Author Topic: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Renders & First Pricing)  (Read 24437 times)

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Offline Sensorium

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This will be my first time doing an interest check. I'm open to suggestions and I'll try my best to respond swiftly!

158591-0

(bad) 3D renders at last! I know that the keycaps are overly smooth right now, but I got excited and wanted to post them. I'll working on texturing the keycaps later. (Thank you Orowheat on Github for your design and Thesiscamper for lighting tips.)

163124-1

163126-2

163128-3

Introduction:

The goal of Ember is to be a keyset that carries across the tone of a low fire. The legends are a row-by-row gradient over brown alphas and black modifiers in an attempt to capture the way fire peeks through the cracks of burnt wood and stone. Here's the KLE render:

158803-4

Profile & Colors:

The profile is DSA. There will still be rows because of the legends, but I'll try my best to make kits for everyone!

The colors of the legends are (from bottom row to top): RAC, OB, ON, OAS, YL, and YBP.

The color of the alphas is TBN and the colors of the mods is NN. All of the colors can be seen here:


(I wasn't thinking and made the gradient backwards :confused:)

New kits and Prices:

After some thought, I revised my approach to kits and sent my work to Melissa at Signature Plastics. My current goal is to offer both brown and grey alphas for this drop. Based on what I've gotten back, getting both might be possible depending on how popular the set is. The new kits are as follows:

Brown alphas:
163130-6

Grey alphas:
163132-7

60% mods:
163134-8

TKL mods:


UK ISO kits (3 separate kits. brown keys, grey keys, and enter/alt gr kit):
163138-10

Numpad kits (same deal as ISO, brown numpad, grey numpad, and numpad mods):
163140-11

40% kit:
163142-12

65% kit:
163144-13

Colevorak brown:
163146-14

Colevorak grey:
163148-15

Brown and grey international kits:
163150-16

Brown and grey mono keys for number row:


These are all of the kits that I got a quote for. I have yet to get a quote on the novelty kit, the spacebar kit, and the Esc kit. Since it's late and I need to go to sleep now, I'll just screenshot the grid of prices that Melissa sent me. (TBN is brown and GTA is grey):
163154-18

If anyone has ideas for revising kits, possibly making them more accessible or less expensive, please share! My goal here was to make a set of kits that satisfied everyone, but I'm sure there are different ways. I want to say thanks to everyone for the help so far! The set is a lot better thanks to the suggestions I've received.

Old kits:
More
2D Renders:

TKL again:
158803-19

60%:
158805-20

Planck:
158807-21

MiniVan:
158809-22

Kits:

Base Kit:
160533-23
(The one thing I have learned from my survey so far is that everyone wants TKL. So now it's the base kit.)

Numpad Kit:


ISO Kit:


40% Kit (Planck, JD-4x, MiniVan):
158817-26

65% Kit (Whitefox, HHKB, FC660x):
158819-27

International kit:
158878-28
(KLE doesn't like the Eszett. It writes it as SS.)

Number Row Mono Kit:

(I don't know if any more than one row is feasible. I hope this is enough for the people who like the mono look!)

Working Novelty kit:


Spacebar Kit:
160537-31

And finally, lame Ergodox Kit:
158823-32


The Future:

Novelties are here, but I think it would be economical to whittle them down a bit. I'm also open to suggestions from all of you.

Still haven't gotten around to 3D renders (I've had a lot of work to do recently), but I'm hoping to get in touch with someone soon. Thank you!

Update list:
More
1/27/2017: Consolidated "Planck" and "Alt" kits into "40%" and "65%" kits. Added small mono kit.
1/29/2017: Added an international kit.
2/14/2017: Added concept novelty kit, space kit. Changed base kit to TKL.
2/23/2017: Updated novelty kit to newest version.
3/15/2017: Updated kits to both brown and grey options, posted tentative pricing for kits.


Once again, all feedback is appreciated! Thank you for reading!
« Last Edit: Thu, 16 March 2017, 01:47:50 by Sensorium »

Offline scwoopz

  • Posts: 94
Re: [IC] SA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 01:01:30 »
looks great, but SA is backlogged for basically all of this year. Maybe look into a different profile?

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ortho or shmortho

Offline msilvv

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Re: [IC] SA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 01:40:32 »
This is really creative and looks great imo, but I agree with scwoopz. SA is backlogged until the end of this year, we're not getting anything new for a while. That said, this will definitely still look better with centered legends. I also feel like it's been awhile since we're seen a really good DSA set, so maybe see what the response is on that.



Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] SA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 02:13:01 »
looks great, but SA is backlogged for basically all of this year. Maybe look into a different profile?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk



This is really creative and looks great imo, but I agree with scwoopz. SA is backlogged until the end of this year, we're not getting anything new for a while. That said, this will definitely still look better with centered legends. I also feel like it's been awhile since we're seen a really good DSA set, so maybe see what the response is on that.




I was afraid of that. I was hoping to hold on to SA, but if it's the very first thing that comes up as an issue, I think the choice is obvious. I agree with you on the center legends, so I guess the set is DSA now! It only took two hours ;D. I'll post my versions of the sets without row numbers and change the info in the title. I hope that the better timeline gets people excited.

Offline ArchDill

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Re: [IC] SA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 02:15:18 »
This is interesting.

Offline muten-roshi

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 03:26:47 »
This looks pretty cool  :D

Offline iFreilicht

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 06:23:02 »
This is very interesting, I absolutely love the idea! Have you thought about using a brighter background, like the ash-grey in your inspiration picture? Maybe bright white at the bottom and increasingly dark grey towards the top to keep the contrast between legends and background?
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Offline Vigrith

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 08:54:15 »
This looks great, been trying to get a brown-ish set that actually looks good for the longest time as I have none and this is it - DSA is my favourite profile, the idea behind it is really cool, definitely in.

Offline a_ak57

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 09:33:27 »
I know that it'd drive up the cost but I'd say you should add 1.5u/1u bottom row mods, an "R3" Control, a 1u top row |\ key and 6u/7u bars.  Though even if you don't want to do full HHKB-style compatibility, I think the 1.5u/1u bottom row mods are beneficial.

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 11:13:55 »
This is very interesting, I absolutely love the idea! Have you thought about using a brighter background, like the ash-grey in your inspiration picture? Maybe bright white at the bottom and increasingly dark grey towards the top to keep the contrast between legends and background?

I had actually tried something like this before! It looks cool, but I decided that it was a little too busy for what I was trying to do. Here's what it looked like if you're interested:

158677-0

I think that the gradient just being in the legends is part of the novelty of this keyset. It feels like a low fire peeking through the cracks. Also, to be honest, I'm a little attached to the brown :).

I know that it'd drive up the cost but I'd say you should add 1.5u/1u bottom row mods, an "R3" Control, a 1u top row |\ key and 6u/7u bars.  Though even if you don't want to do full HHKB-style compatibility, I think the 1.5u/1u bottom row mods are beneficial.

My next two updates will be for a spacebar kit and an HHKB kit, but I'll put the 1.5u/1u mods in the alternate layout kit I already have. I haven't gotten a quote yet, so that might change things too. Thanks for the help!

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 11:17:03 »
This looks pretty cool  :D

This looks great, been trying to get a brown-ish set that actually looks good for the longest time as I have none and this is it - DSA is my favourite profile, the idea behind it is really cool, definitely in.

Thanks guys!

Offline japanitrat

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 13:11:59 »
Looks lovely. I'd be in.

Offline Kominyetska

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 13:17:33 »
I usually swap the number row with a keypad for the mono legend feel, but that won't work here. Any chance for a mono kit with numbers and symbols?

Offline Parva Ovis

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #13 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 14:55:53 »
This is very interesting, I absolutely love the idea! Have you thought about using a brighter background, like the ash-grey in your inspiration picture? Maybe bright white at the bottom and increasingly dark grey towards the top to keep the contrast between legends and background?

I had actually tried something like this before! It looks cool, but I decided that it was a little too busy for what I was trying to do. Here's what it looked like if you're interested:

(Attachment Link)

I think that the gradient just being in the legends is part of the novelty of this keyset. It feels like a low fire peeking through the cracks. Also, to be honest, I'm a little attached to the brown :).

I know that it'd drive up the cost but I'd say you should add 1.5u/1u bottom row mods, an "R3" Control, a 1u top row |\ key and 6u/7u bars.  Though even if you don't want to do full HHKB-style compatibility, I think the 1.5u/1u bottom row mods are beneficial.

My next two updates will be for a spacebar kit and an HHKB kit, but I'll put the 1.5u/1u mods in the alternate layout kit I already have. I haven't gotten a quote yet, so that might change things too. Thanks for the help!

