4c1fd0897c
* [Keyboard] Add Hillside * Remove no longer used define, rename README * Rename to readme.md * Readme: Improve clarity, fix grammar and typos * Readme: Remove extra line pointing to QMK docs * Readme: Join consecutive source lines in .md * Readme: split lines, post spelling fix * Keymap: fix key label in readme
217 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
217 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
# Default Keymap
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This default keymap follows many of the norms seen in non-programmable keyboards
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to ease initial use of the Hillside keyboard.
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It is a starting point for you to tweak over time to better suit _your_ preferences.
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You can easily customize it with the
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[QMK configurator](https://config.qmk.fm/#/hillside/0_1/LAYOUT)
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or with the [via firmware](https://caniusevia.com).
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Some of its key features are:
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- A mostly standard base layer with letters, some symbols, shift, modifier and delete keys
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in the expected places for non-programmable keyboards.
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- QWERTY, Colemak-DH and Dvorak options for the letter and symbol layout.
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- Comfortable modifier and function or symbol combinations on the non-base layers
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using modifiers on the home row of the navigation/edit, symbol/function and number-pad layers.
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- Word navigation and cut/copy/paste keys on the navigation layer.
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- A slightly optimized number pad with the more frequently used numbers on the home row.
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We've deliberately omitted some features:
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- Combos: because the online configuration tools do not handle them
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and because they would add to the initial learning curve,
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as helpful to a keymap as a light sprinkling of combos can be.
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- Multi-function mod-tap keys, auto shift capitalization and auto-exit modes such as CAPWORD or NUMWORD:
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as they may be too large a step for someone new to programmable keyboards.
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## Base Layer
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```
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| TAB | Q | W | E | R | T |---------------------------| Y | U | I | O | P | BKSPC |
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| CTRL | A | S | D | F | G |---------------------------| H | J | K | L | ; | ' |
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| SHIFT | Z | X | C | V | B | ~ |---------------| ESC | N | M | , | . | / | SHIFT |
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--------------|ENTER|-----| GUI | ALT | Num | Nav |---| Sym |SPACE| ALT | GUI |-----| APP |--------------
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```
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The base layer can be either of QWERTY, Colemak-DH or Dvorak,
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with identical non-alpha and non-symbol keys.
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QWERTY is the default.
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A standard keyboard layout is used for:
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- Tab, backspace and shift keys in the outer columns.
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- Alt/option and GUI/command keys on both thumbs, with the location swappable for windows or mac.
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- A space key on the right thumb.
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The differences from a standard layout are:
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- There are three additional "shift" keys
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to access the navigation/editing, symbol/function, and number layers.
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- Enter is on the left thumb or ring finger.
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This location allowed preserving the more common right-hand keys.
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Feel free to swap it with the quote key or have it share the right shift key
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as a mod-tap key.
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- Control is in the caps lock spot.
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- Esc and `~ are above the thumbs.
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- The rarer AltGr key is in a layer.
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<details>
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<summary>Details of Dvorak and Colemak-DH</summary>
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In the Dvorak layout, the outer home row key is the "/?" symbols
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so that the same 12 symbols are taken care of on the base layer.
