Custom Scissor-switch Keyboard with Glittering - (2)

[Thomas543]

Following the Post:

"Custom Scissor-switch Keyboard with Glittering - (1)"
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=10276

2. Functionality

a. Glittering:
This is the same as Zippy Illuminated Keyboard BL-741
http://www.zippy.com/K_PRODUCT_DETAIL.asp?pk_pckrfnbr=21&pk_rfnbr=275&x=10&y=10

RGB three color LED lights, and each color has 8 levels.
So it can display total 8X8X8 = 512 different colors.



(The above 3 pictures are all coming from http://www.iqmore.idv.tw)

b. Hotkeys:
Six hotkeys on keyboards with designed functions.
Now our default design is:
1. Mute mode on/off
2. Volume Down
3. Volume Up
4. Health Mode (the keyboard will glitter after 1 hour to remind user to take a break)
5. Fast Noodle Mode (in TW, many users eat the fast noodle when they use computer, and click this button the keyboard will glitter after 3 min. to remind the user the noodle is ready. Of course this should be re-designed for users in other countries *^^*)
6. Calculator Mode

With the Fn button, the hotkeys will have different functions:
1. Glittering mode on/off
2. Set the level of red color
3. Set the level of green color
4. Set the level of blue color
5. Breathing light mode
6. Random color display mode

So there are total 12 different functions. We are open to any suggestions, especially any useful applications on the glittering function, i.e., health mode.

c. Engraved Characters:
We currently have the original style and the same-color engived characters:


Of course the chinese characters will be removed for the products in other countries. We are willing to hear any engraved style or other opinions that can make it looks better.

Thank you for any suggestions and we will make a better product becuase of your valuable opinions.

[Rajagra]

I don't know if this is possible, but could the letters be made completely invisible until the backlighting comes on. (Like the Lock lights on the DAS III.)

If not, the same-colour engraving is still pretty stealthy. I like it.

[Mental Hobbit]

Be prepared for people to ask it's N-key characteristics.

LEDs = Gamers = lots of WASD mashing

Nah, don't bother.
LEDs = Gamers = lots of WASD mashing + no clue

[Infinite north]

How are the colors controlled? if you made the color change controllable from the computer via software and made it somewhat open source I bet you could end up with a cult following. people will spend the time to program all sorts of uses for blinking changing lights and all you need to do is give them the tools. one thing that peripheral companies seeming fail to realize is the marketability of controlled personalization. otherwise I don't see what makes your glowing board any different from all the others.

[Thomas543]

To Infinite North,
   What you have mentioned was a very good suggestions. I will try to find the possibility to make the glittering programmable by software. Thanks~

To Others,
   Thank you for your response. Actually the same-color engraved is designed by my friend, so we will use it as one phototype of our products.

[hoggy]

In the UK, Zippy means the character on the left in this picture


You don't really want to associate your keyboard with a sociopathic loud mouth with only one arm...

[hoggy]

Are you able to control the lighting so some keys have one colour, and other keys have another colour?  If so, you could have a 'typing tutor' mode so the keys pressed by the left index finger are green, and the keys for the right index finger are purple - and so on.

Could you have the keys light up as they are pressed?  I'd hate it, but somebody would love it.

[Findecanor]

Are all the LEDs the same colour, or would it be possible to have different colours for different functional groups of keys when in different modes?
If you can diversify, have different colours for alphanumeric keys and modifiers/tab/return keys (like some keys on the classic IBM keyboards are light grey and some are darker grey) and a separate colour for the cursor keys.
Caps Lock and Num Lock could have different colours in different modes: The alphanumeric keys with different colours in CAPS mode, the numpad with a different colour when Num Lock is active, otherwise the same as cursor keys. etc.
... and oh yes: Different backlighting for W, A, S and D would probably attract gamers.

I agree with the idea that you should make as much as possible controllable from the PC. Let the complexity reside in the PC, not in the keyboard's µC.

Could you do something to minimize the amount of light bleeding in-between keys?

Personally, I am not much for flash, and would prefer a white/orange colour scheme. White for alphanumerics, orange for modifiers, tab, return etc.

[Rajagra]

In the UK, Zippy means the character on the left in this picture

Show Image

You don't really want to associate your keyboard with a sociopathic loud mouth with only one arm...

You "bungled" that link. (Just shows hosted by Tripod.) See what I did there?

I never realised Zippy only had one arm. Also Bungle looks suspiciously like Pedobear, but bigger and scarier!

Let's see if this link works...

[kriminal]

oh.. its a light up scissor switch... thats .. nice...

*quietly backs out thread*

[kishy]

Mr. Bungle?

[Thomas543]

To Infinite North,
   I ask my friend about this questions but it is hard to make the glittering programmable at this time. Actually it is a "custom" design so we have hard time to persuade the manufacturer to produce something like this. If we can be successful at this time, maybe we can push the manufacturer to produce programmable glittering next time.

To hoggy,
   Sorry all keys need to be the same color at one time, so the "tutor mode" may not be possible. But we can let the key lights up when they are pressed. We have used this function for some of our designed mode, i.e., the "health mode" by our design is: once being set, after one hour, the keyboard will glitter like breathing light and last for 15 minutes, then turn off if user click any one key.

To ripster,
   The Trucker Girl picture is awesome!!

