lagrange-keyboard VS void_switch

You can see an example in the photos of my Lagrange keyboard.

I was looking for a suitable example for a tutorial for my programmatic solid modeling CAD Gamma and a clamp seemed suitable. Well, I haven't started work on the tutorial yet, but here's a clamp-mount assembly for my Lagrange keyboard.

I had both my Expert Mouse and the Orb I'm now using, between the two halves of my Ergodox and now my Lagrange. Ergonomically, it is, I think, the natural choice, but perhaps the separation between the halves is larger than average in my setup.

As for Gamma: I wasn't really aware of CadQuery, but I did use OpenSCAD extensively, when designing my Lagrange keyboard. Gamma started as a way to address some aspects I didn't find quite satisfactory (as, to be fair, I can't say I had any real problems). Also to be fair, I used OpenSCAD through a frontend(scad-clj) translating Clojure code to its native language and some of the problems may have been due to that, but that is also one of the issues I had with OpenSCAD: why have to learn a new language when there are existing embedabble scripting languages, you might now already, of if not, which you might use elsewhere and which, having years of development, will likely be better?

This is not about the Dactyl per se, but my Lagrange keyboard supports this (or at least attempts to; it's hard to guarantee that the resulting geometry will be problem-free for a given set of parameters). The build guide goes into some detail on what you're trying to do.

I've tried it. In fact, I've designed it, I designed it as a key meant to be operated with the edge of the palm with my Lagrange keyboard. This doesn't mean it couldn't be used as a thumb key of course, but note that you could also create your own custom version of this (or other keys).

I started with an ErgoDash [1], purchased because my Microsoft/Logitech split keyboards had worn out, and at the time I couldn't find a replacement with normal (not low profile) keys. It has a few additional keys compared to the Iris. I have one at work and another at home, and to make them more similar to the broken keyboards I 3D printed angled bases. I use it for 99% of my typing.

I should probably have tried a Kinesis Advantage 2 first.

I'm partway through printing/assembling a Lagrange keyboard [2] (I'm currently stuck working out how to order the circuit boards), which is similar to the Dactyl. I will add the F1-F12 keys to my print, as they're the only thing I miss -- if a shortcut in my IDE is Ctrl+Shift+F10, it's nice for it to be that, not Ctrl+Shift+Fn+0.

I made [3] to help others see what's available.

[1] https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash/

[2] https://github.com/dpapavas/lagrange-keyboard

[3] https://aposymbiont.github.io/split-keyboards/

I don't use a DM, but if the question is whether something like the DM could be used as a daily driver, or whether something "less radical" would be preferable, I can say that I've been using my Lagrange as a daily driver for more than a year now. Its geometry is comparable to that of the DM and, from what I can tell, it's more aggressively curved.

I was warned by a colleague that this was a rabbit hole, then warned by people online, and I'll pass on that warning now.

I tried to help by updating and better-presenting an existing list of ergonomic mechanical keyboards: https://aposymbiont.github.io/split-keyboards/

I'm using an ErgoDash¹ with a 3D-printed tilted stand, but I intend to assemble a Lagrange² "soon".

¹ https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash

² https://github.com/dpapavas/lagrange-keyboard

Having spent quite a bit of time over the past couple of years designing a concave keyboard (the Lagrange) and therefore having a sort of vested interest, psychologically speaking, to say "yes, definitely!", I would say: depends what you mean by "worth it".

As far as I know the "other times this has been tried" all have had individual displays (and controllers) in each key. The difference being that here there is just one panel under the whole board with most of the parts above the display being transparent. This approach should be far less complicated to build, more robust and cheaper.

Honestly, I don't think I need an LCD in my keyboard but I'd quite like to have a go on some mAgLeV hall effect switches! On that note, if you like magnets and/or keebs you might be interested in Void switches[0] -- 3D printable hall effect switches

[0] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch

I made a 3D printed keyboard with 3D printed switches + stabilizers and sent it to Chyrosran22 for review.

Longer story: Chyros suggested about 5 months ago that I make an "ultra bright" RGB LED keyboard that used my 3D printable Void Switch design (https://github.com/riskable/void_switch) so he could do a fun "RGB" video. I designed the PCB, the case, the top plate, switches, stabilizers, rotary encoders, etc from scratch and the keyboard in the video is the result.

The keyboard hardware was actually done within the first 3 months but I needed some extra time to add lighting effects to the firmware to meet the "fancy RGB" requirement :)

It's actually my 2nd normal-size analog keyboard design. The first being my Riskeyboard 70 which used a MAX7219 LED matrix display and regular (non-XL) ws2812b RGB LEDs: https://gfycat.com/firsthanduniformeasteuropeanshepherd

Not shown in his video: The top plates have no electronics in them which means they're completely waterproof and can be washed in a sink with soap & water: https://gfycat.com/unconsciousvigilantkinglet . Also, the incremental rotary encoder and absolute rotary encoder (aka "the selection knob") are analog as well (using a custom design).

The keycaps were 3D printed as well and designed using my Keycap Playground: https://github.com/riskable/keycap_playground

Haha... So I can use my awesome contactless magnetic separation+levitation 3D printable Void Switch design of course:

https://github.com/riskable/void_switch

...and so I can do this:

https://gfycat.com/costlyglaringhyracotherium

..and this:

https://gfycat.com/unconsciousvigilantkinglet

You can clean it in the sink with soap and water because there's no electrical contacts or components in the switches.

... But that's really just scratching the surface of what it can do.

Answering myself: the void switches by riskable can be used as analogic switches. It's an open source project: https://github.com/riskable/void_switch

If you wanted to try to do something DIY you could build something with riskable's void switch and adapt his firmware to do this. Since hall effect sensors are analogue, you program the set and reset point and can set multiple. Although, I do wonder how easy it is to reliably use this feature, but that's the fun in experimentation.

> "Instead of developing, manufacturing and keeping physical buttons in stock for years to come, car manufacturers are keen on integrating more functions into a digital screen which can be updated over time."

That's lame. 3D printing buttons is a very quick and simple solution to that problem. They can even use my lasts-forever, contactless analog hall effect Void Switch design: https://github.com/riskable/void_switch

Keeping buttons--something that's so quick and easy to 3D print--in stock seems like a huge waste of storage space.

Maybe these?