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```
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Dvorak
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| TAB | ' | , | . | P | Y |---------------------------| F | G | C | R | L | BKSPC |
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| CTRL | A | O | E | U | I |---------------------------| D | H | T | N | S | / |
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| SHIFT | ; | Q | J | K | X | ~ |---------------| ESC | B | M | W | V | Z | SHIFT |
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--------------|ENTER|-----| GUI | ALT | Num | Nav |---| Sym |SPACE| ALT | GUI |-----| APP |--------------
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Colemak-DH
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| TAB | Q | W | F | P | B |---------------------------| J | L | U | Y | ; | BKSPC |
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| CTRL | A | R | S | T | G |---------------------------| M | N | E | I | O | ' |
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| SHIFT | Z | X | C | D | V | ~ |---------------| ESC | K | H | , | . | / | SHIFT |
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--------------|ENTER|-----| GUI | ALT | Num | Nav |---| Sym |SPACE| ALT | GUI |-----| APP |--------------
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```
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</details>
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## Navigation, Editing and Media Layer
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```
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| CAPS | INS | | | |VOL+ |---------------------------|PG_UP|HOME | | END| | DEL |
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| CTRL | GUI | ALT |CTRL |SHIFT|VOL- |---------------------------|PG_DN|LEFT | UP |RIGHT| | CTRL |
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| SHIFT |UNDO | CUT |COPY |PASTE|REDO |MUTE |---------------| ESC | |WORDL|DOWN |WORDR|RALT | SHIFT |
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--------------|ENTER|-----| GUI | ALT | Num | *** |---| Adj |BSPC | ALT | GUI |-----| APP |--------------
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```
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Holding down the Nav key accesses a navigation and editing layer:
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- Navigation arrows are on and below the right home row in a cross pattern.
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This feels more natural for a column stagger keyboard than an inverted T.
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The keys below that move left or right by a word.
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Home, end, and page up/down are beside them.
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- Modifiers in the left home row make it easier to use the arrows
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to select text with the shift key or move between desktops or tabs.
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- Editing keys appear on the lower left.
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The edit keys, modifiers and arrows make it easy to move text around without leaving the layer.
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- Delete is in the upper right, and a backspace key is on the thumb.
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- The base layer modifiers and escape are in the same spots as on the base layer,
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and a right-hand control key is added.
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- Media volume and play keys are on the left, accessible with one hand.
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- AltGr and caps lock fill out the layer.
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- A few keys do nothing and are available for more user-specific needs.
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## Symbol and Function Layer
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```
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| F12 | ! | @ | # | $ | % |---------------------------| ^ | & | * | ( | ) | BSPC |
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| CTRL | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |---------------------------| | |SHIFT|CTRL | ALT | GUI | CTRL |
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| SHIFT | F6 | F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 |---------------| ESC | \ | [ | ] | { | } | SHIFT |
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--------------|ENTER|-----| GUI | ALT | Num | Adj |---| *** |SPACE| ALT | GUI |-----| APP |--------------
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```
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Holding down the Sym key accesses a layer of symbol and function keys:
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- The symbols usually found on the number keys are in the top row.
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If desired, you can use these positions for other things,
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as the symbols are also accessible from the number pad layer with the shift key.
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- The remaining symbols appear on the right.
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- The function keys are on the left, beginning with two rows of five.
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- A row of modifiers in the home row allows the comfortable creation of any modifier and function key combination.
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- The base layer modifier and escape keys are still available, as is a right-hand control key.
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## Number Pad and Algebraic Layer
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```
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| | - | + | = | / | * |---------------------------| . | 7 | 8 | 9 | | BSPC |
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| CTRL | GUI | ALT |CTRL |SHIFT| |---------------------------| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | _ | CTRL |
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| SHIFT | | | | | | |---------------| ESC | , | 4 | 5 | 6 | | SHIFT |
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--------------|ENTER|-----| GUI | ALT | *** | |---| |BSPC | ALT | GUI |-----| APP |--------------
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```
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Holding down the Num key accesses a number pad and arithmetic symbols:
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- The number pad has the lowest numbers swapped into the home row as these are the most commonly used.
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- A row of modifiers in the home row allows the comfortable creation of any modifier and number combination.
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- Symbols commonly used with numbers fill out the layer
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and can be combined with the home row mods or the existing base layer modifiers on the right hand.
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- Several keys remain unused and await more user-specific needs.