To Findecanor,
   The LED can have different colors under different modes but all keys have the same color at a time. So your suggestions "Caps Lock and Num Lock could have different colours in different modes" is feasible and sounds useful for most users. We will take this into account.
   And sorry I cannot fully understand the meaning of "minimize the amount of light bleeding in-between keys", what did you mean by this?

[gr1m]

I think he means that he only wants to see light come out of the keys and not between the keys. For example:


Here, the light is bleeding out of the keys and showing from the sides of the keys.

[washuai]

Just remember the Luxeed is already out there.  It doesn't appear to have key bleed, has programmable lights, et cetera.

I'm with Ripster on the engraved keys.  

Even though I wish Déck had the color flexibility of a Luxeed, I'd still buy the Déck first.  I'm of the mind that rubber domes and scissor switches shouldn't cost over $50 and even then I don't want to pay over $30.  I expect $100 keyboards to last 10 years at least.  Although, I realize technology works hard to try to out date things every 3-5 years.

I think health breaks are better handled in different ways.  That said I’m sure there people who would be amused to have their keyboards glitter at specific times or time increments or if their cell phone was ringing, etc.  That thing is more novelty, than functional to me.  Don’t include features that people are going to leave off or not prioritize, if it raises prices.  Timed functions work better, when people can customize them.  That said leave at least the noodle time, since glittering is your thing.  

Also, market perspective, you don’t want to use the words rainbow or glittering with all the homophobes out there.  It wouldn’t dissuade me personally, but I’m not normal.  Color fluctuations or waves or whatever the current standard terms are, should be used.  I know you didn't use rainbow, but it is really close to glittering.  That said rainbows are for everybody, IMO.

If you clean up the LED bleeding and support enough gaming key combinations to have better NKRO, than the Logitech Illuminated, then you might have a competitive product, even without Luxeed like color programming.

White isn't a color option, because the LEDs are RGB, right?  

What brightness level control do you have on the board?  Is off, very dim, in between and blinding available?

[Thomas543]

To Washuai,
   Thank you~ I was also thinking about the word "glittering" and I think it is better to change to another words. I think "colorful lighting" may be a better word.
   For the white color, I need to ask my friend. My guess is we can still produce white color by lighting red, blue and green simultaneously. And we can control the brightness by different levels of red, green and blue (for each color, we have 8 different levels). I will check them and let you know. Thank you for your opinions.  
   By the way, do you have any idea about how should our product (A scissor-switch keyboard with colorful and time-controlled lighting) cost?

[hoggy]

The health mode is a great idea, but don't forget microbreaks.  Flash the lights for a few seconds every 5 minutes to remind the user to pause typing and sit up properly.

[Oqsy]

I'd stay clear of the word "glitter", too.

[hoggy]

Could the keyboard be programmable?  I'd like to set the output from each key in software and download that to the keyboard's firmware.  If that's too much, then a key combination to record a macro that's stored in the firmware, would be a close second best.

If it's too late to add this to the keyboard, then a small programmable device that the keyboard plugs into, and that device is plugged into the computer - would be amazing.  Similar to the qido.  I'd buy one.

[Rajagra]

I'd stay clear of the word "glitter", too.

Wise words.

[EverythingIBM]

I thought of an interesting idea after looking at this:


What if you had seperate LEDs that controlled which symbols could be illuminated? So if you didn't want the latin characters illuminating, you could turn them off only to see the chinese ones. It would be probably VERY expensive to make, but cool nonetheless.

[gr1m]

I thought of an interesting idea after looking at this:

Show Image

What if you had seperate LEDs that controlled which symbols could be illuminated? So if you didn't want the latin characters illuminating, you could turn them off only to see the chinese ones. It would be probably VERY expensive to make, but cool nonetheless.

I agree that that would be awesome. If you want English, you turn on English backlighting and turn off the Chinese. If you want Chinese, vice versa. In each case, the symbols you don't want to see at the time are not visible.

Epic idea.

[Thomas543]

To hoggy,
   The microbreaks is a good idea~ We will try to add it into the design.

To EverythingIBM,
   Your suggestion is pretty creative! But I dont think we can make it at this time. It needs carefully design on the engraved style. But we will keep it in mind and try to realize it in the future~

[hoggy]

If I'm playing games or surfing, I often find myself thinking, just 10 (or so) minutes, then I'll stop - but then get carried away and end up on the computer for longer, simply because I'm not aware of the time.

So how about a countdown timer where the keys start off illuminated and then dim to complete darkness over a length of time - or it could work the other way, by getting brighter instead of dimming.  The user should be able to set the countdown to a value of their choosing.

[pang0011]

Hi Thomas, I am interested in knowing more about the c. Engraved Characters:

1.   I have a set of black-on-black keycaps looked very similar to your example, they are pad printing with all characters raised.  Will you consider making use of dye sublimation printing for your upcoming keyboard?
2.   I also prefer to the stealthy style, “original style and the same-color engived characters”, do you mean they will look like the current black on black keycaps when backlighting is off, and all characters become illuminating when backlighting is on?  I love this idea very much!

Pad printing (top) & dye sublimation (bottom)

[TexasFlood]

Zippy.  A very weird guy in a MuuMuu.  Even da Brahs in da Isles tink Pupuli.

Show Image

Wow, I haven't heard of Zippy the Pinhead in years, many years.

Here is a Zippy "Eliza" type program and a Zippy "fill in the caption bubble" image if you come up with a good one, :wink:.