Author Topic: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons  (Read 50746 times)

thefifthgiant

  • Posts: 108
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #60 on: January 26, 2016, 03:10:33 am »
Went with the White/Red Combo.
Buttons feel, play, and look great.

Looks good, that was the exact combo I was planning on getting myself. It reflects the color scheme of the logo so it gives the look a little credibility, like it might have been intended to be that way all along.

I'll have to place an order now :P

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #61 on: January 26, 2016, 11:15:56 pm »
Went with the White/Red Combo.
Buttons feel, play, and look great.

Any chance we could get new start/select buttons???

A word of caution, as others have noted, be VERY careful when opening the case and extracting the motherboard...
The wires are very fragile.
The power toggle is very fragile.  It is a very tiny plastic lever, and (take it from me) it snaps before you even realize it.
Make sure you lift the board out at an angle to avoid snapping it.

If you do snap it, the psp 1000/2000/3000 replacement switch is an exact match.
If only the plastic tab snaps, just pop the metal cover and replace the plastic part, no need to desolder/resolder new switch.

http://www.dx.com/p/replacement-power-switch-module-for-psp-1000-2000-3000-145261#.VqbcCiorKUk

Hope this helps.



@Warrior
 What would you give the buttons and D pad separately on a scale from 1 to 10? ( in comparison to the others/originals)

 Ha ha, sorry I'm trying to create a scale for everyone to measure up the new ones in comparison to the old ones. Thanks for the pictures and the information! It looks fantastic!



Warrior

  • Posts: 11
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #62 on: January 26, 2016, 11:53:10 pm »

 What would you give the buttons and D pad separately on a scale from 1 to 10? ( in comparison to the others/originals)

 Ha ha, sorry I'm trying to create a scale for everyone to measure up the new ones in comparison to the old ones. Thanks for the pictures and the information! It looks fantastic!

Thanks! I really like them.
If I had to quantify them..
D-Pad: 8.5/10
Buttons: 8.5/10

My GCW-0 came with the second iteration of "fixed" buttons, so that's what I have to compare to.
These buttons are a lot more rigid and tactile than the OEM buttons; a definite improvement.

If you are on the fence about these, order them.  You will not be disappointed.
Just make sure you are willing to read up on the dis-assembly procedure, and take your time! :)

Here's to hoping for 3-d printed start/select buttons!

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #63 on: January 27, 2016, 12:04:21 am »

 What would you give the buttons and D pad separately on a scale from 1 to 10? ( in comparison to the others/originals)

 Ha ha, sorry I'm trying to create a scale for everyone to measure up the new ones in comparison to the old ones. Thanks for the pictures and the information! It looks fantastic!

Thanks! I really like them.
If I had to quantify them..
D-Pad: 8.5/10
Buttons: 8.5/10

My GCW-0 came with the second iteration of "fixed" buttons, so that's what I have to compare to.
These buttons are a lot more rigid and tactile than the OEM buttons; a definite improvement.

If you are on the fence about these, order them.  You will not be disappointed.
Just make sure you are willing to read up on the dis-assembly procedure, and take your time! :)

Here's to hoping for 3-d printed start/select buttons!

@Warrior
 That's awesome, sincerely thank you so much for the reply!
 8.5/10? That's fantastic.
Just out of curiosity, what would you have rated the first D pad and buttons 1-10 each?
Sorry, I know it's tedious, but it helps for frame of reference/comparison and I really appreciate your replies !
 :)

 Edit: I have the newer iteration of buttons/D pad too. In regards to purchasing a GCW0 just last month.  Which is why I am curious to hear your rating on the original D pad/buttons. Thank you!
« Last Edit: January 29, 2016, 06:22:59 pm by Quickman »

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #64 on: January 27, 2016, 06:15:51 pm »
@Warrior  sorry, forgot to tag you in this reply before posting ^^^^^^^^^^

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #65 on: January 28, 2016, 02:29:40 am »
Also, @TimeDevouncer  did you ever receive/replace the membrane for the D pad? If so, I'm curious to know if it helped solve all the problems you were mentioning in your earlier post. Let us know when you can! Thank you so much!

If so would you still rate it 8/10
or now higher like 9/10?

thefifthgiant

  • Posts: 108
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #66 on: February 09, 2016, 02:59:58 am »
My new buttons and d-pad arrived today, I took a risk and only ordered two sets of the buttons, hoping that I would be able to use all four. Looking at them, it is hard to see much of a difference (though you can see which ones were printed sideways if you look close enough), so I am hopeful that they will work well once installed. The quality of the 3d print is very nice, and much better than what I am used to seeing.

