SA Dasher & SA Dancer keycap sets (Completed)

[niomosy]

The Specialty kit isn't actually too bad. It covers a lot of ground pretty well.

Looking at Troubled Minds, the Planck/Atomic kit just missed 50 (it was 44). The nonstandard kit made MoQ at 73.

For reference:

Nonstandard kit:


Planck/Atomic kit:

[tenderlove]

I'm interested in buying this, but would it be possible to get an alternative layout kit for Colemak, Dvorak, and Norman layouts? I use Norman layout ( https://normanlayout.info ) and I haven't been able to find a sculpted kit that supports it.

[niomosy]

I'm interested in buying this, but would it be possible to get an alternative layout kit for Colemak, Dvorak, and Norman layouts? I use Norman layout ( https://normanlayout.info ) and I haven't been able to find a sculpted kit that supports it.

The problem with those kits is that they require at least 25 buyers for them to be very cost-effective. Sets that have those kits try to bundle them in with other things to boost the kit purchase count or they get dropped altogether. Even a popular set like Troubled Minds didn't make MoQ for the combined Colemak/Dvorak layouts. You'd need a massively popular set like PuLSE R2, where 755 base kits have been sold, and even then it's currently only at 35 of the Colemak/Dvorak (combined) kits sold.

[zslane]

Well, hopefully the SPECIALTY kit contents can be pounded out in relatively short order once I post the IC thread on GH. It is the only thing remaining to be settled before putting out feelers to MassDrop.

[tenderlove]

I'm interested in buying this, but would it be possible to get an alternative layout kit for Colemak, Dvorak, and Norman layouts? I use Norman layout ( https://normanlayout.info ) and I haven't been able to find a sculpted kit that supports it.

The problem with those kits is that they require at least 25 buyers for them to be very cost-effective. Sets that have those kits try to bundle them in with other things to boost the kit purchase count or they get dropped altogether. Even a popular set like Troubled Minds didn't make MoQ for the combined Colemak/Dvorak layouts. You'd need a massively popular set like PuLSE R2, where 755 base kits have been sold, and even then it's currently only at 35 of the Colemak/Dvorak (combined) kits sold.

Bah. Thanks for the info. I would have requested Norman keys for PuLSE, but the drop showed up before I could make any requests. I guess I'll just have to dream about a sculpted Norman kit for now.

[Muirium]

Norman? Are you freaking kidding? You'd better like blanks, because those are the only SA caps you'll get until you conscript at least another 25 recruits to your crazy cause.

[niomosy]

Norman? Are you freaking kidding? You'd better like blanks, because those are the only SA caps you'll get until you conscript at least another 25 recruits to your crazy cause.

[zslane]

That's the first time I've ever seen Muirium at a loss for words.

[7bit]

He's not at a loss for words at all!
: lol :
If you want some Nordic layout, there are still some INTER kits available in my Round 5 and 6 group buys
: evilgeek :

[niomosy]

He's not at a loss for words at all!
: lol :
If you want some Nordic layout, there are still some INTER kits available in my Round 5 and 6 group buys
: evilgeek :

You guys and your white text. Pretty funny. I figured it was something along those lines

With the right Round 6 colors, that might actually work pretty well visually.

[skaloola]

Any chance of icon mods or (classy / discrete) novelties?

[niomosy]

Any chance of icon mods or (classy / discrete) novelties?

The plan, per zslane, was for no novelties.

There's another project that aims to duplicate the Dasher keyboard in full so novelties might eventually be found there.

[skaloola]

Any chance of icon mods or (classy / discrete) novelties?

The plan, per zslane, was for no novelties.

There's another project that aims to duplicate the Dasher keyboard in full so novelties might eventually be found there.

So there's still hope for icon mods?:)

[zslane]

Sorry, no.

[zslane]

Here's the banner I've come up with for SA Dasher & Dancer. It's nothing terribly fancy, but it utilizes the vintage Dasher colors, including the creamy aged white tone of an old terminal. I bookended the name of the set(s) with a Dasher TKL render and a photo of a real Dasher D1 keyboard.

SA Dasher/Dancer banner

sa_dasher_dancer_banner_01.jpg (90.89 KiB) Viewed 6093 times

[benburton]

Banner looks great!

[seebart]

I really like the looks of SA Dasher & Dancer so far zslane! Since I'm still looking for a nice set for my Filco Majestouch I'd like to express my interest. Keep us updated!

[zslane]

So before I post an IC thread on GH, I have one final question: should the MENU key say META instead?

[Muirium]

Nah. Meta is a mod, just like Control or Alt. Menu isn't. Far as I know, as the Mac ignores it, it's simply a weird right click key on Windows, right?

Also: that horizontal line on the graphic between the two colour ways is a bit awkward. Although it's clearly placed in the precise centre, the whitespace over the lowercase letters "ancer" immediately beneath it makes it look off. Such is the voodoo of type! I'd ditch the line to lose that effect.

Also also: both renders in the graphic are from the same side of the Dasher Dancer duet. Make one of them the inverse, to make the point that is indeed what's on offer. And make get the camera closer to the keys.

[benburton]

Either META or MENU is fine by me.

[7bit]

Can we have this color-scheme added:

[zslane]

I would love to. But I don't think I have the clout with SP to push through the batarang mod key.

[Muirium]

So long as it's a row 3 key you could supply them with the graphic rotated 180° and never mention it.

[zslane]

I started the IC thread over at GeekHack. Let's see how it goes!

[niomosy]

<Han Solo>
Here's where the fun begins
</Han>

[iss]

Posted this over at gh, but here's a visual of my suggestion for the specialty set:



Blue = new
Green = definitely needs to be kept
Yellow = judgement call (depending on price)
Red = remove

Thoughts? Also, if spacebars will be offered separately, the 7u bar can probably go too (Nantucket Selectric is doing this).

edit: Per suggestion of bjb39, suggesting that R3 1u Alt and R4 1u Fn be kept, plus a new R3 1u Ctrl for WhiteFox compatability.

[zslane]

If someone reddit-savvy would like to fire up the engines over there, now that the GH thread is underway, I'd be grateful. Thanks!

[zslane]

So after the first week of discussion over on GeekHack, here is what the Dasher set looks like:

dasher_complete_set_wood_bkgd_06.jpg (992.59 KiB) Viewed 5792 times

The SPECIALTY kit got reconfigured rather significantly. Seventeen keycaps were eliminated from it (twelve of them being the row 1 blanks). Six keycaps were moved out to their own kits. And two keycaps were added.

The Mac modifiers were pulled out and, together with some Win modifiers, turned into the OSMODS kit. The spacebars were always intended to be offered ala carte anyway, so it made sense to unburden the SPECIALTY kit from the need to supply the 7u spacebar.

One other minor change: I turned the MENU key into a META key on the base TKL kit and put a MENU key into the OSMODS kit.

[zslane]

SA Dasher and Dancer are now in the hands of MassDrop!

Tentatively scheduled for a late summer run.

I will update this thread if I get any new information from them.

[niomosy]

SA Dasher and Dancer are now in the hands of MassDrop!

Tentatively scheduled for a late summer run.

I will update this thread if I get any new information from them.

Awesome. Has Massdrop mentioned when they'll put the buy up? I'm guessing we're a month or so off from the group buy starting.