I much prefer the brown; the gradient will suffer from the low contrast between the grey and orange. With the brown color, the lowest contrast is on the bottom row, where imho it matters the least, and it still has better contrast than the gradient grey.

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #14 on: Thu, 26 January 2017, 20:33:30 »
I usually swap the number row with a keypad for the mono legend feel, but that won't work here. Any chance for a mono kit with numbers and symbols?

Depending on the amount of interest in mono legends I can see this happening. I'll make a mockup regardless. It shouldn't take too long.

This is very interesting, I absolutely love the idea! Have you thought about using a brighter background, like the ash-grey in your inspiration picture? Maybe bright white at the bottom and increasingly dark grey towards the top to keep the contrast between legends and background?

I had actually tried something like this before! It looks cool, but I decided that it was a little too busy for what I was trying to do. Here's what it looked like if you're interested:

(Attachment Link)

I think that the gradient just being in the legends is part of the novelty of this keyset. It feels like a low fire peeking through the cracks. Also, to be honest, I'm a little attached to the brown :).

I know that it'd drive up the cost but I'd say you should add 1.5u/1u bottom row mods, an "R3" Control, a 1u top row |\ key and 6u/7u bars.  Though even if you don't want to do full HHKB-style compatibility, I think the 1.5u/1u bottom row mods are beneficial.

My next two updates will be for a spacebar kit and an HHKB kit, but I'll put the 1.5u/1u mods in the alternate layout kit I already have. I haven't gotten a quote yet, so that might change things too. Thanks for the help!

I much prefer the brown; the gradient will suffer from the low contrast between the grey and orange. With the brown color, the lowest contrast is on the bottom row, where imho it matters the least, and it still has better contrast than the gradient grey.

Pretty much how I feel about it. Like I said, I think that the legends are the star of the set, so it's probably best to keep it that way.

Offline Kominyetska

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 27 January 2017, 11:58:21 »
Depending on the amount of interest in mono legends I can see this happening. I'll make a mockup regardless. It shouldn't take too long.

Sweet! If that happens, I'm *very* interested in this set. If not, I'm still interested :)

Looks great!

Offline doooostin

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 27 January 2017, 12:50:01 »
I like this alot! Would definitely buy a set :).

Offline VereChi

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #17 on: Fri, 27 January 2017, 14:31:45 »
Very interesting design!

Offline UsualSuspectXXX

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #18 on: Fri, 27 January 2017, 19:33:38 »
Really like the idea of the gradient legends!

The brown legends in kinda iffy on though, I think grey might look better and more like your inspiration picture.

Also, given that SP is quite overwhelmed with SA sets atm, I'd suggest GMK. I'd be totally down for this set in GMK!

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #19 on: Fri, 27 January 2017, 22:50:52 »
I updated the kits to give more support for less money (hopefully). I split the Alt kit and put the MiniVan support with the Planck kit to make a 40% kit. I expanded what was left of the alt kit to make a Tsangan-esque 65% kit. I hope that these kits make things easier.

Depending on the amount of interest in mono legends I can see this happening. I'll make a mockup regardless. It shouldn't take too long.

Sweet! If that happens, I'm *very* interested in this set. If not, I'm still interested :)

Looks great!

Updated with a small mono kit. It's only the number row right now. I could try to make it as extensive as the one from granite, but I'd have to work out all of the row colors. Either way, I hope the numbers are a good start!

Really like the idea of the gradient legends!

The brown legends in kinda iffy on though, I think grey might look better and more like your inspiration picture.

Also, given that SP is quite overwhelmed with SA sets atm, I'd suggest GMK. I'd be totally down for this set in GMK!

When I was trying things out, I had resolved that grey was not as good as the brown because it washed out the legends, and we already have a lot of black/grey sets. But I went back and made a KLE render with a darker grey and it looks very nice.

158827-0

I'm still rather attached to the brown because I think it sets this set apart from others before it, but I could easily offer this as an alternate set of alphas if the demand is high enough. I could call it "the Cobblestone kit" or something like that. As for the profile, I'd rather not compromise on the center legends. I'm sure that this would look fine in GMK, but then I'd have to worry about hitting the MOQ for custom colors. If the queue for DSA becomes too long, then I'll be willing and open to change, but I'll hold off until I hear back from SP. Thanks for the help! GMK will be a good option if I start to get restless ;).