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## Adjust Layer
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```
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| |QWERT|DVORK|COLMK|AG_SWAP|AG_NORM|-----------------------| | | | | | |
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| | | | | | |---------------------------|MOD+ |BRI+ |HUE+ |SAT+ | | |
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| RESET | | | | | | |--------------|RGBTOG|MOD- |BRI- |HUE- |SAT- | | |
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--------------| |-----| | | | *** |---| *** | | | |-----| |--------------
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```
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Simultaneously holding down the Nav and Sym keys enables keys to adjust various keyboard settings:
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- The base layer can be set to QWERTY, Colemak-DH or Dvorak,
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but the keyboard reverts to QWERTY each time it is plugged in.
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- Alt/option and GUI/command can be swapped for mac users or restored to the windows norm.
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This setting persists over power loss.
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- The backlight LEDs can be enabled, disabled, and controlled.
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These settings also persist over power loss.
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## Make it Yours
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If you are coming from a traditional keyboard,
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with a row-staggered layout and a large set of physical keys,
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learning to use a column staggered (ergo) and layer-based keyboard,
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which uses layers instead of finger reaches to access numbers, symbols and functions,
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will be an adjustment for your muscle memory and your mental keyboard map.
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This default layout tries to simplify that adjustment by keeping things in the expected spots when possible.
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Yet this layout is only a decent compromise and is not optimal for each user.
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The online configurator makes it easy to tweak this layout to your needs.
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You can add additional layers or completely switch around what these do.
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Some changes you might consider making:
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- Put some of your most-used key combinations on the unused keys on the navigation layer.
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- If you are on a mac, switch the editing and word navigation keys from ctrl-x to cmd-x.
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- Change the shift keys to one-shot shift keys,
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where pressing and releasing them shifts the next key pressed.
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That is much easier on your hands than holding them down.
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Yet, they can still be held as usual if desired.
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- Instead of holding down the thumb key to keep the symbol layer active,
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you could use a one-shot layer key.
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One-shot modifiers are likely less stress on your hands and may even be faster.
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You would still be able to hold it down instead.
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- Instead of holding down the key for the number pad layer,
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you could make it a layer toggle, like caps lock is a capitalization toggle key.
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Here are some other keymaps for inspiration and ideas:
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- The [Ferris default](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/ferris/keymaps/default) uses more advanced features as it has far fewer keys to work with.
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- The [Miryoku](https://github.com/manna-harbour/miryoku/tree/master/docs/reference) keymap ensures that all modifiers are comfortably available with each character key.
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- The [Kyria default](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/splitkb/kyria/keymaps/default) has different keymap choices and a couple more keys.
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A good metaphor is to think of your keymap as a bonsai tree that you tweak slightly over time
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in response to ideas of how it might serve you better.
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## Why no keymap.c
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Via and the online configurator provide straightforward visual ways to work with a simple layout,
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and both use a .json keymap format.
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So this default ```keymap.json``` was created with the online configurator
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and formatted for easier reading and editing.
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If you wish, you can edit the ```keymap.json``` directly in a text editor, optionally use the below ```json2hill.py``` to restore the spacing, and then compile and flash it.
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Or, you can use the graphical configurator to edit the keymap. To do that:
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- Open the [QMK configurator](https://config.qmk.fm/#/handwired/hillside/LAYOUT)
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- Using the green up arrow button, load the keymap from ```qmk_firmware/keyboards/handwired/hillside/keymaps/default/keymap.json```
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- Make the changes you wish to the layout
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- Save the keymap using the green down arrow button.
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- Copy those changes back into your QMK repository and reformat for easy reading using the format script:
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```
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./keyboards/handwired/hillside/keymaps/json2hill.py --input <Your download directory>/default.json > ./keyboards/handwired/hillside/keymaps/default/keymap.json
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```
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You may need to make that script executable with ```chmod +x```. After your keymap is safely copied and formated, you may want to remove the keymap from your download directory so later downloads will automatically receive the same file name.
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After either method of editing, compile and flash the keymap as usual.
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You can combine a .json based keymap with more advanced features specified in .c files
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with a bit more complexity.
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For example, see
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[pierrec83's Kyria map](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/splitkb/kyria/keymaps/pierrec83).
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