Custom 75% and 60% layouts - Design Log - Updated w/ Final Design and Lessons

[derezzed]

Update: Layout Finalized and Lessons Learned

I have decided to focus on the 60% layout.  Here is the final version:

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/b77f97e00f159a2401cc7f304cd75c8a



For the final version, I put a dedicated Delete key next to the Backspace on the bottom row and shifted the mouse layer to the right by one key.  I realized that WASD works for gaming but ESDF is better for touch typing.  Legends on the sides of keys represent a function layer.  I kept the dedicated arrow keys, even though I'm sure I can live without them, because they can still prove useful. 

List of features:
     Smaller Space bar
     Backspace and Delete key move to bottom row
     Dedicated Home and End keys occupy upper right corner
     Left Control key replaces Caps Lock
     Escape key placed in lower left corner to keep dedicated tilde key in its traditional location
     Dedicated arrow keys
     Function key placed between Backspace and Space bar, to make it easy to use either thumb to switch layers
     Fully programmable but with suggested Mouse and Arrow controls layered on ESDF and IJKL to take advantage of natural hand placement on the home row


This is the keyboard I want to build.  However, I'm going to wait for now.  I want a bezel-less case and I lack the skill to modify the plate's CAD file to add holes to the interior of the plate.  I know I could stack the switch plate and bottom plate and drill my own holes but I want a more polished end result, and I'm still not sure what to do about stabilizers or if my solution for a wiring matrix will introduce any problems.  I don't want to half-a** this build.  I would like to put this in a case like the Tex 60% case but the Tex is designed for a PCB and I don't know anything about PCB design yet.  I'm afraid that if I used a Tex case with just a switch plate and standoffs (if I can find the right size for the Tex), the fit might not be right and the switch plate will sit unevenly in the case. 

The KBC Pok3r will be available soon, it offers full programmability, and it will be much cheaper than what I can build my board for.  And maybe I'll learn some things from using a standard 60% board that I can bring to my custom board.  Plus, I'm considering buying a set of Toxic key caps and signing up for the Penumbra round 2 GB, so there goes my moniez.  But if I can get a Toxic Tsangan and Winkeyless set, that will get me the 1.75u Right Shift and 1.75u Left Control key caps that I need for my board.


My process:

I came to this process with practically no knowledge of keyboard design.  But I'd seen other people post their layouts, as well as commercial products,  and I started my process by looking at what others had done with their layouts.  Every time I found something I liked, I thought about how it could be incorporated into my design.  I started with the swapped Control/Caps Lock from my Ducky board, and the split space bar from my NMB board.  Then I started looking at how other people had resolved their design issues and incorporated those that seemed to be compatible with my design.  I posted the results here and got valuable feedback from several GeekHackers.  Thanks, guys!  I then incorporated their feedback into my design and iterated several more times.  The result is what you see above.   


What I've learned from this process:

I'm not an expert in design, but I'm posting what I've learned during this process with the hope that it can be of value to other noobs who are starting their own keyboard design process.

1.   Start by recognizing what you like and don't like about keyboards. 

2.   Look for solutions to problems that other people have already solved.

3.   Analyze whether their solution works for you.  If it does, incorporate it into your design.  If it does not work for your design, determine whether you can modify it or take parts of it to work with your design.

4.   Use the keyboard layout editor website to design your layout.  Print out your layout as close to 1:1 scale as you can make it.  Pretend to type on the paper keyboard to see how suitable the layout is to the way you use a keyboard and to your physiology.

5.   Use software such as AutoHotKey and TouchCursor to prototype functionality to see how well you can adapt to your intended layout.  If possible, do this on the keyboard you intend to replace so that you can get a sense of how well the new key mapping will work with the applications you intend to use the new keyboard with.

6.   Take other factors into consideration.  That 3.75u L-shaped key may be just what you need but where are you going to find a 3.75u L-shaped key?  You may have to compromise on your design if you can't afford custom manufacturing of certain additional items.  Do you intend to hand-wire your keyboard or design a PCB?  I designed my switch plate with cut-outs to allow me to open the switches while they are in the plate so I can modify my switches.  Since then, I've read that having cut-outs on a plate without a PCB results in less stable switches, so I may have to rethink my design.  It was very late in the design process when I realized that key caps in the sizes I needed were not easily obtainable and I had to modify my layout to address this issue.

7.   Solicit feedback from others.  Many people here have already gone through what you're going through now.  Their knowledge and perspectives as outsiders to your process can give you insights into your design that you might not arrive at until you've made a costly mistake, if at all.

8.   Take what you've learned from this process and feed it back into the system.  Iterate as many times as necessary to get your "ideal" layout.  Or the best layout you can manage, with the fewest design compromises, given your budgetary constraints.