Very interesting design!

I like this alot! Would definitely buy a set :).

Thanks! Glad people are liking it!

« Last Edit: Fri, 27 January 2017, 22:54:25 by Sensorium »

Offline Parva Ovis

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #20 on: Sat, 28 January 2017, 00:43:05 »
This gray is definitely better in regards to contrast, but like you I prefer the uniqueness of the brown.

It's really too bad there's no option for center legends in GMK, because I'd prefer this set to be sculpted, but not at the expense of the legends.

Offline Cocopah

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #21 on: Sat, 28 January 2017, 00:54:14 »
This set is very impressive, clever idea. I'd be in for a set regardless of profile.

Offline Vigrith

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #22 on: Sat, 28 January 2017, 09:06:29 »
I rather the uniqueness of brown personally, if you go with the grey it might as well be called Ember Dolch - which is absolutely not a bad thing, I love dolch, I just think it's nowhere near as specific and doesn't stand out as much as it would with brown.

Offline a_ak57

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #23 on: Sat, 28 January 2017, 09:38:01 »
With grey, the only thing really setting it apart from other sets are the legends, whereas there are rather few brown sets out there.  Not to mention I think brown sets are uncommon because it's rarely anyone's favorite color, and a huge amount of brown can be "overpowering" and not very appealing for many.  But with the varying legends there's a nice balance, makes it feel not as BROWN!! even though obviously there's still the same amount.  So even though people tend to like grey more than brown I think you'd actually draw more interest by using the brown.  Like personally I don't find the chocolatier or 1976 sets very appealing because of the brown, but somehow this actually looks kinda nice.

Offline Zorberema

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #24 on: Sat, 28 January 2017, 09:58:43 »
Wow, love this set! The gradient effect is really cool - I'd say stick with the brown, I personally liked that better :) Will definitelly join this if you get an international kit going! :D

Offline Arallu

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #25 on: Sat, 28 January 2017, 10:51:13 »
Hey, this looks really neat. Love the inspiration of coal embers and the text gradient.

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #26 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 02:43:44 »
With grey, the only thing really setting it apart from other sets are the legends, whereas there are rather few brown sets out there.  Not to mention I think brown sets are uncommon because it's rarely anyone's favorite color, and a huge amount of brown can be "overpowering" and not very appealing for many.  But with the varying legends there's a nice balance, makes it feel not as BROWN!! even though obviously there's still the same amount.  So even though people tend to like grey more than brown I think you'd actually draw more interest by using the brown.  Like personally I don't find the chocolatier or 1976 sets very appealing because of the brown, but somehow this actually looks kinda nice.

I like the brown because it makes the set a lot warmer. Grey is stony and cold, and the legends don't quite make up for it. Brown is a warmer and more organic color. While it's not exactly the same as my inspiration picture, I think it captures the feeling better. That aside, when I came up with ideas for sets in the past, I would always find something similar to my idea that had already been made. Without compromising on looks, it like to make this set stand out as a special one. I'm happy to hear that you like it!

Wow, love this set! The gradient effect is really cool - I'd say stick with the brown, I personally liked that better :) Will definitelly join this if you get an international kit going! :D

Put the international kit up! Glad you like it!

Offline Data

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #27 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 12:17:20 »
This is a neat idea and very well executed.  I'm just not quite sure if brown is the right choice.  Brown isn't represented in your inspiration photo -- if anything it would be a dark grey.  But I understand your hesitation to be like all the other black & grey sets.

Also, be aware that dark red legends on black keys can be difficult to read in certain light.  It can have contrast issues.

Offline FioraCorp

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #28 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 15:52:22 »
Really interested and have to put my vote in for the brown alphas.  Kinda gives me more of that dirt and ash kinda feeling of a campfire, anyways.

Offline msilvv

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #29 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 16:07:24 »
Revisiting this thread as I've had some time to think on it - could you make a mock-up of what it would look like with slightly lighter brown alphas and very dark brown modifiers rather than black? It's been nagging at me for a bit, as years of lurking fashion forums have taught me that the two don't mix particularly well. Regardless, if the kits are right for a 65% (not hard to do on DSA) I will almost definitely be in for a set of this. 

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Offline UsualSuspectXXX

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #30 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 16:33:47 »
I updated the kits to give more support for less money (hopefully). I split the Alt kit and put the MiniVan support with the Planck kit to make a 40% kit. I expanded what was left of the alt kit to make a Tsangan-esque 65% kit. I hope that these kits make things easier.

