Author Topic: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?  (Read 11320 times)

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Offline geoffff

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What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 16:51:34 »
Here's something I've been trying to find, but haven't had any luck yet:

I want to add extra buttons to my keyboard (which I can use trigger macros using AnyKey.)

Why not a little strip of calculator-sized dome keys, that's adhesive-backed so I can stick it anywhere? Maybe a strip of 6 buttons? And it should be USB so I can plug it into the USB extender port I have right there on my keyboard!

Does anyone make something like this?

Offline Hak Foo

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 19:28:51 »
This is the closest I've found:  https://keeb.io/products/the-stick

There are also a few 2-3-4-5-6-7 key pre-assembled macro pads available.

What I'd like to see is "here's a TKL or 104 board, and a macro pad with a compatible aesthetic, and they can snap together.
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Offline geoffff

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 20:05:48 »
I have tried some of those, but full-height keys are simply too tall for stick-on use, unless I were to cut holes in my keyboard to recess them. That's why I want something slim. More like calculator keys. Chiclet. But still with reasonable click feel.

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Offline funkmon

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 21:01:19 »
Hey, I'll be the unhelpful douchebag. Why not buy a keyboard with more buttons?

Offline geoffff

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 22:04:55 »
I have a Das Keyboard, and I like its feel.

I want to mount buttons on the left and right ends pointing outward horizontally. While browsing and such I rest my hands on my desk at the ends of the keyboard, palms inward, scrolling web pages using Das's (repurposed) "volume" knob. Resting my hands that way gives them a break from the "normal" typing position, and I am used to palm-in hands from years using my split-angled Datahand.

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« Last Edit: Tue, 16 February 2021, 22:14:23 by geoffff »

Offline funkmon

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 22:15:37 »
Boy that's a good reason.

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Offline geoffff

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 22:24:59 »
Those seemed too tall for what I'm doing. Ideally I'd like to find something that extends outward 10mm or less. Something slim.....

Offline geoffff

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 22:32:23 »
I have an adhesive-backed "4K RGB Keypad for osu! Taiko/Mania (wide)" I picked up off of etsy.com, but it is much too tall for me to reach the volume knob.

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Offline geoffff

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 23:00:49 »
Looking some more on Etsy for "osu!" keypads, I found this, which might be a nice size. It's a "capacitive" keypad though. https://www.etsy.com/listing/608759516/touch-keypad-for-osu

Offline noisyturtle

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 16 February 2021, 23:23:15 »
I actually love the idea of cheap, quick and dirty marco buttons you can affix anywhere and connect via a simple USB. This is a really good functional idea. I see the focus being on low cost and disposibility factors being appealing to those who want to easily add marco functionality to any electronic device with a USB port.

Offline yui

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 17 February 2021, 00:52:50 »
it would require making an all new pcb but what about those metal domes buttons that you can find under pretty much all clicky plastic switches in consumer electronics, they are very low profile, cheap, and with a pcb and 3dprinter could be used to make a very slim macropad.
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Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #11 on: Sat, 03 April 2021, 02:04:26 »
Is this supposed to be reversible?

Looks like a chunky case on the keyboard, if you cut hole in the side you could probably mount switches facing outwards.  If they're too 'tall' a bigger hole could allow the case of the macropad (with the bottom removed) to rest against the PCB, though they would stick out more.

If you're really lucky depending how many you need there could be some extra key positions for ISO or JIS unused which send keycodes to wire them up to.  If there are you could get low profile switches, both Kailh and Cherry released some relatively recently.  This would require software on the computer to map them to do something useful.
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Offline geoffff

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Re: What about an adhesive strip of extra macro buttons?
« Reply #12 on: Sat, 03 April 2021, 12:31:12 »
No, doesn't have to be reversible. But I was hoping for simple :)

It is a chunky keyboard, so there probably is room for me to Dremel out a space for at least some low-profile keyswitches, as you say. Guess my next step is to pop open my keyboard and have a look.

As for software, I'm plenty comfortable with AutoHotkey, so I can easily hack up the key macros.