Show HN: Keyboard Simulator – virtual keyboard designer | Hacker News Reader

Show HN: Keyboard Simulator – virtual keyboard designer

keyboardsimulator.xyz

210 pointscrsnbrt63 comments

This is great. From the title, I thought it was http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/ but this is a nice addition.

Almost wish it combined the functionality of the two, or at least offered a few more layouts. Personally, I really don't understand why 75%s aren't more popular... https://www.keyboardco.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/H...

Thanks, you're right it could use a few more layouts, 75% is probably the biggest omission. I didn't want it to be too overwhelming with too many variations as I see this as more of a tool to get a vibe for what a board could look like (possibly to help with interest checks) rather than a tool to recreate all possible layouts.

I'd also like to explore adding different audio options for switches types but that seemed like a projects unto itself haha.

At least one split layout would be nice too.

Congratulations, this is great. Now add a "buy" button!

Agreed! This feels like the sort of thing I'd want to use with a company like https://www.wasdkeyboards.com

You can upload designs when building you're keyboard.

This is fantastic! If I had a wish I'd wish for the addition of split keyboard layouts (like Ergodox) and the Granite color scheme.

One minor thing: I can scroll through the list of color schemes with the cursor keys but the selected color scheme doesn't activate until I click with the mouse. I don't know if it is possible but it would be cool if you could zap through the color schemes just with the keyboard.

Thanks for making this!

You can also use space or enter to activate i made sure you can do everything from the keyboard alone.

Adding an extra keypress was by design, since I have to generate new textures i.e. (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crsnbrt/keysim/develop/pub...) each time the colorway changes the extra step helps keep cpu usage down.

The 3D viewport is super smooth on mobile, great job & awesome tool!

I think the 40% ortho keyboard model doesn't really accurately represent what that class of keyboards look like.

Yeah I just realized that too. The spacebar should be 2u instead of 3u.

Oh wow this is great, very smooth on my PC! Lets me look at various colour combos. Is this just meant to be a visualisation tool?

Imports from http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com would be even better. There are so many layout options.

Thanks a lot for sharing. I used to go on /r/MKB a lot a few years ago, but I had to stop because I wouldn't ever be able to afford such nice-looking keyboards, as they were usually so expensive :(

That mk sticker shock is no joke, part of the inspiration for this :)

Need to be able to select the switch type then :P

And simulate the sound.

Oh my.

I ended up buying an expensive mechanic keyboard because a coder I follow on YouTube had such a beautiful sounding keyboard whenever he typed, that I had to get something similar.

I'm not even going to try justifying the cost based efficiency or ergonomics or build quality, I simply love the sound of a well-produced mechanic keyboard.

Can you share the channel ? I'm curious I appreciate distinct keyboard sounds too :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZkQz0W4_u8 (an example)

If you look at his channel, I was listening to his keyboard though via his C++ tutorials

It really depends what you want. If 80% of the way there is enough, or if you're more after key feel than sound, there are relatively cheap options, from cheap $40 outemu socket boards (that only fit outemu keys unless you wanna file off some thickness from other keys legs) to something like the GMMK barebone, over to a full kit like the NK65 Milkshake (which is INCREDEBLE value and runs for a few more days)

Really wish there were more affordable full size split keyboards.

I love typing on mechanical keyboards but would love an ergonomic option.

Yes, I know there are keyboards like Kinesis and Ergodox but it's hard to get them outside US.

I couldn’t afford a full size one but got a 40% split and it has been great. Joint issues but placed a mouse and later a trackball that I can use with right hand or thumb in between the halves and a few layers to get F-keys up to 24, numpad and media buttons.

Absolutely amazing to use and has rid me of a lot of pain.

Ergodox EZ will ship anywhere, afaik. They ship from Taiwan, even when you order them from the US.

I don't know if it's what you consider affordable, but given the hours I put in on the thing, it's a worthwhile investment.

What is the experience like with the fully disconnected sides, do you not struggle to keep them at the correct position relative to each other?

I have an Ultimate Hacking Keyboard, which is split like the ErgoDox. I don't find any issue with the positioning. I personally think about keeping them in any position relative to each other, but rather how each hand/wrist feels comfortable with its own half. Currently they are both nearly parallel to the edge of the table and positioned so that my hands are straight, not angled. They have rubber feet so they don't tend to move.

How easy is it to get the hand back into home position after using the mouse on the split?

I don't know as I don't use a separate mouse anymore, I use the mouse layer on the keyboard itself. My hands don't really leave home position too much. I moved backspace to the right side thumb clicker too, so I don't have to stretch for it.

Super easy if you have homing indicators on the keys (F and J on QWERTY layouts) like you would on other keyboards, only slightly more difficult if you don’t.

I have an Ergodox EZ, and the rubber feet on it help it stay in place fairly well. The sides move around a little, but never enough for me to notice.

If anything, the opposite.

