLE data, which was pretty frustrating as FreeCAD's documentation is basically zero and I was new to its paradigms and conventions. Glad I've discovered your tool before I could finish the plugin.

The plates:
Both plates were made by Alfa Carbon from 1.5mm carbon fiber plates. Communication was great and all I had to do was to give them the SVG files (attached to the post) and the plates turned out exactly like I wanted them. The typical carbon fiber texture could've been a bit more pronounced, but it still looks damn awesome!
(Attachment Link)

All in all, I've paid 67.00€ for both plates together.

The switches fit perfectly, the stabs are a tight fit and required some additional force (tried using PCB and plate stabs). The builder generates some thin spots when using the Poker case-option in combination with split Backspace and split right Shift keys, but Alfa Carbon was able to mill them without problems and they feel pretty solid.
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)

60%: Layout

• split Backspace
• split right Shift
• winkeyless bottom row

Planck: Layout
(Attachment Link)

• MIT style
• holes added manually using Inkscape

Suggestion:
Minor convenience feature you could add is to automatically fetch the KLE layout data when inputting an URL instead of having to copy the raw data. KLE already returns the layout in valid JSON when going to a special URL:

Code: [Select]

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/dabd8749f09edc2cb1ce3f0900daac5e
↓
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/layouts/dabd8749f09edc2cb1ce3f0900daac5eI'm not sure if this has been suggested before or if it's already supported.

Thanks again.

[skullydazed]

As I promised here a couple weeks ago I just got my PCB generation tool up and available for people to play with. I have already used this to make PCB's that work perfectly with plate's from swill's plate builder.

[swill]

I just open sourced the original builder (which uses Python and FreeCAD) here: https://github.com/swill/kb_builder

I was having a hell of a time trying to get the FreeCAD lib to work on the Mac, so I just wrote instructions for how to run it in a Ubuntu VM in VirtualBox.  That is by far the easiest way to get up and running since you can just follow some cut and paste instructions and you will be all set.

Feel free to hack away on that code.  It would be interesting to incorporate skullydazed's PCB generation tool with this code.  Anyone up for a little hacking??? 

[swill]

Starting to slowly update the OP.  I will add a 'tips and tricks' section probably tomorrow night.  Its getting late tonight and I need to get up for work tomorrow.

[KHAANNN]

Wow, those carbon plates are beautiful, congrats, I'm probably not going manufacture my own plates again, thinking of going for an anodised aluminium 1.5mm or a carbon 1.5mm like you, 3d-printed 5mm with cutouts have lots of advantages, but it's extremely challenging to make them perfect

Thanks for open sourcing these swill, it's great to be able to access the dimensional calculations, as far as I see, the code is pretty readable and simple too

You are continuing with the Go code and this is the previous Python code right?

I'm probably going to make due with what I have for now (and don't get me wrong, what I have is awesome right now, but it's full of hacks and concerns) and re-build when agile PCB generation/manufacturing becomes a thing :)

Another reason why I manufactured my own plates was to get synchronise the case dimensions with the plate dimensions, the tex/vortex cases all have different dimensions, different corner boundaries, as a piece of useful info to those who are interested

TEX: enlarge left/right by 1to1.2mm, enlarge top/bottom by 0.4to0.5mm, 3mm corner boundaries
VORTEX: (forgot the exact dimensions) but enlarging all sides by 0.5mm is a safe bet, corner boundaries are 2mm tho

When you also enlarge the PCB holes a bit to accommodate centering, with these enlargements, the plate sits right in the middle/center, with gaps on all sides that are <1mm

Otherwise, sometimes, if you just make due with the default, you have an 2.5mm gap on one side and a 1mm gap on the other side, which is pretty displeasing if you ask me :)

And here is one of my 2 endgame-ish keyboards: (with the TEX dimensional adjustments) (as a small warning, 3/6 of the screw holes were too small for the tex screws as they are, so I used Vortex screws for them)

[swill]

Wow, those carbon plates are beautiful, congrats, I'm probably not going manufacture my own plates again, thinking of going for an anodised aluminium 1.5mm or a carbon 1.5mm like you, 3d-printed 5mm with cutouts have lots of advantages, but it's extremely challenging to make them perfect

Thanks for open sourcing these swill, it's great to be able to access the dimensional calculations, as far as I see, the code is pretty readable and simple too

You are continuing with the Go code and this is the previous Python code right?

I'm probably going to make due with what I have for now (and don't get me wrong, what I have is awesome right now, but it's full of hacks and concerns) and re-build when agile PCB generation/manufacturing becomes a thing

Another reason why I manufactured my own plates was to get synchronise the case dimensions with the plate dimensions, the tex/vortex cases all have different dimensions, different corner boundaries, as a piece of useful info to those who are interested

TEX: enlarge left/right by 1to1.2mm, enlarge top/bottom by 0.4to0.5mm, 3mm corner boundaries
VORTEX: (forgot the exact dimensions) but enlarging all sides by 0.5mm is a safe bet, corner boundaries are 2mm tho

When you also enlarge the PCB holes a bit to accommodate centering, with these enlargements, the plate sits right in the middle/center, with gaps on all sides that are <1mm

Otherwise, sometimes, if you just make due with the default, you have an 2.5mm gap on one side and a 1mm gap on the other side, which is pretty displeasing if you ask me

And here is one of my 2 endgame-ish keyboards: (with the TEX dimensional adjustments) (as a small warning, 3/6 of the screw holes were too small for the tex screws as they are, so I used Vortex screws for them)

(Attachment Link)

Yes, I intend to develop mainly on the Go code.  That doesn't mean I won't maintain the open source Python version, but most of my focus will be on the Go code.  Yes, I tried to make the code as readable as possible.  The cutouts are identical in both builders, so that should help if you want to review the cutout details in code.

