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rafaelromao's keyboard layout

Layout Overview

  • This is split keyboard layout that goes from 24 to 34 keys, from the formats 1333+2 to 3x5+2. Most of the time I use boards in the 23332+2 format, like the Rommana and Hummingbird, but with the 1333+2 keymap.
  • This layout works well with the OS configured for US International keyboards.
  • It was designed mostly for coding and typing in Portuguese and English.
  • It reduces the usage of pinkies and indexes and considers the right hand as dominant.
  • The alpha layout is Romak, a new keyboard layout, with all vowels on the right hand.

Primary Alpha Layer

  • The Alpha1 layer is the base layer, which contains the most common alphas of Portuguese and English, plus comma and period. It is extended by the Alpha2 layer.

Secondary Alpha Layer

  • The Alpha2 layer has common Portuguese accentuated letters, readily available with a single tap on the right inner thumb key, along with the alphas that are missing in the base layer.
  • There are dedicated keys for à á â é ê ó ô ú í and ç, as well, which is all that is needed for Portuguese.
  • This two alpha layers approach is based on Ben Vallack's keymap.

Ç Extension

  • There is an extension to the Secondary Alpha Layer, which I call Ç Extension. It activates an one-shot layer just after ç is typed, to allow easy access to the vowels and accentuated vowels that are commonly seen after ç, in Portuguese, so that typing common bigrams like çã and çõ will not require two consecutive activations of the Secondary Alpha Layer. The characters a, ã, â, o, ô, õ, u and ú are available in this layer, while e, é, ê and í are not, since they will never appear after ç. The position of these characters in the secondary alpha layer is also thought to support this.

Magic Key

  • The Bottom Row Index Key, in the right hand, is programmed to act as a Magic Key. It will behave like H after most consonants, like V after vowels or accentuated vowels, like Y after B, M, D and F, and will reactivate the Secondary Alpha Layer when tapped after a consonant from the Secondary Alpha Layer. To see more about that, check the Magic Romak page.

Magic Key Enforcers

  • Magic Key Enforcers are adaptive keys that replace the dedicated keys for H, V and Y, and will send a BACKSPACE instead of the typed key, in case the use of the Magic Key is more appropriate. This feature will enforce the use of the Magic Key and force me to get used to it. Once I get used to the Magic Key, this feature will become irrelevant.

Smart Thumb Keys

  • The Smart Thumb keys in this layout change behavior according to the context (active layer, active modifiers and more).
  • The four thumb keys control layer transitions, when held (Navigation, Lower, Raise and Media).

Repeat Key

  • The outer left thumb key repeats the last key by default, but outputs an alternate result for keys that do not worth repeating. For Ç, the repeat key reactivates the Secondary Alpha Layer, which makes it easier to type çã and çõ.
  • Holding this key in the base layer will activate the Navigation layer.
  • Tapping or holding this key in the Raise layer acts as a normal Repeat Key, which can be used to spam or to repeat shortcuts.

Caps Word / Caps Line

  • Caps Word will captalize a single word and return to normal mode after a word break.
  • Caps Line will be similar to Caps Word, but will not break after a word, but only after a line break.

Smart Shift / Caps Word

  • The OS Shift key is available in the right outer thumb key and will toggle the Shift modifier in one-shot mode when single tapped.
  • When double tapped, this key will activate Caps Word.

Base Layer Combos

  • Combos are available in the base and Numpad layers to send ENTER, ESC, TAB and common shortcuts like copy, paste, save, select all and undo.
  • Most combos include the home thumb key, the one in the same side.
  • If shift or any other modifier is held, it will be included in the combo. So hold Shift and tap the Undo combo will send Redo instead.

Base Layer Macros

  • Some macros are available in the base layers and are triggered according to some specific behaviors, like explained below:

Leader Key

  • The Leader Key is available in the Base layer, holding and releasing comma for 175 milisseconds. It gives easy access to some useful macros, like typing an internet domain or recurring terminal commands.

Pontuation Hold

  • Holding a pontuation key (dot, comma or semicolon) will add it to the end of the current line.

Sentence Case

  • Tapping Space after ., ? or ! will trigger ONESHOT SHIFT when the next key is pressed, so that it gets capitalized. Repeat key can be used to cancel this behavior, and it will also expire after one second if no other key is pressed.
  • The implementation was based on Pascal's implementation, but it does not work the same way.

Secrets

  • Secret combos and leader sequencies can be included in the files secret.h and secret.c. These files are not part of the repo, for obvious reasons, so these two gists are provided as templates.

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