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thnikk's Osu! Keypads [Development]

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IH_

Thnikk wrote:

osu! Keypad v2 is up!
I'm very proud of this release as I've been working on it for the past few months.


Here's a video of a prototype model from a few days ago, though I do plan on making a new video showing off the pressing and holding of the escape button with the actual new model.

Yes, both the layout and my play in this video are terrible.

New features include a new, slightly better black side button (mainly a test run, I may use these on the basic and basic+ too,) 5 LED modes that you can switch between by holding down the escape button, and a new microcontroller with the potential of a 1000 Hz polling rate (500 right now.)

On the topic of polling rate, this can actually work at 1000 Hz but the keys can't be pressed without sometimes registering as a double press. I'm using the bounce library to keep this from being an issue, but the keys are actually registered as being pressed once every 2 ms. This is something I'm working on but I can't guarantee it ever running at 1000hz. As far as osu is concerned, it actually handles the button presses fine so if you'd like a 1ms model you can just ask me.

Cool4strenz wrote:

Does anyone know if this keypad works on mac, I don't really need any other functionality from it apart from just Z and X. Also, If I get one, how long does it usually take to ship?
It works fine on mac and should be recognized as a USB keyboard. Domestic shipping should take 3-6 days and international should take 5-10 days from ship date, not order date. These are made to order so there's a 1-3 day "handling" time.

My cut-off for orders made the same day is 12 PM PST from 12 PM the day before. With more orders coming in, I'm not sure if I can keep up with this, but if you were to order early after the cut-off it should definitely make it into the next day's batch, meaning a 1 PM order on Tuesday will be made on Wednesday and shipped on Thursday.
Wow, good news.
I hope the basic+ that I bought 20 days ago arrives soon :(

Who knows if I end selling it and buying the v2. Is there a not so expensive but faster international shipping option?

Cheers.
Topic Starter
Thnikk

inohdtx wrote:

Wow, good news.
I hope the basic+ that I bought 20 days ago arrives soon :(

Who knows if I end selling it and buying the v2. Is there a not so expensive but faster international shipping option?

Cheers.
Me too, 20 days is ridiculous, even for first class. Most first class international packages take less that 2 weeks, so I'll give it one more week before I contact USPS (though that probably won't get me anywhere and I'll just end up making you another one.)

Priority mail via flat rate box is ~$15 and is supposed to take 6-10 days. I should be able to add it as an option if anyone is interested and thinks that's reasonable.
Mafuuu
My keypad just arrived today and you just released v2?! Is this what Iphone users feel like when the S comes out right after they buy the normal one? Well no helping it, good job with these. I'm loving mine so far c:
Wingler
I recently got my Holyoops in the mail and let me say they look pretty good on this keypad
Pic

sorry about that potato quality

The new teensy is making me really considering getting another one if it does end up working out.
And if you decide to get on massdrop again then maybe another gateron option? :D
Rot
I saw the Price and was Like "Uhh Nice a Keypad for 20€ Thats Sick! Then i Cheaked Shipping... 10€ more... Done
Topic Starter
Thnikk

Mafuuu wrote:

My keypad just arrived today and you just released v2?! Is this what Iphone users feel like when the S comes out right after they buy the normal one? Well no helping it, good job with these. I'm loving mine so far c:
Sorry, I'm pretty fast with this stuff. I've been sitting on the code for months so I had to jump when i finally found the Teensy LC :p

Glad you like it!

Wingler wrote:

I recently got my Holyoops in the mail and let me say they look pretty good on this keypad
Pic

sorry about that potato quality

The new teensy is making me really considering getting another one if it does end up working out.
And if you decide to get on massdrop again then maybe another gateron option? :D
Looks great!

Dang, I just voted for it to come back at 160 requests a few days ago and it's already back up. Any switches you had in mind? I think brown replacements would be a good idea since so many people want browns as well as reds/blacks since they go so quick. I really do prefer them over cherry switches, I just wish people were less apprehensive.