Don't reject ideas without testing them first.  When I first became involved with mechanical keyboards, I read a lot of posts saying that HHKB was the ultimate keyboard.  I thought there's no way a 60% keyboard would be practical for me.  I can get by without a ten key pad, but I need dedicated arrows and nav keys.  I've since learned that I can manage quite well with a 60% layout and that it is actually an improvement over a full-size keyboard, as it greatly reduces hand travel.  Be receptive to unexpected insights.


ORIGINAL POST BELOW

A Week In History

In the past week, I've gone from considering buying a KUL ES-87 to considering a Matias Ergo Pro
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=69019.0

to considering buying a Red Scarf RS84
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=69064.0

In that thread, Sergeant_Shart (god bless our service men and women) mentions the Smart 68 keyboard (link below)
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=61714.0

The Smart 68 is very close to what I currently consider my ideal layout, but it wasn't good enough for me.  It has a slight tilt, no split space bar, and it has a caps lock (I know this is convention and the board is programmable). 

So I decided to design my ideal layout.  Here it is.
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/a940494ec317cf857ac0ef6b8434efe4


I frequently use the arrow keys and recent experience with Autohotkeys has shown me that not putting them on a function layer works better for me.  I frequently Home and End keys also.  I like using Shift + Backspace as Delete, but I'm not sure if that's going to be problematic for using Shift + Delete (delete without sending to the Recycle Bin), so I included a dedicated Delete key.  Also, I wanted to fill that space (wah, wah).  There's no need for two backspace keys, so I replaced the traditional backspace with Print Screen and Scroll Lock, although I almost never use those keys.

Today, JordiOrlando posted his layout here
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=68595.0
and that discussion prompted Swill to post his layout.  The resulting  conversation between Swill and Ideus prompted me to refine my design further. 
The result of  that effort is this layout.

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/ea4e7b0b9cdd13c467a3c57d912af472

I returned the tilde key to its traditional place, replaced the traditional Left Control key with the Escape key, and moved the Left Control to where it is on my current boards.  This layout allows for a one-finger Ctrl+Shift+Esc hotkey.  I also eliminated the dedicated Delete key and Right Alt key (was this a mistake?).  I replaced Print Screen and Scroll Lock with the Home and End keys.  The locations still allow me to comfortably use Shift+Home and Shift+End with one hand.  Finally, I rearranged the arrow keys to Ideus' suggested L-shape layout.  I'm not sure about keeping the Right Control key.  I think Control+Arrow combinations will be performed with both hands (Left Control plus Arrows) and I can't think of any reason to use Right Control, but I could be overlooking/forgetting a useful hotkey that uses Right Control.  Also, I'm not sure about removing the dedicated Delete key, as I'm not sure if using Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Backspace will function as Ctrl+Alt+Del.  Can anyone see any problems with this layout?  Any feedback would be appreciated.  If I can get the plates made cheaply enough, I'm seriously considering building it. 

edit:
I just wanted to point out that the Backspace and Space bars are 2.75u.  Will this present problems with acquiring costar stabilizers?

second edit: 
Added URLs to layouts at keyboard-layout-editor.com

Also,  thanks to Swill for the plating building tool found here http://builder.swillkb.com/

third edit:
I failed to realize that the keyboard layout tool was designed by ijprest.
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/

ijprest and swill have democratized keyboard design, and I can't thank them enough for giving me the ability to create designs that can be converted into real, functional objects.

[LeTrollMazter]

I liked it, until I noticed that backspace/delete   

[neverused]

It maybe more realistic to change the backspace and space bats to 2.25 and add another 1u, perhaps between them.

[Dihedral]

It maybe more realistic to change the backspace and space bats to 2.25 and add another 1u, perhaps between them.

Maybe, but Symmetry!

[neverused]

It maybe more realistic to change the backspace and space bats to 2.25 and add another 1u, perhaps between them.

Maybe, but Symmetry!

Put it in the center...

Or reduce the backspace and space keys to 2.25 or other more common size and center them, then move the remaining row keys in towards the center. It'll look hhkb-like, but it'll be unilaterally symmetric still.

[jacobolus]

What does the “Modifier” key do in the first version?

I’ve never seen quite that arrow arrangement in v2. Usually when it’s in an L like that, the up and down arrows are stacked vertically.

I recommend narrowing RCtrl by .25u and expanding Esc by .25u, so you can shift the spacebars over to be centered under the home row. (Actually, if you can get keycaps for it I’d recommend reducing the spacebar sizes, even down to 2u; 2.75u is bigger than necessary IMO. Flipped number row keycaps (like the typical 'backspace' cap) work quite well for spacebars, believe it or not.)

[derezzed]

I liked it, until I noticed that backspace/delete   

It's an acquired taste.

It maybe more realistic to change the backspace and space bats to 2.25 and add another 1u, perhaps between them.

Perhaps.