Really like the idea of the gradient legends!

The brown legends in kinda iffy on though, I think grey might look better and more like your inspiration picture.

Also, given that SP is quite overwhelmed with SA sets atm, I'd suggest GMK. I'd be totally down for this set in GMK!

When I was trying things out, I had resolved that grey was not as good as the brown because it washed out the legends, and we already have a lot of black/grey sets. But I went back and made a KLE render with a darker grey and it looks very nice.

(Attachment Link)

I'm still rather attached to the brown because I think it sets this set apart from others before it, but I could easily offer this as an alternate set of alphas if the demand is high enough. I could call it "the Cobblestone kit" or something like that. As for the profile, I'd rather not compromise on the center legends. I'm sure that this would look fine in GMK, but then I'd have to worry about hitting the MOQ for custom colors. If the queue for DSA becomes too long, then I'll be willing and open to change, but I'll hold off until I hear back from SP. Thanks for the help! GMK will be a good option if I start to get restless ;).

I actually *really* like how that looks with the grey alphas. I definitely understand what you mean with the brown though, it's substantially more unique, I just can't picture using it on any of my boards though.

If you do happen to offer grey alphas, I might actually change my Planck away from grey/orange blanks =D

Offline Captainbuttmonkey

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #31 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 17:10:22 »
Personally really like the grey and not a fan of the brown. Not to say the brown doesn't work, and I can see how it makes it more unique, I just really don't like the colour brown in general haha

Offline swangful

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #32 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 18:45:43 »
Whoa, I'll be following this one closely. This is really great looking. My whole desktop theme is black/red (fire). I do have to agree with the others though that the brown is a little off putting for me. Your render of the grey looks worse than the brown though IMO. Maybe a really really really dark brown?

Somehow the brown kind of completes it, as it contrasts really well with the gradients. Maybe a darker grey would work too?

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #33 on: Sun, 29 January 2017, 22:06:12 »
Revisiting this thread as I've had some time to think on it - could you make a mock-up of what it would look like with slightly lighter brown alphas and very dark brown modifiers rather than black? It's been nagging at me for a bit, as years of lurking fashion forums have taught me that the two don't mix particularly well. Regardless, if the kits are right for a 65% (not hard to do on DSA) I will almost definitely be in for a set of this. 

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk



You're imagining something like this, right?
158972-0

While that looks pretty cool, there is no equivalent color in Signature Plastics' stock. Here's all of their shades of brown for reference:
158974-1

The light browns are too light and the darkest brown that isn't black is what I'm currently using. I don't really want to make the set grey, and frankly I like the brown as it is now, but I'd like to make everyone who's interested in the set happy. I'm hoping that I'll be able to offer both styles of alphas, but I'm afraid that's being too ambitious. All I can say now is that it's quite the pickle.

Personally really like the grey and not a fan of the brown. Not to say the brown doesn't work, and I can see how it makes it more unique, I just really don't like the colour brown in general haha

Yeah I'm hoping that I'll be able to offer both grey and brown based on people's reactions. I'll probably run a poll for a few days and see what the general consensus is before deciding. Like I said, I don't want to make Ember Dolch, but I also want to make sure everyone who's interested is happy.

Whoa, I'll be following this one closely. This is really great looking. My whole desktop theme is black/red (fire). I do have to agree with the others though that the brown is a little off putting for me. Your render of the grey looks worse than the brown though IMO. Maybe a really really really dark brown?

Somehow the brown kind of completes it, as it contrasts really well with the gradients. Maybe a darker grey would work too?

See, this shade of brown is the darkest shade that SP offers before it's just black. Take a look at the brown swatches I posted earlier to see what I mean. It looks brighter in the renders that it actually is, but I see how even then it's a little bright. I also think that the brown ties the set together in a way that the grey doesn't, but I don't want to close the option just yet. Part of me says that the set should be brown and if it's not for everyone so be it, but another part says that I should try to find the compromise. Before committing to anything, though, I'd like to see 3D renders. I get the feeling that it will come together in 3D. If not, than I'll go from there. Thanks for the input, and I'm happy that you're interested :thumb:!

