Designing a split ortho with function row (for artisans)

[Hazzula]

Hello all! I have been using a let's split for a while and I have an artisan on my top leftmost (tab on default) and top rightmost (backspace on default) keys. I notice that I have a problem with grazing them every now and then when I hit any of the adjacent keys. Sure it might be because of the position of my hands but it still made me realize that the reason this doesnt happen on my TKL (blackwidow TE 2014) is because theres a small space between the number and the function rows.

My thoughts before I decided to design my own thing was to get an orthodox or an iris. For the orthodox I was going to put the artisans on the higher thumb cluster keys. This would work because those keys are designed to fit 1.25u keys so there is some space. But that would limit me to only 4 artisans. For the iris I could fill the whole top row with artisans, but since theyre right above the next row, i feel like my fingers would still graze the artisans.

So my requirements for this design were:

• Split kb
• thumb cluster
• space between the row for artisans and the next row

(I put the ctl and alt keys there because i use them alot and thats where they are on my lets split)

With that, here is the layout I came up with, http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/821179b3542231089a96c1347b46484d

Thinking of calling it a monkeys paw because I was inspired by deductivemonkees orthodox more than anything.

[TalkingTree]

If you move Ctrl and Alt 1u to the center, you have symmetrical PCBs.

[Hazzula]

If you move Ctrl and Alt 1u to the center, you have symmetrical PCBs.

Like where exactly do you mean by the center? could you tell me in terms of what keys they would be beside/under/above

[TalkingTree]

Like so. Eventually you could predispose pads in the black keys as well so it would still be symmetrical but you could keep the bottom row in the original place.

Edit: to clarify, I actually mean mirrored rather than symmetrical. So you can design one PCB for both hands, like the ErgoDox.

[Hazzula]

Like so. Eventually you could predispose pads in the black keys as well so it would still be symmetrical but you could keep the bottom row in the original place.

Edit: to clarify, I actually mean mirrored rather than symmetrical. So you can design one PCB for both hands, like the ErgoDox.

ohh that DOES look better. Ill have to keep that as an option when i start to protoype. and yeah does sound like a good idea to keep them mirrored so that all the pcbs are the same

Edit: I keep looking at it and I like the idea of having 4 footprints there and giving the user the option of using whichever ones the want. TBH i put the ctl and alt there originally because thats how I use it. and i didnt want to clutter the design with keys i didnt need. Now though, it doesnt make sense to prevent everyone from having those keys at all. Thanks for the suggestion!