3D Keyboard Builder [Early Prototype Live!]

[KHAANNN]

Early Prototype: https://kaansoral.github.io/3DKeyboardBuilder/ (27th February, 2019)
Github: https://github.com/kaansoral/3DKeyboardBuilder

I've been wanting to create a practical "3D Plate Builder" for some time now, but since my 60% layouts are very eccentric, they don't look good in regular cases, as there are gaps in bottom row etc. - at one point, I decided to go for a "3D Keyboard Builder" - one that will add basic feet, and make the plates interconnectible, so switches lock the plates, and the result will be something like a Skeleton Keyboard, much like a Skeleton Watch, or one of those 60%'s with bent aluminium cases

Creating this thread to post my progress









Back in the day, when I first discussed a 3D printed plate on GH, I received a lot of useful feedback that supercharged my progress a lot, for example, vvp was the one who suggested the little nubs that allows a 5mm plate that act like a 1.5mm plate, at first I was only going to add cutouts for stabilisers, but adding them for switches made a lot of sense too, but without a builder, it's really a pain to convert a 2D plate to 3D, and add all these manually

Anyway, going to launch this product really soon, looking for feedback and ideas

Major idea request: A novel way to divide a single piece into multiple pieces for 3d printing, I was originally going to make an optimal interlocking cut, like 2.5mm of a switch cutout on one piece, and the lower 2.5mm on another piece, such a cut can be made manually, but programatically, it was too much work for me at this time - especially considering my coordinate system got uber messed up

[lazyfart]

Oh hey! I just saw your mini keyboard post on reddit a couple days ago. Glad to see things are moving fast  would you be able to do this for alps switches? since you have the stands on the side, I can use the plate as a modding station

[KHAANNN]

Yeah, definitely, for a modding station, I think a high kerf would be nice too, the plate wouldn't secure switches too much

As far as I see, alps cutout is 12.8mm x 15.5mm - compared to 14mm x 14mm MX?

If you want to test it ASAP, I can send you a 3D file for the keyboard-layout-editor layout of your choice

Edit: Also, not owning any Alps switches, I wonder what kind of a 3d cutout they require, to latch onto the plate

[lazyfart]

Yeah, definitely, for a modding station, I think a high kerf would be nice too, the plate wouldn't secure switches too much

As far as I see, alps cutout is 12.8mm x 15.5mm - compared to 14mm x 14mm MX?

If you want to test it ASAP, I can send you a 3D file for the keyboard-layout-editor layout of your choice

Edit: Also, not owning any Alps switches, I wonder what kind of a 3d cutout they require, to latch onto the plate

Sorry I'm a complete noob, Ive never used a keyboard editor before.  But the alps measurement is correct, just measured my alps switches.

[vvp]

Major idea request: A novel way to divide a single piece into multiple pieces for 3d printing, I was originally going to make an optimal interlocking cut, like 2.5mm of a switch cutout on one piece, and the lower 2.5mm on another piece, such a cut can be made manually, but programatically, it was too much work for me at this time - especially considering my coordinate system got uber messed up

You can make your cut straight in the vertical direction if it is not straight in the horizontal direction. If you do standard row staggered keyboard then you need to do the cut between/around switches and therefore your cut will be  jagged in the horizontal direction => it can be straight in the vertical direction.

If you would make a matrix keyboard and a straight cut in the horizontal direction then you need it jagged in the vertical direction - at least one interlocking groove and notch. It does not need to be V shaped, it can be stair shaped.

Leave about 0.2-0.3 mm space for glue.

Print a throwaway  template which makes sure that the two parts to glue together are positioned precisely when gluing. It is a template to which the parts being glued together can click in or can be screwed to while the glue solidifies.

[KHAANNN]

I need to look into Alps switches further, mainly in terms of how they latch onto the plate

vvp, is it possible for you to share a visual example?

For the cut - Here's where I'm currently at:



Cut locations are manually determined, so obviously, for an 60%, a cutpoint in the spacebar stabiliser spot isn't logical (likely the middle piece should be pretty big, and left/right pieces should be small, that would leave the stabiliser out of the pieces)

I added a left/right kerf, but I didn't add a z-direction kerf to this cut, I think a test-print will tell whether it's needed or not, I'll personally print a test plate, and I intend to use this not-glued, I hope the switches will be enough to keep it connected - I'm sure pcb-mounted cherries will work this way, but for others, indeed some glueing might be necessary

I originally cut my plate manually like this:



And programatically, I wanted to combine the 2 approaches, but it's too challenging for now

Preparing these images, I think finding neighbouring switch couples on the same row, and applying the zig-zag to those neighbouring switch couples could be the solution for an ideal interlocking cut

[vvp]

Examples from my case. This holds very well when printed in ABS and glued with ABS-glue. But my situation is simpler. It is a contoured case and therefore it is stronger.
Ignore the adhesion pads which are added to prevent pealing of corners when printing.
Both key and palm part

Key part:

Palm part:

The glueing gap:

The glueing template. Both key part and palm part are screwed to it when gluing them together. This ensures proper positioning of key and palm part together:

That is the stair like ridge like on your first picture. Your overlap on your first picture is definitely big enough. Maybe even too big. But this option is too complicated for a row staggered layout.

