Do you use a macro keyboard for shortcuts? If so, what for and what size?
Do you use a macro keyboard for shortcuts? If so, what for and what size?
Macro keyboards are mini programmable USB keyboards that can be pressed to trigger shortcuts, a sequence of keypresses etc. They can have several layers so switching to a different one will trigger different keypresses from the same key, so e.g. different IDEs can be represented.
I've just bought one with a view to setting up shortcuts for debugging. Each IDE has its own unique keys for navigating through the code, so I figure it'll be nice to just press one key to start debugging and one key to step into instead of a combination of ctrl+whatever etc
Do you use one? If so, what do you use it for and what size do you use? Is it too big / too small?
A rare case of a topic text opening with providing context on what it is talking about. Thank you! I love it.
I don't use one. I don't feel like I have conflicting keybindings, or a need for additional keys. When I do, I customize my bindings through settings.
Surprised I haven't seen it mentioned here, but I've had both the DuckyPad and recently backed the DuckyPad Pro and love them both!
https://github.com/dekuNukem/duckyPad
https://dekunukem.github.io/duckyPad-Pro/
I use it for a variety of shortcuts, Markdown notes, numpad for my Lily58, and it's compatible with Autohotkey!
This looks awesome - thanks! What's the all-in price?
$70 for a macropad? You can buy an entire kb for that price.
I just had mine arrive yesterday!
I have one of these
I'm using ch57x-keyboard-tool to configure it, because I don't fancy running some random closed-source Chinese code (the manual links to a file on Google Drive). It also means I can move over my config when I switch to Linux.
I have two keys for switching between headphones and speakers, and some set up for shortcuts I forget (like ctrl-shift-e for the network monitor in Firefox). One key types "hello" just because I can.
I've got the large knob controlling volume, and I can click it to toggle mute. The other two are currently set to scroll, but I don't need that as my mouse has better ergonomics for scrolling.
I still have plenty of unused keys and it's got three layers so I won't be running out in the foreseeable future.
I’m using ch57x-keyboard-tool to configure it
Great! I've bought similar without the dials (I wish I didn't have to pay extra for the stupid LEDs) and was hoping there was something open sourcey to configure it with rather than their dodgy codebase for the same reasons you list!
Also forgot to point out, you can buy keys with a transparent cover over the top on ali so you can shove a piece of paper underneath the transparent bit to use as labels.
I just have a 36 key split keyboard with layers and combo keys, don't need a separate macro pad when my main keyboard just is one
Which keyboard is that?
Sorry commented on a different comment down in this thread with the answer, but for other people to see it easier:
I use an old Stream Deck- not the Steam deck- from Elgato. It's essentially a small touchscreen with a transparent button pad laid over the top, making for a fully programmable macropad with fully customisable screen-per-key.
Not only can I have esoteric shortcuts, but I can also dynamically label them, depending on layer. I have a 'home' layer with icons representing each other layer. So, for example I can load up a video game, and press the corresponding icon on my macropad. It will then change the icons to match whatever command it does- various whistle commands in Ark, for example. I can then change programs into my CAD, and have the icons now be various shortcuts for modelling tools.
It sounds beautiful! It'd be really nice if there were transparent rubber keypads available that could be put over phone screens. Then you could fashion an old phone as a keyboard with infinite layers. A simple flutter app to set up the shortcuts and make them configurable and badda boom!
I'm not a programmer but I want to share my experiences anyway. >:3
I have DOIO KB16 because I really needed something to allow me for scrolling and usage of shortcuts while using the drawing tablet. It has 4 layers and onboard memory so I can take it to a new pc and have all the same functionality. I disconnected my mouse and put it on a shelf due to wrist pain in favor of a game controller or drawing tablet + macropad combo for interacting with my pc. I ended up mostly using the macropad as a mouse/keyboard with shortcuts for manipulating webpages and so on. My favourite part about it is that it has 3 whooping knobs which I really wanted to have as many of as I could. By looking at the sellers discord support channel I was really lucky to actually have the macropad delivered at all because it's some chinese seller with lacking support. Here's the pic of it:
Edit: The post asked about how I feel about the size. My opinion is that I wish it had 1 (ideally 2) more vertical sets of keys because that would allow me to use my thumb for button pressing too. But overall I’m happy and I think it’s my only real problem with it.
