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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: bavman on Wed, 02 May 2012, 17:01:00

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: bavman on Wed, 02 May 2012, 17:01:00

Like in the groupbuys theres always example layouts of how the keys will look with the colors, for example the cream cheese and green:

http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=40535&d=1329261885

Or all the ones from Round4?

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 02 May 2012, 18:01:41

Adobe Illustrator is my preferred software.

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: fstop on Wed, 02 May 2012, 18:09:59

Hazeluff...? :biggrin:

I would assume people just used their favourite image editor program.

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: bavman on Wed, 02 May 2012, 18:12:00

Is there a template or something?

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 02 May 2012, 18:23:40

I used this one as a start...
(http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp349/lysol8086/aaa10f66.png)

But illustrator, or inkscape if you can't afford adobe or won't get it by other means is best. Reason is if you want to turn your mock up to something you can submit to SP, it's pretty much already done, just convert to SVG. For mock ups and stuff though for ideas etc, yeah any image editor is fine, whatever you have and are comfortable with.

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: hazeluff on Wed, 02 May 2012, 22:16:49

I use inkscape.

My templates in a zip attached to the thread in my sig.

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: dorkvader on Wed, 02 May 2012, 22:44:41

Inkscape is my vector graphics editor of choice. Here's the official 'site:
http://inkscape.org/

Linux, mac and windows (even portable).

Edit: Though my E-reader outputs SVG's which are vector, os with a steady hand, I could in theory export them :p

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: hashbaz on Wed, 02 May 2012, 22:49:48

Note that if you use Inkscape to design SVGs for use by SP, you have to scale everything by 80% since SP uses Illustrator.  Their internal point-to-inch ratios are different.

This has no bearing on mockups, of course.

Title: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: Frenden on Fri, 15 June 2012, 10:23:18

Thanks for posting links to the vector templates. Does anyone know where a fella could get a 3D model of a cherry keycap? I want to drop it into Zbrush and sculpt/3D print the results.

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: danielucf on Wed, 22 August 2012, 17:07:10

Could someone link up a vector template again? I want to tinker around in Inkscape with a few ideas.

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 22 August 2012, 21:54:11

Fixed broken link in old post.

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: danielucf on Wed, 22 August 2012, 21:55:50

So is a PNG a vector file or is that not even really needed?

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: Lethal Squirrel on Wed, 22 August 2012, 22:12:44

a PNG is an image with a transparent background

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 22 August 2012, 22:48:11

I just use it as a background to arrange things. If you really want a vector template there are some nice ones on wasdkeyboards site.

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 23 August 2012, 23:13:23

Quote from: Lethal Squirrel on Wed, 22 August 2012, 22:12:44

a PNG is an image with a transparent background

Quote from: danielucf on Wed, 22 August 2012, 21:55:50

So is a PNG a vector file or is that not even really needed?

PNG's (Portable Network Graphics) are raster files: They store the data as pixels, whereas vector files store the data as formulae, shapes, bezier curves, etc. PNGs have support for the alpha layer, so they can have clear backgrounds, though this is by no means necessary, just useful.

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: TotalChaos on Sat, 15 December 2012, 20:36:21

Quote from: danielucf on Wed, 22 August 2012, 21:55:50

So is a PNG a vector file or is that not even really needed?

PNG files are not vector files.  I don't particularly recommend trying to send WASD a PNG file.  :)

Title: Re: What do you use to design keycap sets?
Post by: KuhnTang on Sun, 16 December 2012, 00:34:14

Good thread, I was wondering myself.  I actually made a few mock ups using excel, but they look pretty trashy.  they're only good to see the contrast in colors.