Hi everyone,
I’ve been working on a DIY stream deck project for the past few weeks and wanted to share it here, because this is exactly the kind of community I built it for.
The problem: every macropad or stream deck I found was either fixed (wrong number of keys, no knob, no screen) or needed CAD skills to change. I wanted to just pick a layout and print it.
What I made: DeckSmith, a generator that runs in the browser. You choose how many keys, add a rotary encoder, a slider or a small OLED, and it exports:
the case files, ready to print (no supports)
a pin map for the exact layout, so you know where every wire goes on the ESP32
The one in the video runs on a plain ESP32 dev board, hand-wired point to point (key matrix with diodes, EC11 encoder, slide pot on an ADC pin, I2C OLED). It connects over Bluetooth as a keyboard + media controller, so nothing needs installing on the PC. The firmware is free.
Here’s the full story, from the first ugly prototype to the final build:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_G20Un2T14
I’m thinking about what to do next, for example a plug-in PCB kit so nobody has to hand-wire it. I’d really like your opinion: would you rather hand-wire it yourself, or use modules that plug together?
If you want to follow the project: it launches on Indiegogo on Nov 18, and the waitlist at decksmith3d.com gets 15% off.
Thanks for reading, happy to answer anything about the build!