deskthority

I have 58 beamspring modules... as an academic exercise, what would your ideal layout look like for such a thing?

Here's my first stab:
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# ... 57e29a788e

Not sure if you have seen this resource but its pretty damn good https://www.massdrop.com/talk/947/keybo ... group_open

Your missing a couple of switches for this but I would go along the lines of the original:

IBM 5140 keyboard has exactly 58 SKCM Browns, so you may take that as a starting point.

Thanks for the resources and feedback thus far, enjoying reading the links...

That one has 59 keys

Heh, if you are willing to part with the split Right Shift it's 58 keys again.

You do lose the function key of course, but one could perhaps remap it to what the Alt Gr key would be.

In your place I'd go for a 40% layout, and save a few switches for spares.

With 58 you can make a kinda bad 60%, in my opinion unworthy of the awesome beam springs, but it'd be more than enough for an epic 40%.

This is easy: a standard ANSI-61 minus the three rightmost bottom row modifier keys. I never use 'em anyway.

derp

Keep saving switches until you get 101.

zslane wrote: This is easy: a standard ANSI-61 minus the three rightmost bottom row modifier keys. I never use 'em anyway.

davkol wrote: Like this, minus a pair of keys

Well "minus a pair of keys" can make or break a layout. I wouldn't mess with the modifiers. They might seem useless for certain tasks, but their lack can really hurt when eg. you need to type on an opt layer on Mac OS, or are using a European layout with AltGr. Also, a 60% really needs an fn key not only for function keys, but for arrows.

Of course you don't need ALL the bottom row keys, like I've never seen anyone use the Menu key for anything. I'd say it's safe to have Alt and Cmd (or "Gui") on both sides (ie. two modifiers on both ends of the Space bar), and Ctrl in place of Caps Lock. As for Caps Lock, I'd just put it on an Fn layer. I have it redefined as Cmd on my MBP and I haven't felt the need to re-enable it over more than a year.

A 40% can be fitted with a "num lock" key that allows you to enter numbers in a numpad-like manner over [iopkl;,./], to make it more comfortable for numeric entry. Besides, it's really portable, and a beamspring 40% would be absolutely hipsterlicious.

Sigmoid wrote: a beamspring 40% would be absolutely hipsterlicious.

... this is the most compelling argument I've heard thus far

Chyros wrote: Keep saving switches until you get 101.

That would be rather wasteful because most beam spring keyboards have fewer than 101 keys. In fact, the only model that I know to have that many is the Japanese typing system.

y11971alex wrote:

Chyros wrote: Keep saving switches until you get 101.

That would be rather wasteful because most beam spring keyboards have fewer than 101 keys. In fact, the only model that I know to have that many is the Japanese typing system.

It might also take years...

derp

Pretty easy actually. If there was an apocalypse and I only had 58 switches to build a keyboard, I'd probably go with layout like this:

y11971alex wrote:

Chyros wrote: Keep saving switches until you get 101.

That would be rather wasteful because most beam spring keyboards have fewer than 101 keys. In fact, the only model that I know to have that many is the Japanese typing system.

It was really more of a troll post than anything else .

czarek wrote: Pretty easy actually. If there was an apocalypse and I only had 58 switches to build a keyboard, I'd probably go with layout like this:

58keys.png

Basically what I already have for my 60% (different mod assignment, but same keys). Looks great, is great.

58 switches all you need for a rad 60%.

HHKB layout minus right alt and meta.

drevyek wrote:

czarek wrote: Pretty easy actually. If there was an apocalypse and I only had 58 switches to build a keyboard, I'd probably go with layout like this:

58keys.png

Basically what I already have for my 60% (different mod assignment, but same keys). Looks great, is great.

58 switches all you need for a rad 60%.

Not to mention it's super easy to accomplish with readily available GH60 and virtually any keycaps set you can get.

codemonkeymike wrote: Not sure if you have seen this resource but its pretty damn good https://www.massdrop.com/talk/947/keybo ... group_open

This keyboard layout is actually looking pretty nice.