LCARS Keycaps?

[Dansor]

I can't be the only person here to have ever thought about this, but a cursory search doesn't really find anything.

Am I the only one who would go ape over an LCARS key set?
This guy at DeviantArt has an excellent mockup.
http://cptrick.deviantart.com/art/LCARS-keyboard-98329154

There are some things I would change
- Enter key should say Engage, or maybe Make It So
- Non-German keys (sorry Germans)
- ANSI layout
- Decals to add the non-key decorative touches to it.  In a perfect world, someone would design a decal set to fit a common, relatively cheap keyboard.  Say, the CM Storm QF Rapid, especially since you can get replacement top cases for it.

Anyway, it really looks pretty sweet and usable.
What do you think?

Discuss. 

EDIT: Obviously, the WIN keys would have to have the Starfleet logo on them.
Actually, I'm now debating using this idea to enter the CM customization contest.  Need to look into the cost of custom decals I guess... hmmm....

[Findecanor]

Well, LCARS is actually a touch-screen interface. There are a few LCARS apps for touch screen phones and tablets.
For instance, this one, which has a QWERTY keyboard in LCARS.

Me, I'm not really a fan of "okudagrams". They have often a mixed scale on the same screen and the high narrow font is not easy to read.

[tricheboars]

This is a really ambitious project that will need some serious capital.  Here is why:

First lets talk about caps.

creating the legends for this would cost thousands of dollars if done via Signature Plastics. you could probably get this made at WASD for a few hundred or so, but your board would have to be ANSI and WASD caps suck toes.  Really thin ABS crap. Also there are many unusally shaped keys in this design. Lord knows how much getting molds made would cost.

Second Let's talk about layout.

The layout on this is far from ANSI or ISO standard so that means you would have to design and fabricate a custom PCB and case for it.  Not easy to do unless you are wealthy and good with CAD (or have people backing your project) . 

so in the end if you want to do this you should do it with a touchscreen.  this would also make it more genuine as TNG Enterprise lived off touchscreens.

touchscreens suck though. i need some tactile/clicky feedback.

[Dansor]

Well, I wouldn't actually use that exact layout.  I would be a standard ANSI layout using standard keys.
The goal wouldn't be to replicate exactly any specific view from star trek, but just to replicate the style.

But, yeah, it's probably a pipe dream. 

[CPTBadAss]

Yeah, I'd probably get a set of that if it ever came out for GB. One step to actually being on the Enterprise

[divito]

The cheaper option would be having the design on vinyl, like these guys do:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mechanical-Keyboard-Cherry-MX-Keycap-Key-cap-Vinyl-Decals-001-A-/171128978820?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item27d814fd84

[MOZ]

I'm thinking we can do this in acrylic, with hand wired layout on a 2TU style case, with acrylic keycaps of our choice of shape and color, Very much possible.

Or we could have standard layout, with that color scheme, and UV printed/Dyesubbed, since legends are black on light blue/orange/grey?

[tricheboars]

I'm thinking we can do this in acrylic, with hand wired layout on a 2TU style case, with acrylic keycaps of our choice of shape and color, Very much possible.

Or we could have standard layout, with that color scheme, and UV printed/Dyesubbed, since legends are black on light blue/orange/grey?

how would that feel though? i have no experience typing on acrylic but for some reason i envision a mushy experience. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Group Buy Pipe Dream discussion:

as a avid lover of star trek, especially the next generation, i am so down for one of these. SPH SA profile anyone? with those colors that set would be tits. legends would be expensive though, and without the legends it would be hard to tell that the set was made to replicate star trek. those colors are awesome.

also i am seriously hoping by the time we invent warp drives that the caps lock has gone the way of the dinosaur.

[MOZ]

I'm thinking we can do this in acrylic, with hand wired layout on a 2TU style case, with acrylic keycaps of our choice of shape and color, Very much possible.

Or we could have standard layout, with that color scheme, and UV printed/Dyesubbed, since legends are black on light blue/orange/grey?

how would that feel though? i have no experience typing on acrylic but for some reason i envision a mushy experience. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Group Buy Pipe Dream discussion:

as a avid lover of star trek, especially the next generation, i am so down for one of these. SPH SA profile anyone? with those colors that set would be tits. legends would be expensive though, and without the legends it would be hard to tell that the set was made to replicate star trek. those colors are awesome.

also i am seriously hoping by the time we invent warp drives that the caps lock has gone the way of the dinosaur.

How about getting blank SA from SP and then getting them Dyesubbed by IMSTO.

If you guys are in, I would love to do the GB.

[divito]

How about getting blank SA from SP and then getting them Dyesubbed by IMSTO.

If you guys are in, I would love to do the GB.

I've been looking into ideas over doing Star Trek caps, so anything down this realm would be good. Dyesubbing ST logos/emblems and such would even suffice. Starfleet, Klingon, Romulan, Vulcan etc...

[IvanIvanovich]

Solution... make it like these things

[Findecanor]

Or have keyboard stickers made for a flat chiclet keyboard.

If the chiclet board has a plastic top and is not glued together, then extending a few keys to give them rounder, mor LCARS-like edges would certainly be possible, but a bit of work with plastic, glues, putty, paint and stuff.
I would be much easier to get a good result with flat keys than with full-sized keys.

[terran5992]

Might work on DSA profile considering how low the profile is

[Dansor]

If anyone is actually interested in these, be sure to voice your opinion over at MOZ's interest check.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=48839.0

It looks like this could actually happen.

[norbauer]

For anyone still following this thread, here is the group buy that is finally happening...

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=58263

[rowdy]

For anyone still following this thread, here is the group buy that is finally happening...

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=58263

Given the age of the thread, that is probably unlikely.

Although around here you never know