Unofficial Keyboard Layouts

[_wb_]

Here's another attempt. Note: this is not a proposal for the colors of the keys or what labels to print on top of them. Also I'm not making a statement on how the shoulder buttons should be positioned. It's just a proposal for the button layout and their default mapping.

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/48664036fac1c8d4616b9ee03e446b9f

The layout has backwards compatibility in mind where possible/desirable: ABXY and start/select/pandora are exactly like before, and so are L1 and R2. Too bad there is no room for Ctrl and Alt in a position that is easy to reach when the device is on a table, but the keyboard isn't going to be very suitable for finger typing anyway.

There is also no room for Fn on the right (unless we want a normal button sized space bar, but that doesn't seem like a good idea to me).

All of the symbol keys are in a more or less standard QWERTY position, which is different from what we have in the Pandora but still an improvement in my opinion.

The six colored keys (they don't necessarily have to be colored in reality) are meant to be user-mapped to whatever the user thinks is most useful. So they could map to Ö or É, to wifi toggle or brightness setting, or some application launcher, or whatever.

 

[sebt3]

The six colored keys (they don't necessarily have to be colored in reality) are meant to be user-mapped to whatever the user thinks is most useful. So they could map to Ö or É, to wifi toggle or brightness setting, or some application launcher, or whatever.

Sound like a great idea to me. There have to have a sensible default defined but nothing any dev should expect touch.

 

[slaeshjag]

This might seem goofy, but how about mapping R2 to space? Not that it's ever used as a modifier, but it's a new one could expect to be using much...

 

[levi]

Perhaps enter? My brain seems to expect the 'menu select' button to be roughly on the same level as the d-pad, so that would make e.g. navigating the XFCE menu more natural - menu, scroll with d-pad, enter. Although perhaps it would make more sense to map the R nub click as enter, as the problem is more likely that I'll just naturally press whatever's under my right thumb.

 

[_wb_]

This might seem goofy, but how about mapping R2 to space? Not that it's ever used as a modifier, but it's a new one could expect to be using much...

One problem with that is that normal keyboards only have one space bar. So how would you distinguish between the two? We don't have that problem with Shift, Ctrl and Alt because there are two of those on normal keyboards (a left one, e.g. SDLK_LCTRL and a right one, e.g. SDLK_RCTRL), so e.g. in SDL you can easily distinguish SELECT from R1, while you can still use both of them as CTRL.

So if you take that into account, the options for R2 are kind of limited. The only other keys that have this property are the "Windows button" (aka the Meta/Super modifier). And the numeric keypad buttons, none of which are important enough to map to a shoulder button (except maybe enter?).

In my opinion, it would make most sense to map R2 to the Meta modifier. That way every shoulder button is a modifier key and you can define shortcuts involving any combination of shoulder buttons plus some other key.

 

[comradekingu]

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=47133.0 has some insights into making a small keyboard layout.

One thing i notice is that the top row and the bottom row on the current pandora is directly opposite each other. Its all very stylish with that star wars intro yellowtext effect and all, but are there some studies on usability?

 

[_wb_]

One more variant:

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/f173df2d3fdd3c5762991b7e71c4fe2f

Changes: staggered like a real keyboard (Z not exactly under W), Fn back to the right (for those who are used to that), funny shaped Enter button (like on a ISO 105 keyboard), meta key.

 

[levi]

Nice. Just a slight tweak to square off that enter key a little so it's a bit more like a real 105-key keyboard, and a little more square, if we have the width for that:

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/437daa8cae159ab8b6966c7f890a2809


I considered swapping around tab and shift/caps too, as in my mind tab is supposed to be wide but on the Pandora I don't use the actual shift key much thanks to the shoulders. But putting shift up there is a bit weird and unusual, so I left it.


Edit: Moved space bar in. Bit weird, not convinced.

 

[_wb_]

Nice. Just a slight tweak to square off that enter key a little so it's a bit more like a real 105-key keyboard, and a little more square, if we have the width for that:

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/437daa8cae159ab8b6966c7f890a2809


I considered swapping around tab and shift/caps too, as in my mind tab is supposed to be wide but on the Pandora I don't use the actual shift key much thanks to the shoulders. But putting shift up there is a bit weird and unusual, so I left it.


Edit: Moved space bar in. Bit weird, not convinced.

Moving the space bar directly to the right of M is a bad idea, since people may want to remap the keys to the right of M, e.g. for a Russian or Hebrew layout.

