If you have QWERTY as your OS layout, you may simply suspend EPKL to use QWERTY. You may also have it as your switch layout. Switching layout isn't as instant as a separate layer would be but I don't think you need to type every other word in Colemak and QWERTY either.
As a matter of fact, if you want a lockable coding layer you could make a separate layout for it and use that as a second layout. This is one reason I haven't seen the necessity for lock modifiers so far.
]]>Hi, Macsek!
• So, it's not clear how to use this? That's covered in the XKB and PKL topics (my sig, and they're mentioned in the topic – but maybe not clearly enough?)
• How to use: Yes, the Extend modifier is like an Fn button. Maybe that needs to be said even more clearly? It's also possible to use it as a lock or latch if desirable, but I don't think that's necessary.I'll try to flesh out the How... part a little. Thanks for the feedback and praise. :-)
So how would I go on adding a lock layer? The standard Extend layer looks like it would work fine (with some personal modifications), but I'd love to have a couple of lock layers for gaming/coding/qwerty. I'm already using a split keyboard but Finnish AWide is still nice, although I'm keeping my hands in the default position. I rarely need the last key on the right so my pinky isn't all that extended, and having umlauts right there next to index finger is a bonus, especially as it's ä which is somewhat common.
I'm still going through the configuration files trying to figure out the layouts but for basic use EPiKaL works wonders.
]]>The BigBag PKL/Win topic is the most correct place to ask such a question. But basically, you'll have to choose one of the Alt keys for Extend as PKL doesn't let you use both. Then set its name on the extend_key line in layout.ini. I think you should unmap the key too like I've done with CapsLock in my layouts, but not sure.
]]>Can you tell me how to do that? I was editing that layout.ini file on notepad, but my results are not close to what i want. Thanks in advance, really preciate your work!
]]>In PKL, I added this to my pkl.ini file replacing the line for the tilde key:
SC029 = Click 24,24,0
What this does is place the mouse cursor in the upper left corner of either the active window or, if no windows are active, the desktop. Why is that A Good Thing™, you ask?
• Sometimes, I lose track of where the mouse cursor is. Now I can easily reposition it.
• Sometimes, the mouse cursor gets in my way. Now I can easily put "baby" in the corner.
Snazzy side effects (not necessarily the simplest way but interesting nevertheless):
• On the desktop it'll be placed right over the "My PC" icon. Following up with a click (Ext+C on the CurlAngle mod) and Enter (Ext+Spc) opens an Explorer window.
• Sometimes on the desktop though, it goes to the menu line instead. Not sure when/why this happens.
• On windows, it'll be placed over the app icon. A click will open the app menu (but LAlt+Space is a simpler way – I use that a lot).
• One or two mouse down (Ext+G on CurlAngle, Ext+D on vanilla Colemak) will bring me to the menu and icon lines for more advanced virtual clickage.
• On my Firefox browser, it'll be placed right next to the first tab. Two down clicks and I can access the address line icons (I use Ext+6 for the line itself).
When typing bigrams with the center column (infamously, HE on vanilla Colemak; KE on DH-mod Colemak) I "slide in". That is, my index finger hits H(K) but instead of stretching the hand a lot to type E with the middle finger I allow the hand to retain its more relaxed shape and type E with the ring finger instead. Similarly for the NK(NH) bigram for which I use the index plus middle finger instead of a same-finger bigram with the index finger. And so on and so forth. Some forum members have suggested that alternative fingering may make you substantially faster at high typing speeds.
Keep in mind though that this is about shortcuts, not normal typing. What you do to hit the F# keys isn't normal touch typing anyway, it's jumping. It's not done in a normal typing flow but as a special action. As such, normal typing rules don't (quite) apply to this.
]]>Anything that works for you, really. If you do such a shortcut often you'll get used to it, if not it'll remain a PITA I'm afraid. But here are my suggestions:
• Ext+3: 3rd(3)
• Ext+Sh+F3: 3rd(3); 2nd(S). Or, LeftHand_3rd(3); RightHand_5th(RShift)
• Ext+A+2: 4th(A); 3rd(2). Yes, this one's a bit cramped.
• Ext+A+2: 3rd(2); 1st(Alt). Another way (actual Alt+Ext+2).
Left pinky for the Extend key (on the Caps key) for all of the above.
]]>It'll be interesting to see what you've come up with, then!
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