IBM (and now Alps) keyboard pixel art wallpaper generator [updated 2021-01-07]

[sharktastica]

Hi all!

Hopefully, this is the right place to post this (I couldn't find anything specific for art). But anyway, as per interest over at r/ModelM and deskthority Discords, I've developed a wallpaper generator using the IBM (and co) and Alps/Alps-mount keyboard pixel art I've made over the last few months for my website and for sharing on geekhack. As of right now, this is still a WIP with more features and options to come, but I already have something working, so feel free to have a play around with it and let me know what you think - constructive criticism is welcome!

https://sharktastica.co.uk/kb_wallpaper

Here's a sample of what it can output:


Currently, the customisation options are:
* Keyboard family filters: all IBM and co, Model B (beam spring) only, Model F only, Model M only, ThinkPad/TrackPoint only, buckling springs only (F + (M - M3, M4/M4-1, M7, M8, M9, M11)), capacitive switches only (B + F), all IBM and co + Alps/Alps-mount, Non-IBM Alps/Alps-mount keyboards only, Old Apple keyboards, Focus keyboards
* Resolutions: 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1650x1050, 1600x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2160x1350, 2560x1080, 2560x1440, 2960x1440, 3440x1440, 2736x1824, 3840x2160
* Vertical monitor/phone orientation
* Scaling: 1x, 2x and 4x
* Solid backgrounds: transparent, "dark" (#333333) and "light" (#E1E1E1), custom via colour picker
* Order styles: randomised, ascending or descending approximate time period order (loops after each completion)
* Row staggering
* Specific keyboard colour tones: all, light, dark, industrial, other
* Specific keyboard form factors: all, all minus keypads/sub-60%, keypads/sub-60% only, 60% only, TKL only, full-size only, battlecruiser/battleship only, behemoth only
* Random skips

Upcoming features/options:
* More resolutions options (including 8K) (largely implemented 2020-12-06, excluding 8K)
* Custom backgrounds options (now (2020-12-05) partially implemented with custom solid colour input)
* Option for only using an icon once when using randomised order

Some final notes:
* Feel free to use and modify results as you please. If you want to rehost results on your website or blog though, I'd appreciate some credit.
* Big credit and kudos to sealcouch of geekhack for the inspiration behind the icons themselves.
* Pending the lack of custom background options, you can of course overlay a transparent result over an image of your choosing. If you have Photoshop or GIMP, this will be a piece of cake. Although, you can even do this in mspaint; open up your background, copy a transparent result in using "Paste from", immediately click "Select", click "Transparent select", align.

Note: bolded text indicates new features or changes added since the original post.

Enjoy, and feel free to share what you come up with here!

------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE 2020-12-05

Changes:
4x scaling option is now available.
* Cropping is a bit smarter now. Since the icons themselves are stored at the same set resolution (128x90), resolutions that don't allow for an integer amount of icons (for example, 1920x1080 only allows 7.5 icons at 2x scale on one row) require a crop. Before today, the crop only applied on the right side and thus looked quite ugly. Now, the crop is uniform.
* Custom background colours now added; to use, select "Custom Colour" as your solid background option then click the colour picker button to use
* Cropping is a bit smarter now
* Custom background colours now added; to use, select "Custom Colour" as your solid background option then click the colour picker button to use

------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE 2020-12-06

Fixes:
* Fixed bug with phone/vertical generation introduced after yesterday's cropping update (whoops)
* Fixed bug with transparency being lost when generating with an image under certain resolutions

Changes:
* Added many new resolution options for the 3:2/4:3/16:10 peeps out there, including 1024x768, 1280x800, 1440x900, 1650x1050, 1920x1200, 2160x1350 and 2736x1824
* Added option to filter keyboards of a specific colour range/tone from your wallpaper
* Added option to remove keypads and sub-60% keyboards from your wallpaper
* UI updated to categorise the available options

------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE 2020-12-16

Changes:
* The replacement of the remove keypads/sub-60% option with the "Specific form factor" field, which allows you to select between all, all minus keypads/sub-60%, keypads/sub-60% only, 60% only, TKL only, full-size only, battlecruiser/battleship only, behemoth (currently, just the two kanji beamers) only
* New options for specific colour tone fields, including industrial only, others only (which includes blue-grey Ambra Ms and Ellipse's silver gray and true red F62s and F77s), and all minus others

