[IC] Whimsy - 40% Keyboard | UPDATED DESIGN AND GB INCOMING!

[prkns]

WELCOME BACK!

Apologies that things went a little quiet... that's on me. However, that aside, Whimsy is back with a full overhaul and update!

I needed to take some time to get things tidied up before this was promoted any further so thank you to everyone for the awesome feedback (and patience)... it has been incredibly useful and genuinely helpful in getting Whimsy to this point and the kind responses have been collated into what you see here.

✌️


::: UPDATED RENDERS :::





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::: CASE COLOURS :::
The overwhelming majority of feedback voted in favour of a machined aluminium case with the final colours being:

- White -
- Pink -
- Anodized Aluminium -

(Case choice will be coupled with a brass plate)



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::: KEY LAYOUTS :::
There was a lot of interest in having an alternate bottom row to include a split spacebar, so this has been added to the PCB and plate.



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::: OLED OPTIONS :::
Since the original IC and the change in the case design, the option of either 128x32 or 128x64 OLED screens is now available



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::: KIT CONTENTS :::
PCB
Case
Brass plate
Acrylic Cover
EC11 Encoder
Diodes
Hardware
OLED Choice (128x32/64)
Elite-C (Hopefully)
Header Sockets



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Price: TBD

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::: ALTERNATE RENDERS :::

KAM_Superuser by FreshFromTheGrave	KAT Cyberspace by Ulliam
KAM Lil Dragon by InverseDC

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::: FAQ :::

Q. Where are the other case options you offered?
A. As I said, there was an absolutely overwhelming sway towards a machined case and that was the option I personally preferred as well. I'm currently in conversations with a couple of providers to be able to offer the 3D printed option.

Q. How much and how many?
A. I'm aiming to keep the price of Whimsy down, this would mean that there will most likely be a low MOQ ensure costs stay down. There won't be a maximum number. No raffling, no auctions... just a straight-up buy.

Q. Any other controller boards?
A. Whimsy was designed around the use of an Elite-C. Ideally, the v4 version to give more space for the OLED but earlier versions will also work

Q. I wanted Ortho!? You said there would be ortho!!
A. Apologies for this, despite trying a few different ideas for this, there wasn't an option that I found that would work but also look good too... Sorry

Q. Why is the projected GB date so far away?
A. The long and short answer is that this is my first board and I'm being very cautious to ensure that everything is as close to perfect as possible. I also need to understand the best option to get these shipped out to everyone.

Q. Hotswap or nah?
A. Unfortunately not... based on the initial interest check, hot-swap was not favoured. My personal choice wouldn't have been hot-swap either but I wanted to see what you lovely people wanted before I wrote it off entirely.

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(Provisional Dates)
Group Buy: Feb 2021
(Depending on final prototypes)


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FOR UPDATES


DISCORD
THIS IS FOURTEEN
MAILING LIST


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✌️

DON'T TAKE THINGS TOO SERIOUSLY!

Massive thanks to Jasper, Nayf, Ulliam and Dave/Ben from Mechboards UK for all the help and support in getting Whimsy to where it's at right now

If you want to see the original IC click "More"

More

Hi! I'm Dave and this is my first keyboard design/production project. What started as something to prove to myself that I could design and produce a keyboard PCB, quickly escalated into something a little bigger. I'm properly excited about this as it's a lot of firsts for me and I'd love to hear what you think about whether it's viable for GB. It's currently in testing and design phases and so it only seemed right to ask for some feedback and hopefully open it up to GB as and when it's reached it's "final form".

So without further ado, here I present...
Whimsy!



Inspired by the damn perfect UT47.2, Whimsy is aiming to be the most "extra" 40(ish)% profile keyboard. OLEDs and Rotary Encoders are the perfect addition to any board in my mind, so the idea of having them within the tiny form factor of a 40% just makes sense.


Current Specifications:

• 40/45% Form Factor/Layout
• Elite-C
• OLED (128x32)
• Rotary Encoder

Planned Updates/Features:

• Plate
• Brass bottom weight (case and interest depending)
• Integrated USB and controller rather than using an Elite-C
• Hotswap (interest depending)

Layouts:
This is pretty much it... if there's interest in multiple layout support then I will, of course, get this added to the roadmap. The PCB is completely designed by myself so it'd be fun to see how far I could push it.

The PCB will be open-sourced after the initial GB (if we get there), so there will always be a way of producing replacements if required.


