Hi people,
it has been a while since I got my ergodox and I'm almost totally happy with it.
One thing I observed after tuning key layout though is that I don't use 34 (almost half!!!) of the keys.
So I thought I'd share the layout that I'm currently using (I removed the ergodox keys that I don't use and adjusted size of keys in the screenshot/link):
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/95c43498ea1d1ab9c0d055f8b7b57a7cFirst of all, the layout is based on
workman layout and uses 3 layers basically (in code it is more, because of split layers between hands). I am a programmer so I don't only need letters, but all kind of braces and special chars as well. Because I didn't want to reach up to the numbers row, I set up a second layer for them. Then in the next step I thought I might as well make a layer for numbers and F keys too, so here we are now
1st row on the keys is Layer 1 (mostly letters, active by default)
2nd row is Layer 2 (mostly special chars needed for programming, active for left hand when holding n, active for right hand when holding t)
3rd row is Layer 3 (numbers/F-keys, active for left hand when holding i, active for right hand when holding a)
Shift is active when holding h or e
Alt is active when holding s or o
Sometimes I also need to write Umlauts (ä ö ü ß). I have no layer for them, but can easily write them with alt-codes (holding A and S and enter the numbers). If those letters are written often, another layer would be no problem I think (for example on holding U or R).
Often I need to use hotkeys in the IDE (Alt+Shift+Key, Alt+Ctrl+Key, Alt+Shift+Ctrl+Key), which are all easily accessible in the layout (maybe not visible on first sight, but once you get used to it it really is very convenient). There is almost no hand movement needed anymore.
One example that comes to my mind right now is Alt-Tab to go from IDE to browser and then F5. As you can see by the layout, there is no hand movement needed at all.
The most convenient for me when I started using this were the arrow keys, 'Home' and 'End' on L2.
But there are a lot more such convenient positionings to be found in your daily work.
The keys colored in red I use rarely, but still kind of want to keep (Esc/Del/Lgui for being able to activate them with one hand/finger, the +$ just for esthetics).
Yellow keys are thumb keys.
Blue is deep fish key.
I also want to build it as a real keyboard when I got spare time and patience.
The layout would make it possible to have a much smaller ergodox!!
compare with full ergodox:
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/cfd9124a9b86e0d36858211e864f855bcompare with Atreus:
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/ef981a4824102d659d787ef279f935f1The Atreus has only 42keys as well but it is not seperate for each hand. This makes it possible for it to be even smaller. But I definately want to keep the two hands separated, because I adjust the hand position from time to time (mostly when I change sitting position).
And also I want 4 thumb keys and the positioning of them seems a bit odd on the Atreus, though I did not have a chance to try it out yet so I might be wrong.
Anyway, for now I just wanted to share the layout, maybe someone finds it useful ^^
Oh, and of course, the firmware that makes it all possible is
tmk.