ThumbsUp! Keyboards

  You can actually try it on your Windows computer. May be that's all you need, and that's ok.   My layout is based on two things: - tri-state layers used in Planck/OLKB boards, - and SpaceFN layout.   The former allows to have four layers controlled by two keys. It works only if you have a programmable keyboard.   The SpaceFN layout can be used on its own, on any regular computer, provided you can install a program to it.   The idea is to turn space bar into a modifier key. That is when you hit it once it works as a space bar. But when you press and hold it - it activates another layer, like Shift or Control. This post on Geekhack.org describes this idea in more details.   For SpaceFN (when I don't have my ThumbsUp! keyboard) I use TouchCursor utility. You can download and use it for free.   To use my layout - launch TouchCursor double click on its icon in the clock area to open the configuration window. Change any of t...

My board layout is QWERTY-based, most of the keys are in their familiar places. Yet some of them, especially those on the navigation layer, are moved. Why? In this post I will try to recollect my thoughts on that.   Backspace/Delete Backspace/Delete key is located in the top right corner, above Enter, about the same spot as in regular boards. In the data-entry scenarios, i.e. in QWERTY and Numbers layers, that button acts as Backspace. The reason is while typing I most likely need to remove the last entered character or word (with usual combo Ctrl+Backspace.)   In navigation/editing layers that button acts as Delete. I noticed when I edit text most often I navigate to the beginning of the text I want to delete, then use Delete key. So it is logical to change the behavior of that key from Backspace to Delete when I use the navigation layer. I just drop my right thumb on the corner button, use three middle fingers to get to the starting point. Then I press Dele...

Updated:   Nov 12 I am cleaning up the firmware for all the keyboards. Two biggest changes are switch to the current QMK version 0.22.14 and enabling the VIA/REMAP support for all the keyboards. Look for the banners for each keyboard to see if the new firmware is ready.   Default (pre-compiled) firmware and JSON files for VIA/REMAP are in Dropbox here:   https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/2s8vz5tq5lffmpjuqbz2c/h?rlkey=71amow1mhhwfe54c0ywx59bfc&dl=0   You can flash them to your board. For AtMega/ProMicro based boards (*.hex files) use  QMK Toolbox  . For RP2040 boards (*.uf2 files) press twice the reset button (on the bottom side of the middle PCB), and copy the file to the drive newly added to the system. Note: v3 (5x12) and v4 use the same firmware (use the v4 one as the latest and supporting VIA/REMAP.) //TODO: re-upload v4   v5, v8 and v8b also use the same firmware (use v5 for all of them)   If you want to modify the QMK...

  Updated:   Jun 5 The unibody ThumbsUp! keyboards support ProGlide Cirque touchpads. Cirque touchpad fits nicely under the top PCB and are not visible from outside, so here its picture sticking out, not yet glued to the top PCB:     There are tracks leading to a connector on the top board. (Add it to the order and let me know if you want the connector to be installed, provided I have them in stock.)     You'd need to buy these two parts from Mouser (or any other vendor): Mouser #: Mfr. #: Desc.: 355-TM0400402024-301 TM040040-2024-301 Capacitance Touch Sensor Modules Capacitance Touch Sensor Modules 40mm Round SPI/I2C adhesive overlay 538-15166-0125 15166-0125 FFC / FPC Jumper Cables FFC / FPC Jumper Cables FFC 0.50 Type A 12 ckts lgt 127   Touchpads need to be modified: R1 needs to be removed to use I2C the boards support:   For the ProMicro and Atmel32U4-based keyboards the touchpad also needs to be made t...

  How to Use ThumbsUp! Keyboard: Modifiers (Shift, Control, Alt, Win) Updated:   Oct 4 One of the goals I tried to achieve with my layout was to keep it as close to the standard QWERTY as it was defined in ThinkPad X-Series laptops (up to x220 model.) The biggest deviation from that layout were the Shift keys which were moved under thumbs. Other modifiers: Left and Right Control, Alt and AltGr, Win, and the Menu buttons remained under the same fingers.   The latter is quite important. In ThinkPad laptops I pressed Controls with pinkies, Alt keys with the middle fingers, Win with the left ring finger, and Menu with the right ring finger. The same fingers are supposed to be used with ThumbsUp! keyboards:   Shift key is pressed/held with a thumb, it is just dropped on it:   Control key is pressed with pinky:   The Control+Shift combination is pressed with thumb and and pinkie together:   I learned that some people treated Win, ...

  Updated:   Nov 12 In the previous posts the QWERTY and navigation/editing layers were described. This one covers the numbers and F-Keys.   Default layout provides two ways of entering the numbers: - using the numbers and F-keys layer that is activated with two thumbs holding CURSOR L and CURSOR R keys - with NUMPAD layer which is turned on and off with TAB+C     The Numbers and F-Keys Layer   This layer works pretty much the same way as with the regular keyboards: The top row got numbers from 1 through 9 and 0. Functional keys are located on the home row, with F11 and F12 spilling out on the bottom row.   (Additional Shift and Alt modifiers were left in this layer for historical reasons, when this layout was used with Let's Split and Dactyl-Manuform keyboards. They were and may be still handy to have there, even I rarely use them nowadays.)   The standard modifiers work the same way as usual, so one or both thum...