@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ no rights reserved, use for any purposes, credit me if you are a nice person
## The Base Layout ##
* *White Keys* are all the normal characters and symbols in all the normal locations (except for the brackets).
* *Modifier Keys* are light yellow and in the traditional location: Control, Option, Command, plus Hyper and Meh.
* *Modifier Keys* are light yellow and in the traditional locationn at the bottom of the keyboard: Control, Option, Command, plus Hyper and Meh.
* *Shift Keys* are dark yellow, found on the outsides of the keyboard. Capitals Shift (traditional shift) is found in the usual place and above that is found Symbol Shift, Media Shift, and Special Shift (Shift Lock).
* Several of the shift keys double for entry of characters which would typically be in those locations.
* *Thumb Keys* shown in orange are for text navigation and manipulation.
* The keys under pinky fingers and index fingers will *reverse* the keyboard layout.
* *Escape* is red and it is always found in that location no matter what.
@ -23,16 +24,20 @@ The four big orange keys are arranged differently than in the default Ergodox EZ
The Forward Tab and Backward Tab keys are in their locations mostly because I ended up with two extra buttons and needed something to do with them. My muscle memory from using the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard makes me look for the Tab key with my right index finger, so it is handy to have this redundant Tab, and the idea with the Backward Tab key is that it becomes easy to navigate text fields in forms, or to indent/unindent code.
#### Reversing The Base Layout ####
The Ordinary Layout can be used to perform one-handed chorded text input. If you hold down the key under either index finger or either pinky finger (A, F, J and Semicolon), the whole base layout reverses order. Most keys are _mirrored_ but the delete keys are merely *translated* to preserve directionality. Pro-tip: This feature is particularly handly for bringing the Enter key to the left hand when the right hand is using the mouse.
## The Symbols Layer ##
* *Symbols* shown in light green. All kinds of brackets are available on this layer. Ampersand and Pipe justapose each other. Pipe, slash, and backslash are arranged in a column.
* *F-Keys* are bright green and overlay the row of numerals.
* *F-Keys* are bright green and overlay the row of numerals. This layer has F1-F10, higher *F-Keys* are on the Symbols layer.
* *Number pad* in dark green under the right hand includes all four arithmetic operations in the same order found on most number pads and features an Enter key. The keycodes emitted here are normal numeric keycodes, not the number-pad specific keycodes emitted by most number pads so that NumLock is not needed.
* *Thumb keys* on this layer are the *reverse* of the orange keys on the base layer, with the keys either mirrored or shifted. This is powerful! Often I find myself using the mouse with my right hand, and the left hand needs to press Enter. Instead of reaching the left hand over to the right side of the keyboard, now I simply tap Symbols to reverse the turquoise keys, and Enter is right where it should be.
The Symbols Layer is based on the Coder Layer from the default Ergodox EZ layout. I slightly rearranged the symbols, added some symbols, expanded the number pad, and straightened out the F-Keys. It's very handy to have the symbols directly underneath the normal typing keys.
* The dark gray keys do nothing in case you bump them by accident.
## The Media Layer ##
@ -42,7 +47,7 @@ The Symbols Layer is based on the Coder Layer from the default Ergodox EZ layout
* Higher-order *F-Keys* are shown in bright green overylaying the numerals.
* *Application Keys* to control web browsers and audio players are dark purple but don't get too excited because these have weak support on operating systems I've looked at. Good luck.
* The light purple keys are various operating system keys such as NumLock and Mute and a button to navigate to My Computer (usually your home dir).
* The dark gray keys do nothing in case you bump them by accident
* The dark gray keys do nothing in case you bump them by accident.
@ -64,27 +69,33 @@ Multiple layers can be turned on at once. The Capitals layer will affect charact
The Special Shift layer is mostly used to lock the shift keys but in order to make this layout more _ordinary_ there are a few special sequences which put some keys near their most common traditional locations.
### Escape ###
#### Escape ####
The One True Location for the Escape key is segregated way up on the top left of the keyboard. The Ergodox does not have a physical button in such a location and the nearest one is home to the tilde (er, grave) which is commonly found there. In the Ordinary layout the Escape key is found on all layers in the prominent location in the corner next to the 5, which is easy to remember, and yet it isn't natural for those of us with muscle memory flicking our wrists up and to the left looking for Escape.
The One True Location for an Escape key is separated from the rest of the keys, way up on the top left of the keyboard. The Ergodox does not have a physical button in such a location, however, and the nearest one is home to the tilde (er, *grave*) which is commonly found there. In the Ordinary layout the Escape key is found on all layers in the prominent location in the corner next to the 5, which is easy to remember, and yet it isn't natural for those of us with muscle memory flicking our wrists up and to the left looking for Escape.
The Ordinary layout offers as a consolation prize a Special sequence for Escape: Special Shift + 1. This is natural so you can tap the top left button, then the button next to it and get Escape. This gesture works in all layers.
The Ordinary layout offers as a consolation prize, a Special sequence for Escape: **Special Shift + 1**. This is natural so you can tap the top left button, then the button next to it and get Escape. This gesture works in all layers.
### Backspace ###
#### Backspace ####
At the top right corner of the Ergodox EZ you can a gesture similar to the special Escape sequence using the 0 key to produce a Backspace. Users of this keyboard and this layout are well advised to learn to use their thumbs for deleting text, but sometimes you are doing other computery things and just want to flick your digits up to the right and press backspace a bunch times.
At the top right corner of the Ergodox EZ you can do **Special Shift + 0** to produce a Backspace. Users of this keyboard and this layout are well advised to learn to use their thumbs for deleting text, but sometimes you are doing other computery things and just want to flick your digits up to the right and press backspace a bunch times.
### Other Characters ###
#### Other Characters ####
The Escape and Backspace special sequences are so useful why not have a few more? You can find dash under 9, left bracket under o, and right bracket under p. That's pretty much all the characters from the top right corner of the keyboard which moved to make room for the columnar layout.
## Errata ##
Some of the symbols on the Symbols layer are produced by the keyboard by "capitalizing" another symbol (such as *!* from *1*) so when you type that key you will notice the Capitals Shift red LED turn on.
****
The Ordinary Layout for the Ergodox EZ keyboard, v4.20
The Ordinary Layout for the Ergodox EZ keyboard, v5
Modifications from default by Nicholas Keene ergodoxez@nicholaskeene.com
No rights reserved. This software is in the public domain. Credit me if you are friendly but if you're a jerk don't bother.
Keyboard layout images were created with http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/ by Ian Prest my thanks to that free service
Nicholas Keene
7 years ago