I am waiting until the weekend to install, because I am nervous about breaking the power slider and I don't want to rush. I will report back, hopefully with pictures of my new, improved (and not busted) zero.

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #67 on: February 09, 2016, 06:09:46 pm »
My new buttons and d-pad arrived today, I took a risk and only ordered two sets of the buttons, hoping that I would be able to use all four. Looking at them, it is hard to see much of a difference (though you can see which ones were printed sideways if you look close enough), so I am hopeful that they will work well once installed. The quality of the 3d print is very nice, and much better than what I am used to seeing.

I am waiting until the weekend to install, because I am nervous about breaking the power slider and I don't want to rush. I will report back, hopefully with pictures of my new, improved (and not busted) zero.

 Thank you for the information @thefifthgiant !
 Look forward to the pictures and updates! :)

 

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #68 on: February 09, 2016, 06:14:07 pm »
 Also, does anyone know if the new button membranes/underlays for the zero that are being sold at @ithic.com
Are any different from the originals? I.e. harder/softer or more responsive ??

Thank you!

Was hoping @TimeDevouncer would be able to update us on this (whenever you can. No pressure!)
😁

thefifthgiant

  • Posts: 108
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #69 on: February 13, 2016, 04:10:52 pm »
Install complete, I went with the same scheme as @Warrior 



I was planning on taking more pictures on the inside, but I didn't think about it until after I was done..

Anyway, the install went really well, right up until the end. I didn't have any trouble with the power slider or the shoulder buttons. When I was trying to put the rumble motor back into it slot on the back, I slipped and broke one of the wires off right where it connects to the motor. I'm kind of bummed that I managed to mess that up, even though rumble isn't being used much right now for anything. Anyone know where I can find a replacement?

I will report back, hopefully with pictures of my new, improved (and not busted) zero.

If something isn't broken when you try to "fix" it, it will be afterwards. I've always had bad luck with that.

Now for the rating system:

D-pad: old (5/10), new (8/10)
This is a good improvement, and I don't think I will need silicone grease anymore. The action is not as sloppy anymore, and direction presses feel a lot more precise.  :D The d-pad is definitely worth upgrading.

Buttons: old(7/10), new(7/10)
To be honest, I never had an issue with my buttons, and I don't really notice an improvement with these either. For this one,  I would say you don't need these unless you want them for style. As I mentioned before, I also only bought two sets of these replacements and used both buttons from each set. They all work great and I see no reason why you shouldn't do this if you are only going with 1 or 2 colors. You can't see the difference unless you look really closely (and I mean inches/centimeters from your face), but why would you do that when you can be playing games?




Warrior

  • Posts: 11
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #70 on: February 13, 2016, 04:24:27 pm »
Install complete, I went with the same scheme as @Warrior

Sorry to hear about the rumble motor.  Those wires are super flaky.  Both of my shoulder buttons had the wires disconnect during install.  Are you sure you can't just solder the wire back on the rumble motor?  The shoulder button wires were simple enough to re-attach.

Kudos on the color scheme. :)




thefifthgiant

  • Posts: 108
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #71 on: February 13, 2016, 09:57:32 pm »
Unfortunately, the wire broke off at the motor end, so I don't think I will be able to reattach it. There isn't any wire left coming out the motor, and there aren't any metal surfaces on the motor itself to attach to. I think it pulled apart right at the white piece plastic that makes up the base of the motor.



Sorry for the blurry photo, but you can kind of see it here. The blue wire is broken off.

thefifthgiant

  • Posts: 108
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #72 on: February 13, 2016, 10:02:21 pm »
Sorry for double post, but I should add that the printed parts have a slightly rougher texture compared to the originals. Not a big deal, but FYI in case that is important to you. I prefer a working d-pad ;)

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #73 on: February 13, 2016, 11:57:29 pm »
@thefifthgiant  looks really good! Thanks for the information and photos! So sorry about the rumble motor :(

 Surprised you gave both the OLD and new buttons a 7/10 ...I would think the fact that they aren't hollow like the old ones would give it an overall better feel to Percision as you play. Hmm

thefifthgiant

  • Posts: 108
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #74 on: February 14, 2016, 02:20:15 am »
To be fair, I haven't played with them too long, so it's possible I might change my mind. I was mostly just testing them for rubbing and "spring" action, because that was the main problem with the d-pad. In this regard, I felt that the old buttons were fine as well. I know that some people had issues with the buttons though, and I imagine it might be a big improvement for those people.