Tiny tweak: made the space bar a bit larger instead of Fn. Now it's at 1.75 normal keys wide, which is still a bit short imo, but it's good enough.

http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/0cb002d1c26d004251918e15c7e3b9a1

 

[_jr_]

Why not ~ (ESC with Fn) to the left of 1?

 

[_wb_]

Why not ~ (ESC with Fn) to the left of 1?

Because I was trying to use less horizontal space after people complained that the keys would get too small.

 

[comradekingu]

Somehow relating the available switches to the alloted space would be nice. 12x12 10x10 and 6x6 seems to be the most common sizes.

 

[_wb_]

Somehow relating the available switches to the alloted space would be nice. 12x12 10x10 and 6x6 seems to be the most common sizes.

I don't understand what you mean by this.

 

[Granitehead]

One problem with that is that normal keyboards only have one space bar. So how would you distinguish between the two? We don't have that problem with Shift, Ctrl and Alt because there are two of those on normal keyboards (a left one, e.g. SDLK_LCTRL and a right one, e.g. SDLK_RCTRL), so e.g. in SDL you can easily distinguish SELECT from R1, while you can still use both of them as CTRL.

I'm pretty sure there is also another way of accessing key presses which is completely agnostic of what symbol is assigned to that key.

 

[_wb_]

One problem with that is that normal keyboards only have one space bar. So how would you distinguish between the two? We don't have that problem with Shift, Ctrl and Alt because there are two of those on normal keyboards (a left one, e.g. SDLK_LCTRL and a right one, e.g. SDLK_RCTRL), so e.g. in SDL you can easily distinguish SELECT from R1, while you can still use both of them as CTRL.

I'm pretty sure there is also another way of accessing key presses which is completely agnostic of what symbol is assigned to that key.

Sure, but it's convenient if all buttons can be mapped to normal keys, that makes it much easier to configure existing software to work well with the Pyra controls.

 

[Granitehead]

One problem with that is that normal keyboards only have one space bar. So how would you distinguish between the two? We don't have that problem with Shift, Ctrl and Alt because there are two of those on normal keyboards (a left one, e.g. SDLK_LCTRL and a right one, e.g. SDLK_RCTRL), so e.g. in SDL you can easily distinguish SELECT from R1, while you can still use both of them as CTRL.

I'm pretty sure there is also another way of accessing key presses which is completely agnostic of what symbol is assigned to that key.

 Sure, but it's convenient if all buttons can be mapped to normal keys, that makes it much easier to configure existing software to work well with the Pyra controls.

Until someones remaps the keys because they don't live in an English speaking country.
Edit: Something else: in normal keyboards space is in the middle of the row under the letter keys. I think putting it between b and n or so would be closer to this. Would be easier to reach too.

 

[Caine]

My attempt at a more regular four row layout (this layout is one key wider than the original Pandora and a little bit deeper):

All regular keys are available. ESC and the Function keys are Fn combinations. Naturally dpad order could be switched to mimick regular keyboard dpad. The middle position of the spacebar makes it easy to hit with either hand and FnLock can be utilized to easily enable left and right mouse buttons (LMB/RMB) in a comfortable right-handed position (perhaps a left-handed mode should be supported which swaps them with the Brightness buttons (Br- and Br+).

Meta is a user customizable key/modifier. I left out the coloured user customizable buttons that _wb_ introduced, but those could be added too (not sure we really need them though).

Not entirely sure yet what the optimum configuration is for [ ] : " and \
E.g. swapping [ and ] with " and | respectively, maximizes the number of buttons that are in their usual location where the current layout keeps them spatially close to where they usually are.

<edit>Forgot to add the link: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/e16fa93bddda03218e9147be70690700 </edit>

 

[Grench]

How would you do a shift-F9 without turning on the caps-lock?

 

[Binky]

Central space bar is an interesting idea - it might feel a bit weird to new users, but it makes sense to put the most useful keys within easy reach.

Normal computers and typewriters only have it where it is because its in easy reach of one's thumbs.

 

[Caine]

How would you do a shift-F9 without turning on the caps-lock?

R2+Fn+9. It is a common problem, also present on the Pandora 1. Perhaps Fn+Backspace is a better combination for capslock (less likely to be used in such a key combination, but theoretically still possible).

Central space bar is an interesting idea - it might feel a bit weird to new users, but it makes sense to put the most useful keys within easy reach.

Normal computers and typewriters only have it where it is because its in easy reach of one's thumbs.

Try it on the Pandora 1 and hit the Pandora key whenever you want to input a space. You get used to it quite rapidly. It is also quicker as you can strike it easily with both hands, which you wouldn't do with the bottom right placement.