When I think of open hardware I imagine Kicad/Altium files of the electronics (not gerbers), access to the C, C++ or Rust firmware and the STEP files at least or other source modifiable files so they're 3D printable if I was so inclined to modify all three.
[1] https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/pl...
The only thing why I'm probably not going for it is that 1) shipment would be way too much to justify and 2) the STLs seem to be 3d printed instead of injection molded or similar, so the "no cheap shit" argument on their website is kinda different for me if I have to print all files myself anyways.
[1] https://github.com/ploopyco/classic-trackball/tree/master/ha...
[1] https://github.com/ploopyco/classic-trackball/tree/master/ha...
> CAD files are not available for the mouse... [Will it ever be?] It's certainly possible, but my focus is not currently on the mouse, so there's no timeline. [0]
> I haven't released the design files for the Mouse, no. I may revisit that decision at a later date, since I've slated some major design revisions to it, but that won't be any time soon. Sorry. [1]
> I made the decision some time ago to keep the mechanical files for the Mouse closed-source. I could spend all day trying to convince you that my reasoning was good, but you'd still leave unsatisfied. All I can do is tell you that I'm sorry the files aren't available, and that I hope you can find something that will satisfy your needs. [2]
The Open Source Hardware Association describes OSHW as "hardware whose design is made publicly available so that anyone can study, modify, distribute, make, and sell the design or hardware based on that design. The hardware’s source, the design from which it is made, is available in the preferred format for making modifications to it." Kicad/Altium would certainly be appropriate for the electronics.
Gerbers are to Kicad schematics and PCBs as the STEPs and STLs are to the mechanical design files in Freecad .FCStd or (more likely) Autodesk dwg/f3d/iam or Solidworks SLDPRT/SLDASM formats. For the other products like the trackballs, the author did not release the mechanical design files, only the output STEPs and STLs. This isn't quite as bad as, for example, getting only the compiled code out of a software project. Mechanical design tools are good at working with STEP files; each step of hardware->electronics->software gets increasingly more obfuscated. But I agree, it's hard to put "Open" as the first word on your website and then describe your products as:
> Our products are accessible. Often, we release some or even all of the design files and source code for our products.
[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/ploopy/comments/k4olxc/cad_availabl...
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/ploopy/comments/l3r783/ploopy_mouse...
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/ploopy/comments/mkzmv7/stl_for_ploo...