layout

A keymap for 46 keys without mod-tap inspired by Callum’s layout.

Level layers

There are two layer keys: SYMFN (symbol + functional) and NAVNUM (navigation + numbers). Pressing a key once activates the first layer. Pressing the same key again (in another position on the keyboard) activates the second layer. You can add more levels. Pressing the same key more times than there are layers leaves you at the last layer. Releasing one of those keys does not change the layer. After you’ve released all keys the layers are cleared. This builds on the idea in Callum’s layout that in order to save a key on a default layer you need to go through a layer to get to the NUM one.

Examples

1. Entering numbers

• Press NAVNUM with a left thumb
• Tap NAVNUM with a right thumb
• Use right hand for entering numbers
• Release NAVNUM with a left thumb

1. Shift+F3

• Press SYMFN with a right thumb
• Tap one-shot shift with a right middle finger
• Tap SYMFN with a left thumb
• Tap F3 with a left ring finger
• Release SYMFN with a right thumb

I don’t usually hold shift. If I need to press shift+f3 multiple times I use the REPEAT key. When I need to repeat something a lot of times I alternate REPEAT between two hands.

Time window for switching hands

This is a newer feature I’ve added and it probably only makes sense with this exact layer configuration.

Since you only ever have to hold 1 of 2 layer keys for any of the 4 layers, it means the following situation occurs often

• Press SYMFN with a right thumb
• Release SYMFN with a right thumb
• Press NAVNUM with a left thumb, expecting a second SYMFN
• Get recked

So I made it so that if you press NAVNUM fast enough after a last SYMFN press (I use 50ms) it is treated as SYMFN instead.

This, as any timer-based solution, has a downside. Whenever I accidentally use a wrong thumb to activate a layer or quickly decide that I need another layer (SYM instead of NUM, for example). This can happen

• Press NAVNUM (time: 0)
• Rethink your life choices
• Release NAVNUM
• Press SYMFN! (time: 0-50ms)
• It is treated as another NAVNUM, taking me to NUM instead of SYM

This doesn’t seem like it happens too often, but I do encounter it (or maybe another side-effect I’m not aware of).

Switching hands keeping layer

Alternative idea was that jumping from one hand to another would not “level up” the layer. This way you could stay on the same layer and use a hand that’s more comfortable for the next key to type (opposite one). Immediate problem was that now there were two different behaviours attached to very similar movements:

1. left press, right press, left release (num)
2. left press, left release, right press (nav)

And I couldn’t get rid of the first behaviour since then I would have no way to “level up” the layer.

QWERTY default layer

I need it to type Cyrillic without messing with software layouts. The macro LANG toggles between default layers and taps software layout switching combination.