------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE 2021-01-07

Changes:
* The first of many Alps/Alps-mount keyboards have been added as a bonus and the first major expansion of the generation! To begin, 23 icons representing Apple, Dell, Focus, Leading Edge, Magnavox, Northgate and Zenith are available. You can find the icons separately here: https://sharktastica.co.uk/kb_icons#NonIBMs.
* Added new specific type filters for this update (highlighted as Bonus); All (IBM and co + Alps/Alps-mount), Non-IBM Alps/Alps-mount keyboards only, Old Apple keyboards only, and Focus keyboards only. Due to the new all-encompassing "All" option, the default formerly-All option is now "All (IBM and co only)".

[DarthChrisDK]

That is bloody brilliant! Good job!

[sharktastica]

That is bloody brilliant! Good job!

Thanks for the kind words! 

[sharktastica]

Update 2020-12-05

Hey all, got some neat updates for the wallpaper generator:
* 4x scaling option is now available.
* Cropping is a bit smarter now. Since the icons themselves are stored at the same set resolution (128x90), resolutions that don't allow for an integer amount of icons (for example, 1920x1080 only allows 7.5 icons at 2x scale on one row) require a crop. Before today, the crop only applied on the right side and thus looked quite ugly. Now, the crop is uniform.
* Custom background colours now added; to use, select "Custom Colour" as your solid background option then click the colour picker button to use

Before the crop update - note the crop only applies to the right side:


After the crop update - note the crop now applies to all sides:


An example of a custom background:

[pixelpusher]

really fun. 

Here's mine that I'm using for dual 1440p monitors:

[sharktastica]

really fun. 

Here's mine that I'm using for dual 1440p monitors:
(Attachment Link)

Awesome! Glad you found it fun!

[sharktastica]

Update 2020-12-06

Yet another round of improvements today:
* Fixed bug with phone/vertical generation introduced after yesterday's cropping update (whoops)
* Fixed bug with transparency being lost when generating with an image under certain resolutions
* Added many new resolution options for the 3:2/4:3/16:10 peeps out there, including 1024x768 (for retro rigs), 1280x800, 1440x900, 1650x1050, 1920x1200, 2160x1350 (you're welcome, ThinkPad X1 Nano users) and 2736x1824 (you're welcome, Surface Pro users)
* Added option to filter keyboards of a specific colour range/tone from your wallpaper
* Added option to remove keypads and sub-60% keyboards from your wallpaper
* UI updated to categorise the available options

[sharktastica]

Update 2020-12-16

Today's a round of content filtering improvements, including:
* The replacement of the remove keypads/sub-60% option with the "Specific form factor" field, which allows you to select between all, all minus keypads/sub-60%, keypads/sub-60% only, 60% only, TKL only, full-size only, battlecruiser/battleship only, behemoth (currently, just the two kanji beamers) only
* New options for specific colour tone fields, including industrial only, others only (which includes blue-grey Ambra Ms and Ellipse's silver gray and true red F62s and F77s), and all minus others

The industrial colour tone option:

The "other" colour tone option:

Example of a specific form factor filter (TKL, in this case):

[sharktastica]

Update 2021-01-07

Today's a fairly-big update
* The first of many Alps/Alps-mount keyboards have been added as a bonus and the first major expansion of the generation! To begin, 23 icons representing Apple, Dell, Focus, Leading Edge, Magnavox, Northgate and Zenith are available. You can find the icons separately here: https://sharktastica.co.uk/kb_icons#NonIBMs.
* Added new specific type filters for this update (highlighted as Bonus); All (IBM and co + Alps/Alps-mount), Non-IBM Alps/Alps-mount keyboards only, Old Apple keyboards only, and Focus keyboards only. Due to the new all-encompassing "All" option, the default formerly-All option is now "All (IBM and co only)".

A quick example of an Alps/Alps-mount wallpaper:


An overview of the current crop of Alps/Alps-mount keyboards:


FYI, I'm not really an Alps expert, so feel free to point out any inaccuracies in the icons or suggest your favourite keyboard(s) for me to do!