Case Colors/Styles:
I was hoping to release this as a fully aluminium cased keyboard (hence the renders), but if there's interest in just the PCB + Plate bottom, then I'll release that too. However, the potential case variants are as follows:

• Aluminium Case: Blasted, then anodized in a select colour range. Ideally, I'd like to keep the variations low in the interest of fulfilment. Fill out the IC form, please!
• Acrylic Layer Case: This is another potential option to keep the board feeling a little more "premium" but this option will only be properly explored if there is enough interest.
• 3D Printed: The case design already exists and is currently in the phase of test prints to check for alignment issues and other potential problems. Like the PCB, the case will also be available to download and print once the initial GB has run.
• PCB/FR4 Plate: The easiest, cheapest and really the only other option we have is a PCB/FR4 plate in the same colour as the chosen PCB colour. Just make sure interest is specified in the form.

INTEREST CHECK LINK: https://forms.gle/hQ3SqLB3EJPA5gsM9
WHIMSY UPDATES PAGE: https://prkns.me/whimsy
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/whimsykbd


Renders: Renders were done by myself... another first for me as I've never used 3D tools before but I thought I'd give it a go. Turns out it's very hard and took me far longer than I first anticipated that they would. Should there be some genuine interest, I will invest in some better renders. Even if you're not interested in Whimsy, I would love to hear feedback on these as I had a load of fun doing them and would love to try and get them looking better. I've attempted to get as close to Nautilus and Taro but don't claim these to be anything other than "inspired by".


















Thanks in advance to everyone who comments/fills in the form... it genuinely would mean a lot! If you have any questions, suggestions, or advice for me, please don't hesitate to send them over. I've loved every second of this project's journey so far, and I'd love for it to continue.

Cheers,
_Dave

[holocene]

Nice! I like it!

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[Joeni]

That’s a really interesting concept and I’ll be keeping my eyes on it (just followed your instagram) as adding an OLED and an encoder adds a lot of flexibility to a 40%


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Fabi]

Really like it, great work. And a unique look, which isn't that easy with all those keyboards out there.

Have you thought about a split spacebar? I might even like it better that way

[Jaltr]

My body's ready~~

[prkns]

Nice! I like it!

Thank you kindly!

[prkns]

That’s a really interesting concept and I’ll be keeping my eyes on it (just followed your instagram) as adding an OLED and an encoder adds a lot of flexibility to a 40%

Thanks man, means a lot. Already had way more feedback than I thought i would via the form and it's looking like I'll definitely put together a GB for it.

OLEDs and Encoders just bring that extra spice in my mind... The Corne was the first board I had that made me need them on every board since ha ha

[prkns]

Really like it, great work. And a unique look, which isn't that easy with all those keyboards out there.

Have you thought about a split spacebar? I might even like it better that way

Thanks for the compliment and glad you like it. There's always potential to open up that bottom row to alternative layouts. I just need to explore which are the better choices, but I don't think a split space bar would be too much of a problem to add.

Thanks again 👍

[meatsmoothies]

Normally don't do non splits but I love this project! It's so fun, and I'm excited to see how it all comes together

[DuellM]

This is really awesome, can't wait for this  ). Any chance for a rama knob 

[prkns]

Normally don't do non splits but I love this project! It's so fun, and I'm excited to see how it all comes together

It's been getting a decent amount of feedback so far... but unfortunately not to split it ha ha

There's a lot of request for a split spacebar if you're happy to meet me halfway

Thank you for the compliment though, and i'm pretty excited now to see where it ends up.

[tex_live_utility]

I like that the controller isn't directly under a switch. That always made these kinds of boards a real pain to desolder, since you had to install the board right over some of the switches.

[prkns]

This is really awesome, can't wait for this  ). Any chance for a rama knob 

Hey! Thanks for the kind words... I've been reading through the feedback so far and it's definitely looking like it'll go into production. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some updates in a few days when I've collated some more.

And I'd love to do a RAMA encoder knob but I'm not sure that they do such small runs of things like that. If someone has more information or contact at RAMA that would be interested in taking a punt on this, then I'd be more than happy to talk ha ha

[DuellM]

This is really awesome, can't wait for this  ). Any chance for a rama knob 

Hey! Thanks for the kind words... I've been reading through the feedback so far and it's definitely looking like it'll go into production. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some updates in a few days when I've collated some more.

