[HN Gopher] A Keypad to Control My Entire Desk Setup
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A Keypad to Control My Entire Desk Setup
Author : solalf
Score : 131 points
Date : 2023-02-22 09:22 UTC (2 days ago)
(HTM) web link (github.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
| anyfactor wrote:
| You probably don't need the Pico. You can use luamacros or
| HIDMacros to remap the keys of the secondary keyboard.
|
| I used to have an emoji + response template keyboard when I was
| doing social media management. I used HIDMacros[0] and Espanso
| [1].
|
| My current setup is HIDMacros and Autohotkeys. With AHK's
| :*:;<input_text>::{ Send "<expanded_text>" }
|
| you can do text expansion like Espanso. Nowadays, I am using the
| macro setup for virtual desktop management with SylphyHorn [2].
| For text expansion stuff, I am doing auto correction of commonly
| mistyped words like: datbase, timstamp etc.
|
| [0] http://www.hidmacros.eu
|
| [1] https://espanso.org/
|
| [2] https://github.com/hwtnb/SylphyHornPlusWin11
| stevenhuang wrote:
| Notably if your keyboard supports VIA, you can use
| https://usevia.app/#/ which directly updates the keyboard
| firmware with any custom mapping you want.
|
| Web apps like above show the power of adding USB support to web
| standards--no more having to actually install software to
| interact with hardware, it's awesome.
| nerdponx wrote:
| Note that there is also the Vial firmware, which is inspired
| by Via but with a more open development model:
| https://get.vial.today/
| birdman3131 wrote:
| A similar although not the same project is Bitfocus Companion
| along with a streamdeck. A large number of us in the A/V
| production world use it to control a large amount of disparate
| pieces of equipment at once.
|
| And you don't need the stream deck. I use the virtual one
| included with companion.
| thesh4d0w wrote:
| Wow, their site requires a sign up to view their docs. wtf.
| JLCarveth wrote:
| I did something similar a while ago, made a 9-key Macropad using
| a Teensy. I've been wanting to try making a new one with BLE
| support and an integrated battery for wireless. Using Home
| Assistant is quite a good application for a device like this!
| WhyNotHugo wrote:
| You could probably simplify this setup a bit by using a qmk-
| programmable macro pad[1]. You can program the keyboard to send
| keypresses like F23, F24, etc, and then handle those directly.
| This suppressed the need for the rpi entirely.
|
| [1]: Some random examples:
| https://candykeys.com/product/megalodon-doio-triple-knob-mac...
| jcrawfordor wrote:
| X-Keys (mentioned by the author as his source of the
| relegendable keycaps) and Genovation are two manufacturers of
| programmable macropads popular for commercial and industrial
| use. Especially Genovation can be found pretty cheap on eBay (I
| see as low as $25 right now). If you're looking used, also
| consider PrehKeyTec for larger programmable keypads ranging up
| to full-size keyboards with triple function rows and the gap
| between arrow keys and navigation block filled in (magstripe
| reader and keyswitch too, these are mostly popular for POS
| applications).
| Tuckerism wrote:
| I've been doing something similar, leveraging a Stream Deck Mini
| and a handful of self-written python scripts to handle my Hue
| bulbs, Nanoleaf, and a smart plug running an air purifier. I also
| have a very nice Max Falcon-20 macropad, but I liked the ease of
| changing the virtual keycaps on the Stream Deck for prototyping.
|
| All-in-all, it's a fun automation experiment for those of us who
| are WFH to automate things we do everyday, such as start up and
| shut down our spaces.
| IshKebab wrote:
| I like the idea but I definitely feel like this would benefit
| from a less regular design. Have separate banks of keys, maybe
| even different cap shapes.
|
| Otherwise you're inevitable going to hit the "switch input"
| button when you meant "screen brightness" half the time and have
| to wait for 10 seconds while it switches back.
|
| I've seen nuclear power stations use beer handles, and submarines
| use randomly shaped knobs to avoid the "easily confused controls"
| problem.
| localhost wrote:
| There's a guy on YouTube (wfh - Work From Hype) who has a channel
| devoted to these kinds of things:
| https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCYTCDxsMl84_btikjY40Q
| zwayhowder wrote:
| I built one of these after reading this. It was well worth the
| time and making a friend do the soldering :D
|
| I have hundreds of keyboard shortcuts memorised for things, and I
| use a QMK programmable Moonlander keyboard with even more.
|
| The real advantage of this is that it also is something my family
| can easily use.
| gbrindisi wrote:
| can you expand? I also have a moonlander and looking for
| inspiration
| Oxidation wrote:
| > The real advantage of this is that it also is something my
| family can easily use.
|
| The opposite of this is why I like i3. Want to use my computer?
| Good luck: there's no start button and you'll have to guess the
| chord to open rofi.
| zwayhowder wrote:
| Snap. I also use i3 and rofi. I can't imagine life without
| them. But the desk controller I built turns off lights and
| monitors, mutes audio when I forget to and more.
| ok_dad wrote:
| I bought a macropad with some knobs on it that's programmable
| that I can plug into my PlayStation to use in games with keyboard
| support. Works pretty well, but I do have to reprogram it to
| match the game I want to play, so it's kinda a pain. I also tried
| it on my desktop, but I found I had nothing to use it for, I
| already know all of my IDE shortcuts and whatnot.
| hidelooktropic wrote:
| I was really pumped about this approach of having a second
| specialized keypad a couple years back. So much so that I bought
| Elgato's Streamdeck and their later released larger pro version.