It maybe more realistic to change the backspace and space bats to 2.25 and add another 1u, perhaps between them.

Maybe, but Symmetry!

Perhaps.

What does the “Modifier” key do in the first version?

I’ve never seen quite that arrow arrangement in v2. Usually when it’s in an L like that, the up and down arrows are stacked vertically.

I recommend narrowing RCtrl by .25u and expanding Esc by .25u, so you can shift the spacebars over to be centered under the home row. (Actually, if you can get keycaps for it I’d recommend reducing the spacebar sizes, even down to 2u; 2.75u is bigger than necessary IMO. Flipped number row keycaps (like the typical 'backspace' cap) work quite well for spacebars, believe it or not.)

I moved the keys without looking at the legends.  The modifier is anything but the caps lock key (although it could be programmed to act as caps lock).  I dislike caps lock.  I think it's a waste of space.

Here's another revision of the 60% layout, taking into account feedback from jacobolus and neverused.

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/3cf63cffaf463dc51ee04738e5309516


Instead of expanding Esc, I reduced it to 1u.  I reduced Backspace to 2.25u and Space to 2.5u, and moved the keys to the right.  I added a Left Function key next to the Backspace to fill in the space freed up by shrinking the other keys.  I did not put a key between Backspace and Space because my thumbs would both converge on the center key (for me, the one usability impediment to Dihedral's nearly flawless 80% layout). 

Here's a second revision of the 60% layout, taking into account feedback from Dihedral and jacobolus.

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/c5c3491545bf4b70978c1573e39a88ff


I restored Esc to 1.25u, kept the Left Function key, reduced the Spacebar to 2.25u (the same size as Backspace), and moved the keys to the right.  The Backspace and Spacebar are at the outer limits of where my thumbs naturally rest.  Symmetry!


I used Swill's plate building tool to design a plate for the original 60% layout.



I'd like to build a board without a bezel, possibly with an acrylic middle layer(s).  I don't plan on designing a PCB for this board.  I marked where I might put the screws.  Can someone suggest a better location for screw holes?  Is there a recommended size for screws?   Would the keyboard be better if it had a bezel with screw holes on the corners?  How thick should the middle layer be?   

To accommodate non-standard key sizes, I would buy blanks from Signature Plastics.

[derezzed]

New revisions

I’m almost certain that my final design for this board will be a 60% layout because I can incorporate the functionality I want with minimal compromise and it greatly reduces hand travel.  I reviewed my second and third revisions of the 60% layout to finalize my design.  I like the 1u Escape key in the second revision but the bottom row symmetry offered by revision three was very compelling.  Still not having made a decision, I analyzed my layouts for utilization of non-standard key sizes, in order to estimate cost.  DCS is my preferred profile for this board.  I realized that acquiring two 2.25u keys for the Backspace and Space keys would be prohibitively expensive.  My layout also requires a 1.75u Right Shift and a 1.75u Left Control key and I will have to buy a Tsangan set and a winkeyless set of keys just to get those two keys.  I could use a standard 2.25u Right Shift but it would be expensive to buy another set of alpha keys just to get one key and, while the row profile would be compatible, I don’t want to look at 2 Shift keys where Backspace and Space should be. 

So, with that in mind, I set about revising my layout again.
 
I reduced the Escape key and Left Function key to 1u, and reduced the Backspace and Space keys to 2u.  That gave me 1u of empty space on the bottom row.  I relabeled the Left Function key to Mystery because I wasn’t sure what to do with it.  I suppose I could make it a dedicated Delete key but I like the idea of having Backspace double as Delete.  Maybe I’ll see if I can implement a random number generator to change its function every time it is pressed.  I’m not decided on that yet.  But I was able to shift keys around to put a 1u Function key in the center of the bottom row, as neverused originally suggested and similar to Dihedral’s design.  This will require a minor adjust to my thumb position but this is the perfect location for the Function key as it allows me to utilize all the keys on the Function layer with the least amount of hand movement.  With this layout, I don’t need a second Function key, so the Right Function key got turned into the Right Alt key.   I also added the TouchCursor arrow keys layout to the function layer, as referenced by spiceBar in his SpaceFn thread  https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51069.0.   

And the result is revision 4.1 

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/046d52a82b65517262ed47e5759ffc07



I think this layout is very nearly finalized.

If I could afford to experiment, I’d try a modified design of jacobolus’ “improved TKL” as posted here
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=67694.msg1593941#msg1593941
as it practically eliminates ulnar deviation when your hands are on the home row.
But, the top of my case is most likely going to be an unfinished steel or aluminum plate and I don’t want to see any exposed metal.  I want a design without a bezel but that may be outside my budget.  Perhaps I can place screw holes in the switch plate so that it can be screwed directly into a universal 60% case.   I’ve read statements that the 60% layout is capable of delivering a decent typing experience with nothing but acrylic, so maybe I can design my case with a steel base and acrylic switch plate to save some money without compromising on the feel of the board.  This will require further research.

