Group Build prototyping phase
- Brian8bit
- DT Pro Member: -
I was bored, so for the Mac users.
Arrow keys on the right (up via fn+shift): http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... 895d73b527
Arrow keys on WASD via fn layer: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... bade768774
If I knew the most common key cap sizes I'd have a go at making those more accurate. I've sized those examples above just for symmetry.
Added a version with keycap legends: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... 458e751da8
Added a poker-esque version: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... bd10cb38ad
Arrow keys on the right (up via fn+shift): http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... 895d73b527
Arrow keys on WASD via fn layer: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... bade768774
If I knew the most common key cap sizes I'd have a go at making those more accurate. I've sized those examples above just for symmetry.
Added a version with keycap legends: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... 458e751da8
Added a poker-esque version: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... bd10cb38ad
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
I'm telling you... if you want a full ALPS keyboard like this
you better find yourself a Focus FK2001 because I have the plate ready for it
you better find yourself a Focus FK2001 because I have the plate ready for it
-
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: CM QF Stealth
- Main mouse: Apple trackpad
- Favorite switch: MX Brown
- DT Pro Member: -
-
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: CM QF Stealth
- Main mouse: Apple trackpad
- Favorite switch: MX Brown
- DT Pro Member: -
I use a mac, and I use emacs a lot, so for me it seems like it could be a big improvement. I'm always hitting key combos like Ctrl+Alt+something or Cmd+Alt+something (Cmd-Alt-Shift-V is one I'm particularly frustrated with these days), and emacs has many key combos that I can't take advantage of due to the lack of a hyper or super modifier. Finally, I've noticed that I always hit space with my right hand and I'm always contorting my left thumb to reach the modifiers over there.
I'm sure it's possible it will totally suck, but that's what prototyping is for, right?
I'm sure it's possible it will totally suck, but that's what prototyping is for, right?
- aaron
- Location: Germany (Karlsruhe)
- Main keyboard: Noppoo Choc Mini
- Main mouse: Roccat Kova[+], CST
- Favorite switch: MX-Brown mit O-Rings
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
What about this?
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
wow you people are crazy in a good way
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
Interesting idea, moving the alphas one unit to the right. I've always been annoyed how homerow isn't dead centre in a 60%. I like what you've done to balance this up.
Not sure how practical the arrow keys would be, however. I find I frequently press left then right and up then down. Those would be much more difficult with this arrangement.
Also I wonder where you'll get caps to match the numrow. That is unless you're thinking of blanks.
Not sure how practical the arrow keys would be, however. I find I frequently press left then right and up then down. Those would be much more difficult with this arrangement.
Also I wonder where you'll get caps to match the numrow. That is unless you're thinking of blanks.
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
that would totally mess up with my brain my muscle memory would punch me in da face every time I'd get close to the keyboard
apart from that. I like it
apart from that. I like it
- ullr
- Location: Florida
- Main keyboard: GH60
- Main mouse: MX Master
- Favorite switch: Kailh Box Navy Blue
- DT Pro Member: -
Hadn't put much thought into actually producing it. When I was making the layout, one of my biggest concerns was keeping a standard 6.25 unit space bar. I would probably use mostly if not all blanks.
Also, I think that you're right about the arrow keys. They probably would be more intuitive with left and right on the left side and up and down on the right side.
I had an older, similar layout mocked up in a regular image editor with a complete function layer - one of the ideas I had was FN + A bracket key (<,>; [,]; (,); {,}) or a quote would insert two quotes and then a left key press, in most cases putting the cursor between the brackets or quotes - this always seemed like an intuitive feature that was "missing" from common layouts.
I was never sure if the function keys would be best served all on the top row on the function layer with F1 on the zero or if I should offset them one place and have F12 lower down. I always thought that zero should go before one as well, I'm not sure why it ended up the way that it is.
Also, I think that you're right about the arrow keys. They probably would be more intuitive with left and right on the left side and up and down on the right side.
I had an older, similar layout mocked up in a regular image editor with a complete function layer - one of the ideas I had was FN + A bracket key (<,>; [,]; (,); {,}) or a quote would insert two quotes and then a left key press, in most cases putting the cursor between the brackets or quotes - this always seemed like an intuitive feature that was "missing" from common layouts.
I was never sure if the function keys would be best served all on the top row on the function layer with F1 on the zero or if I should offset them one place and have F12 lower down. I always thought that zero should go before one as well, I'm not sure why it ended up the way that it is.
