Making Custom Macro Keypad

I shot video - the making of a custom macro keypad. This keypad is prototype version 3.2 and was designed specifically for artists. It has a rotary encoder strategically positioned where the thumb usually rests for 2D and 3D applications.
Resources:
/ janlunge
/ channel
qmk.fm/
get.vial.today/
• Laser cut & engraved P...
My Notes While Building Google Doc:
docs.google.co...
Source Code: github.com/pit...
Song by Pithy Builds (free to download and use for whatever you want): soundcloud.com...
Software:
Fusion 360
KiCad
Lightburn
Note I am not affiliated with any of these parts or machines.
Parts:
Choc Keyswitch by Kailh - mkultra.click/...
Microcontroller: Pro Micro Atmega32U4 5V 16MHz
Machines:
Laser cutter - omtechlaser.co...
3D Printers - www.prusa3d.co...
www.prusa3d.co...
www.prusa3d.co...
Milling Machine - www.grizzly.co...
Soldering irons - TS80P 9V/12V Type C USB
Weller WE1010NA
Spray Paint:
For etching - Rustoleum Grey Automotive Primer
For color - Montana Gold - www.dickblick....
For finish - Rust-Oleum 249087 Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover, 12 Ounce (Pack of 1), Matte Clear

[@SteveCopley]

That DIY PCB is pretty sweet... Nice job!

[@Veoduendes]

I've always believed that software developers, digital electronics engineers, and people who work with metal make art and they are great artists. Thanks for the video, it has a lot of art.

[@jamesgates1074]

looks like a ton of work and knowledge to make something like that. Pretty amazing you can make it on your own.

[@SnowWolf75]

Agreed! Personally, I was jealous of the cool tools shown in the video - laser etcher, 3d printer (both FDM and SLA), shop tools, soldering, etc.

[@falias4]

@james gates Yes and no ;-) This is a beautiful and highly customized version of a macro pad. But it shouldn't be intimidating for beginners. Nowadays it's super easy to get an Arduino, connect some push-buttons and let them send keystrokes ;-) Same thing with designing & printing an enclosure.

[@pithybuilds5772]

@@falias4 Totally agree. Anyone can do this if you approach it by one step at a time. Each part is not difficult, just requires time to look up how to do it.

[@mvsk9956]

Very Easy... Once I install Google or Yahoo on my brain...

[@mohammaddh8655]

@@SnowWolf75 i was shocked when i saw a graphic tablet

[@roseywastaken]

Hey! Stumbled upon this video due to KZbin algorithm. I want to let you know that you kick ass. This is a very definition of a full-stack developement. Great job on the keyboard and the music.

[@evanlane1690]

I don't think I've ever seen someone clip the leads before soldering. I like it! It's a bit more work but it gives smooth solder bumps instead of sharp cut edges. Cool idea!

[@FroidNet]

This can cause reliability issues since the pcb used in the design is single sided and the holes are not plated. when the holes are plated, more solder holds the component. in this case cutting the leads reduce the bonding area and there is more chance for fatigue to develop in the solder joints leading to braking of the joint. best approach would be bending the leads before solder.

[@kingofcastlechaos]

Me either- have been doing this over 40 yrs and that trick garnered him a new subscriber. Really solid maker skills.

[@Abe.Wassenstein]

Amazing skills Steve. That’s some serious gear you’ve got there.

[@yeong126]

The LP switches and custom keycaps really completes the look! Beautiful.

[@RobertMcReed]

I love how much care you put into this. Every single detail was thought out and it shows. Well done - a great build from start to finish.

[@knoopx]

very nice job. amazing to think how accessible self-manufacturing has become.

[@allenjoshua7692]

not really... he spent thousands of dollars for those equipments... and probably he didnt buy it for himself but for his work..

[@knoopx]

​@@allenjoshua7692 thousands of dollars is nothing, do you have an idea of how much industrial equipment costs? I also have a thousand dollars workshop just as a hobbyist and I can certainly say there's way more expensive hobbies out there (how much is a decent mountain-bike nowadays?)