[Dihedral]

New revisions

I’m almost certain that my final design for this board will be a 60% layout because I can incorporate the functionality I want with minimal compromise and it greatly reduces hand travel.  I reviewed my second and third revisions of the 60% layout to finalize my design.  I like the 1u Escape key in the second revision but the bottom row symmetry offered by revision three was very compelling.  Still not having made a decision, I analyzed my layouts for utilization of non-standard key sizes, in order to estimate cost.  DCS is my preferred profile for this board.  I realized that acquiring two 2.25u keys for the Backspace and Space keys would be prohibitively expensive.  My layout also requires a 1.75u Right Shift and a 1.75u Left Control key and I will have to buy a Tsangan set and a winkeyless set of keys just to get those two keys.  I could use a standard 2.25u Right Shift but it would be expensive to buy another set of alpha keys just to get one key and, while the row profile would be compatible, I don’t want to look at 2 Shift keys where Backspace and Space should be. 

So, with that in mind, I set about revising my layout again.
 
I reduced the Escape key and Left Function key to 1u, and reduced the Backspace and Space keys to 2u.  That gave me 1u of empty space on the bottom row.  I relabeled the Left Function key to Mystery because I wasn’t sure what to do with it.  I suppose I could make it a dedicated Delete key but I like the idea of having Backspace double as Delete.  Maybe I’ll see if I can implement a random number generator to change its function every time it is pressed.  I’m not decided on that yet.  But I was able to shift keys around to put a 1u Function key in the center of the bottom row, as neverused originally suggested and similar to Dihedral’s design.  This will require a minor adjust to my thumb position but this is the perfect location for the Function key as it allows me to utilize all the keys on the Function layer with the least amount of hand movement.  With this layout, I don’t need a second Function key, so the Right Function key got turned into the Right Alt key.   I also added the TouchCursor arrow keys layout to the function layer, as referenced by spiceBar in his SpaceFn thread  https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51069.0.   

And the result is revision 4.1 

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/046d52a82b65517262ed47e5759ffc07

(Attachment Link)

I think this layout is very nearly finalized.

If I could afford to experiment, I’d try a modified design of jacobolus’ “improved TKL” as posted here
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=67694.msg1593941#msg1593941
as it practically eliminates ulnar deviation when your hands are on the home row.
But, the top of my case is most likely going to be an unfinished steel or aluminum plate and I don’t want to see any exposed metal.  I want a design without a bezel but that may be outside my budget.  Perhaps I can place screw holes in the switch plate so that it can be screwed directly into a universal 60% case.   I’ve read statements that the 60% layout is capable of delivering a decent typing experience with nothing but acrylic, so maybe I can design my case with a steel base and acrylic switch plate to save some money without compromising on the feel of the board.  This will require further research.

I think Fn would work very well in the middle. If and when I build the D-79 I will definitely play around with mapping the centre button to Fn.

[derezzed]

I've updated the OP with my final design and some other information related to the process.  I'm not going to build it right now because I want to be able to buy a set of Toxic key caps and Penumbra key caps when/if they become available on [Ctrl]Alt.  One of those sets will end up on this board.  Plus, I need to invest in decent soldering equipment before I begin building it.  But I'm at a point where I can't go forward with the design until I determine how the lack of a PCB factors in to the choice of cases and switch plate cut-outs.  Input from experienced builders would be appreciated.

Can I use a plate that allows for opening switches without a PCB?  If not, can I work around this limitation by gluing switches to the underside of the plate in a non-critical area (along the top edge of the switch)?

Will powder coating increase the thickness of the switch plate enough to affect how the switches fit into the plate?  What is the preferred method for finishing a steel switch plate?

If I want to use a case like the Tex 60% to avoid having a bezel like a sandwich case does, will I need a PCB?  Will using standoffs in place of a PCB on a standard case have a negative effect on the feel or sound of the board?  Does it seem feasible to cut a switch plate without screw holes, put machinist’s dye on the case’s standoffs, and set the plate in the case to mark the plate for hand-drilling screw holes?

I might decide to make this board, or a second board, with tactile Alps switches.  Would Matias Quiet Click be the best readily available tactile switch?  Or is there a cheap common model of vintage board I could harvest tactile Alps switches from?

Here’s a picture of my proposed wiring diagram. I’ve distributed the keys so there are 4 or 5 keys in every column but I have options for bunching up keys in some columns to reduce the number of keys in other columns.  Is there any benefit or disadvantage to having more or fewer keys in a column or row? 



I have a layout design and a switch plate design.  I need feedback on finishing the switch plate, the wiring matrix design, and choosing a case.  Have I overlooked anything critical to the design of a keyboard?