geekhack Projects > Making Stuff Together!

Katana60 v2 Concept

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josefadamcik:
As daily user of katana60 I have a few notes based on my experience with the first version.

1) I like that hands are moving a little bit closer (0.5u). On the original katana60 I am not using the middle keys at all since they are very hard to reach.

2) I really appreciate that you keep in mind availability of keycaps for the board. Regarding that, is it common to have two 2.25 keys with correct profile for the bottom row in one set? I honestly don't know since at the moment I have only DSA profile keycaps.

3) There are no arrows on default layer. Even though I use mainly the arrows on the extend layer with katana60, this might be a problem for other users. But maybe you could design the PCB that an alternative layout for the right side of the bottom row (with 2 more 1u keys instead of the 2.25u spacebar on the right) so that arrows could be easily mapped there.

As a programmer I use a lot of keyboard shortcuts and it's important for my muscle memory to have all modifiers (cmd, opt, ctrl) on both sides of the bottom row in the same order (mirrored, of course) and at least kind of symmetrical. I usually press modifiers with one hand and the letter with the other hand. What I did with the original Katana60 was that I modified 3 of the arrow keys at the bottom row to work as arrows only when tapped, and as a modifier (cmd, opt, ctrl) when pressed.

Therefore:

4) The ctrl in the middle of the bottom row would give me a hard time to relearn and might actually impossible to use for me. But this is hard to say without trying. But it's true that I could easily remap the bottom row. I actually don't need the extend button on the right so the layout would, in the end, work for me.

You can check my layout here (github, image included) if you are interested.

greenjack:
Hi, and first of all, I was highly impressed with katana60 project and the symmetrical layout idea as well.
However don't you think about the same story with a Russian layout? Cause the more letters caused more issues with button replacement.

willitheowl:

--- Quote from: funderburker on Tue, 29 January 2019, 07:29:55 ---I gotta say that I can't figure out what to do with so many keys on the bottom row. Even if I used more thumb keys (I use two rn) then I would use 4 at max. No it's just an F row on the bottom :D

--- End quote ---

I have a Delete key on the bottom left and love it! Good for editing text, good for deleting files. And in cases where Delete and Backspace have the same effect, I can delete stuff with the left hand while the right is mousing.

On a previous keyboard I also had Home/End mapped there in the bottom row. Super nice to hit "End" after some small edit to go back to the end and continue writing. And Home is nice to have as a base key to hit Alt+Home in the browser without additional layer toggle. Or Ctrl+Home then Shift+Ctrl+End to select everything in a document. Goes on and on.

Ah, almost forgot: a second small Return key on the left side also helps to confirm dialogs and stuff when the right hand is mousing.

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