Main > Main Forum
New Trackball Design for easier installation
RandyT:
--- Quote from: yotsuya on February 12, 2020, 11:00:49 am ---RandyT: Hmmm... a shiny, bright ball might not be optimal for tracking... you’d need a duller surface with less glare....
BYOAC: OMG CAN WE MAKE THE TRACKBALL LED LIT!!!1!
--- End quote ---
:)....The funny thing is, if (and it's a big if) the ball had a finely speckled surface, and you could get enough light past the speckles and into the ball, and you didn't use any other illumination, it might just work .
yotsuya:
--- Quote from: RandyT on February 12, 2020, 12:02:13 pm ---
--- Quote from: yotsuya on February 12, 2020, 11:00:49 am ---RandyT: Hmmm... a shiny, bright ball might not be optimal for tracking... you’d need a duller surface with less glare....
BYOAC: OMG CAN WE MAKE THE TRACKBALL LED LIT!!!1!
--- End quote ---
:)....The funny thing is, if (and it's a big if) the ball had a finely speckled surface, and you could get enough light past the speckles and into the ball, and you didn't use any other illumination, it might just work .
--- End quote ---
C’mon, Randy, unless you’re being blinded by the thing looking down, it’s just not worth it ;)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mike A:
We also need an add on module that reports the positional data to an LCD screen on the control panel. And another LCD for rpms.
pbj:
Since this is all custom 3D printed anyway, you might consider sizing it to use juggling balls. They're cheap and you can get all kinds of stupid colors, finishes, black light responsive, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=contact+juggling+ball&i=toys-and-games
Howard_Casto:
--- Quote from: yotsuya on February 10, 2020, 03:57:27 pm ---
--- Quote from: RandyT on February 10, 2020, 03:36:20 pm --- If the ball still rides on a cylindrical surface, there's not much to be gained over the traditional design, other than possibly footprint.
--- End quote ---
I think it’s the drop-in footprint that has the peanut galley so excited. It’s a cool design, for sure, but I’d rather see it in action and day-to-day use before I spent money for one.
Kudos to the OP for thinking outside the box and using 3D printing for prototyping, though. That’s the way to do it!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
--- End quote ---
^This^. Traditional trackballs require either a metal control panel or a stupid mounting plate. Being able to just drill a hole and be done with it, no bolts or strange cuts or recesses or anything is the appeal for me. While laser optics definitely make it cool (and cheap) I could care less about that.
pbj: One of those juggling balls is rgb and usb… I don't know why but I must have it now.