The cut on your bottom picture is not very good. Make it zig-zag like. Not in a diagonal manner: turn to the right when moving from bottom row to the higher row; move it left when going to the even higher row, then again right, then left ... etc. This is simple and it will be enough when printed with ABS and glued with ABS-glue.

Use a gluing template to have it precise after glueing.

[The Gambler]

I'm pretty lazy with design. I literally just extruded an SVG straight out of swillkb's plate builder; about 3mm.

As for the ALPS holes, I think swillkb has ALPS cutouts built right in; if not Matias has measurements as well.

[KHAANNN]

I delayed my work on the builder until I receive these: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/500-Pcs-6-2-5mm-Self-Adhesive-Black-Anti-Slip-Silicone-Rubber-Feet-Pads-Bumper-Damper/32607363855.html

Going to start attempting full size designs if the bumpons end up good - 6mm seems pretty good on paper

[KHAANNN]

Small heads up, I can't find the time to work on this project any more, but as it is, it was an awesome boilerplate for creating plates, sub plates, plate pieces, and just taking the keyboardbuilder data and turning it into something 3D

So in the coming days, I'm going to launch something like a "Playground" - where you can play with the Code that generates the plate, quickly write your own and have it executed to receive an output practically etc. - I didn't have time to add Cherry stab support for example, but someone who can modify Code can do it in 1-2 hours

Depending on the reception, I might extend the featureset after this initial launch, a lot of people messaged me on Reddit when I first announced the project, I promised February as the date, so I'll try not to overshoot too much

--------

Edit: Pushed the early prototype, updated the title

[fpazos]

That's a very interesting proyect, it's sad that you can't continue it, right now I'm also busy as hell but I would also like to play with it. It would be nice to add an interface with options to the case/plate. I have been some time wanting to learn svg/cad or graphics in general.

It's normal to be so slow? I'm runing it on a quite powerfull computer from work and I can't see anything, just: Processing, please wait... No console problems

[KHAANNN]

That's a very interesting proyect, it's sad that you can't continue it, right now I'm also busy as hell but I would also like to play with it. It would be nice to add an interface with options to the case/plate. I have been some time wanting to learn svg/cad or graphics in general.

It's normal to be so slow? I'm runing it on a quite powerfull computer from work and I can't see anything, just: Processing, please wait... No console problems

It shouldn't be, can you render these?: http://joostn.github.io/OpenJsCad/

I was originally going to do something like that, but with the current direction, going to curate keyboard-related-thing-generating codes from the community, I think it will be better this way, once/if people start using the tool, sharing their own codes/methods, it should be easy for anyone to practically achieve what they want too

[fpazos]

That's a very interesting proyect, it's sad that you can't continue it, right now I'm also busy as hell but I would also like to play with it. It would be nice to add an interface with options to the case/plate. I have been some time wanting to learn svg/cad or graphics in general.

It's normal to be so slow? I'm runing it on a quite powerfull computer from work and I can't see anything, just: Processing, please wait... No console problems

It shouldn't be, can you render these?: http://joostn.github.io/OpenJsCad/

I was originally going to do something like that, but with the current direction, going to curate keyboard-related-thing-generating codes from the community, I think it will be better this way, once/if people start using the tool, sharing their own codes/methods, it should be easy for anyone to practically achieve what they want too

Sorry I was quite impatient, works fine!! Thanks for your help
Ready. Rendered in 22226ms

Edit: the problem seemed to be using Firefox. No problem using Chrome

[nevin]

@KHAANNN    awesome! thanks. nice work

[KHAANNN]

@KHAANNN    awesome! thanks. nice work

Thank you


Just saw this by the way:

Really nice design, it's interesting that he dremel'ed the switches, with WASD Keyboards's costar wires probably not needed, the way he outlined possible stabiliser issues with 3d printed keyboards made me think he built a lot of 3d printed keyboards - the cutouts indeed require a lot of shaving without a kerf added

Very solid keyboard in the end, but I personally always found it hard to go after standoffs, screws etc. - https://matt3o.com/3d-printing-a-whitefox-case/ the brass inserts and his usage is inspiring


I'm hopefully going to extend the builder a bit in the coming days, while I do a build with an aluminium case and aluminium plate for fun. I haven't used an off the shelf plate for years since I started 3d printing my plates, but going to try the easy route this time, instead of using a 3d printed plate, going to add a new code to the builder to create 3mm inner layers, to have that sound dampening between the plate and the pcb