Something I've been wondering and casually looking into: besides another whole keyboard, what other keypad-like layouts/devices are there? What I think I want is another row of F-keys above the ones that are there (I use these to switch between windows). Of course I now use a TKL, but never warmed up to the idea of using the numpad for this. I think part of me just doesn't like the idea of repurposing keys with strong meanings.
I've pondered getting one of those pads used to drive music software. The Elgato Stream Deck mentioned elsewhere in this thread seems quite interesting (to look into when I have more time). Any other pointers?
Also related: I'd really like to try a wireless chorded keyboard for mobile use.
Building your own keyboard is actually very easy. There is some open source firmware out there that can run an arduino pro-micro's (and teesy 2.x) and clones. (https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware)
Search above in another comment by me and find a few vendors for keyboard kits that run qmk firmware...
I've actually got a drawer full of MX browns (ordered to fix the girlfriend's Das, but it ended up being a bad trace), and a stainless plate (probably not the best material or starting form, but I was already ordering some for a 3D printer). Just no time right now!
I have it binded on windows, to keys that are not on the keyboard. F13,F14....F24 & modifiers CTRL, SHIFT,ALT etc with my own left-to-right and top-to-down naming convention. This makes it easier to manage what my macros are overall
Then I run a seperate program, if you run macOS, this would be applescript, or something easier like automator / keyboard maestro. Phrase express works as well.
- For windows, I use phrase-express to work off these keys
- Linux IDK what they use here unfortunately
The macropad I linked uses internal memory for saving for what keys you bind to it. Its way better than the alternative xkeys IMO and better cost. One reason why I say this is because genovationPad keys have more of a cherry MXbrown key feel to it, whereas xkeys feels very awkward on my fingers. Xkey's response rate on the key-up process was very slow and tedious IMO.
I backup all my genovationPad docs on a dropbox folder. The documentation is not the greatest even with youtube, their website, any docs I could find etc. But I gave them a phone call, and the tech guy over there was super helpful. I gave them feedback too on future improvements and they took it seriously.
Also, printing out my own picture icons on genovationPad was WAY easier to deal with than Xkeys. Its just a microsoft word doc, dump an image, print it out, slide it in the cap, done. I think they even included this doc right in the CD it came with.
Xkeys required extra accessories as well, I tested both for a good week before returning xkeys
Other things that may interest you - You can look into foot pedals use for racing games as a form of input control. This would be binded on a keyboard key as well IIRC, for windows I use F13
As a side note, I also use my genovationPad as my todo-list stickynote tracker. I just shove a bunch of stickynotes inbetween each row of keys. The rows in the back are low priority, the ones up front that get in the way are high priority.
The only keys I really use on a daily basis on windows are these:
- WIN + ←
- WIN + →
- WIN + ↑
- WIN + ↓
Mostly for resizing things around my triple monitor setup quickly
Note the left side rows and above the QWERTY area.
That top row can be configured to send just F-keys, or Shift+Fkey, Control+Fkey, or Alt+Fkey. It defaults to Shift+Fkey.
Very good keyboard (source: typing this on one of the exact model pictured at that URL), somewhat hard to find now that it has been out of production for about 20 years.
That's close to what the old (really old?) Sun workstation keyboards looked like. I believe the keys on the left were L1-L10, and there were things like L1-A to get into hardware modes.
I believe there were some old terminal keyboards that also had a second row of function keys, F13-24, but it's been a long time since I saw one of those.
I use an Ergodox Infinity which has 'layers'. All keys are programmable and you assign keys to toggle/activate a layer. Its essentially extra shift keys - one layer turns my whole keyboard to symbols and another makes the home position for my right hand a num pad without having to move my hand. Pretty slick once you have it setup and get used to it, takes a lot of work to get there though.
I've pondered getting one of those pads used to drive music software. The Elgato Stream Deck mentioned elsewhere in this thread seems quite interesting (to look into when I have more time). Any other pointers?
Also related: I'd really like to try a wireless chorded keyboard for mobile use.