And I'd love to do a RAMA encoder knob but I'm not sure that they do such small runs of things like that. If someone has more information or contact at RAMA that would be interested in taking a punt on this, then I'd be more than happy to talk ha ha

I sent RAMA Works a message on instagram hopefully they'll respond with the needed info. I really would love to see this happen 🥳🍻.

[lush_bunny]

It looks like Satisfaction 75's little brother. IC form filled, IG followed. I am very interested in this board if more "exotic" colors will be accomodated.

EDIT: If I may raise a personal concern. Is that a 1.25u enter? I pre-ordered the 40s set (pretty standard) of GMK Kaiju and I don't see anything in R3 that can be compatible with it.

[DrHigsby]

It looks like Satisfaction 75's little brother. IC form filled, IG followed. I am very interested in this board if more "exotic" colors will be accomodated.

EDIT: If I may raise a personal concern. Is that a 1.25u enter? I pre-ordered the 40s set (pretty standard) of GMK Kaiju and I don't see anything in R3 that can be compatible with it.

It is a 1.25u enter. This layout features a uniform stagger (0.25u) instead of the more traditional ISO-ANSI stagger of 0.5u/0.25u/0.5u. This creates a lot more visual symmetry for the layout which is compensated by an ascending/descending 1u/1.25u/1.5u left handed and right handed column. This staggering is perhaps one of the reasons Prkns loves the UT47 layout so much.

EDIT:
Concerning the GMK Kaiju set; I see a few options
1) trade someone for an extra 1.25u R3 tab key from the “abnormalities” kit
2) use one of the many 1.25u R4 options from the base kit
3) use a key from another GB set

[lush_bunny]

It looks like Satisfaction 75's little brother. IC form filled, IG followed. I am very interested in this board if more "exotic" colors will be accomodated.

EDIT: If I may raise a personal concern. Is that a 1.25u enter? I pre-ordered the 40s set (pretty standard) of GMK Kaiju and I don't see anything in R3 that can be compatible with it.

It is a 1.25u enter. This layout features a uniform stagger (0.25u) instead of the more traditional ISO-ANSI stagger of 0.5u/0.25u/0.5u. This creates a lot more visual symmetry for the layout which is compensated by an ascending/descending 1u/1.25u/1.5u left handed and right handed column. This staggering is perhaps one of the reasons Prkns loves the UT47 layout so much.

EDIT:
Concerning the GMK Kaiju set; I see a few options
1) trade someone for an extra 1.25u R3 tab key from the “abnormalities” kit
2) use one of the many 1.25u R4 options from the base kit
3) use a key from another GB set

Oof, you've articulated why I this stagger looks so visually appealing. If I ever get the Whimsy, I may go with your second option. Thanks!

[prkns]

I like that the controller isn't directly under a switch. That always made these kinds of boards a real pain to desolder, since you had to install the board right over some of the switches.

To me (and my eye) there's something about being able to see an Elite-C and OLED exposed so i didn't want to try and hide it away somewhere and actually embrace it really. It won't be everyone's tastes obviously, but nothing ever is. Thanks for the the feedback too 👍

[hottrout]

Weird but I like it.

[prkns]

It looks like Satisfaction 75's little brother. IC form filled, IG followed. I am very interested in this board if more "exotic" colors will be accomodated.

EDIT: If I may raise a personal concern. Is that a 1.25u enter? I pre-ordered the 40s set (pretty standard) of GMK Kaiju and I don't see anything in R3 that can be compatible with it.

Yea, there are a couple of issues where coverage is concerned but generally speaking, most sets have an option that would suffice this layout. However as DrHigsby explains so well, the reason i love the UT layout is that it not only looks fantastic but the .25u stagger feels incredible. I also love Ortholinear layouts and this way feels almost the same as typing on an ortho but with the familiarity of a standard .5u stagger.

It's really hard to explain but everyone i know who's tried a .25u stagger feels comfortable using it.

That being said, there is an argument for adding multi-layout support going on in the feedback form. Something that once i've collated it all, i'll make a decision on which row's i will add different layouts too.

Thanks for your support so far though, i'm looking forward to sharing some more updates soon.

[Fabi]

It looks like Satisfaction 75's little brother. IC form filled, IG followed. I am very interested in this board if more "exotic" colors will be accomodated.

EDIT: If I may raise a personal concern. Is that a 1.25u enter? I pre-ordered the 40s set (pretty standard) of GMK Kaiju and I don't see anything in R3 that can be compatible with it.

