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    How do I change the asterisk dead key functions?

    • Started by kim366
    • 11 Replies:
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 25-Aug-2015
    • Posts: 15

    Hi,

    I opened Colemak in MSKLC and on the backslash there is that asterisk dead key. I would like to change some functionality of that key. How do I do that? When enabling advanced options, nothing appears, only in the context menu, where it's read-only.

    So how do I change it?

    Thanks!

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,343

    I use PortableKeyboardLayout which gives more options and is more lightweight and flexible than an installer. But if you do want to use the MSKLC then you're on the right track. Enable showing all levels of keys, and you'll find the dead key if you haven't seen it already. To the right there's an option to edit it and you'll get a table of triggers and releases for the key. As I recall it you can then either paste (or type) in characters or enter Unicode points for each entry. It's a bit clunky but it works.

    Last edited by DreymaR (29-Sep-2015 18:40:57)

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
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    • Registered: 25-Aug-2015
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    Thank you so much! It not only answers my question, but also offers an awesome way of using Colemak on other PCs! Exactly what I was looking for!

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,343

    If you use my download from the sig topic, there's quite a lot of files there but you should be able to find something useful I hope!

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

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    • Registered: 25-Aug-2015
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    Did you make the app? If so, what does the Caps State number mean? Otherwise it is pretty self-explanatory.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    No, the clever programmer Farkas Máté did, but he's from Hungary and doesn't speak much English it seems. Haven't heard from him in a while, sadly.

    Caps State, however, is really from MSKLC. Add together a 1 if the 2nd level is the shifted state of the 1st (true for letters but not for number keys for instance), and 4 similarly for the AltGr state. So the CapsState number is either 0, 1, 4 or 5. Get it?

    (In case you wonder about the missing second bit: 2 refers to the Ctrl key shift level. As you know, the Ctrl key isn't actually used for shift states so it stays unmapped for the most part. But there's actually one key that's mapped this way: LeftBracket+Ctrl sends an Escape in some layouts, iirc.)

    Last edited by DreymaR (30-Sep-2015 14:15:35)

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

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    • Registered: 25-Aug-2015
    • Posts: 15

    Okay, I kind of get it. I don't need it if I don't use Caps at all, do I?

    I have a second question now: I want the DH-Anglemod on my ISO keyboard. So what's the keycode (/scancode) for the key next to the LShift?

    Thank you for answering!

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    In PKL/Windows, it's known under the name OEM_102 (SC056).

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

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    • Registered: 12-Sep-2015
    • Posts: 9

    Dreymar is there a way to define dead keys in PKL? In MSKLC I've connected polish fonts with / so i.e. /a gives me ą. I don't know how to do it in PKL.
    Btw. after almost 3 weeks with Colemak I find it much more comfortable than qwerty and I have big problems to convince myself to practice qwerty little bit each day :)

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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    Just look in the existing layout files (proper full mappings, not "VirtualKey" layouts) and hopefully you'll understand how it works. It's based on MSKLC files but instead of codepoint names the dead keys get numbers and instead of code points in hex they're in decimal values.

    My own files have AltGr+8 for ogonek ("octonek", haha!) and comma below, as the comma was taken by cedilla in accordance with Combine practice. For a proper Polish layout I did it otherwise of course.

    Last edited by DreymaR (07-Oct-2015 12:24:02)

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

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    • Registered: 25-Aug-2015
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    8 for the ogonek? That is a far reach. I would put it on the comma, which actually looks similar. Since I only use Polish and German, I would put it on the home row, actually.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    As I said, for proper Polish it belongs more centrally. Yes. But for the full international treatment the cedilla forces it away from the comma.

    Using the Wide mod, it sort of gets on the home row! :-)

        Cmk-eD-pl-usym-aw_Xmc.png
        My Polish Colemak[eD] layout (shown on a Wide modded keyboard)

    The German Umlaut is well enough placed for most non-native German usage, at the (AltGr+)semicolon. This is nearly home row. Most combines have it on colon but that's shifted and therefore horrible to use.

    Last edited by DreymaR (09-Oct-2015 11:52:41)

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

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