As a newcomer to programmable mechanical keyboards I’m still in the process of identifying what exactly I’m going to build.
To help the process I bought a Kinesis Split programmable keyboard to get a feel for them.
Having a split space bar helps with easy fast access to the function layer. But I’m discovering that split space bar offerings (traditional 60-75% boards) are the exception not the rule. Finding the right DIY kit and components seems to be difficult enough without adding yet another hurdle.
If a board uses QMK firmware, is it possible to assign a tap-and-hold alpha key(s) to shift to one or more FN layers?
Yes! In fact, that’s a very easy thing to do in the configurator. Using the LT() functions, you can have it be a standard keycode when tapped and a layer shift when held.
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Thanks @Lesbian. Am I missing something? Now knowing about FN layers I would think that split space bars would be the norm…not the exception.
Regarding spacebars? Well, the fact is that to do that, you’d need specific keycaps, and those are generally rare. Even the boards that do have them either have ones without a convex spacebar and reuse keys like Shift and Numpad 0 to do it, or have nonstandard sizes that you can only find in a handful of sets.
Got it…thanks. Makes more sense now. Wondered why I saw a bunch of odd looking space bar keycaps on split space bar boards.