What do you use to design keycap sets?

[bavman]

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?

[IvanIvanovich]

Adobe Illustrator is my preferred software.

[fstop]

Hazeluff...? :biggrin:

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

[bavman]

Is there a template or something?

[IvanIvanovich]

I used this one as a start...


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.

[hazeluff]

I use inkscape.

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

[dorkvader]

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

[hashbaz]

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.

[Frenden]

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.

[danielucf]

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

[IvanIvanovich]

Fixed broken link in old post.

[danielucf]

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

[Lethal Squirrel]

a PNG is an image with a transparent background

[IvanIvanovich]

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.

[dorkvader]

a PNG is an image with a transparent background

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.

[TotalChaos]

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. 

[KuhnTang]

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.