Rot wrote:

I saw the Price and was Like "Uhh Nice a Keypad for 20€ Thats Sick! Then i Cheaked Shipping... 10€ more... Done
International shipping is expensive.
IH_

Thnikk wrote:

inohdtx wrote:

Wow, good news.
I hope the basic+ that I bought 20 days ago arrives soon :(

Who knows if I end selling it and buying the v2. Is there a not so expensive but faster international shipping option?

Cheers.
Me too, 20 days is ridiculous, even for first class. Most first class international packages take less that 2 weeks, so I'll give it one more week before I contact USPS (though that probably won't get me anywhere and I'll just end up making you another one.)

Priority mail via flat rate box is ~$15 and is supposed to take 6-10 days. I should be able to add it as an option if anyone is interested and thinks that's reasonable.

26 days and still nothing.
The last tracking update was on April 11th and the package was still in the USA (in another usps facility though). Can't believe this is so slow :(
Topic Starter
Thnikk

inohdtx wrote:

26 days and still nothing.
The last tracking update was on April 11th and the package was still in the USA (in another usps facility though). Can't believe this is so slow :(
I'll send another one out tomorrow morning. Of course I included the extra keycap last time (I will this time too!) :(

I'm really sorry it's been so slow, I should have acted sooner and just done this a week ago. Should be no problems this time and you should get an email from Etsy with an updated tracking number.
IH_

Thnikk wrote:

inohdtx wrote:

26 days and still nothing.
The last tracking update was on April 11th and the package was still in the USA (in another usps facility though). Can't believe this is so slow :(
I'll send another one out tomorrow morning. Of course I included the extra keycap last time (I will this time too!) :(

I'm really sorry it's been so slow, I should have acted sooner and just done this a week ago. Should be no problems this time and you should get an email from Etsy with an updated tracking number.
Don't worry, it's okay. I really appreciate the fact that you'll send another for me, thank you ! :)
I hope this time don't take so much to arrive.
Sneaky
I received my keypad today and made a demonstration video with it. :) Enjoy.

Cool4strenz
I'm currently running Mac OSX Mavericks,

And sometimes when I press the key, the key double taps (using v2) super quickly, like a macro inputting 2 "z" clicks.

For example (adding commas between each click):

zz,z,z,z,zz,zz,zz,zz,z,z,zz,z,zz,z,z,z,z,z,z,zz,z,z,z,z
x,x,x,xx,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,

I have yet to see any impact in-game, however that occurs when im just tapping it on like a text document.

Any explanations?
Topic Starter
Thnikk

SneakyLeif1020 wrote:

I received my keypad today and made a demonstration video with it. :) Enjoy.
You are super cool 8-)

Cool4strenz wrote:

I'm currently running Mac OSX Mavericks,

And sometimes when I press the key, the key double taps (using v2) super quickly, like a macro inputting 2 "z" clicks.

For example (adding commas between each click):

zz,z,z,z,zz,zz,zz,zz,z,z,zz,z,zz,z,z,z,z,z,z,zz,z,z,z,z
x,x,x,xx,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,

I have yet to see any impact in-game, however that occurs when im just tapping it on like a text document.

Any explanations?
This is probably just the debounce settings. It should never cause any issues in game but I'll pm you with a fix .I'd like to have a remapping guide available for everyone including mac and linux users within the next week or two.
Wingler

Thnikk wrote:

Any switches you had in mind?
Browns would probably be the more popular option out there, but if you did have more to spare it would be a good idea to get a tactile and linear to make it safe.
Maybe red and brown then?
Although those yellow ones look really good but nobody would actually want one :cry:
Topic Starter
Thnikk

Wingler wrote:

Thnikk wrote:

Any switches you had in mind?
Browns would probably be the more popular option out there, but if you did have more to spare it would be a good idea to get a tactile and linear to make it safe.
Maybe red and brown then?
Although those yellow ones look really good but nobody would actually want one :cry:
Ok, good thing we agree since I already bought them :P

I went with browns, reds, and blacks. My reasoning is that this covers a decent variety (though I now have 3 linear Gaterons...) and the "smoothness" will have the biggest impact on these. Since so many people want browns, I have them covered now. Reds are my most popular switch by far, so having an alternate option is good and should make me restock less often. I never have enough blacks so having an alternative there is good too, and I think they'll be good as a "professional" choice. Yellows seemed interesting, but I figured I had enough linear switches at this point.

