Author Topic: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)  (Read 3954 times)

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Offline jamster

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Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« on: Mon, 16 August 2021, 06:50:44 »

[Preface: I have zero experience with QMK or the online configurator, just fired it up to have a look around.]

So I'm shortly going to undertake building a Dactyl Manuform (DM) in the largest 5x7 layout. First DIY build, previously I'm using modded TKLs or a Dumang DK6 split board.

Using the very handy 3D generator at https://dactyl.siskam.link/manuform, I see that there's also an option to include an extra inner column of 3 keys, which is similar to the Ergodox layout. I figure this is handy for extra function keys, trials of various layouts with the Dumang have established that I prefer more keys than less.

Thing is, how does this layout work with the online QMK configurator? This layout brings the number of columns on each hand to 8 instead of 7, which does not fit any of the pre-fabricated Dactyl layouts (which go up to 5x7). Is it possible to shoehorn this into an existing layout, or does it require bypassing the online configurator and creating something entirely from scratch?

Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 20 August 2021, 04:14:06 »
I'm looking at this and getting rather confused - the 5x7 firmware effectively has 6x7 pins in the matrix but only has 37 of the possible 42 keys defined in each half.

You could configure all the keys you can see in the configurator then download the "FULL SOURCE" which hopefully includes your mapping (it's greyed out for me so can't check...) and add a couple of extra keys rather than starting from scratch or doing all the editing in text files.
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Offline jamster

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 20 August 2021, 10:20:11 »
Thanks. After a bit more, but still initial, looking around, I strongly suspect that you're correct. I'll need to create (or preferably modify) the human-readable key mappings to accommodate the additional keys, the online configurator simply doesn't cover the crazy number of permutations that can be made by the Dactyl generator.

Offline iaji

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 20 August 2021, 10:50:46 »
Thanks. After a bit more, but still initial, looking around, I strongly suspect that you're correct. I'll need to create (or preferably modify) the human-readable key mappings to accommodate the additional keys, the online configurator simply doesn't cover the crazy number of permutations that can be made by the Dactyl generator.

post the json file and I will send you the firmware definition.

disclosure: I maintain that site.

Offline jamster

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 20 August 2021, 11:53:57 »
Thanks. After a bit more, but still initial, looking around, I strongly suspect that you're correct. I'll need to create (or preferably modify) the human-readable key mappings to accommodate the additional keys, the online configurator simply doesn't cover the crazy number of permutations that can be made by the Dactyl generator.

post the json file and I will send you the firmware definition.

disclosure: I maintain that site.

Hah! Very cool- thanks for the response!

Thanks for the offer I might take you up on it, but figure I should take a stab at this first though. Clearly I am so unfamiliar with the process that I wasn't sure that the human-readable keymap file is a .json :)

PS: Also that site is great, so incredibly handy for quickly generating interations. I've just made a small donation.

Offline iaji

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 20 August 2021, 12:29:33 »
there are three buttons at the end of the form. one of them generates json file that represents the current settings. if you post that file here, I can know how many rows, columns, thumb keys, etc so I can write the firmware.

Offline jamster

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 21 August 2021, 09:20:39 »
there are three buttons at the end of the form. one of them generates json file that represents the current settings. if you post that file here, I can know how many rows, columns, thumb keys, etc so I can write the firmware.

Ah, I see what you mean. This is the .json for the case options that I ended up deciding on:

(Print times on a slow printer are... interesting. Looking at 40 hours per half.)

« Last Edit: Sat, 21 August 2021, 09:22:51 by jamster »

Offline iaji

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 21 August 2021, 20:19:19 »
https://github.com/ibnuda/qmk_firmware/tree/sixtimesseven/keyboards/handwired/dactyl_manuform/5x7_3pinky/

connect rows to the left side of the promicro, while the columns connect to the right side.

Offline jamster

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 21 August 2021, 22:53:20 »
https://github.com/ibnuda/qmk_firmware/tree/sixtimesseven/keyboards/handwired/dactyl_manuform/5x7_3pinky/

connect rows to the left side of the promicro, while the columns connect to the right side.

Many thanks :)

(I'll be on Elite-C but far as I can tell it's exactly the same.)

Offline iaji

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #9 on: Sun, 22 August 2021, 00:23:22 »
yes those are the same. and follow the guide pics in tshort's original repo. for the row and columns that aren't shown, connect them to their neighbouring pins.
for example, the tab column, you need to connect it to the sixth pin from the bottom on the right side.

Offline jamster

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #10 on: Sun, 22 August 2021, 10:05:43 »
yes those are the same. and follow the guide pics in tshort's original repo. for the row and columns that aren't shown, connect them to their neighbouring pins.
for example, the tab column, you need to connect it to the sixth pin from the bottom on the right side.

Hi @iaji, when selecting Yes to "Use loligagger's external holder," there appears to be an issue with fit as shown in the attachment. I only realised this after the case print completed and I tried to slot the holder into the case.

Any idea what's going on here? I've tried generating a variety of case size STLs and decreasing wall thickness, and physically printed both the Pro Micro and Elite-C cases, but they still result in this. I've rotated the holder around 180 for clarity- the dark blue walls don't match the keyhole slots in the holder.

(I guess I could just not use the external holder, but it does appear to be a nice feature rather than hot-gluing the controller into the case somewhere.)

274652-0
« Last Edit: Sun, 22 August 2021, 10:09:55 by jamster »

Offline iaji

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 22 August 2021, 10:37:28 »
i think you can remove the excess of the case (circled in red) using a wire cutter / iron solder and print the promicro holder (should be this one: https://dactyl.siskam.link/loligagger-external-holder-promicro-v3-extended.stl)

Offline jamster

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Re: Total noob QMK/configurator question (Dactyl Manuform)
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 22 August 2021, 22:58:15 »
i think you can remove the excess of the case (circled in red) using a wire cutter / iron solder and print the promicro holder (should be this one: https://dactyl.siskam.link/loligagger-external-holder-promicro-v3-extended.stl)

Thanks for that. I just printed the v3, and can see that the width of the v3 mating surface to the case has increased by 1-2mm so one side of the case fits. The other side of the case will need some cutting and melting as you suggest.