Offline msilvv

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #34 on: Mon, 30 January 2017, 03:21:19 »


Revisiting this thread as I've had some time to think on it - could you make a mock-up of what it would look like with slightly lighter brown alphas and very dark brown modifiers rather than black? It's been nagging at me for a bit, as years of lurking fashion forums have taught me that the two don't mix particularly well. Regardless, if the kits are right for a 65% (not hard to do on DSA) I will almost definitely be in for a set of this. 

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk



You're imagining something like this, right?
(Attachment Link)

While that looks pretty cool, there is no equivalent color in Signature Plastics' stock. Here's all of their shades of brown for reference:
(Attachment Link)

The light browns are too light and the darkest brown that isn't black is what I'm currently using. I don't really want to make the set grey, and frankly I like the brown as it is now, but I'd like to make everyone who's interested in the set happy. I'm hoping that I'll be able to offer both styles of alphas, but I'm afraid that's being too ambitious. All I can say now is that it's quite the pickle.

This presents an interesting dilemma, but after comparing that render to the one in the OP I think I'm definitely in agreement with you on this one. Maybe the black fits better as it looks like charred wood while the brown looks like the bits that are less burnt. I am not a fan of the grey alphas, but it might make for a nice accent key here or there (escape or enter) to represent the ash.




Offline rmendis

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #35 on: Mon, 30 January 2017, 10:10:25 »
Wow, love this set! The gradient effect is really cool - I'd say stick with the brown, I personally liked that better :) Will definitelly join this if you get an international kit going! :D

+1 the brown is what makes this set special

Offline Captainbuttmonkey

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #36 on: Mon, 30 January 2017, 18:48:39 »
Personally really like the grey and not a fan of the brown. Not to say the brown doesn't work, and I can see how it makes it more unique, I just really don't like the colour brown in general haha

Yeah I'm hoping that I'll be able to offer both grey and brown based on people's reactions. I'll probably run a poll for a few days and see what the general consensus is before deciding. Like I said, I don't want to make Ember Dolch, but I also want to make sure everyone who's interested is happy.


Completely understand dude, it's your set at the end of the day. It would be nice to offer both but I get it may not be possible. There seems to be quite a few people that are into the brown so it may just not be a set for me. If so all the best either way and I'm looking forward to seeing how things pan out  :thumb:

Offline Data

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #37 on: Mon, 30 January 2017, 19:25:21 »
I updated the kits to give more support for less money (hopefully). I split the Alt kit and put the MiniVan support with the Planck kit to make a 40% kit. I expanded what was left of the alt kit to make a Tsangan-esque 65% kit. I hope that these kits make things easier.

Depending on the amount of interest in mono legends I can see this happening. I'll make a mockup regardless. It shouldn't take too long.

Sweet! If that happens, I'm *very* interested in this set. If not, I'm still interested :)

Looks great!

Updated with a small mono kit. It's only the number row right now. I could try to make it as extensive as the one from granite, but I'd have to work out all of the row colors. Either way, I hope the numbers are a good start!

Really like the idea of the gradient legends!

The brown legends in kinda iffy on though, I think grey might look better and more like your inspiration picture.

Also, given that SP is quite overwhelmed with SA sets atm, I'd suggest GMK. I'd be totally down for this set in GMK!

When I was trying things out, I had resolved that grey was not as good as the brown because it washed out the legends, and we already have a lot of black/grey sets. But I went back and made a KLE render with a darker grey and it looks very nice.

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ]

I'm still rather attached to the brown because I think it sets this set apart from others before it, but I could easily offer this as an alternate set of alphas if the demand is high enough. I could call it "the Cobblestone kit" or something like that. As for the profile, I'd rather not compromise on the center legends. I'm sure that this would look fine in GMK, but then I'd have to worry about hitting the MOQ for custom colors. If the queue for DSA becomes too long, then I'll be willing and open to change, but I'll hold off until I hear back from SP. Thanks for the help! GMK will be a good option if I start to get restless ;).


I enjoy the grey.  Thanks for trying it.  Pick a few darker shades if you're concerned about contrast.

Offline bbmathlvr

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #38 on: Tue, 31 January 2017, 13:15:35 »
I love the idea of this set. I've never been to keen on changing color by row, but the subtle change in the legends is actually a really cool effect. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
Probably TeX'ing right now.

Offline xtrafrood

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #39 on: Tue, 31 January 2017, 15:24:01 »
The brown is good, I like the brown with the gradient. It reminds me of a campfire :)
Chris Schammert

Offline e_l_tang

  • Posts: 260
Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #40 on: Tue, 31 January 2017, 15:44:15 »
Shouldn't the gradient of the legends go the other way?

