geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 31 May 2010, 10:18:29
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I'm still waiting for my Cherry POS keyboard but in the mean time I have the ability to make some custom key inserts. My plan is to provide a set of fun inserts using AutoCAD and then export them to other more common formats. I suppose that the drawing program for Open Office could work too.
If I can get some help with measurements I suppose I can whip up a few fun keys and provide a blank for future mods.
I'm thinking of some fun roman Numbers style buttons as well as "Panic" and "Launch" and also some symbols for multimedia functions and possibly MAME arcade emulator like "Insert Coin" and such.
Thanks to anyone who can help. I guess I can take requests if need be, not sure how helpful this will be. But I plan to do it for mine, why not help others? You will still have to cut them out of course. I wonder how printing them on that old overhead projector transparent film might work? The best thing about this is that it would not show through as paper. Staples will print an overhead transparency for 99 cents for black or 1.99 in color. Might be worth a try I guess.
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I actually just measured myself and am printing out my first custom inserts tomorrow.
The dimensions for the label for each key are 7/16" H x 8/16" V, except for numpad Enter, which is 20/16" V.
In MS Paint, 1" = 72 pixels, which means that each label should be about 36x40 pixels, except for Enter which is 36x60.
I can email you the .bmp with my icons if you want an example. I'm going to print them out tomorrow, cut, and pray that they fit right. :p
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Actually, I just realized my math is Fed up. Should be 32x36. Oops. And Enter should be 32x90. I think. Maybe. GAH. I'll just see how these turn out.
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Once I get a chance, I'll use a vector based method to ensure they print at the correct size since AutoCAD and Open Office Draw are both meant for precise publishing and do not use raster (pixel based) sizing methods. The real measurements you gave me should work.
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Pics!
(http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/152/c/a/POS_1_by_Phaedrus2401.jpg)
(http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/152/c/e/POS_5_by_Phaedrus2401.jpg)
(http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/152/0/7/POS_4_by_Phaedrus2401.jpg)
Alt+F4
Calculator
Stop
Play/Pause
Forward
Rewind
Mute
Volume +
Volume -
(http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/152/8/4/POS_3_by_Phaedrus2401.jpg)
Num Lock
Windows Lock
Print Screen
Caps Lock
(http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/152/2/2/POS_2_by_Phaedrus2401.jpg)
Fire Fox, Pidgin, Steam
Audacity, Vegas, Paint
Notepad, Wordpad, OpenOffice
:wheee:
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I went a step further, just in case anyone wanted to be juuuuust like me. ;)
So there's the icons.bmp, a .zip with the Cherry config files, and my AHK script.
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Great work. I especially like the media keys to the right of the numpad.
Once I get a chance, I'll use a vector based method to ensure they print at the correct size
Please post your templates as well.
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When I get my board I'll get some transparent ones printed up and we will see how that looks. If all goes well it will look like they are actually printed on the keys.
Awesome work there!
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nice!! should make use of the relengable caps on my filco...
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I'm TOTALLY going to do the "F" keys in roman numerals.
I might throw in some "Space Cadet" keys too.
I think my volume control will be a trumpet icon or other oldish thing.
These relengable caps are good fun.
EDIT: This is not to scale yet, just playing with AutoCAD. This is also just a place holder font, the real thing will probably be something like the 1920's typewriters.
(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/9351/artzj.png)
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Those should be great. How are you going to print them so they're transparent? Can places like Kinkos do white printing on transparent film?
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I'm not sure about white printing but when I called Staples today they claim that they can print just about any color. My board arrived yesterday and most of my test is complete (I have an abacus icon I designed for my calc shortcut key). The f line of functions is now all roman numerals, the arrow keys are a bit fancier and also I have little horn icons for volume up,down, and must. The set is a bit different that what I posted earlier. White is pretty ugly so I think I\ll try to match the key color with the ink color for printed on keys, for the compleatly blank keys I'll probably get them to print me some clear inserts. Right now my work schedule prevents me from getting to Staples for a while when I do I'll let you gents know. The problem with working retail is that you work the same hours as the rest of the shopping places.
Honestly I can't really say that these cherry browns feel unique to me, I am a pretty heavy typer I guess. If only I could get some of these clear caps for my IBM boards...
Ugly white labels, this will soon change for a color matched set.
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/9929/dsc00396r.jpg)
(http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1022/dsc00390ue.jpg)
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Ok here are the files for various vector based programs. I chose these formats because people can edit them a bit more freely that raster based images. The following files are included, OpenOffice version, AutoCAD 2004+ drawing (BEST), Inkscape drawing.
Feel free to edit the font and also the line width to your taste. I\ve done my best to ensure the dimensions are accurate but I'm not 100% sure about the open office version because I cannot test it at the moment, the Inkscape and AutoCAD 2004+ version should be right on the money however.Keep in mind that this is not a full set but rather the keys that I have made, you can easily clone the keys to create more. All symbols were created lovingly in AutoCAD. :)
Please ensure you have an unzipping program.