I'm also thinking about trying something out and leveraging the semi-transparency... maybe. We'll see.

edit: updated op so it's a little prettier and added sneakyleif's video
Shimzi
Awesome
Pituophis
just bought the v2 with Gateron Clear switches since I finally broke one of my laptop's keys. :)
Shimzi
Thinking about buying one
Mahogany
You mean you're thnikking about buying one. Kappa
Shimzi

Mahoganytooth wrote:

You mean you're thnikking about buying one. Kappa
Heh
Topic Starter
Thnikk
So I'm getting 330 gateron switches to go along with my remaining ~80 clears. What could I possibly do with them besides offer them as a switch option for existing keypads?



I wanted to try out rgb backlighting since rgb leds are dirt cheap relative to all of the other parts I've bought for testing, and I just wanted more code to work on. These definitely won't be out any time soon, and I realize that only means "at least a week" for me, but I really do think it'll take a while.
Wingler

Thnikk wrote:

So I'm getting 330 gateron switches to go along with my remaining ~80 clears. What could I possibly do with them besides offer them as a switch option for existing keypads?



I wanted to try out rgb backlighting since rgb leds are dirt cheap relative to all of the other parts I've bought for testing, and I just wanted more code to work on. These definitely won't be out any time soon, and I realize that only means "at least a week" for me, but I really do think it'll take a while.
I think the world needs more gateron awareness, since they're worth so much more than just RGB backlighting.
But hey, you could make a keypad v2+ that has all sorts of dumb RGB effects and create the end-all of keypads in general
Topic Starter
Thnikk

Wingler wrote:

I think the world needs more gateron awareness, since they're worth so much more than just RGB backlighting.
But hey, you could make a keypad v2+ that has all sorts of dumb RGB effects and create the end-all of keypads in general
That's the idea ;)

I'm with you 100%. I wish more people were interested in Gaterons but I think Cherry is just too ubiquitous of a name at this point. Unlike other Cherry clones, they actually offer positives other than just lower cost. I really do think they're better in every way and I'm really excited to get my new batch in from massdrop (at the end of the month :o the wait sucks). Hopefully my possible future model will help push the name for osu players.
ZenithPhantasm
Is it possible to put Gateron 35g springs into MX Blues/Kailh Greens?
deathmarc4
Are orders with custom keypop keycaps possible? I'd really like the super hardcore light/dark crossbones combo for maximum mashing effect. If it's inconvenient for you I can just order them separately for myself.
Topic Starter
Thnikk

ZenithPhantasm wrote:

Is it possible to put Gateron 35g springs into MX Blues/Kailh Greens?
I could do it over pm/email, but I won't add the option to my Etsy (still no add-on pricing.) Be careful, though.



deathmarc4 wrote:

Are orders with custom keypop keycaps possible? I'd really like the super hardcore light/dark crossbones combo for maximum mashing effect. If it's inconvenient for you I can just order them separately for myself.
I could do it but you'd have to catch me before a big order, which are getting less and less frequent since I'm buying in bigger and bigger batches. I'm running pretty low so my next purchase will probably be within the next few weeks if you don't mind waiting a little bit. You mean the ones from keypop, right? I was actually considering picking some up with my last order because I thought it would look cool but decided against it since they aren't transparent.
Pituophis
love the keypad I got from you. I also love the Gateron switches. :D
Topic Starter
Thnikk
Hello everyone! Just posting a quick update before a bigger one later in the week.

