Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/giI8Tct.jpg)
Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/ackVFO6.jpg)
A few more notes on your katakana alphas:
It looks like you opted to come up with your own variation of the Japanese layout rather than use one of the standard ones? For example, ケ, ワ, ゛, ゜ keys are missing; ロ and ム are in the wrong positions; there are duplicate ク and ヲ legends; and ヲ and ヱ (an obsolete kana), which I haven't seen included as primary legends before, are present in the kit.
For reference, this is the standard ANSI-based Japanese katakana layout:
(https://i.imgur.com/Me3Qwk1.png)
I recommend basing your kit off of this. So, for example:
- ロ should be moved to the tilde position (in both white and green);
- ム should be moved to the pipe position (on both the R4 1u and white/green R3 1.5u keys);
- the green R4 1u pipe key should be removed, as mentioned in my previous post;
- R4 ヲ should be replaced with ワ;
- the second R2 ク should be replaced with ケ;
- ゛, ゜ should be placed on the bracket keys (you can have dotted boxes around these symbols to help them fit in aesthetically; example (https://i.imgur.com/eUgzLrf.png)).
In addition to this, you should include the following keys for ISO and JIS support:
Further reading (https://imgur.com/S66ZEMv)
A few points of feedback:
Minibars kit:
- You can safely drop the 2x 1u green spacebars because they are already offered in the ortho/40s kit and there are not any larger layouts which utilize 2x 1u spacebars
- Because you already offer them in green in the 40s/Ortho kit, I recommend dropping the white and pink 2x 1u spacebars. This frees up 6u of space in the minibars kits. I doubt anyone picking up the 40s/Ortho kit will also pick up minibars just for different colored 1u spacebars.
- In my opinion, you can drop all of the 1.25u spacebars from the minibars kit as you have plenty of 1.25u mod options which can be utilized instead.
40s/Ortho kit:
- There appears to be two R2 1.5u "Enter" keys offered. You only need one.
- 40s layouts which utilize a 1.75u spacebar use two and not one (JD40/45). However, since you offer the R1 1.75u lock key (for Minivan), it is not strictly necessary to add a second 1.75u spacebar as this key could be used as a spacebar.
Novelties:
- I really like these. Well done!
Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/giI8Tct.jpg)
Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/ackVFO6.jpg)
A few more notes on your katakana alphas:
It looks like you opted to come up with your own variation of the Japanese layout rather than use one of the standard ones? For example, ケ, ワ, ゛, ゜ keys are missing; ロ and ム are in the wrong positions; there are duplicate ク and ヲ legends; and ヲ and ヱ (an obsolete kana), which I haven't seen included as primary legends before, are present in the kit.
For reference, this is the standard ANSI-based Japanese katakana layout:
Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/Me3Qwk1.png)
I recommend basing your kit off of this. So, for example:
- ロ should be moved to the tilde position (in both white and green);
- ム should be moved to the pipe position (on both the R4 1u and white/green R3 1.5u keys);
- the green R4 1u pipe key should be removed, as mentioned in my previous post;
- R4 ヲ should be replaced with ワ;
- the second R2 ク should be replaced with ケ;
- ゛, ゜ should be placed on the bracket keys (you can have dotted boxes around these symbols to help them fit in aesthetically; example (https://i.imgur.com/eUgzLrf.png)).
In addition to this, you should include the following keys for ISO and JIS support:
Further reading (https://imgur.com/S66ZEMv)
A few points of feedback:
Minibars kit:
- You can safely drop the 2x 1u green spacebars because they are already offered in the ortho/40s kit and there are not any larger layouts which utilize 2x 1u spacebars
- Because you already offer them in green in the 40s/Ortho kit, I recommend dropping the white and pink 2x 1u spacebars. This frees up 6u of space in the minibars kits. I doubt anyone picking up the 40s/Ortho kit will also pick up minibars just for different colored 1u spacebars.
- In my opinion, you can drop all of the 1.25u spacebars from the minibars kit as you have plenty of 1.25u mod options which can be utilized instead.
40s/Ortho kit:
- There appears to be two R2 1.5u "Enter" keys offered. You only need one.
- 40s layouts which utilize a 1.75u spacebar use two and not one (JD40/45). However, since you offer the R1 1.75u lock key (for Minivan), it is not strictly necessary to add a second 1.75u spacebar as this key could be used as a spacebar.
Novelties:
- I really like these. Well done!