-
- Location: uk (yorkshire)
- Main keyboard: many
- Main mouse: rat 5 modded
- Favorite switch: cherry mx black
- DT Pro Member: -
after watching that cherry commodore keyboard selling well on ebay I thought
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... b3ede41794
or themes along that line
mind you I've always liked the big ibm terminal boards
what about "cut along here" lines for those who want to cut parts out/off although this could increase the price???
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... b3ede41794
or themes along that line
mind you I've always liked the big ibm terminal boards
what about "cut along here" lines for those who want to cut parts out/off although this could increase the price???
- scottc
- ☃
- Location: Remote locations in Europe
- Main keyboard: GH60-HASRO 62g Nixies, HHKB Pro1 HS, Novatouch
- Main mouse: Steelseries Rival 300
- Favorite switch: Nixdorf 'Soft Touch' MX Black
- DT Pro Member: -
I remember someone suggested having a modular layout, maybe with cables like in the ErgoDox. Could be interesting to have a 60% "base", a navigation section, a numpad section, a top "F1-F12" section, and maybe a left-hand-side "F1-F10" AT-style layoutcollector of junk wrote: what about "cut along here" lines for those who want to cut parts out/off although this could increase the price???
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
So long as you can plug them together however you like. I'd put things left of the 60% section, for example, where they belong…
-
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: CM QF Stealth
- Main mouse: Apple trackpad
- Favorite switch: MX Brown
- DT Pro Member: -
Random idea on the "modular" side... what about using layers to combine functions on the numpad? Something like this:
You could use Fn, Nav or Num Lock to sticky-select a layer or you could have a dominant one (set by a hardware switch?) and use the others via chording.
You could use Fn, Nav or Num Lock to sticky-select a layer or you could have a dominant one (set by a hardware switch?) and use the others via chording.
-
- Location: uk (yorkshire)
- Main keyboard: many
- Main mouse: rat 5 modded
- Favorite switch: cherry mx black
- DT Pro Member: -
use a cherry mx lock (7 bit needs us to order more )
- Vierax
- Location: France (Lille)
- Main keyboard: Tipro MID KM128 Bépo layout
- Main mouse: Kensington Orbit Trackball
- Favorite switch: MX Clear / MX Grey (under thumbs)
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
I made macros on my keyboard to make pair of signs in a single press : «», <>, (), [], {} and "" on two macro keys with different modifiers under thumbs. It's practical when you are coding (even editing wiki pages or BBCode in forum replies) no risk to forget the closing sign and having a weird resultullr wrote:I had an older, similar layout mocked up in a regular image editor with a complete function layer - one of the ideas I had was FN + A bracket key (<,>; [,]; (,); {,}) or a quote would insert two quotes and then a left key press, in most cases putting the cursor between the brackets or quotes - this always seemed like an intuitive feature that was "missing" from common layouts.
But I didn't add the left arrow key press and now I will since I don't use special editors like Vim. Thanks for the tip !
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
Okay crazy idea.
Create a series of mini-PCBs where you solder the switch directly. The PCBs are all easily connectable one another in rows/cols.
The PCBs would come in different sizes: 1 switch, 2sw, 3sw, 4sw, 5sw. You just need to connect them together and get whatever layout you want. Staggered or symmetric. Minimal, 60%, 75%, full. With or without function row. Etc...
Create a series of mini-PCBs where you solder the switch directly. The PCBs are all easily connectable one another in rows/cols.
The PCBs would come in different sizes: 1 switch, 2sw, 3sw, 4sw, 5sw. You just need to connect them together and get whatever layout you want. Staggered or symmetric. Minimal, 60%, 75%, full. With or without function row. Etc...
- photekq
- Cherry Picker
- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: Various Cherry Corp keyboards
- Main mouse: Razer Deathadder (1st gen)
- Favorite switch: Nixdorf 'Soft Touch' MX Black (55g springs)
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Not sure if you've seen it, but something similar has been made over at Geekhack. Quite a nice idea, actually :matt3o wrote:Okay crazy idea.
Create a series of mini-PCBs where you solder the switch directly. The PCBs are all easily connectable one another in rows/cols.
The PCBs would come in different sizes: 1 switch, 2sw, 3sw, 4sw, 5sw. You just need to connect them together and get whatever layout you want. Staggered or symmetric. Minimal, 60%, 75%, full. With or without function row. Etc...
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=557 ... msg1254460
-
- Location: Belgium, land of Liberty Wafles and Freedom Fries
- Main keyboard: G80-3K with Clears
- Favorite switch: Capacitative BS
- DT Pro Member: 0049
The idea sounds good, but the PCB can't be too tall / wide or you can't stack your rows close enough together. Maybe you can stuff the solder points into the corner between Cherry switches?