-I've added a guide for reprogramming a v2 keypad and worked on the pages a little bit to clean them up. I would still like to get some images for the guide, but I haven't had the time. I'll try to get it finished by the end of the week, but it is actually usable right now. The link in the OP will take you to the page where there's now a button linking to the v2 guide.

-I'm looking at generic Pro Micros to potentially replace the Teensy LC with in my v2 model. My main reason for this is that I don't think there's enough of a difference between the v1 and the v2 to justify the v1's continued existence, so I'd like to phase it out and have it be completely replaced by the v2. There are some cheap $5 pro micros available through ebay, but I'd like to find a reputable supplier that could sell them for about the same amount as a trinket. The basic and basic+ will still always be available, but I'm thinking about taking out the no keycaps option and combining the two into one listing to make things a little simpler. If this happens, the price will probably just stick with the price for the no keycap versions of both respectively.

-I've been working a lot on the new RGB design, and I think I'm settled on almost everything. I'd still like to do a lot of prep work and bug squashing before I make if available, but the time I have before the Gateron switches come in (shipping on the 28th I believe) should be more than enough to get everything ready.

The big update is going to be all about the RGB keypad and I'm waiting for one more part to come in before I write up my post with pictures and hopefully a new video, so you can expect that by Thursday or Friday.

Pituophis wrote:

love the keypad I got from you. I also love the Gateron switches. :D
Glad you like it and thanks for the +1! Maybe it's just becuase I used them in the product shots but there are a few more people going for them now which I'm very happy to see.
Box-_old
nice i will buying a few soon! (yes more then one :p i brake stuff easily)
Sytarno
I love this keypad, been using mine for about a month now and I haven't had any problems so far.
(holy crap this tape is amazing, its fully reusable)

I'm using a v1 keypad with gateron clears.
Topic Starter
Thnikk
RGB osu! Keypad



Four new lighting effects
 Cycle: Cycles from red>green>blue and back around.
 Fade out: LEDs on when nothing is pressed. When a key is pressed, LED turns white. When released, it fades to red>green>blue>off
 Push off: LEDs on when nothing is pressed. When a key is pressed, LED fades to red>green>blue>off.
 Custom: When the side button is held down for over 1.5 seconds, you can hold a key down and it will cycle through the colors. When you let go of the key and stop holding the side button, the keys are set.

New side key functionality
 If the key is held for less than half a second, it will function as escape (or what you remap it to)
 If it's held for more than half a second but less than 1.5 seconds, it will move to the next LED mode
 If it's held for over 1.5 seconds on the custom LED mode, it will let you set the LED colors

Settings saved with EEPROM
 If you set the LED mode or the colors in custom mode, it will save to the device when you unplug it and reload your settings when you plug it back in!

New Gateron switch options
 Since these have to use gateron switches for the clear housing, I wanted more options for switches. When this model goes up, reds, blacks, browns, and clears will all be available, giving options matching what I have on the Cherry front (except for blues.)


One other things to note: I'm only planning on selling these with the transparent keycaps shown off in the video for now. Glow in the dark may come in the future, but I don't want to go through the trouble of manually adding all of the other keycap options to the page and deal with the additional stock management when I don't think the colored keycaps are even going to look good on this model. You'll still be able to pick up additional keycaps with the keycap listing on the shop.

Scheduled to come out late May/early June


Box- wrote:

nice i will buying a few soon! (yes more then one :p i brake stuff easily)
I'd be surprised if you could manage to break one but I have no objections :P

Sytarno wrote:

I love this keypad, been using mine for about a month now and I haven't had any problems so far.
(holy crap this tape is amazing, its fully reusable)

I'm using a v1 keypad with gateron clears.
Glad it's been working out for you and thanks for the tape testimonial. I've added more info to all of my Etsy pages so hopefully people will know you can actually clean it now :?
Pituophis
This was a few days ago, but Thnikk provides excellent customer support. :)
I had an issue with one press registering multiple clicks. He did everything he could to help me.
In the end, I found out on my own that it seems the o-ring(I believe it reduces the key's travel distance by 0.4 mm) was keeping the key on the edge of pressed and not pressed so when I pressed down it would register as multiple clicks. Removing the o-rings fixed it and hasn't ever registered multiple clicks from one press since.
Topic Starter
Thnikk

