riplikash
74862
820
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Admittadly, the legends are not stricktly accurate. Cmd is a space, fn is shift, the rightv arrow is a tab. Most of the letters are wrong since I'm using a colemak dh layout.
But overall, I'm petty happy with it. It's just the kind of vr future dystopia the 80s promised me.
mutedia
xda? sda? I like the look of those, like the old 70s keycaps
riplikash
They claim to be ASA, but I'm not convinced. I've never seen an ASA with such deep wells on the top.
andexer
"It's just the kind of vr future dystopia the 80s promised me." Hell yeah!
willpostanything
clickaty clack.. im in.
LadyNetrex
Nice!
betterave
Love me a split keyboard.
GreenMnM
That's pretty nifty. It wouldn't work for my 2 finger approach thought. Sometimes the right hand encroaches on the left side of the keyboard bc its faster than the left. So I'd have to cross key it.
riplikash
Yeah, requires touch typing. I have them mounted to the sides of my chair. It's a big enough change I decided it was a good excuse to retrain from qwerty to colemak. I was at 120wpm in qwerty, and after a month of retraining I'm back at 80wpm in the new layout. So an old dog CAN learn new tricks, if you ever decide to try and retrain.
InternetAnonymityplz
I saw this and my very first thought was 'no way a guy with this sick ergo custom is using fucking qwerty'. Feels good to be right lol
riplikash
Man, if I could get a retro style, SA profile, double injected PBT keycap in Colemak-dh would be extatic. But that's a bit of a niche within a niche within a niche. :)
cosonfused
oooh, they look old, and heffy.
Doompug
Did you build them from scratch or did you start off with a commercial product?
riplikash
Started with a pre built kit from mechboards and tweaked from there.
HiveFallenAndCantGetUp
Ooh, lily58? How are you liking it?
riplikash
A derivative, at least. It's a sofle, but the sofle was branched from lily58.
I'm loving it, though. I've got big hands, and it turns out it's a really good fit for large handed people.
ExTechOp
Do you have a compose button somewhere there, or how do you compensate for the missing {[]}\|+=-_ keys?
riplikash
Yeah, there are 7 layers. Menu button goes to all those, as well as putting number symbols on homerow. On the right hand X=navigation (arrow keys, word jumps, etc) and things like caps lock, square is programming ide hotkeys, circle emojis (that was a suprise, but apparently I use them a lot) and triangle changes it to a 10 key pad. There's also a debug layer (hardware commands) and a qwerty layer for if others need to use it. Send like a lot, I know. :) but most of it is pretty natural.
melangemaster42
What caps? Pretty cool looking, seem vintage.
riplikash
They're called ROME ASA on Amazon. I was willing to go higher end, but after looking for a few weeks I still liked these the most and decided to take a chance on them. They really surpassed my expectations though.
melangemaster42
Thanks for the info!
Zetor
I love it. Looks very C64/BBC Micro.
TheSteakBoyHimself
Ah yes! The IRIS! I have an Iris, ErgoDox EZ, and my latest favorite: the FoldKB.
originaljbw
As a kid we had the Compaq Presario that had the half space/half backpace keys where a regular spacebar would be. I still can't hit space with my left thumb it just isn't possible.
ionlyregisteredtosavelinks
What are you using the encoders for? Volume & brightness? Encoders always felt gimmicky to me.
riplikash
I've ended up using them constantly. I read lots of documentation and code. So the right one scrolls and closes pages on click. The left one navigates tabs and reopens pages on click. It's largely replaced the scroll wheel on my mouse when reading. I tried programming some other use (alt tab, horizontal scroll, volume, undo redo) and, yeah, they all felt gimmicky. But they're amazing for navigation.
TheRedBaron8
I'm sorry where is the space bar? Or is this a keyboard for those nospacerantsthatneverendwithnopunctuation
riplikash
Labeled as CMD, sadly. I think I've found a 1.5u key to put there, though.
TheRedBaron8
Ah this is so the spy's will not be able to use it for their own. Well played sir, well played.
Freyja33
Careful around that Vincent Volaju guy, he's bad news
riplikash
Tsar was one of the inspirations, actually. Good eye.
BojanglesTheFlyingCar
did you assemble it yourself or did you have the kit put together? I'm looking for one of those too
riplikash
I stuff pre assembled, but these sofle kits look very doable. I was wanting to get the firmware side figured out before jumping into the hardware end of things.