The correct position is somewhat subjective, and will differ slightly based on the rest of my position, in particular sitting and standing. Being able to fine-tune it is part of the charm.

I'd like to try tenting it further than the legs allow, one of these days. But it's quite a capable and comfortable machine out of the box.

And the sides are quite solid, they never slide around on the desk in use or anything like that.

I got my Kinesis in the UK via Osmond Ergonomics. It’s cheaper than direct US shipping (which Kinesis would do, but then it’s a bit of a pain with border taxes). Osmond is a pretty small company, very friendly, I expect they could probably get you other Kinesis stuff not featured on their webstore, if you ask them.

Anyone have experience with 50% keyboard with numpad on left side and spit space/backspace? It seems very functional, especially for frequent number entry in CAD.

I'm not sure if the official name for this is 50% but I included it because, as a lefty, I love the idea of it. no experience using them however.

Did you design it yourself or come across the design somewhere? I follow mechanical keyboards on and off but never seen this design before. I guess it's missing multiply/divide but generally it makes a lot of sense, especially for how compact it is.

the design was based on the candybar (https://thekey.company/collections/candybar) but there are a lot of similar boards as well.

I've been keeping my eye out on the subreddit for a long time for something like your 50% - except with a function row. Really wish it were more popular

So-called "left-handed"[1] keyboards intrigue me, and I've always wanted one. I use the numpad heavily, but it gets in the way of the mouse. Plus, as you mentioned, it would mean you could nicely enter numbers with the left hand while mousing with the right hand for CAD programs.

This[2] is my dream keyboard. Totally standard layout, except the number pad is moved to the other side. Unfortunately, no one makes these, and I came across this one after the group buy was already done.

[2]: https://switchplate.co/collections/southpaw-full-size-group-...

[1]: Really, they should be called right-handed keyboards. Left-handed mouse users can already use a regular full-size keyboard without the numpad getting in the way.

Could you simply have a keyboard without a num pad and then a separate independent num pad that you place to the left of the keyboard? Both fairly standard items you could get at low cost without having to do anything too crazy and expensive.

I've tried that, and didn't like it. The separate numpad that I have (it came with a Microsoft Sculpt keyboard) has different keys than the rest of the keyboard and always slid around. I like a nice heavy keyboard with mechanical switches, and I like to move it to suit my seating position, so it's never on the same spot on my desk.

That looks very handsome.

My preference is quiet butterfly keys when it comes to numpads for cad use, at least in shared spaces.

Looks like there's not many options out there. This "accounting" keyboard with ergonomic keys is... very intriguing as well. Just wired, and aggressively fugly.

https://www.amazon.com/Ergoguys-Handed-Keyboard-Wired-Black/...

Looks like Microsoft Sculp with separate numpad might be worth a try before custom options.

I saw that one and immediately dismissed it because it's ugly, huge, not mechanical, and has a weird navigation key cluster.

I tried the Sculpt keyboard with separate numpad and didn't like it.

This one is very "gaming", but the numpad detaches and can be attached on the left side: https://www.asus.com/us/Keyboards-Mice/ROG-Claymore/

I have one without the numpad actually.

Very cool! I've been going down the mech keyboard rabbit hole for the last week ... think you could add a split layout option?

While not the same, you can use this to compare split layouts. https://jhelvy.shinyapps.io/splitkbcompare/

Issue: clicking Case Finish Matte selects Glossy. Reload; click CASE OPTIONS; for Case Finish, expect Brushed to be shown as selected. Click on the Matte radio button circle. Glossy is now shown as selected, rather than Matte. On recent desktop firefox and chromium.

thanks, I'll take a look

Does this the KLE format? I've been trying to work on a new schema. https://github.com/ellisgl/keyboard-schema

I modeled the json for building the boards around qmk (https://beta.docs.qmk.fm/) for example a board layout: https://api.qmk.fm/v1/keyboards/dz60

I guess that's pretty cool. The 65% is not 65% IMO, but the Drop 65%. There's a key missing left of the arrows.

Also would be nice to have keyboard height, split keyboards, switch types and keycap types.

It isn't missing a key. It is called a blocker. They are fairly common on 65% keyboards.

Feature request: allow setting/fixing the overall background; for some themes, it is too bright and distracts from the keyboard itself.

thanks for the feedback, I probably need to separate the background from the ui accent color. Any colorway with a dark accent will increase the "brightness" to for a more accessible contrast ratio.

Which technology did you use for the 3D stuff? I've never seen anything quite like this!

Very cool. I love how even on mobile I can just rotate, pan and zoom in the 3D view.

If only there was a [BUY NOW], you would make a serious load of cash.

This is really nice. Would like to see an option for SA keycaps as well. Great job.

This is an amazingly slick 3d system in my browser. What tech stack is this?

It's a react app using three.js or the keyboard rendering

It's somehow very satisfying to play with this :)

Ooh saving just because I like keyboards.

Delightfully useless.

sickkkk

Reply on news.ycombinator.com