Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap

[braaaiiins]

Sorry for double posting. Didn't see this subforum when I posted a question earlier in the mouse subforum. Anyways here is my completed trackball with a cherry mx conversion for the left two buttons that I use for left and right click. Hope you like it. Next up is do a bluetooth conversion. Any good ideas on how I can achieve that? I'm thinking the optical sensor can interface directly with a teensy, but i'll have to do some research. Any helpful insight is appreciated.

[braaaiiins]

Here's another picture I got with some new keys on =) I want to add a  third key to the right of the big one so i can incorporate all 3 mouse buttons. Took me like 10 tries to get this picture correct. The LED is an RGB fading variant. It has a really long red phase, medium green phase, short blue phase, super-super-almost-non-existant-short purple phase.

[HappyRainbows]

Part number?

[Icarium]

Here's another picture I got with some new keys on =) I want to add a  third key to the right of the big one so i can incorporate all 3 mouse buttons. Took me like 10 tries to get this picture correct. The LED is an RGB fading variant. It has a really long red phase, medium green phase, short blue phase, super-super-almost-non-existant-short purple phase.

What kind of key is that? Did you do the LED mod yourself?

[fartq]

that's awesome but also kind of frightening. isn't the key height kind of uncomfortable?

[braaaiiins]

Happy, what part number are you talking about?

Icarium, what kind of key is what? Yea I did the LED mod on all 6-7 LEDS on the poker. So they all go through a rainbow cycle. Edit: Ohhhh my ESC key is the one you're probably talking about. I casted that myself out of resin as well as a few other designs a few months back. I was never satisfied with the material quality so I kinda put that project to the side, at least until I can find a better way to use better plastic.

fartqq, The key height actually is really comfortable. I've got medium size skinny hands. The black springs prove to be a good choice, but I'm not a fan of the black stems, will probably swap those out for clear stems for some ergo-pandas? I think that's what that combo is called... Over all I am really surprised about how functional it is. I prefer it over the unmodified trackball =)

[braaaiiins]

I did some more vigorous testing. I thought the second key (geekhack key) was in an awkward position for right click but it turns out it works out really well. I'm a gamer so right now I'm playing diablo 3 which has a lot of left click right click spamming for some classes. The way the thumb rests on top of the keys lets me "seesaw" my thumb to press both buttons. I press the tip/pad of my thumb down to activate the left click and i press down with the knuckle/joint area for right click. I'm fairly certain this wouldnt work as well with some tactile stems though. Just wouldn't be as easy to "seesaw" without the linear stems.

[fartq]

yep, that's kind of weird, especially since the factory switch is tactile.

also, how did you get the mouse controller to register the third button? doesn't the marble only have two buttons?

[braaaiiins]

I'm still very interested in doing tactile keys, but I won't be doing it on this mouse. I'll be doing it on the next mouse I mod since I kinda messed up with the putty and sealed the switches shut on this one =)

The marble actually has 4 buttons, by default the extra 2 buttons are back and forward for browsing, but logitech has software that lets you add some more functionality to the buttons.

I'll be adding a third cherry mx on this one soon. I need my MButton! I'll have to bust out the dremel to make a cutout on in the casing though. Should be fun.