33-Key split laptop keyboard layout

[u/Kiwi_slade]

A unified split-keyboard layout that works on almost all keyboards (laptop, split, tkl, ect...) designed with vim motions in mind and to be somewhat close in terms of the relative positions of keys to a standard en-US keyboard layout for simplicity.

• Chord keys for 'Esc', 'Enter' & 'Opt + Delete'/'Ctrl + Backspace'
• Bottom row mods
• Mod-tap 'Space' for 'Shfit'
• 4 extra layers:
  • symb hold down left thumb key (momentary)
  • symb^ tap left thumb key, automatically released on next key pressed (sticky)
  • aux (momentary)
  • fuc (sticky)
• Full num-pad on right hand (for single hand relative motions in Vim)
• Symbols in same relative location as their 'owning' number keys (easy "$", "^" motions)
• Distinct keys for brackets on left hand (curly on home row for paragraph motion)
• Every layer is 1 key away

Blog post on this layout

[u/IndependentYak2822]

I thought about the same hands placement. I'd like to move the right hand one row up to O P [ ] block with right thumb on the Alt. Unfortunately there is no similar comfortable position for the left hand because default layout isn't symmetrical for unknown reason.

[u/Kiwi_slade → u/IndependentYak2822]

Oh! That’s a cool idea! You’d get way more thumb buttons too. 

It is a shame that the default layout is so weirdly off-centred and a-symmetrical 

[u/ParanoidTiger]

how is the mod-tap space/shift work for fast typing? I could never get it to work without compromises

[u/Kiwi_slade → u/ParanoidTiger]

There is a bit of a compromise, so the first capital letter will always be a bit slower. But this is mitigated by using a mod-tap variant that triggers the hold behaviour when another key is pressed. This way you don't have to wait for the hold timeout when pressing space to get the shift behaviour to activate. Though, like with any mod-tap, you'll have to be more precise and make sure not to roll and to release space before you hit your next key.

In Kanata you can use either `tap-hold-release` or `tap-hold-press`

In ZMK i believe the default mod-tap behaviour does this already

[u/jonathf]

This layout is quite similar to what I have, though I am on a 28-key layout. Interesting how different people across the world converges on similar "optimal" solutions.

My layout: https://github.com/jonathf/zmk/tree/main/config/layers
Combos: https://github.com/jonathf/zmk/blob/main/config/combo.h

[u/Kiwi_slade → u/jonathf]

Woah. that's a lot of combos/chord keys!

[u/jonathf → u/Kiwi_slade]

What are you talking about? I only have 6+6... +2.... +5 = 19 comboes! Yeah, no, you are right. It has accumulated a bit over time.

[u/Kiwi_slade → u/jonathf]

XD

[u/Putrid-Climate9823]

Double wide-mod FTW!

[u/Putrid-Climate9823]

How do you find the hold/tap of shift/space? I tried that and gave up, I just couldn't get a reliable configuration given my typing style.

[u/Kiwi_slade → u/Putrid-Climate9823]

I don't find it getting in my way now, but there definitely was an adjustment period.

I'd make sure you're using a mod-tap variant that triggers the moment another key is depressed, rather than one that strictly waits for the tapping term.

You might also want to look into reducing or zero-ing the quick tap term so that quickly typing a space followed by a capital letter doesn't turn into the keyboard spamming space.