Check aliexpress. You're going to find things that excite you including a kb that's very similar
EDIT: I thought I'd go searching, some ideas:
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007032783471.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008256166426.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007032783471.html
- https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006814738256.html - an extra row. Sure it'll take another USB port but you could stick them together!
I already did so when looking for a macropad but didn't find anything that would fit my criteria. Macropads with a bigger amount of knobs are stupidly hard to find which is something I didn't expect when looking for one to buy.
Edit: Oh right, I just remembered that there was a bigger option that was out of stock and waaaaay out of my price range:
That's 145 USD +shipping. It's not something I can afford for a small keyboard. I think it may come without caps as well based on the pic included. lmao
Looks nice. How much did it cost?
I have 6 programmable keys on my keyboard. I have macros for a few snippets that I have to type a lot and my email because my company has a stupid long name that I'm sick of typing out.
I have a large selection, but I rarely use them for anything other than media keys and teams call functions. Other stuff like windows management in sway are all done on higher layers on my (40%) keyboard.
My preference is for something with at least one knob as knobs are my preference for things like scrolling, volume control, and zoom.
If you can find latching switches, these are great for triggering layers so you can get more out of your pad. You can obviously do latching layer changes without such switches in QMK, but you really need to trigger leds to help you remember which layer you on otherwise.
Pad I use the most is a CapsUnlocked CU7 that I got just before they imploded as I love the weight of the knob.
No macro keyboard but I have a programmable mouse with 12 buttons which I assume is similar. You can have different modes with different key bindings so I made 4 modes = 48 buttons.
I don't have that many macros though, it's mostly control keys that are used a lot, arrow keys etc. For coding I have some bindings with ctrl-C, ctrl-V, ctrl-Z, ctrl-/ which work in most editors. Something that's a bit more interesting, I have a button that places the word "exit" in the clipboard, so you can then press the ctrl-V button to paste the word in a terminal, cause a lot of processes (like the ruby console) can't be closed with ctrl-C.
Most REPLs can be closed with Ctrl+D which is the EOF character.
Huh true, I'll have to check again see if it works with the usual programs (it probably does)
Do you use a macro keyboard for shortcuts?
No. I think that macro functionality is useful, but I don't do it via the physical keyboard.
My general take is that chording (pressing some combination of keys simultaneously) that lets one keep one hands on the home row is faster than pressing one key. So, like, instead of having separate capital and lowercase letter keys, it's preferable to have "shift" and just one key.
I think that the main arguments for dedicated keys that one lifts one hands for would be for important but relatively-infrequently-used keys that people don't use enough to remember chorded combinations for -- you can just throw the label on the button as a quick reference. Like, we don't usually have Windows-Alt-7 on a keyboard power on a laptop, but instead have a dedicated power button.
Maybe there's a use to have keyboard-level-programmed macros with chording, as some keyboards can do...but to me, the use case seems pretty niche. If you're using multiple software environments (e.g. BIOS, Windows, Linux terminal, whatever) and want the same functionality in all of them (e.g. a way to type your name), that might make some sense. Or maybe if you're permitted to take a keyboard with you, but are required to use a computer that you can't configure at the software level, that'd provide configurability at a level that you have control over.
In general, though, I'm happier with configuring stuff like that on the computer's software; I don't hit those two use cases, myself.
I have a keyboard with 10 macro keys, 5 on each side. I don't have a whole lot of uses for them except when using Blender, I have buttons set to switch between vertex, edges, and face selection modes, one to zoom in on the selected objects, and another one or buttons to quickly scale things down to zero on a single axis.
Then I set another mode to do some repetetive things in Dwarf Fortress.
