Arsenik ================================================================================ A basic [Miryoku][1]-like approach to minimize finger movements: - 3 home-row mods per hand for Ctrl, Alt, Super - 3 layer-tap keys under the thumbs: Shift/Backspace, Navigation/Space, Symbol/Return ![base, navigation and sym layers on a 33-key keyboard](img/all.svg) **Bring the keys to your fingers, rather than moving your fingers to the keys!** - A long press on the Return key brings up the Symbol layer, where all programming symbols are arranged for comfort and efficiency, Dvorak-like. - A long press on the Space bar brings up the Navigation layer, with easy one-hand shortcuts (Ctrl-WASZXCV), Vim-like navigation (HJKL) and more… This is how modern ergonomic keyboards work — e.g. [Planck][47], [Atreus][44], [Corne][42], [Ferris][34]… The goal here is to propose an approach that works with any keyboard, including your laptop’s. [47]: https://olkb.com/collections/planck [44]: https://atreus.technomancy.us [42]: https://github.com/foostan/crkbd [34]: https://github.com/pierrechevalier83/ferris Main Benefits -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Shift, Backspace, Return under the thumbs! - all programming symbols in the comfortable 3×10 zone - symmetrical modifiers on the home row - Vim-like navigation in all apps - easier left-hand shortcuts - works with any keyboard Using Arsenik -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unlike Miryoku which requires 6 thumb keys, Arsenik has been designed to work with standard ANSI/ISO/laptop keyboards, leveraging the spacebar and the two Alt/Cmd keys. [Non-programmable keyboards are supported through kanata.](kanata) Programmable keyboards should be trivial to configure with QMK, ZMK, Kaleidoscope, etc. No numbers? No problem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If your keyboard has no number row, we got you covered! In Symbol mode, pressing the left thumb key brings up the NumRow layer: ![NumRow layer on a 33-key keyboard](img/numrow.svg) - all digits are on the home row, in the order you already know - the upper row helps with Shift-digit shortcuts - the lower row has dash, comma, dot and slash signs to help with number / date inputs Even on keyboards that *do* have a number row, this NumRow layer can be interesting to use in order to minimize finger movements a bit more. Related Projects -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Inspiration - [Miryoku][1] for the main idea of using modifiers on the homerow and layer shifters under the thumbs; - [Lafayette][2] and [Ergo-L][3] for the Symbol layer, which has been blatantly taken *as is*. ### Alternatives - [Extend][4] for the Navigation layer - [Neo][5] for the Navigation and Symbol layers - [Pascal Getreuer][6] for the Symbol layer ### Non-Goals - being the most efficient 3×5 layout — [Miryoku][1] is probably the most advanced approach for that, at least on custom 36-key keyboards; - being the most intuitive 3×5 layout — [Neo][4]’s navigation-and-numpad layer would be an easier alternative, but a more Vim-like approach has been preferred; - fitting any OS layout — Arsenik works best if your OS layout has either no AltGr layer at all (e.g. QWERTY, Colemak, Workman…), or an optimized AltGr layer ([Lafayette][2], [Ergo-L][3]…). [1]: https://github.com/manna-harbour/miryoku [2]: https://qwerty-lafayette.org/42 [3]: https://ergol.org [4]: https://dreymar.colemak.org/layers-extend.html [5]: https://www.neo-layout.org/ [6]: https://getreuer.info/posts/keyboards/symbol-layer/ TODO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - NumPad layer? - angle mods! - KMonad / Karabiner support - sample QMK / ZMK implementations for common keyboards - variants for specific OS layouts