I mostly agree, except I think that 1.25u spacekeys should be kept as they are useful for several layouts: Alice & similar (2u+1.25u), standard 6.25u split spacebar (2.75u+1.25u+2.25u, 2.25u+1.25u+2.75u), etc. A 1u spacekey is also useful for Alice, so one (of each color) should be dropped and the other should be kept.
Some further feedback on the kits:
Alphas kits
- The green R4 1u \| / ヲ keys can be removed from the alphas kits. See here (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=107963.msg2951102#msg2951102) for an explanation.
- The katakana alphas kits are missing a R4 1u ー key. This is the prolonged sound mark (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Donpu) character, which is required for proper coverage of JP layouts. Example (https://raysasquach.s-ul.eu/hvWEhnxT.jpg) (this is a hiragana kit, but it's the same with katakana).
- ISO/JIS alpha keys are missing from both kits. I suggest including R2 1u \|, R1 1u <> in the Latin alphas (example (https://i.imgur.com/pAAstuJ.jpg)); and R2 1u ム, R1 1u ロ in the katakana alphas (example (https://i.imgur.com/5VUtq0R.png)).
Mods kits
- I suggest moving R5 1u Del from the numpad kits to the mods kits because this key is useful for 75% layouts. Example (https://i.imgur.com/kPjjmhg.png).
- I also suggest including a R5 1u F13 key (green) in the mods kits.
- The second R1 1u Ctrl can be removed from the mods kits, as this key isn't used on any modern ≥60% layouts.
- As for the second R1 1u Alt key, it isn't useful unless you're also going to have 1.5u Sys keys in the mods kits (for Mac and OG HHKB bottom rows). You have a few (mutually exclusive) options here:
- remove the second R1 1u Alt; or
- keep it and add two R1 1.5u Sys keys; or
- keep it and add one R1 1.5u Sys key (leaving R1 1.5u Fn to serve as the second one).
- The conventional icon for Tab is ⇆ rather than ⇄ (top arrow is left-facing).
40s/Ortho kit
- The following keys can be removed as they are totally useless:
- R3 1u ↩
- second R2 1.5u ↩ — replace it with a R2 1.5u ⇆ or ≡ instead (this is for boards like Pearl)
- R1 1.75u ↩
- Adding R2 1u ↩ is a must (for ortho boards).
- Mod-colored R2 1u '" is also a must (for Planck and similar orthos).
- Consider adding a R3 2u ⌫ for Candybar and 13u staggered 40s (Pearl, JD45, Laplace...).
- Optionally, add a 6.25u spacebar for staggered 40s, unless you intend for users of these boards to get the Spacebars kit.
International kits
I may be missing a thing or two, but this is good enough for now.
Thanks for the feedback y'all, super appreciate the depth. Going to go through this soon and make changes.
I'm very glad you're offering a Colevrak kit. I have a few suggestions to make it even better:
• It's probably just a mistake, but the R3 "I" isn't needed and an R3 "L" is missing.
• Please consider adding an icon backspace, especially since icon mods are sometimes more popular than text.
• Please consider adding an R2 "]}" keycap to support Wide mod.
(https://i.postimg.cc/KGjB8XqR/200911three-Colevrak-Comments.png)
Wide mod layout info for anyone interested: More
(https://i.postimg.cc/PddcRBwc/Wide-Mod-Pic200606.png)
I'm very glad you're offering a Colevrak kit. I have a few suggestions to make it even better:
• It's probably just a mistake, but the R3 "I" isn't needed and an R3 "L" is missing.
• Please consider adding an icon backspace, especially since icon mods are sometimes more popular than text.
• Please consider adding an R2 "]}" keycap to support Wide mod.
Show Image
(https://i.postimg.cc/KGjB8XqR/200911three-Colevrak-Comments.png)
Wide mod layout info for anyone interested: More
Show Image
(https://i.postimg.cc/PddcRBwc/Wide-Mod-Pic200606.png)
Thanks for the feedback!
- Yep, that I is supposed to be an L. Will be updated in the next revision. I'm burning through a lot of changes right now.
- I was not aware of the wide mod, that's interesting. I've never taken the alternate layout plunge so this is all very new to me. I will add the closing brackets key to R2.
- Yes! Not adding an icon mod backspace was an oversight, it will be there with the new revisions.