[@jiridvorak9381]

@@knoopx tools he is using are much more then thousands... Only the CO2 laser starts at 10K at this size, this one might be even more expensive

[@knoopx]

@@jiridvorak9381 true but you don't really need a co2 laser for pcb etching, a laser diode will do just fine

[@lucasc5622]

​@@knoopx you can get pcbs made professionally for 10 quid lol

[@Tomyb15]

Not only did this project show you have a great all-round set of skills on electronics, but it appears you are even an artist on top of all that! Truly impressive. It's almost unfair how much knowledge and skills you've managed to learn. I wish I had even a 1/100th of your skills.

[@pithybuilds5772]

The most difficult skill for me is programming, I’m really bad at it! But I keep trying even though I don’t think my brain is wired for it. A basic understanding of programming opens up so many new possibilities in projects like this, that is why I keep trying! I’m so envious of programmer’s skill!

[@faux5191]

I'm an artist and I've been building my own little rotery knob and keys, this looks fantastic.

[@ttmmaacc]

I'm a wizard which is also concocting up something special

[@allenmueller]

By far the cleanest and most well thought out macropad build I've seen on YT. Even the diodes are sexy! 🤯

[@md.farhadalam4912]

Really impressed. I always wanted myself in a position where you are now-solid understanding of everything and real courage to make it happen.Although from different background, I have a strong fascination on Electronics and projects.Thanks again.

[@zax71]

I’ve never seen such an engaging video with just music, without a voiceover, great work!

[@reachjvinodkumar]

Great work, having knowledge on so many things and bringing it together to build something like this is really wonderful...

[@lanangyudistira]

this guy put a lot of work into that macro pad. should gave him more appreciation. good job dude

[@giovanni.roberto]

The cleanest DIY pcb I ever seen in my life

[@davelahoud1256]

Soldering on point. Love the snappy pace and edit of the vid and build. Well done.

[@davelahoud1256]

Also major fan of how you made this exactly to your workflow needs. Very neat.

[@danilolattaro]

These videos always remind me how convenient it is to have a laser cutter/engraver

[@amoszander047]

As a recent Computer Eng. grad I got tired just watching this lol. hats off to ya!

[@thechadbuddha]

oh the leds are for the layers. rly nice video. i like the music. your skillset is admirable

[@JonneytheKidd]

This dude is my hero. No Joke.

[@edelcraft3951]

i saw you desighn the board and i was like no way this guy makes the boards himself, unbelievable tallent you have

[@Magnificus01]

I saw a lot of possible future videos in this video, Nice work!💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

[@prashkd7684]

Bloody well done mate.

[@kupucreativemedia]

That's pretty cool and a lot of work! Nowadays anyone can buy these numpad macros with knobs. The only problem with those is once the keyboard is mapped for a software, its useless for other softwares unless remap it. The remapping software is not intuitive. The solution could be lua coding language. I recently posted a video guideline about it to turn any keyboard or numpad into a macro keyboard which can be used with any software and customise software shortcuts as needed.

[@xx0124xx]

I understood nothing and yet I know I just witnessed something incredible!

[@tstyone]

this is sick! ive been looking into macro pads to improve my productivity and this seems like a very neat design also love the drawings on ur workbench

[@dhaniyawaad]

awesome work! and the perfect use case too ! blender modeling would be a breeze with a custom macropad with a rotary encoder like that

[@rapalma38]

*Sometimes KZbin show us amazing design and work like this, new subscriber here!*

[@maxweliau]

Literally, the definition of engineer

[@grinselbub]

Beautifully done!

[@m2-x-n253]

Who else thought it was just slapping some keys and wollah ...LOL...clearly requires a lot of knowledge.

[@djjaydee7706]

what a fascinating video. I don't want to build a macro keyboard, but the video and the music kept me watching.

[@OIP_1]

fantastic job! i've gone to the dark side of PCB fabbing but the hand ferric etching and fabrication was amazing to watch.

[@shanky_robot]

Project is awesome but your workshop/lab is on another level....dream setup ☺️

[@sanketss84]

wow you have a complete assembly line at home. great stuff.

[@codingneko]

wtf bro can draw, 3D model and code C... literally incredible

[@abandonedcranium6592]

Great build & the music is GREAT, too!