At any rate it would be a great and cleaner way to get your diodes connected, and it's pretty much freeform.
The Geekhack idea of single switch PCBs sounds like it does lose the mechanical stability of 5 switches stuck together.
At any rate it would be a great and cleaner way to get your diodes connected, and it's pretty much freeform.
The Geekhack idea of single switch PCBs sounds like it does lose the mechanical stability of 5 switches stuck together.
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
Intriguing. I could use a version of this for my planned M84 and Matias builds. Or custom PCBs entirely.
But where are the diodes?
But where are the diodes?
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
oh gosh everything has already been done...
well anyway it means that it can be actually done.
My idea was a bit more complex than that btw. First of all, you should try to grab the biggest chunks and use the 1 and 2 units only where really needed.
Secondly, I'd like to mount the modules over a sort of specifically crafted breadboard, so soldering is really reduced to the minimum.
Of course diodes have to be added, the picture is just to give you an idea. We could also add leds.
well anyway it means that it can be actually done.
My idea was a bit more complex than that btw. First of all, you should try to grab the biggest chunks and use the 1 and 2 units only where really needed.
Secondly, I'd like to mount the modules over a sort of specifically crafted breadboard, so soldering is really reduced to the minimum.
Of course diodes have to be added, the picture is just to give you an idea. We could also add leds.
- Vierax
- Location: France (Lille)
- Main keyboard: Tipro MID KM128 Bépo layout
- Main mouse: Kensington Orbit Trackball
- Favorite switch: MX Clear / MX Grey (under thumbs)
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
A nice idea Matt,
The PCB can handle Alps too but for a column staggered layout like ergodox, leds for MX will be on a side, not on top or bottom. And for the same layout with Alps, a legended set will have to be 90° turned too
I already thought about a modular mounting plate with some screw holes to fix them together : the 90° led issue will be fixed but Alps and MX haven't the same hole size. And it requires a lot of bolt to make a board, like a Meccano assembly
The PCB can handle Alps too but for a column staggered layout like ergodox, leds for MX will be on a side, not on top or bottom. And for the same layout with Alps, a legended set will have to be 90° turned too
I already thought about a modular mounting plate with some screw holes to fix them together : the 90° led issue will be fixed but Alps and MX haven't the same hole size. And it requires a lot of bolt to make a board, like a Meccano assembly
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
I believe you need a different PCB design for vertical aligned keyboards
- Vierax
- Location: France (Lille)
- Main keyboard: Tipro MID KM128 Bépo layout
- Main mouse: Kensington Orbit Trackball
- Favorite switch: MX Clear / MX Grey (under thumbs)
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
As I said, it depends what you plan to do with it, a vertical kb with MX and without backlit is feasible with your design.
BTW, did you plan to run another metalcut groupbuy during this year ?
BTW, did you plan to run another metalcut groupbuy during this year ?
- matt3o
- -[°_°]-
- Location: Italy
- Main keyboard: WhiteFox
- Main mouse: Anywhere MX
- Favorite switch: Anything, really
- DT Pro Member: 0030
- Contact:
okay sorry if I left this a little behind. The granite set totally sucked all my free time. I need another couple of days to cool down and then I can get back to this.
I wanted to home-CNC as much as possible, or at least the PCBs, but I still don't have the CNC machine. I thought I found a decent one in Europe but after 2 months they still don't have availability so I'm looking for a backup plan. Any ideas?
I could buy one from US, and I would also have a proxy but I would prefer to get it here if possible.
Anyway the laser cut thing is still valid and I'll go back prototyping starting next week.
I wanted to home-CNC as much as possible, or at least the PCBs, but I still don't have the CNC machine. I thought I found a decent one in Europe but after 2 months they still don't have availability so I'm looking for a backup plan. Any ideas?
I could buy one from US, and I would also have a proxy but I would prefer to get it here if possible.
Anyway the laser cut thing is still valid and I'll go back prototyping starting next week.
- Vierax
- Location: France (Lille)
- Main keyboard: Tipro MID KM128 Bépo layout
- Main mouse: Kensington Orbit Trackball
- Favorite switch: MX Clear / MX Grey (under thumbs)
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Take your time to rest Matt, there's no rush and we don't want you to have a nervous breakdown.
Sorry I can't help for the CNC, no XP with those beasts
Sorry I can't help for the CNC, no XP with those beasts