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    Playing around with AltGr, Win keys using Sharpkeys...

    • Started by stevep99
    • 5 Replies:
    • Reputation: 117
    • From: UK
    • Registered: 14-Apr-2014
    • Posts: 978

    I am trying out a slightly modified configuration for modifier keys. This is my current keyboard layout:

    http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/# … 303026d3f3

    - The AltGr key is an extra shift.
    - The right "windows" key becomes AltGr.

    The idea is to make it much easier to hold down Shift, using the right thumb. However, I don't really want to lose easy access to AltGr as I have also defined a layer there for common symbols, brackets, etc. The windows key is definately not important enough to need two keys, and the right-hand one is actually not that hard to reach with the wide mod applied, so AltGr is now there instead. The reason for two AltGr keys (replacing windows and menu keys) is that on my laptop, there is no right windows key, so I need to use the menu key instead.

    I am using SharpKeys for this hackery as it lets you modify the Windows key at the registry level - sadly AutoHotkey is not able to override the annoying Windows default operations for that key AFAIK.

    So far I really like having a Shift key on the thumb :)

    Last edited by stevep99 (05-Mar-2015 14:19:39)

    Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,362

    Well, yes, maybe a good idea for you! It quickly gets troublesome in general though:
    • Some keyboards have harder-to-reach or even nonexistent RWin keys
    • As you've noticed, the modifier keys may be harder to remap (in other OSes too)

    I do think that AutoHotkey is capable of handling that sort of stuff though? What did you try?

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    • Reputation: 117
    • From: UK
    • Registered: 14-Apr-2014
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    In the case of a missing RWin key there is a need for a substitute, preferably whatever is next to the AltGr key, hence my remapping the menu key also. Perhaps there might be some unusual keyboards for which this approach wouldn't work well though. And to be viable for people who use AltGr a lot, it does rely on the wide mod also.

    AutoHotkey does partially work - you can do assignments of the form "RWin & key::" but the problem is this doesn't override the OS's own hotkeys. So for example if you hit RWin and L, it suddenly locks the screen, which doesn't seem to be overridden by AHK...  If there is a way to prevent that it would be good to know as I would rather be able to use one peice of software instead of two if possible!

    Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    But RWin::RShift should work? If it doesn't, maybe specific Down and Up mappings?

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    • Reputation: 117
    • From: UK
    • Registered: 14-Apr-2014
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    RWin::RShift does work - but still doesn't prevent the OS detecting certain key combos, which makes it of limited use without also applying the registry hack.

    A note if interest on this topic:  I recently got a Raspberry Pi to play around with. On the setup screen it lets you choose which keyboard layout. Colemak was one of the options, but I was also interested to see an option to define which key should act as AltGr.  It was possible to set the right Win key to be AltGr direct from setup!  I was quite surprised to see that.

    @DreymaR have you ever tried out your big bag of tricks on a Raspberry Pi ?

    Last edited by stevep99 (08-Mar-2015 15:58:41)

    Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    No, haven't been near one of those. But with any OS using the X11 protocol it should work fine.

    The xkb files have a host of options like that one. I only had to add a few more... ;-)

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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