This is an amazing project. The attention to the design is what drew me in. Assembly from sourcing to soldering to printing doesn't look like a high barrier to entry, and I like how straightforward you've laid out the steps here. Really looking forward to diving into the rabbit hole and making my own.
I like it and thought about building one till i heard that it needs conducive filament, that stuff is freaky expensive and would take the cost to over 100€ really fast
I have so many controllers(Pretty much everything from 8bitdo, two dualsenses, a few dualshock 4s, two steam controllers, etc..), but I love Gyro so much, I am going to be building one of these soon, hopefully this month, next at the latest.
Some questions and stuff: 1. How much it costs? 2. Are the rear triggers analog? 3. Can a Genesis/Saturn-like 6 button layout be made without sacrificing other buttons like start and select? 4. Can you change the layout of buttons, like the Xbox's D-pad/stick placement or a lefty layout. 5. I would like to see an option for a Genesis-style D-pad, I prefer this than the Playstation D-pad. 6. Seeing a mouse wheel reminds me of those 2000s PC controllers (which I never had one) with wheels and strange designs, it would be cool to have a shift button.
1. inputlabs.squarespace.com 2. No. They are digital 3. - 5. All the sources, including the 3D and PCB designs are open in github: github.com/inputlabs/ So such modifications are certainly possible. 6. The Desktop profile already has a shift button: inputlabs.io/alpakka/manual/profile_desktop
Quick question: how complicated is it to modify the layout of the controller? For example, changing the scroll wheel for a second stick, or adding more buttons for a six-button controller layout?
It would be interesting if the community designed PCBs compatible with common controls, for example PS2, so it would only be enough to change the control PCB and we would save the step of 3D printing. I have that idea but I don't know anything about circuit design.
Looks awesome! a very polished PCB & case design! And having an rpi allows for a lot of customizationg on the software side, congrats! btw, are you guys from Argentina? i wonder bc the naming of the controllers (alpaca & capybara)
@Input Labs I plan to start printing my shell in the next few days and then I will order some electronics. knowing that haptic feedback is in the roadmap is exciting for future iterations. my other question would be if the triggers will continue to be momentary switches or if they might be analog triggers in future plans? if I end up playing racing games with the alpakka controller, variable brake and throttle would be nice for sure. I'm excited to start this journey and hopefully I can provide some feedback when I complete it.
If you know how to 3D model you could try getting some clay or anything moldable and just squeeze it into the shape you want, then take a photo from a fixed distance with rulers around it from every angle. Pull those into the modelling software you use and draw it that way. If you can't do that, try one of those epoxy clays and get the general shape then sand the outside, dremel the inside. You could even use thin plastic sheets, heat them up to bend in the right shape and melt bits of it in columns to make screwposts.
On our Discord (discord.com/invite/s8Yb4pfusT) you can find various people that experimented with simple screws, conductive paint, and various other alternatives. It depends on that you have in mind.
Community members created mods to use a screw or even aluminum foil, also it is possible to use any other button as a gyro engage instead by editing the profiles
@@inputlabs The forward facing buttons linked on the website look small and circular but here they all look square shaped. I'm just wondering if there's anything being done to dampen the button press or add any springiness to them? I feel like a lot of the electrical switches I've tried can be quite harsh and clicky, whereas most game controller buttons have a much smaller actuation force.
The Alpakka works very nicely with First Person Shooters. Check a couple of the other videos. There are no sensor panels, like on the steam controller. Only one conductive hexagon, which if touched, enables the gyroscope inputs, usually used to aim / look around. The Alpakka currently supports Windows, Mac OS and Linux very nicely. Depending on the profile, it simulates mouse / keyboard / gamepad input.
So excited. I've had this idea for years, but didn't have all the coding skills to put it together. So glad it's open source too. Seriously, this is a dream come true. Question 1: think it's possible to make custom boards that fit in older console controllers rather than a 3d printed shell? Question 2: I've seen people mix graphite powder with silicon to make a conductive. Could probably make button pads with 3d printed molds as an alternative to the "clicky" style buttons. Think this could be possible? Question 3: I saw you are working on a 1 handed controller. Think alternative models for say a hotas, arcade stick, or a driving setup are possible?
1: I don't see why not 2: Possibly but we want to keep it simple for DIY. 3: Yes every controller will have several profiles with several usecases in mind.
You mean these: www.lcsc.com/product-detail/Tactile-Switches_ALPSALPINE-SKPMAME010_C115348.html Btw: all the information is here: inputlabs.io/alpakka/manual/diy_pcb including the link to the list of components on the PCB ( jlcpcb_bom.csv )
I don't know if I should do this self-promotion, but on our Discord server (discord.gg/XYdeqdQF) we have numerous people helping each other, sharing components, tips, etc. That might be useful for you as well.
Hello guys, i just got my alpakka controller today, just finished building it, but the problem is that analog stick is not registering inputs in game and feels sratchy, often gets stuck when holding on max angle, what should i do? I tried reaching out trough the discord, but invitation link doesnt work anymore.
It would be interesting if the community designed PCBs compatible with common controls, for example PS2, so it would only be enough to change the control PCB and we would save the step of 3D printing. I have that idea but I don't know anything about circuit design.