Pituophis wrote:

This was a few days ago, but Thnikk provides excellent customer support. :)
I had an issue with one press registering multiple clicks. He did everything he could to help me.
In the end, I found out on my own that it seems the o-ring(I believe it reduces the key's travel distance by 0.4 mm) was keeping the key on the edge of pressed and not pressed so when I pressed down it would register as multiple clicks. Removing the o-rings fixed it and hasn't ever registered multiple clicks from one press since.
Here's a small update to the o-ring situation.

I'm switching from wasdkeyboards 40AR o-rings to clear ones from ebay. This is both as a cost saving measure and a choice ofut of preference. I took keycaps off an older keypad today and found remnants of blue rubber on top of the switch, something that could make its way into the switch pretty easily and gunk it up. For the somewhat outrageous $20 per pack of 120, they aren't something I really want to use anymore if this is a potential issue.

On the other hand, these clear o-rings from ebay offer a few positives. I can put them on any keycap and they won't make a visible colored ring, which will work particularly well with the transparent keycaps, they're more firm which results in less of a feel difference but the same reduced travel and sound dampening, and the firmness should also contribute to less "rubber rubbing" resuting in less drebris.

They're also a little bit smaller. This is good, because using multiple 40-ar wasd o-rings in one keycap caused occasional issues (like in Pituophis's case) with being too big to offer granular enough steps of travel distance. What does this mean and why would you need multiple o-rings in one keycap?



Almost all of my keycaps DO NOT have the scructural pieces that hold the stem in place. This isn't bad for the keycaps as they're only necessary with the use of thinner plastic, but it does mean multiple o-rings need to be used per keycap instead of just one for them to actually be doing anything, since bottoming-out refers the switch, not the keycap.

In summary, the change should result in:
A cleaner look for the inside of the keycaps, which is more important for any transparent keycaps
No unexpected debris gunking up the switches
Reduced travel and sound without making the switches feel too soft
No keys not registering because too much reduced travel from o-rings

They are of course still removable so if you don't like the feel you can just take them out.
Wingler
Have you tried using soft-landing pads on any switches yet?
Something like this could be a good alternative to O-rings altogether.
I haven't tried using these with osu so they may not be good gameplay wise but regular typing does the job.
Topic Starter
Thnikk

Wingler wrote:

Have you tried using soft-landing pads on any switches yet?
Something like this could be a good alternative to O-rings altogether.
I haven't tried using these with osu so they may not be good gameplay wise but regular typing does the job.
I've considered it, but these pose the same issue with the lack of posts on the stem as o-rings do with the caveat of not being able to reliably stack them. I'll still probably try them on one of my personal keypads to see if there's that much of a noticeable difference within the next few weeks. They do look like they'd do a better job with sound dampening.
The Gambler
Well, you might be facing some competition now as techkeys had released a new keyboard. Check it out:
http://techkeys.us/collections/accessor ... eekeyboard





^^ If you're asking, it's legit from the website.

They use gateron browns, and seem competitively priced as well.
Parasyche

dagambler999 wrote:



^^ If you're asking, it's legit from the website.
you can't forget this use for the keypad ~ I laughed a little too hard at it.

The Gambler

Parasyche wrote:

you can't forget this use for the keypad ~ I laughed a little too hard at it.

Nahh, I have a big, red Staples "Easy" button that does it for me. It's also a surprisingly fun project to do.

OT: The plate mounts look like machined aluminium. That and rubber feet and this is a surprisingly solid build. I have yet to purchase thnikk's keyboards but this quality is insane.
FieryLight

dagambler999 wrote:

Well, you might be facing some competition now as techkeys had released a new keyboard. Check it out:
http://techkeys.us/collections/accessor ... eekeyboard





^^ If you're asking, it's legit from the website.