Big updates to the set today! Check out the OP for collabs, new green color, all new kitting, and more. Full changelog:
More
* "aesthetic" katakana novelty changed to "vaporwave" katakana novelty
* basic TKL compatibility kit added
* katakana numpad numbers added to katakana alpha kits
* french, south, and north kits consolidated into international kit
* international and colevrak kits are now white instead of pink
* palm tree novelty redone with birds and sunset
* statue head redone to helios bust from floral shoppe cover
* abstract vaporwave novelty added
* more detail added to cherry blossom novelty
* fuji artisan redone
* apple and windows novelties moved into separate OS kit
* debian novelty added to OS kit
* pink mod kits added: text mods, icon mods, pink alpha numpad, white alpha numpad, 40s, ortho, ergo
* novelties and OS kits split out into pink and green kits
* 6.25u and 7u spacebars added to alpha kits
* spacebars removed from text and icon mod kits
* removed text from deskmat
* added accent color keys to 40s kits
* added katakana 'b' keys to minibars kit in each alpha color
* removed 1x 1u spacebar key from minibars kit in each color
* removed mod colored pipe key from alphas
* fixed katakana legends
* added basic ISO compatibility to alpha kits
* moved R5 1u delete key from numpads to text and icon mods kits
* added F13 key to text and icon mods kits
* removed 1x 1u ctrl key from text and icon mods kits
* add 1x R1 1.5 sys key to text and icon mod kits
* fixed tab icon (flipped along the x axis)
* split 40s and ortho kits into separate kits
* removed R1 1.75u enter from 40s kit
* added R2 1u enter to ortho kits
* added R2 1u '" mod colored key to ortho kits
* added R3 2u backspace to 40s kits
* added 6.25u spacebar to 40s kits
* various changes to ergo kits for better compatibility
* added second 2u space to 40s and ortho kits
* fixed I --> L in colevrak kit
* added wide mod support to colevrak kit
* added icon backspace to colevrak kit
* added pink mod keys to colevrak and international kits
* changed white alpha kit text color from purple to pink
* removed ergo blank kit
* changed the green used for the mods
* added pink mod colored tilde and pipe to white alpha kits
* added white novelty kit
* add text pause key to numpad
Big updates to the set today! Check out the OP for collabs, new green color, all new kitting, and more. Full changelog:
More
* "aesthetic" katakana novelty changed to "vaporwave" katakana novelty
* basic TKL compatibility kit added
* katakana numpad numbers added to katakana alpha kits
* french, south, and north kits consolidated into international kit
* international and colevrak kits are now white instead of pink
* palm tree novelty redone with birds and sunset
* statue head redone to helios bust from floral shoppe cover
* abstract vaporwave novelty added
* more detail added to cherry blossom novelty
* fuji artisan redone
* apple and windows novelties moved into separate OS kit
* debian novelty added to OS kit
* pink mod kits added: text mods, icon mods, pink alpha numpad, white alpha numpad, 40s, ortho, ergo
* novelties and OS kits split out into pink and green kits
* 6.25u and 7u spacebars added to alpha kits
* spacebars removed from text and icon mod kits
* removed text from deskmat
* added accent color keys to 40s kits
* added katakana 'b' keys to minibars kit in each alpha color
* removed 1x 1u spacebar key from minibars kit in each color
* removed mod colored pipe key from alphas
* fixed katakana legends
* added basic ISO compatibility to alpha kits
* moved R5 1u delete key from numpads to text and icon mods kits
* added F13 key to text and icon mods kits
* removed 1x 1u ctrl key from text and icon mods kits
* add 1x R1 1.5 sys key to text and icon mod kits
* fixed tab icon (flipped along the x axis)
* split 40s and ortho kits into separate kits
* removed R1 1.75u enter from 40s kit
* added R2 1u enter to ortho kits
* added R2 1u '" mod colored key to ortho kits
* added R3 2u backspace to 40s kits
* added 6.25u spacebar to 40s kits
* various changes to ergo kits for better compatibility
* added second 2u space to 40s and ortho kits
* fixed I --> L in colevrak kit
* added wide mod support to colevrak kit
* added icon backspace to colevrak kit
* added pink mod keys to colevrak and international kits
* changed white alpha kit text color from purple to pink
* removed ergo blank kit
* changed the green used for the mods
* added pink mod colored tilde and pipe to white alpha kits
* added white novelty kit
* add text pause key to numpad
Now that's an update if I've ever seen one. Really exciting to see all the work you're putting in on this. Can't wait for the GB!