MY GOAL: Make a 40% board viable and hopefully intuitive for software developers (aka - Me)...Here is what I have come up with so far. Note: Top print is the default layer, bottom print is 'shift' layer...
Standard layer...Function layer...My considerations:- I added support for Ins, Del, Return and Caps in the standard layer.
- I dramatically changed the way the function layer worked.
- Function row should not take up 12 keys. I tend to use the function keys in groups, so I created groups of 3 for them.
- I moved the numbers and their symbols to a numpad style and added things near the pad that would be often used with numbers: . + - * / Enter
- I added Ctrl support in the function layer because I often use things like 'Ctrl + [' and 'Ctrl +]' for indenting and such in text editors (also commenting blocks and such)
- I tend to use two hands for brackets and braces anyway, so I created bracket and braces group in the middle of the keyboard.
- I tried to keep the keys like: ' " : ; = + - _ \ ? / | closer to where they are in my muscle memory.
- I added support for Pg Up and Pg Dn
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Edit: I intentionally did not add a 'Fn + Shift' layer for 'up, down, left, right, home, end' because I use those as selection modification.
As a side note. I did two color keycaps because that is how I would probably build this for myself. If I am using blank keycaps, I would want some points of reference. This is just my preference...
Last but not least... Here are links for you to build your own 40 layouts...
Standard LayerFunction Layer