Sinael
What are the knobs for?
riplikash
I tried programming them for a lot of things, but finally settled on the right acting as a scroll wheel and closing pages and the left cycling through tabs and reopening pages.
ImgurIsOutOfUsernames
What do you mean the letters are wrong? Looks like a qwerty keyboard to me.
riplikash
Thing is, it's NOT a qwerty. :) it's Colemak-dh. QWFPB instead of QWERTY. Which annoyed me, so I added a qwerty mode to the firmware. You know. So others can use it. Definitely not because I was low key constantly annoyed at the mislabeling. Its...an accessibility UX consideration. Yeeeah. :)
If I ever find these keycaps in Japanese or Cyrillic in absolutely going to switch over.
ImgurIsOutOfUsernames
Ah! I gotcha
turomar
Why wouldn't you match the letters to the layout?
riplikash
Tradeoffs. I wanted a contoured keycap profile, which is when every row is a different height. So keys in row 1 can't really be moved to row 2. I also wanted double shot, which is when the letters aren't painted but are instead a second injection of plastic, which looks great and doesn't wear out. So no decals. And NO ONE makes a set of colemak dh, contoured keycaps. But this has a qwerty mode, so at least it's accurate when others use it. And I can't see the labels where they're mounted anyway.
turomar
Understandable. My ergodox has contoured caps but they're all blank and actually transparent so the under lighting shows through better.
woemsw
The sofle 2.0 that's what I wanted. I picked up a soldering kit, but I'm nervous about doing it all myself
riplikash
Yeah, same. I got this one pre built specifically so I could get the firmware and everything else figured out before I tried making a kit. But it seriously doesn't look to hard. I had to take it apart to fix a bent pin, and it looks easier than the soldering kits I did in high school years ago. Lots of room.
woemsw
One tiny inquiry that I would have bet big had an answer, turned up empty. Nowhere does it say how much wire to use as bring correct. It's as if having it not work is required to know the answer. And that'd be fine, except I still feel, as an objective, a phrase or sentence about a proper amount could easily exist.
riplikash
Sorry. There is a 5ft TRRS cable I use to connect the two keyboards that runs under my chair so I can mount them to the sides of the chair.
snowmans9
Only parts I've had issues with on my sofle have been the LEDs, and I've since just turned them off.
iamOzymandiasLookOnMyWorksDumbassAndDespair
I can smell the burning chrome
Hrafna55
igglebotato
It was hot the night we burned Chrome.
lovehandlesmessiah
Needs the key icons from Alien.
riplikash
The possability was looked into. Also aurebesh (star wars), klingon, japanese, Chinese, and Cyrillic. Sadly. Your options are limited when you're wanting retro, contoured, SA profile, pbd, double shot molded. So qwerty it was.
xCommonCentz
Just throwing this out there without looking first, but have you seen if someone can 3D print the kind of keycaps you want? I stumbled across your post because that keyboard is so cool looking, now I'm fascinated by it. I think your idea is darn cool to use a different alphabet, given you have the muscle memory.
riplikash
So there are tradeoffs. You absolutely can 3d print keycaps. But keycaps are VERY tactile, and need to be fairly durable. One of the reasons these keycaps look good is because they are double shot. The letters aren't decals or paint. They do the injection of black in a mold that leaves a hole for the letter, than inject the white. It makes for a VERY clean look that never wears off. The material is PBT which is also particularly durable and nice feeling. So while I could have something custom
riplikash
made that would look better initially, I couldn't get something that feels as nice or is as durable as an double shot injection mold can make. But if I keep my eyes open I might eventually find a run in another alphabet. So fingers crossed for that. :) The sound and feel are really big for me, so for now I'm pretty happy with what I found. But I did look into custom opions.
qtRaven
paintingagency
New Text Document
4t0m1c4
Pretty, lily58? My first effort is a corne (due to cost) with the controversial choc v2 low profiles switches.. feels awesome, but keycaps are scarce. These came from aliexpress for a tenner. I've added stainless steel baseplates and as a bonus I am making some progress relearning how to type on it.
riplikash
Oh, nice and clean. I got the 4 row because I thought I needed it, but have nymphomaniac trying to use it like a corne abs have been surprised how nice it is to just use 3 rows.