Yea, there are a couple of issues where coverage is concerned but generally speaking, most sets have an option that would suffice this layout. However as DrHigsby explains so well, the reason i love the UT layout is that it not only looks fantastic but the .25u stagger feels incredible. I also love Ortholinear layouts and this way feels almost the same as typing on an ortho but with the familiarity of a standard .5u stagger.

It's really hard to explain but everyone i know who's tried a .25u stagger feels comfortable using it.

That being said, there is an argument for adding multi-layout support going on in the feedback form. Something that once i've collated it all, i'll make a decision on which row's i will add different layouts too.

Thanks for your support so far though, i'm looking forward to sharing some more updates soon.

Stick with the .25 stagger. I haven't got one yet (and it might be a good reason I could bring up if I get asked why I had to buy another keyboard ... Surely she will understand)
I think the thing with new layouts is, that you might have poor kit compatibility. But if you try to stick to the kit keys you will likely end up with a design looking too familiar ... so it's a hard decision.
But if you ask me, make something unique.

[prkns]

Weird but I like it.

Glad to hear it 🙌

Hopefully the next round of updates due in a week will confirm it 👍

[prkns]

Thanks to everyone who's filled in the interest form so far... really appreciate it.

Based on what's been suggested and sent back to me, this is definitely going to happen and work is in progress to fix some small issues and add a couple of new features.

I'm aiming to have a solid update early/mid next week 🙌

[Poromancer]

Hope the hotswap option will stay! I don't mind pay extra for it. Still pretty new to the hobby.

[rj14ng]

This looks amazing, especially with the encoder and OLED! I'm seriously considering diving into 40% boards because of this.

[prkns]

Hope the hotswap option will stay! I don't mind pay extra for it. Still pretty new to the hobby.

There's a good chance that both options will be available at some point... I'm just working on getting the final PCB design to 100% without them first and then release a hotswap version down the line as just a PCB replacement. However, if i can make it work without the need to redesign the whole board, I'll probably do it for GB launch.

Thanks 👍

[delet_d]

Interested! Love the layout, but would like to see more bottom row configurations, including split space. My idea would be (from left to right) 1.25, 1, 1.25, 2.25, 2.75, 1, 1, 1, 1. Probably too early to ask for this, but any chance for a rama knob? That would be perfect for this! Great work.

Edit: Very interested in an acrylic version.

[prkns]

This looks amazing, especially with the encoder and OLED! I'm seriously considering diving into 40% boards because of this.

Thanks for the kind words... I'm hoping to finish the next stage renders this weekend and have a proper update posted sometime next week so hopefully you'll feel the same way when you see it 👍

[Magas]

Interesting!

[delet_d]

It looks like Satisfaction 75's little brother. IC form filled, IG followed. I am very interested in this board if more "exotic" colors will be accomodated.

EDIT: If I may raise a personal concern. Is that a 1.25u enter? I pre-ordered the 40s set (pretty standard) of GMK Kaiju and I don't see anything in R3 that can be compatible with it.

Yea, there are a couple of issues where coverage is concerned but generally speaking, most sets have an option that would suffice this layout. However as DrHigsby explains so well, the reason i love the UT layout is that it not only looks fantastic but the .25u stagger feels incredible. I also love Ortholinear layouts and this way feels almost the same as typing on an ortho but with the familiarity of a standard .5u stagger.

It's really hard to explain but everyone i know who's tried a .25u stagger feels comfortable using it.

That being said, there is an argument for adding multi-layout support going on in the feedback form. Something that once i've collated it all, i'll make a decision on which row's i will add different layouts too.

Thanks for your support so far though, i'm looking forward to sharing some more updates soon.

Stick with the .25 stagger. I haven't got one yet (and it might be a good reason I could bring up if I get asked why I had to buy another keyboard ... Surely she will understand)
I think the thing with new layouts is, that you might have poor kit compatibility. But if you try to stick to the kit keys you will likely end up with a design looking too familiar ... so it's a hard decision.
But if you ask me, make something unique.

Compatibility-wise, some 40s kits come with 1.25u enter, and none I could find come with a 1.5u shift key, so it's only 2 keys you have to worry about. The shift you could replace with any r4 1.5u key or a novelty.

[fakedSkill]

Looks super neat! Really hope it will be an unlimited GB, so i can get one!

[andhey]

I like ortho, but its nice to see something different for a 40%
Im in on it! looking forward to the updates!

