Just found the maniac's vHacks thread at the MLA again. WGS95 sans gratuitous iVesian MacPro handles.

vHack = Virtual Hack

I guess?

You are the maniac vhacker?
[Image: 59532E4D-7DB9-4E33-8909-786D2B1DEE85.jpeg]

>> retr01 said:

vHack = Virtual Hack I guess? Click to expand...

Yep, dana-b-d-bombe when it comes to Photoshop . . . is it real . . . or is it . . .

Very secret!

@-SE40-, will this work for your project? [grinning-face-with-o]

[see-no-evil-monkey] Serious suggestions please....

I came across this Macintosh Pocket computer and now this makes me go...

[mindblown]

Dana?

Keyboard solutions please...

This is a very interesting project. I've always wondered what this would be like to use.

I agree with you, @_SDGOL_! :)(y)

@-SE40- wants to do this project based on the picture in the first post of this thread. I am more of helping whatever I can. At the same time, the recent photo I posted about another design concept for portable Mac (or tablet Mac) is something I am seriously considering doing. :giggle:

the maniac = Danamania = @nanoraptor = Dana Sibera = Pixel Princess of Oz = Official Muse of the 68KMLA

KBD detail:



Forgot I was linking to her Lounge Thread, that's why you can't see it.

Cool. So, the keys were 3D printed? If the 3D printer has two spools and can print one color or the other as the file calls, then do not need stickers on the keyboard, right?

I am considering getting a 3D printer.

Nope, I'm comparing the depressed keys on one of the two I'm rearranging with the raised keys on an intact KBD. Four rows of black keys swapped over into the silver along with the controller board KBD so it matches up with the black mouse dongle. It'll go with this one if and when . . .



. . . for the ubuntu GIMPbox I've long been talking about, most recently as a KiCAD workstation.

The keys on these boards could easily have the corners trimmed a bit for your sharply angled KeyToppers. Those would be 3D printed with recessed lettering for paint fill-n-wipe technique, no stickers needed.



Black KBD/White KeyCaps/White Mouse will be as ugly as the Silver KBD/Black KeyCaps/Black Mouse combo will be elegant. But it'll be quite useful in low level lighting conditions where Silver/White was all but useless on vacation recently.

Perfect! That is what I am looking for, @Trash80toG4! The flexible circuitry and affirmation of keys 3D printed without needing stickers.

So, @-SE40-, many modern keyboards do not use PCB but a flexible printed circuitry (FPC). That means getting one or yanking out of a cheap current keyboard, hooking up to an interpreter similar to BMOW's Wombat to covert USB key signals to ADB key signals, and 3D print the keys.

That is easy, eh? I'm sure you will run into issues, but it seems doable to have any size keyboard using flexible circuitry.

Unless you're doing your own flex, you're stuck with using parts available to be scavenged from KBDs like what I'm lightly modding. Haven't looked at it , but excising the upper part of the case seems likely to work. That would interfere with the KBD/Panel Bezel interface.

Were I you, I'd play with the KBD first as that's the most distinctive feature of your target design. If you can't achieve that to your liking, no point in going farther into the project, no?

edit: the only problem I see offhand if using the likes of my KBDs would be the cursor key cluster. Figure out how to make that look good first off.

FPC can be printed after designing a Gerber. So, there should not be worries about customization to fit this or another project. Yes, that should be done after confirming with a yanked-out FPC that new 3D printed keys are slapped from a $5 USB keyboard and using BMOW Wombat.

It's not the flex circuit so much as the hardware to make use of it that will be your limiting factor. The rubber domes and key placement are set in stone given my KBDs. Unless you're excising swaths of Cursor/PageNav/NumPad sections of a full size KBD, there would be no need for customizing the flex layers.

edit: ISTR something about Wombat not being intended for wireless compatibility?