4t0m1c4
lolz@autocorrect! I actually do need the number row for gaming, but also missing the numpad for blender.. so I've found a few old gherkins to mess around with for when I have time to add the above when needed, then I can do away with the razer in the background. I just need to get 10 more choc v2 switches to make it look like a set
thecowkingdom
You see, I can respect colemak, as a dvorak user myself on my ergodone. I love the caps though. They look like they thocc
HawkmanXLII
What are the advantages of this? I can barely type, almost never use computers.
geoffreyfourmyle
Holding the wrists at a more natural angle avoids strain that leads to carpel tunnel.
riplikash
Im a programmer and after 3p years of heavy typing I sometimes develop carpet tunnel. This had largely resolved that. It's also great for vr gaming. I play flight and space Sims and have these mounted on the sides of my chair along with a trackball, so I can always easily use them by muscle memory and feel.
maqp2
If I may suggest something, there exists computer desks with recess for keyboard. I've been typing and programming with one for more than 20 years and I've never once had carpal tunnel syndrome.
riplikash
Appreciate the suggestion, but it wouldn't really work in my office. I made a living edge desk and don't want to carve into it. Thankfully the keyboard change seems to have resolved the issue.
maqp2
That's good to hear! I hope you'll never have to deal with it again :)
TheRealLouzander
I'm a web developer and have been using split keyboards for a few years and they're fantastic!
I haven't committed to this specific style (or even mechanical) but I'm tempted. My problem tho is that I used to be a cashier and so I'm fast with the 9 key. I know they make add-ons, but I wish more mech kybds included them.
riplikash
I was trained in 9 key as well and wasn't wanting to give it up. So that's what the triangle key does. :) Toggles to 9key mode. It also turns out emojis are hard on this layout. So the circle key turns on the emoji layer.
HawkmanXLII
Neat. I can relate, I had to build a whip to my specifications so I don't get repetitive motion stress in my shoulder.
Dimestream
Nothing in your posts, nothing in the username, to explain why you'd use a whip frequently enough to get repetitive motion stress. Don't tell us though; it's way more fun to speculate.
HawkmanXLII
I'll say this: some days I crack it several dozen times, some days I only crack it once or twice, and some days all I have to do is show it and twirl it around a bit to get the job done. I also have other tools at my disposal. It's all very situational.
SayRamrod
MeekrabJones
Cool, but where is the space bar? Is it one of the PlayStation buttons?
riplikash
It's the one labeled CMD. Sadly, it's really hard to find EXACTLY what you need for a layout like this.
Hrafna55
Who makes the key caps? I might be interested in a set.
riplikash
Several companies make a similar set, generally called Rome. But this particular set with the dished top and gloss finish is just on amazon for like $30. I'm honestly really impressed with the quality for the price.
MeekrabJones
If the letters aren't engraved or embossed, you could always color match and paint over them. A blank key would be pretty easily recognized as space. But that's only if the non-matching key label bugs you. As long as you know what it does, that's all that really matters.
igglebotato
Colour match? This is cyberpunk, a squirt of chrome spraypaint ought to suffice.
riplikash
While it bugs me a little, I've come to terms with it. I'm a touch typist, and where these things are positioned off to my sides I can't really see them. I don't even type in a QWERTY layout, so really MOST of the keys labelling is wrong. But I like the aesthetics. If I could find this set in japanese, cyrillic, or even aurebesh I think that would be amazing, but that's probably not happening.
BishlamekGurpgork
Honestly? You can get blank keycaps. While most letters need a degree of skill to personally write, a sideways bracket can represent space. Sharpie and a ruler.
riplikash
There's ashtrays tradeoffs. Since it's a flat, compact ortholinear board meant for comfort and suited it's nice to have a contoured profile like SA. And its meant to be decorative as well, so I wanted double injected PBT, which gives nice looking, durable lettersthat don't rub out. I touch type, so the lettering doesn't effect me, but it will effect anyone else trying it out. So I just added a qwerty mode to the firmware. All that taken into account, I'm fine with the qwerty labeling.
MeekrabJones
If money is no object, I'd look into custom 3D modeling and on-demand 3D printing. There are people who could exactly model the key caps, print them, and apply custom lettering for the right price. Granted, you could just cut out the middle man and paint this set. Hell, if you can get extra sets for a reasonable price you could make alternates.
riplikash
The expense is even more extravagant than you might expect. These are double shot pbt. So the lettering isn't painted on. It's a second injection of plastic into the same mold, so the lettering can't wear off. Makes for a beautiful cap, but hard to make outside of a factory of a CNC setup. Trust me, I went pretty deep down the rabit hole. :) There are custom print services, and 3d prints and decals. Always a potential tradeoff. I'm pretty happy with the tradeoffs at this point.