Macropads have gotten very talked-about, and for good cause. Anybody who works with software program that makes use of a variety of key mixtures rapidly learns the worth of getting widespread, repetitive duties mapped to a single key. Nonetheless, when altering between completely different functions or profiles on a macropad, it may be arduous to recollect how you have got mapped issues. An awesome resolution is to print out keycap stickers, however an much more superior resolution is to place a full-colour LCD behind each key! That’s precisely what the creator of the Open Deck has performed.
Whereas this isn’t a brand new concept, the prevailing options are nearly fully proprietary and fairly costly. They’ve locked firmware and solely assist the platforms and use instances they suppose will promote essentially the most pads. However the Open Deck is totally open supply, permitting you to repurpose it, reprogram it, or combine it into any mission you need. This additionally implies that so long as you have got the {hardware}, you’ll at all times be capable to use it — open supply software program doesn’t vanish when a product is discontinued.
Underneath the hood, the Open Deck is utilizing an ESP8266 operating an Arduino core, which means it’s very simple to tweak and add options in order for you. The pc-side software program is written in Python, and whereas the present model has some options which might be solely accessible on Home windows, it does work with Mac and Linux too.
If this mission piques your curiosity, ensure that to take a look at the mission web page and take a look at the demo video under!
