Thanks DreymaR, but I'm looking for a preview *generator*, that is a tool which takes a keyboard layout in text form and draws a preview.  Now that I think about it, I could hack the infamous Maxwell applet.

EDIT: DreymaR, where are your pictures?  Thanks.

Thing is though, I've decided that I want to learn Python. So that's the next point on my to-do-list right now. Hahahahah.

This is where I keep my Colemak-board-figures. The "Feng Shui colored" ones make me smile.  :)

There's a problem making bitmaps at something else than 90 dpi I think - looks mushy. It's because the lines between the keys are thin enough already and will start aliasing, I guess.

Nobody should fight the awesomeness of the DreymaR fingering scheme! Embrace it, it is your destiny!

Nah, of course you can edit the colors. How easy it will be for you depends a bit... well, knowing you I'm sure it won't be hard. Ask if you're confused about anything. I've tried to make the layers logical and all, and the colors are in separate layers so they're quite accessible. But my head is a twisted little thing so I've no idea whether anyone but me will find things logical or not in there.

Thanks, DreymaR and Ghen.

Of course I could change colors by means of an image-editing software, but could I do that by means of a script?  My idea was about having both keyboard layout and fingering as parameters to a preview generator.

As I hinted on: I've been promising myself to make that script. The template I have made (and I may send it to you if you know what to do with it and send me an email to that effect).

My first step was to make yet another layout description file format. I wanted something that would be as easily machine readable as manually editable, and that could support a multistep transition from scan codes to virtual scan codes to transpositions of these (scan code mods) to layouts giving virtual key codes and/or code points in a logical manner. No small task, but I myself am reasonably happy with it now at least.

Then, script tools to convert between this Keyboard Layout Description format and the common ones such as MSKLC, PKL and the Unix/Mac ones. Some fun was had, but no finished fun yet.

Also, the script to plonk the resulting data into the picture template and hit the virtual print button. Nope, not done. And I kinda want to do it in Python now but have to learn Python first and I really really hope that the upcoming holiday will be nice to me in that respect!  :)

It's a lot simpler than that, as ghen says: I've made a layer in the SVG file that contains tags (scan codes iirc) that the script can easily search/replace. Presto - new layout. So one just has to save the SVG file (I use Inkscape) showing that layer and whatever coloring and finesse (simple vs advanced keys for instance) you want, make a copy and then run said script on that copy before printing/exporting.

Gravedigging: Would anyone be willing to have a stab at making a script that can search-replace in my SVG file based on a set of layout templates? And automatically save PNG images from Inkscape.

A layout would use templates like this one, in .ini files:

[Colemak-DH_lv1]
;   X=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======X
;   |`      |1      |2      |3      |4      |5      |6      |7      |8      |9      |0      |-      |=      |
LK1="`      |1      |2      |3      |4      |5      |6      |7      |8      |9      |0      |-      |=      |"
;   X-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------X
;Cmk|Tab    |Q      |W      |F      |P      |G      |J      |L      |U      |Y      |;      |[      |]      |
LK2="Tab    |q      |w      |f      |p      |b      |j      |l      |u      |y      |;      |[      |]      |"
;   X-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------X
;Cmk|Caps   |A      |R      |S      |T      |D      |H      |N      |E      |I      |O      |'      |\      |
LK3="Caps   |a      |r      |s      |t      |g      |k      |n      |e      |i      |o      |'      |\      |"
;   X-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------X
;Cmk|LShft  |LS/GT  |Z      |X      |C      |V      |B      |K      |M      |,      |.      |/      |RShft  |
LK4="LShft  |œ      |z      |x      |c      |v      |d      |h      |m      |,      |.      |/      |RShft  |"
;   X=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======X

One such set of lines for the existing symbols to switch out, and another for the ones to switch to.

I think the image file will handle ergo mods.