[i luv chuletas]

Sick design, but my only concern is that 1.25 enter key. Veeeery rare nowadays in most 40's kits

Will keep an eye out for this project though

[delet_d]

Sick design, but my only concern is that 1.25 enter key. Veeeery rare nowadays in most 40's kits

Around half of GMK sets I've seen with a dedicated 40s kit have a 1.25 enter. Bushido and Nautilus 2 both have it, as did Darling. Taro R2, Peach Blossom, and MoDo Light did not. KAT sets have much better compatibility.

[Tyson]

What size are those raise and lower keys? Is this board going to require new 40s keys to be made in GMK profile in order for people to use GMK sets on it?

[prkns]

Looks super neat! Really hope it will be an unlimited GB, so i can get one!

I'm pretty sure the GB will be unlimited yes... i'm not 100% sure on what i'm expecting in terms of final numbers but i'll be posting an update regarding pricing based on certain quantity milestones. Just waiting to hear back from the machining/finishing company that i'm using

[prkns]

I like ortho, but its nice to see something different for a 40%
Im in on it! looking forward to the updates!

Thanks for the kind words... i'm working on a big update at the moment. There's quite a lot been taken into account from the IC form so far and i want to get opinions and feedback on colours etc..

[prkns]

Sick design, but my only concern is that 1.25 enter key. Veeeery rare nowadays in most 40's kits

Will keep an eye out for this project though

As delet_d says, there's a number of sets that have come out recently that support this layout. It's slightly annoying of course that not all of them do but i love the .25 staggered feeling and (personally) i think it looks great too so i'm willing to make sacrifices and pester the keycap designers at IC stage to add the couple of random keys that are potentially missing and see what comes from it.

You're definitely right in questioning it though... it is a rarity to find a fully compatible set every time a new design comes out... i suppose this is where the IC for caps comes in very handy.

[i luv chuletas]

Sick design, but my only concern is that 1.25 enter key. Veeeery rare nowadays in most 40's kits

Will keep an eye out for this project though

As delet_d says, there's a number of sets that have come out recently that support this layout. It's slightly annoying of course that not all of them do but i love the .25 staggered feeling and (personally) i think it looks great too so i'm willing to make sacrifices and pester the keycap designers at IC stage to add the couple of random keys that are potentially missing and see what comes from it.

You're definitely right in questioning it though... it is a rarity to find a fully compatible set every time a new design comes out... i suppose this is where the IC for caps comes in very handy.

I joined Darling and hadn't realized that it did include 1.25, as does Bushido. Still not the most common of keys, but I stand corrected.

My other only feedback here is that I'd love to see a variation in the bottom layout, allowing for double space bars or even a full spacebar at 6u.
Working something out with having a 2.25 + 2.75, or any variation similar to that would be awesome to have for function layer or simply to give flexibility other than just a 2.0 spacebar.

[prkns]

My other only feedback here is that I'd love to see a variation in the bottom layout, allowing for double space bars or even a full spacebar at 6u.
Working something out with having a 2.25 + 2.75, or any variation similar to that would be awesome to have for function layer or simply to give flexibility other than just a 2.0 spacebar.

There has been a lot of requests for a split spacebar bottom row and this has been accounted for in the update. I'm currently working on collating all of the IC feedback at the moment and implementing the more frequented requests before i push out a full update on here.

Thanks for your feedback though, much appreciated!

[monkeywright]

I love the look of this. As a writer, I HAVE to have a standard middle row (quote/apostrophe key where your enter is), so I'd want a split-space on the bottom that I can assign as enter/space. I'm loving the look of this though!

[CrazyAssMonkey]

I love the look of this. As a writer, I HAVE to have a standard middle row (quote/apostrophe key where your enter is), so I'd want a split-space on the bottom that I can assign as enter/space. I'm loving the look of this though!

A fellow monkey!

I am also interested in split space bar it makes everything much easier

[Bonsa]

Great, only thing I'm worried about is the rotary encoder sitting in the way of the display or in the way of my wrists while typing.

[baobaozi]

Is there QMK or VIA support? But it looks amazing!

[Swishy]

Now, that is a sexy board

[edctog]

Whimsy no more? IG was removed.

[FRANCO]

Whimsy no more? IG was removed.

I can confirm the Whimsy is still happening

[harmful]

The render done on KAT Cyberspace IC has rounded edges, which I am loving! Do you plan to adopt that?

[Coneree]

im with it!

[CupoDylan]

Looks good!