Offline MungFuSensei

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire
« Reply #41 on: Tue, 31 January 2017, 22:17:59 »
Shouldn't the gradient of the legends go the other way?

Technically, yes. Fire gets darker the further away from the source you get.

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Alpha color poll up)
« Reply #42 on: Tue, 31 January 2017, 23:39:12 »
Shouldn't the gradient of the legends go the other way?

Technically, yes. Fire gets darker the further away from the source you get.

Shouldn't the gradient of the legends go the other way?

As I understand it, people's eyes are drawn from lighter colors to darker colors. Though it won't matter to most of us while typing, I think it's better design for the eyes to be naturally drawn to the bottom row of the board rather than the top. Just imagine that the keys are cooling down as they get farther from your monitor ;D.

Offline Arhipio

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Alpha color poll up)
« Reply #43 on: Fri, 03 February 2017, 21:17:01 »
This set looks amazing! Well done.

Offline CapnHighlands

  • Posts: 39
Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Alpha color poll up)
« Reply #44 on: Sun, 05 February 2017, 12:37:54 »
Color me interested, I think the set looks beautiful and I love DSA profile.

Offline Sensorium

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Hey look! Novelties!)
« Reply #45 on: Wed, 15 February 2017, 01:09:20 »
Sorry I've been gone for so long. My work tends to come in waves so this could happen a few more times, but I won't let it stop me!

This is what I've come up with in the way of novelties:


It's all just graphics from various things that are somehow related to fire. Personally I'm a fan of the huo and the transmutation circle, but I want to hear what everyone else thinks. I'm hoping to whittle the options down a little because I'm afraid of the cost of this many caps, so feedback on which ones you like and don't like is highly appreciated. Beyond that, any suggestions or ideas you have will be taken into account as well. Thank you!
« Last Edit: Wed, 15 February 2017, 01:12:38 by Sensorium »

Offline msilvv

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Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Hey look! Novelties!)
« Reply #46 on: Wed, 15 February 2017, 03:02:32 »
I know I keep coming back to this thread, but DAMN are those novelties slick! Really like the fire nation one. Really hope this makes it off the ground!  :thumb:

Offline Parva Ovis

  • Posts: 193
Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Hey look! Novelties!)
« Reply #47 on: Wed, 15 February 2017, 09:04:05 »
Can't say I care much for any of them. The transmutation circle is neat but I'm betting it's too complex and thin to work as a doubleshot novelty. I don't get what the sword or kanji reference. 

I like the idea of the A:TLA cap but I personally prefer the fire element symbol over the fire nation symbol.



I also think a campfire symbol would be nicer than just a generic flame.



My biggest issue is that the novelties don't look cohesive enough. If I don't know what they're referencing, it's not obvious that it all has to do with fire.

One thing I thought about was having some sort of blue or white accent in the novelties. If there was a novelty-only color, it would allow for more icons since there would be fewer colors. Something like this?


The colors are BFM and BBQ, for reference.

I hope this doesn't come across as overly critical! I just want to help this set be the best it can be.

Offline Vigrith

  • Posts: 1843
Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Hey look! Novelties!)
« Reply #48 on: Wed, 15 February 2017, 09:08:39 »
Sorry I've been gone for so long. My work tends to come in waves so this could happen a few more times, but I won't let it stop me!

I like the novelties! Whether or not you'd need them in every colour of the gradient is questionable but DSA novelty costs are actually not that high I believe - for example the "Bonus Pack" kit for Granite which included a bunch of novelties, coloured arrows/WASD and a few function keys costs like $35 on PMK (which is for sure a higher cost than what it'd be if it were during a group buy). Think there are 30-35 keys included there and not all of them are 1u even so I think you'll be fine.

Offline AuthenticDanger

  • Posts: 402
Re: [IC] DSA Ember: Row-by-Row Legends Inspired by Fire (Hey look! Novelties!)
« Reply #49 on: Wed, 15 February 2017, 11:30:25 »
I agree with sentiments above and feel the novelties aren't very coherent. I feel like a Phenix would make sense as a novelty. I like the idea that Parva Ovis had of using a campfire icon as well.

Overall, this set looks great. Looking forward to this becoming a reality.
F Keys belong on the left.