[@ukaszj2906]

Awesome work. Really liked the part when you installed Atmega, it showed me that they are still in use, not only arm's. It also looks really nice there, on top. Anyhow, really inspiring video.

[@Giaji]

You got a fan here, loves the work and the process, wish to see more!

[@arthurn986]

Coolest and absolutely best video i have seen in a while. This really inspired me

[@danielfernandes2813]

amazing build... loved watching the entire process

[@jovaraszigmantas]

incredible job, even making your own pcb at home, impressive

[@CristobalRuiz]

Very impressive. Don't know how long this took you but it's truly amazing work.

[@silentkillaa2673]

dude got every skill he need....

[@silentkillaa2673]

and every skill I want but don't have...

[@SeraphimKnight]

The encoder next to the thumb is genius... how have I never seen this before?

[@pithybuilds5772]

Perhaps because they’re usually too tall and get in the way of typing. Low profile is key!

[@SeraphimKnight]

You could design a custom board and have an encoder sticking out the bottom of the case, kinda like a volume wheel 🤔 Although that would prevent the use of palm rests so that might be why I haven't seen it done before

[@CodeWithNode]

Wow! That's quite a machine setup you've got there. I wish I could create my own PCBs as well!

[@lbj2277]

Great content, quality and editing on the video. I hope you make more videos like these in the future.

[@Gdsamurai]

You got any guys dream workspace like seriously I would kill to have all the cool machinery that you have but its superrrrr expencive just the pcb machine is like 5k minimum.

[@jakubrehorek105]

Nice project. Very good working place, you make, bro!

[@khalid_g_dev9273]

"tools are not everything, it's who is using it " me with tear in my eye: have you seen Steve's tools.

[@timondeluca6405]

i wish i could like this more than just one time

[@moemahmud]

Incredible video! First of, I know nothing about this macro keypad & only stumbled upon this video through KZbin algorithm. Second, this guy has the makings of inspiring a generation, let me explain. I don’t know if anyone noticed but at 1:22 check out bro’s custom/make-shift AIO pc (maybe content idea for bro to make video series of how to create these machines?!), wow!, looks to be straight out of that movie with Tom Hanks and the robot I think called Finch. Futuristic & very NASA-esque. Bro you’ve done it, I think you hit that cross roads between tech & arts Steve Jobs was talking about.

[@codexrat]

Thats a salvaged Laptop with an external display. Look closely, the black back is actually the base of a Laptop :D great idea though. can be made portable

[@bradley3549]

I wish you had posted something on the bike channel about this channel!

[@RajivDeo]

You achieved your objective of scaring DIY enthusiasts like me!

[@pithybuilds5772]

😆

[@pplo]

wow agree w many, great build n great music

[@desidesigning]

What an amazing work of art! 🎨 majestically magnificent 👌

[@leoandeson7936]

Omg he actually makes his own circuitboard

[@jatinking2075]

can I use knob as volume regulator

[@winklethrall2636]

This makes me long for the days when there were originally 10 function keys on the left side of the keyboard, allowing for one-handed typing of multi-key combinations in apps like debuggers.

[@polkol8502]

I just saw your channel and I love it

[@goemboeck]

Looks super cool and practical too, congrats and thanks for video!

[@joefoolish]

thats insanely good :00 gj!

[@YaffleTank]

JESUS! Well done man!

[@moonpawooe7134]

Brilliant skills 😊

[@martu33127]

Great build!!!!! I'd love to see more videos like this! Already subscribed! Keep it up!

[@tonymorris3935]

This vid earned you a new sub! Amazing build and I love some of your techniques.

[@Andyz1605]

nice job sir, even i dont understand the PCB layout and programing u use, this still amazing

[@codexrat]

Hey Bro, really awesome work you have done here. I myself am in the processes of building one. I have few questions after checking your video. Could you please shed some insight on these plzzz... 1. I cehcked your vial files and i did not find the declerations of encoder pins (clws/anti-clws). 2. Can we put the encoder switch pins in an existing switch array? I saw that you put one pin to the array and the other to a separate column. Thanks in advance. Love this build of yours. :)

[@TheBermun100]

This is a piece of art!!

