Last updated: 04/10/2025
Project repo: https://github.com/Matthew-K-Chua/qmk_firmware
During the end of 2024, I was editing videos in Davinci Resolve (a video editing software) and was frustrated with some of the weird and hard to reach shortcut commands. I decided on creating a macropad. The first version was simply a bluetooth ESP32 based button matrix, where I could press a button and it would send a command or character to my computer, just like any other wireless keyboard.
Here's a link to the GitHub repo for the first iteration of this project: https://github.com/Matthew-K-Chua/MacroBoardESP32
After that, I decided on creating my own. This involved designing my own PCB, which I got manufactured by PCBWay. Then, using an RP2040 and the QMK software package, I created a working macropad that actually resembled a keyboard-like object. It's still a work in progress, and I need to further refine the case as this was just an MVP. The case was made of ASA which I then put in an acetone vapour bath to smooth it by melting the plastic. However, the conditions weren't right, and it only partially smoothed.
However, I'm quite pleased where this ended up, and in future, I'd like to improve the case in Solidworks, and use ABS so that I can do a cleaner vapour bath.