The improvement on the d-pad was immediate and much more noticeable, but I guess I will have to put them through a couple of long gaming sessions to find out  ;)

opt2not

  • Posts: 210
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #75 on: February 16, 2016, 07:52:34 pm »


Got mine installed. I went with all red buttons and d-pad. 

Mine is a KS and I didn't have many problems with the buttons and d-pad before. But the new buttons feel better for sure, a lot more solid and doesn't rattle around.  It also has a softer contact when pressing down, which helps with silent playing.

The D-pad is also better, though not perfect, it still feels much more responsive now. Doing circular motions feels more fluent, and I like the grip of the material over the stock d-pad. 

If we're throwing around rating numbers on this, I'd say:

Old Buttons: 7/10
Old D-pad: 4/10

New Buttons: 9/10
New D-pad: 8/10

Next I'm going to see if I can replace those start and select switches since they're super loud.  Also my L and R triggers tend to rattle around a bit too. I noticed that there is extra space in the groove they sit in, so I'm going to try to put something there that holds the triggers in place more sturdy.

My ultimate goal is to make button pressing on this unit more quiet, but the new buttons and d-pad help a lot towards that!

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #76 on: February 16, 2016, 11:55:03 pm »
@opt2not all red looks really good! Thanks for the information/ratings and write up!

TimeDevouncer

  • Posts: 231
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #77 on: February 21, 2016, 05:33:04 pm »
Sorry for the delay!


I just change the membranes and clean the "pins" with alcohol.

And...awesome, i think the problem are this membranes ^^.
Now, the DPad are more...?hard?, but works perfectly, much better. I'm happy with this change.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2016, 07:40:10 pm by TimeDevouncer »
Look behind you! A three-headed monkey!

Quickman

  • Posts: 220
Re: Announcing new, completely redesigned 3D printed DPAD and ABXY buttons
« Reply #78 on: February 21, 2016, 07:09:34 pm »
Sorry for the delay!


I just change the membranes and clean the "pins" with alcohol.

And...awesome, i think the problem are this membranes ^^.
Now, the DPad are more...?hard?, but works perfectly

Fantastic!!
Thanks for the update @TimeDevouncer  :)

lunar

  • Posts: 22
Just tossing in another opinion since the company has a free shipping deal this week.

I just replaced the d-pad myself. Gonna give a few tips first. The process was a bit more difficult than I expected. A credit card and folded post-it note worked well for removing the battery without damaging it in any way. I wasn't able to remove the power toggle in any comfortable manner and just sort of took the silver IO cover off from around it. Start on the side opposite, work your way around to the power switch itself to pull it out from under/around. Helps circumvent the entire issue with snapping the electrical part. I didn't actually disconnect the ribbon cable (couldn't find a comfortable, simple way to do this), and instead just gently lifted up the board until I could push out the original d-pad and push in the new one.

Basically, just be patient and fairly gentle with it. Make sure any force you use is well controlled.

As for my impressions, I'm feeling a bit mixed on it. I'm not too fond of the grip material - I'm sure it's because of the 3D printing process, but it feels a bit excessively rough to me. Each part of the pad feels a bit thinner than I expected as well, but that's not really a bad thing. The area where it let me down is with diagonals. They still don't register as cleanly as I would like. It seems to be getting better with repeated use, but keep in mind that it's certainly not perfect yet. I'm wondering how much of this is more an issue with the membrane and less an issue with the d-pad.

Overall, it's an improvement over the original. Due to a lack of experience, I can't really give any input on whether or not it's better than using any other d-pad such as the original Game Boy's. Here's a photo of the end result.



If numerical ratings help anyone visualize, I would say that the original d-pad was probably a 5.5, this is more a 7. Both are functional and usable to be sure, but neither are especially excellent or perfectly responsive.

I might end up replacing the buttons just for aesthetic consistency. I don't really have any issues with mine though aside from the fact that they letter printing is slightly off center on some.

Edit: Later in the day, had more time to play with it. Some of my complaints are gradually resolving themselves - I think part of the issue was that I was still approaching the new d-pad like I did the old one. Want to reiterate that it's still not perfect, but I would give it more of a 7.5-8 now. It's an improvement and was worth dropping the cash on.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2016, 12:33:20 am by lunar »

 

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