OpenSCAD Button Enclosures

thingiverse

This simple enclosure style has become a staple in my design arsenal for various interfaces. I've crafted numerous computer interfaces that amount to nothing more than a plastic box housing arcade buttons and some type of controller. For instance, it can serve as a quick way to launch a program or send shortcut keys. Many of my designs cater to individuals with low vision or poor dexterity, so large, bright buttons are a major plus. I prefer using arcade buttons to interface different elements with computers because they're large, brightly colored, and built to withstand heavy use while offering excellent tactile response. However, I'm not a fan of the "ABS Project box" approach unless I'm in dire need - the ergonomics are subpar, the aesthetic is poor, etc. I tend to favor enclosures with rounded edges, featuring buttons on an angled surface. This approach also allows for the use of raised markers or glyphs that can aid individuals with low vision. This generator has been a go-to tool for several of my projects, and I'm sharing it in hopes that others might find it useful. It creates enclosures that open at the bottom, featuring a lid on the underside held in place by screws. This code generates both the enclosure and the lid simultaneously. The core of this code is divided into two parts. The first part defines the shape of the enclosure through a set of points, with each point representing a surface location (such as a corner) and each point having a screw in the bottom along with a corresponding hole in the lid. The second part is a definition of height; by adjusting the front and rear heights, the angle of the sloping front can be controlled. I've developed an openSCAD module called onFace that makes arranging items on the sloping face (either negative items like holes or positive items such as glyphs) extremely easy. I've included five variants of this code, each creating different types of enclosures. The first one is purely a demonstration and hasn't been printed yet, while the others have all been used to create devices (and thus come with pictures, etc.).