Judging from the name and the fact that you posted at pretty much the same time, I am pretty confident that it was you that just sent me a donation.  I really appreciate the generosity.  Mad props to you guys who donated today.  I really appreciate it...

[Charger]

I thought I would post one some photos of one of the keyboards I am making that i used this tool in designing the files to have cut at bigbluesaw

[heedpantsnow]

Wow, those carbon plates are beautiful, congrats, I'm probably not going manufacture my own plates again, thinking of going for an anodised aluminium 1.5mm or a carbon 1.5mm like you, 3d-printed 5mm with cutouts have lots of advantages, but it's extremely challenging to make them perfect

Thanks for open sourcing these swill, it's great to be able to access the dimensional calculations, as far as I see, the code is pretty readable and simple too

You are continuing with the Go code and this is the previous Python code right?

I'm probably going to make due with what I have for now (and don't get me wrong, what I have is awesome right now, but it's full of hacks and concerns) and re-build when agile PCB generation/manufacturing becomes a thing

Another reason why I manufactured my own plates was to get synchronise the case dimensions with the plate dimensions, the tex/vortex cases all have different dimensions, different corner boundaries, as a piece of useful info to those who are interested

TEX: enlarge left/right by 1to1.2mm, enlarge top/bottom by 0.4to0.5mm, 3mm corner boundaries
VORTEX: (forgot the exact dimensions) but enlarging all sides by 0.5mm is a safe bet, corner boundaries are 2mm tho

When you also enlarge the PCB holes a bit to accommodate centering, with these enlargements, the plate sits right in the middle/center, with gaps on all sides that are <1mm

Otherwise, sometimes, if you just make due with the default, you have an 2.5mm gap on one side and a 1mm gap on the other side, which is pretty displeasing if you ask me

And here is one of my 2 endgame-ish keyboards: (with the TEX dimensional adjustments) (as a small warning, 3/6 of the screw holes were too small for the tex screws as they are, so I used Vortex screws for them)

(Attachment Link)

This is very useful; thanks!

[BigBlueSaw]

Looks great! Please let us know how it turns out!

I thought I would post one some photos of one of the keyboards I am making that i used this tool in designing the files to have cut at bigbluesaw

[swill]

I know it has been a long time in coming (and its not in the production tool yet), but the rotated clusters is well on its way.  Here is a little teaser...



I still have to work out the details of the plate dimensions based on the rotated keys, so that will be the next step.  This is a big step in the right direction though... 

[gogusrl]

My plates made with your tool 1.5 mm Steel.



pro tip : don't wash untreated steel with water + soap and let it in the sun to dry.

doing a test fit with switches and keycaps here : http://imgur.com/a/sLgch

Already planning on getting a rev. 2 plate cut tomorrow.

[KHAANNN]

My plates made with your tool 1.5 mm Steel.

Show Image

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pro tip : don't wash untreated steel with water + soap and let it in the sun to dry.

doing a test fit with switches and keycaps here : http://imgur.com/a/sLgch

Already planning on getting a rev. 2 plate cut tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing this, what steel is that?

[gogusrl]

I have no clue to be honest (I asked for 1.5 mm steel), it was cheap as hell (~25$ for what you see) and it came greasy as **** so I wanted to clean it up a bit so I can try some switches. I already found someone who will powder coat it for another ~20$ but I've already tweaked my layout and I think I'm gonna discard this one.

This is revision  2 :

[KHAANNN]

I have no clue to be honest (I asked for 1.5 mm steel), it was cheap as hell (~25$ for what you see) and it came greasy as **** so I wanted to clean it up a bit so I can try some switches. I already found someone who will powder coat it for another ~20$ but I've already tweaked my layout and I think I'm gonna discard this one.

This is revision  2 :

Show Image

The separation of arrows is wise, on my current 60% layout I have integrated arrows, building a new keyboard to separate them

Can you share the details for the powder coating process, I never considered it before, It currently makes a lot of sense to just get a steel plate from bigbluesaw and get it powder coated, if the powder coating is solid (I'm asking because I need a similar solution too)

(One way or another, all steels will rust, you had the opportunity to experience that process in amplified form, otherwise, minor amounts of sweat from your hand will produce the same result slowly)

[gogusrl]

I don't have any other details, found the guy on a local motorcycles forum, seen his work over the years and gave him a call. I'll try to find the link again and come back with some pics.

[wlhlm]

I have no clue to be honest (I asked for 1.5 mm steel), it was cheap as hell (~25$ for what you see).

$25 for material+cutting? That's an awesome deal!

[gogusrl]

Oh yeah, made my jaw drop as well. Went there with a friend that's building a tkl + numpad and I asked for a price and got a ~60$ quote. I was thinking "it's a decent price for steel plates" then I asked how much for friend's plate only to tell me that's the price for everything.

They also told me I can get a 24% discount if I don't need an invoice & stuff (illegal work, no taxes paid).