Aftermarket Center Console Switch Panel

Its (1) piece, you would have to cut the switch panel portion out of the rest of the trim.

 

That sucks.

 

I can answer this as this is what I do for my daily grind...
The spaces can be tightened up, but from a mis-operation standpoint, the dividers are usually there to prevent that for general users. Gloved fingers are large consideration for spacing also.

Does the spacing have to be that wide? Answer is no, but there needs to be vertical structure there wide enough to provide support and keep the switches from wiggling around on the panel and some sort of gap needs to be maintained for wiring harness and connector access. There are also gussets, screw bosses, mounting clip bosses, and and a bunch of other fit and finish tolerances that must be kept for the individual switches in some areas. The thinner these parts get in between the switches also cause warping or breakage issues on the panel itself sometimes, dependent on material substrate.

Here's a quick photo of the fake panel gap (think Ridgeline) with the two different textures molded in. This is the cheapest and most economical way for the vendor to do this. Pop two different complete panels instead of a separate tool and involve more complex inner support structure to accommodate for the additional inner panel and clips adds a few cents... but the few cents over the life cycle of a production vehicle adds up to quite a lot including the spares they must pop for repairs.

There is no gap. Just got it in the right lighting.

 

And this is why I'm not a mech engineer, industrial designer or in raw materials. Haha