They use gateron browns, and seem competitively priced as well.
There is absolutely no competition.

Techkeys is selling a keyboard with no USB connector for $48. It uses Gateron Browns (merely inferior Cherry MX Browns) and likely has only 125Hz polling. The separate cable costs $23 from them. That's $71 for a 3 key keypad.

By contrast, a Thnikk keypad has 1000Hz polling, a wide variety of switches (including the popular MX Red switches as well as the interesting Gateron Clear switches (essentially Reds that require less force)) and only costs $36.
The Gambler

FieryLight wrote:

There is absolutely no competition.

Techkeys is selling a keyboard with no USB connector for $48. It uses Gateron Browns (merely inferior Cherry MX Browns) and likely has only 125Hz polling. The separate cable costs $23 from them. That's $71 for a 3 key keypad.

By contrast, a Thnikk keypad has 1000Hz polling, a wide variety of switches (including the popular MX Red switches as well as the interesting Gateron Clear switches (essentially Reds that require less force)) and only costs $36.
True, but that plate mount though.. I know that you could use teensy boards for thnikk's keyboards in order to do 1000Hz but again, that build quality for the techkeys KB is nuts.

If I had to make a comparison (pardon my overly blunt analogy), it's like PC vs Mac. Getting the job done vs. pure luxury. Besides, I think techkeys is selling this assuming we already have micro-USB cables anyway.

Anyway, I'm not here to start a fight. I'm just letting thnikk know the latest word from the grape vine. I'd say thnikk has balls to do this anyways so there's my credibility as an opinionist out of the window.

EDIT: The techkeys board retails for 58.97 CAD while the thnikk board retails for 44.20+ CAD. I'd say those are both fully decked out models (LEDs vs. aluminium plate). Idk if the thnikk board ships with a cable though.
Topic Starter
Thnikk

dagambler999 wrote:

True, but that plate mount though.. I know that you could use teensy boards for thnikk's keyboards in order to do 1000Hz but again, that build quality for the techkeys KB is nuts.

If I had to make a comparison (pardon my overly blunt analogy), it's like PC vs Mac. Getting the job done vs. pure luxury. Besides, I think techkeys is selling this assuming we already have micro-USB cables anyway.

Anyway, I'm not here to start a fight. I'm just letting thnikk know the latest word from the grape vine. I'd say thnikk has balls to do this anyways so there's my credibility as an opinionist out of the window.

EDIT: The techkeys board retails for 58.97 CAD while the thnikk board retails for 44.20+ CAD. I'd say those are both fully decked out models (LEDs vs. aluminium plate). Idk if the thnikk board ships with a cable though.
It does.

I'm with FieryLight in not really viewing this as competition. You're essentially paying for a piece of aluminum. I wouldn't even agree with the mac vs pc analogy. For the sake of equal scrutiny:

It's using what appears to be simple plastic tubing for elevation, leaving very little surface area in contact with the table/desk. This wouldn't be as much of a problem if they were rubber coated or sticky, but they're not. With the way people play osu and considering the not-too-heavy weight of the aluminum, it's going to move around a lot and there's not much you can do about it.

If the polling rate is 125hz and we're really comparing apples to apples, it's $31 for a v1 and $48 for this. Mine comes with a cable so it actually works out of the box. $5 more will get you the 1000hz model with cool lighting effects 8-)

I don't even think the PCB is worth the price. $12 for two of your switches being half-mounted to the PCB. You're better off picking up a trinket for $7 and whatever plastic housing.

The housing is nice, but I think the branding is a bit much.


I actually saw this yesterday but thanks for posting. I do think it's a cool concept, but the "perfect for osu" part seems like an afterthought the owner of techkeys thought up after seeing the noodlefighter thread and the few people using the techkeys business cards. They'll still do well without my endorsement thanks to that linustechtips video.
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