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There is a small clojure project that transpiles clojure to openscad, (if I remember correctly...)

https://github.com/farrellm/scad-clj

Demonstrated and talked about in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4

edit: it is a fantastic talk but the part related to this starts at 17:35

There is an attempt to be able to write it in clojure.

https://github.com/farrellm/scad-clj

Haven't tried it but enjoyed this talk (about 3d printing ergonomic keyboards using the above): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4

Here's another great video about a procedurally generated keyboard frame

clojure.core/typing - Matt Adereth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4

Very impressive and inspiring.

I've been thinking about making a custom keyboard for a while now but, while I have no problems with the electronic and software side of things, I'm a bit overwhelmed with the 3D modelling required.

I tried learning Blender but it really feels ill-suited for designing physical objects. The author mentions considering openSCAD but I've heard pretty bad things about it so I haven't really given it a chance yet.

The person making the dactyl keyboard had a very interesting talk where he explain how he basically ended up writing his own DSL in clojure on top of openSCAD, maybe I should try that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4 (if you enjoyed TFA you'll probably like this video as well, it's a step-by-step explanation of how he designed his dream keyboard).

Otherwise I suppose I'll have to betray rms and try this freeware Fusion 360 thing.

⬐ gouh

Blender is more artist-oriented and maybe not the best suited for industrial design. But FreeCAD seems quite powerful and could be a good solution for you

⬐ allanrbo

OpenSCAD actually comes pretty natural if you are used to writing code

⬐ skummetmaelk

OpenSCAD is nice for simple geometry, but products today never have simple geometry. Doing bevels in openSCAD is a nightmare for example, and bevels are everywhere.

⬐ jononor

FreeCAD is the FOSS equivalent type of tool to Fusion360. Lots of learning material available on YouTube. I have designed wearable electronics / jewelery in it several times.

One can drop down to Python to do code-based parametric there also, with cadquery. But even as a software developer, I have only done that for 2 out of over 100 designs. I have also maybe 2 times used the OpenSCAD importer to include some existing designs as parts into my project.

I recently bought a 3D printer and have enjoyed programing objects in cljoure with scad-clj.

https://github.com/farrellm/scad-clj

This is biggest project I know of that uses it:

https://github.com/adereth/dactyl-keyboard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4

⬐ tjoff

That talk is excellent and it got me interested in both scad-clj and the keyboard.

> That being said I agree that these days the tendency across all languages is to go towards fewer special characters, not more. In this context Perl 6's syntax feels a bit anachronistic.

This is just a comeback of a recurring dumb trend based on the fallacy that describing the operations of a program using English words is always superior to using appropriate specialized notation. The core of the fallacy is assuming that because something looks like a familiar English word, people who do not understand programming will understand the corresponding semantics of the operation in the programming language, because they know English. Which is complete nonsense - people who do not understand programming will reason by analogy, and through trial and error end up at a partially wrong and misguided understanding of that operation. English words only start you off with unnecessary baggage in the learning process.

It is even worse for people who already know programming. A C for loop is not a JavaScript for loop is not a Python for loop... The details of their semantics are very different, and you will introduce bugs if you just assume "I know how for loops work!"

There is nothing new about this trend either; it was the central premise behind COBOL, and a big motivation for BASIC. What BASIC was in the 1980s, Python is today.

What is ironic about this trend resurfacing today is that it has never been easier to use special characters - Unicode is everywhere, and even making custom keyboards has turned from a major manufacturing endeavor to an accessible hobby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4

Thanks for the mention! For anyone interested, all the source and models for the Dactyl keyboard are available here: https://github.com/adereth/dactyl-keyboard

There's also a talk I gave a Clojure/conj about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4

⬐ alasdair_

How have I not seen this before?!

I have been looking for a split design of something like the Kinesis Advantage for years.

Thank you for posting this!

⬐ agumonkey

That video was very very inspiring, don't thank me, I still owe you at least 27 front page mentions :D

⬐ rhinoceraptor

Thanks for your work! I love the dactyl (my main board is an Ergodox). If/when I finally get a 3D printer, I will definitely build a Dactyl.

1 Martin Thompson busting myths about hardware and explaining why it's important to know. Mechanical sympathy makes you better, because you know how the code actually runs on the machine and interacts with different layers of memory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC1EKLQ2Wmg

2 Matt Godbolt (the man behind GCC explorer) - Emulating a 6502 system in Javascript

Great talk about BBC micro and much more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WuRq-Wmw5o

3 Matt Adereth - Clojure/typing

History of keyboards and a custom keyboard written in Clojure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4

I like the 3 for their content and how each speaker presented the background and their project/hack/ideas.

Highly recommend

⬐ voltagex_

Your second link reminded me of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLv_INgaLq8 (which definitely builds on some of Matt's work).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBkNBP00wJE - C++17 for the Commodore 64.

Probable language warnings for my other suggestions:

* Rescuing Prince of Persia from the Sands of Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnEWBtCnFs8 (was this talk ever given elsewhere?)

* And You Shall Know Me By My Trail of Documentation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEgHdHdUDaA

* The History and Evolution of Computer Viruses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2g9lgYrYJM

You could always 3D print your own one...

https://github.com/adereth/dactyl-keyboard

Bonus points for having used Clojure to design it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk3A41U0iO4