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I made a dedicated controller for Endless Sky (FOSS overhead space shooter/trader) (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world
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Okay, so by “controller” I just mean a specialized mechanical keyboard. Endless Sky is a spiritual successor to the Escape Velocity games. EDIT: I also realized this pic is from before I wired it up, but the only differences are four screws in the corners and the Micro USB cord from my long-gone Nexus 10 tablet semi-permanently coming out the back.

  • Gateron Black for most of the keyboard switches
  • Also got momentary toggle switches and a light duty aluminum push button, because Millennium Falcon and Top Gun.
  • “DSA” and “F10” profile keycaps
  • laser cut (painted Masonite) and 3D printed (PLA)enclosure
  • Layout built around the in-cockpit control mapping
  • Hand-wired (aka “Dead Bug”) keyboard matrix
  • QMK/VIAL programmable firmware on my last Promicro with a Micro-USB cable.
  • Dymo-style embossing tape labels!!!
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[–] 11 points 2 months ago (1 child)

Where can I start reading more on how to do this? I would love to make one for myself

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  • [–] [S] 7 points 2 months ago

    This is probably the densest one-stop shop for handwiring resources. It has links to some of the other tools I used, and QMK is the open source firmware that runs many of them (I used a fork that enables a better graphical key mapper), though there are others that can be easier to set up.

    On Youtube, there's a kid who has made a cottage industry out of these. Search for Joe Scotto.

    In general, searching for "hand wired keyboard" will bring up a lot of resources. Then, if you're so inclined, learn how to do a basic PCB in KiCAD and you start closing in on a device that works every bit as well as a commercial product.

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