[@wangamanga2128]

I seriousy need a setup tour, janky and cool af

[@rafaeldelboni]

Impressive work, thanks for this video is super satisfying to watch! Hope you are planning to do more videos :)

[@rafaeldelboni]

As a suggestion, you could rewrite your build log (currently in GDrive) into an markdown and put it together in the GitHub repo with the firmware. WDYT? And btw I just checked the GitHub and is empty :)

[@pithybuilds5772]

Oh no! Thanks for checking. I’ll take a look today.

[@yukselozgur]

It looks great man, well done!

[@pangrac1]

Whoa! Cryzy ninja skills. 👍🥷

[@SianaGearz]

I'd like one of those low profile encoder knob models, seems quite useful.

[@romaincorthesy6896]

Impressive skills and technique!

[@allnerag]

That was excellent, would you please make a video on the PCB build process. It seems easier than Silk-screening it. It is even faster than Milling the PCB with a CNC.

[@pithybuilds5772]

I have added info in my desc, hope it helps! Most of the know how was picked up from other KZbin videos. What a time we live in!

[@Heidegaff]

Ok I'm subscribing, you seem like a real tinkerer with a soft spot for not half-assing stuff. The kind of creator I want to subscribe to and that I know will become big. By any chance, will you make a video about that weird PC of yours we can see at 3:16? Is that a laptop with a dock you made yourself?

[@pithybuilds5772]

The PC at 3:16 was just a Lenovo laptop that I primarily use for the laser cutter driver. I couldn't stand the screen so I attached an old monitor to a cutom made box and slapped the laptop on its back. The box holds all the peripherials and cables inside it so I can pick it up and carry it anywhere. Just one plug coming out of the box powers everything!

[@aaronalquiza9680]

bro you made everything....... (except the arduino, switches etc) but damn.. you deserve more subs and views.

[@mohammaddh8655]

i like this video i get to you channel but didnt saw that much so i subscribed to support you and see more videos like this i like how you use 3 or 4 skill with each other to get what you want

[@astrolemonade349]

This was an awesome watch! Can you share the PCB design and also the STL files(the fusion 360 files)?

[@chowdercake2223]

Great project

[@markh3684]

Outstanding work...

[@B_M_A]

Pure talent

[@sylvainmartin73]

OMG, I've been thinking about getting a 60-90W CO2 laser for a while, this might be the reason I need one. That is one heck of a beautiful PCB! any chance you might make a video on how you set up your laser and power to create these?

[@TylerHallHiveTech]

same. some more details on that would be much appreciated. awesome work.

[@jefke12321]

nice project dude 👍

[@TylerHallHiveTech]

This was really inspiring. I've been thinking of doing something similar but have been making excuses. i have access to all the equipment you used. i just need to get off my butt and do it. thank you! very cool!

[@clutchzmekk]

amazing, hope you get a lot of subscribers

[@BrandonSparkman_Maker]

Beautiful Work! Form and Function(s)!

[@emberpoptartkittenz6040]

1:21 it's beautiful!

[@versus023]

thats really cool!!

[@초식곰-m9v]

와....... 이런건 처음보네요 엄청 흥미롭네요

[@Bakamatsu-GojiFanArchive]

This is DIY on a whole different level. Nice work!

[@thaejsooriya3313]

This was an amazing watch! Instant subscribe!

[@exilethejungle]

SUPER Awesome work, wish I had the tools on hand to make things like this.. But I ended up just buying a Xencelabs quick keys. Does all the same functions.

[@warpspeedscp]

Usually, the diodes are used when you have an active matrix to scan. Did the pro micro not have enough gpio pins for a passive matrix? Edit: from your notes, it looks like you could have designed it to use all available pins as well, which would avoid any diodes. But perhaps such a layout may hve been difficult from a pcb making perspective.

[@pithybuilds5772]

Yes I actually used the diodes as 2nd layer bridges sine the pcb is only one sided. 👍

[@SONUAGGARWAL]

impressive

[@b_drgn3111]

amazing, waiting for more videos like this 👍