|
| I used them with fervor, taking pains to configure them to my
| liking and I felt I was on the right path to something amazing.
|
| Over time, I kept wondering to myself what I was really gaining
| compared to just memorizing plain keyboard shortcuts mapped to
| the handful of functions I assigned to the separate keypad.
|
| Every time I saw these devices unplugged I thought about plugging
| them back in again only to realize the moment I was removed from
| my workstation, I would lose the ability to use those shortcuts
| from my laptop's embedded keyboard.
|
| I guess an advantage of the separate keypad is having dedicated
| keys, each with their own iconography for their function. But the
| whole idea is these are functions that are used often, so having
| their access embedded in muscle memory is in my opinion the
| better way to accomplish this.
| dylan604 wrote:
| think of the desktop "console" like the dash on your car before
| touchscreens. eventually, muscle memory knows where the buttons
| are and you can access them without looking. it just has to be
| useful enough to use often enough for it to become muscle
| memory.
|
| i've sat in amazement watching a colorist navigate the large
| panels without ever taking their eyes off the screen/scopes.
| there are so many knobs, roller balls, buttons that it is
| almost sci-fi. lots of other jobs are like this with dedicated
| gear, and it's part of the mystery of how they do what they do
| fencepost wrote:
| I still have plans to iron out the details of making a Stream
| Deck push actions to time tracking software (probably Toggl but
| maybe not) with toggled status on the buttons.
| user3939382 wrote:
| > what I was really gaining compared to just memorizing plain
| keyboard shortcuts
|
| For me the problem is that there are many shortcuts I need but
| not enough to memorize them. Also like in my IDE there are so
| many functions a lot of the shortcuts have to be 3 keys which
| is a hassle, you feel like you're playing a Chopin opus if you
| need them back to back.
| kitsunesoba wrote:
| For me the most useful thing about stream decks is that they're
| tied to particular machines while not taking up much space.
|
| So for example I usually listen to music through my personal
| mac since that's what's hooked up to my DAC/amp and has all of
| my music files, even if I'm currently got my work mac hooked up
| to my primary screen and KB+M. While I can use key shortcuts on
| my personal mac through Universal Control (like Synergy, except
| using P2P wifi), it's nice to not have to mouse over to my
| personal mac's screen first -- just use the media controls on
| the stream deck hooked up to that machine.
|
| This could also be done with a small macropad like is sold at
| numerous keyboard enthusiast shops, but it's not a given that
| I'll have keycaps to match the mapped functions which is where
| the deck's screen-keys are nice.
| abraae wrote:
| I've always felt the same, but there are some static scenarios
| where your shortcut device will always be there and mobility is
| not required.
|
| Case in point a home golf simulator. Absolutely not portable
| and also have noob users who need to operate the system -
| easier for them to click a specific labeled button for mulligan
| rather than needing to press ctrl-M on the actual keyboard.
| wyager wrote:
| I had the same process with BlackMagic's dedicated video-
| editing keyboards - they seem really cool at first, but it's
| hardly an improvement on just getting good with keyboard
| shortcuts and the trackpad, and then you don't have to lug
| around specialized hardware.
| alasdair_ wrote:
| I have one of these as well using a streamdeck. It also controls
| my blinds and AC unit via HomeAssistqnt. The cool thing is that
| each key shows current status as well as the function.
| bostonvaulter2 wrote:
| That sounds neat! What sort of automated blinds do you have?
| I've looked into some before but I had trouble finding one that
| I wouldn't be worried about recharging every couple of weeks.
| bdb wrote:
| I've done something pretty similar with an Adafruit Macropad,
| Karabiner Elements (and Zoom's global hotkey support), hass-cli,
| and a few esphome-loaded ESP32 devices. Physical audio/video
| mute, raise hand, lights, speaker/headphone switch, and screen
| lock buttons are wonderful.
| alanbernstein wrote:
| I'm also using the Adafruit Macropad. What did you do for
| keycaps? I have these:
| https://xkeys.com/transparentsinglekeys.html
| A4ET8a8uTh0 wrote:
| Damn, there goes my weekend. This is a fun project and looks like
| something I can actually make match my own needs.
| mikeg8 wrote:
| Wow, this was very cool. I don't do anything with hardware /
| electronics, but it is so fun watching someone talented breakdown
| and solve each challenge like that. Similar to how I enjoy
| watching someone do a tutorial on Ruby on Rails or JS. I'd love
| to learn more about hacking things like that.
| alanbernstein wrote:
| Nice. I'll have to watch the video later. I'm working on
| something similar, mainly for: USB switch, monitor input switch,
| yubikey, and standing desk.
|
| The plan is for most of this to be done via hardware signals sent
| from the microcontroller on the macro pad. I have a ways to go...
| vxNsr wrote:
| I have a lo-fi version of this using a 4port usb-switcher and
| display-switch [0]
|
| [0] https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch
|
| The only thing you'd need to figure out is the standing desk
| part. My usb switch came with a wireless controller which is
| the main way I interact with it.
| alanbernstein wrote:
| Thanks! Your repo is already in my list of things to try for
| the display switching part.
|
| Unfortunately, display switching via DDC is not supported on
| my current monitor, so if I want that to work I'll have to
| find a new one that does support it. I also need it to work
| with Linux, Windows, and Mac M1 machines. Seems like it might
| be easier to do send all the DDC commands from the Linux
| machine, rather than get DDC working on all three.
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(page generated 2023-02-24 23:00 UTC)