If you're designing your own keyboards, these are two very valuable resources:
Keyboard Layout Editor (KLE) lets you quickly make a key arrangement that's comfortable for you
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com
And for the case, I use the Plate & Case Builder which lets you export the shapes as SVG, DXG, or EPS files
http://builder.swillkb.com/
Just copy the, JSON from KLE and set the parameters you need. Experiment until you find something you like
Both are web tools so there's nothing to install
@cypnk I'm debating modding my 3D printer to do laser cutting.
@rook People have done something similar, but it's quite a commitment. Of course, there are a lot of things that can go wrong, but it still would be a fun project
@cypnk yeah, partly it's an excuse to buy a powerful laser. I mean, I could just buy a laser cutter, which I think I'd end up doing if I ever felt I *needed* one.
@rook I'm building my own too ;)
It's a bit of an experiment, but parts procurement is taking a looong time. Most are shipped from China (for cost reasons), so it's been slow going. I did build the platform for it though
I'm in the process of swapping out the rails and adding in driver boards and controllers
My procedure for the keyboard:
- Use KLE to design the layout
- Feed to Plate & Case builder
- Save SVG
- Open and clean up in Inkscape
- Use the laser plugin[1] to build GCode
...and you just need a laser cutter to feed the GCode to ;)
[1] https://jtechphotonics.com/?page_id=2012