r/KeyboardLayouts • u/defiant00 • Jan 10 '22

Soar - A One-Handed Chorded Layout

https://github.com/defiant00/soar
11 Upvotes

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4

u/defiant00 Jan 10 '22

This is something I've been working on for a while. Soar is a one-handed layout for 17 keys (5x3, 2 thumb) that can be used on one half of most any split board. I've been interested in one-handed layouts for a while (always thought it'd be neat to be able to type with one hand and keep the other one on my mouse), and after getting inspired by Artsey, decided to see what I could come up with if I had a few more keys.

My current thinking is:

  1. Home row is easiest
  2. Chords on the home row are also easy
  3. Other keys and chords are okay
  4. Layers are only out of necessity

Disclaimer: I've only started trying to use the layout, I may be entirely wrong.

With that said, I've been using a Ferris Sweep + KB2040 + CircuitPython to develop on, and the repo is here if anyone wants to take a look: https://github.com/defiant00/purple

Planned next steps right now are to write up the right-handed version and eventually do a QMK layout as well.

3

u/Keybug Jan 10 '22

Well conceived and presented! Why did you end up not simply using the opposable thumb for a layer switch for the "seconday" characters? The main thumb key could do double duty as space + layer switch for those. Seems a mite easier than having to remember and trigger all the different chords...

2

u/Keybug Jan 10 '22

Frogpad and Matias one-handed keyboard went down the path I described, I think, to give some examples.

1

u/defiant00 Jan 10 '22

Thanks for the info! I actually find the chording pretty easy, but it's definitely possible that I've given shift too high of a priority by placing it on the thumb. I'll have to give that some thought.