Support for Alternative Layouts
This is a summary of how alternative layouts have been supported by kits such as Colevrak and Homing. It is not a discussion of alt layout performance and development, but if that interests you I highly recommend starting with Pascal Getreuer’s A guide to alt keyboard layouts (why, how, which one?). It’s a concise and comprehensive overview with links to some great sites that go deeper. He also has a separate Links about keyboards page. The Keyboard layouts doc he recommends explains layout goals and metrics in detail, summarizing the alt layouts discussed here as well as more than one hundred others. Sculpted-profile The majority of custom keycap sets are sculpted-profile (Cherry, SA, MT3, KAT, etc. - more on profiles generally here) so let’s start there. Because each row has a unique keycap shape, alt layouts require a unique keycap for each legend that moves off its QWERTY row. At first there were two The Dvorak layout was patented in 1936 by August Dvorak & William L....
Apr 23, 2024
Base Kit (Base Alphas, Base Modifiers)
Numerics, Custom Modifiers and Extras, High Roller Set
Inspired from casino poker table color scheme, I decided to create a keycap set with some unorthodox keycap concept, especially on the R1 Row for numbers and glyphs/symbols.
The typeface I used mostly are sans-serif for the alphabets, condensed sans-serif for modifiers, and some serif and/or Egyptian style typefaces. The numbers/symbols R1 row incorporate playing cards numerical typeface (1 to 0) while maintaining small but readable glyphs/symbols on top of the numbers.
I knew the typefaces used here are not common with current/existing keycap sets designed/produced by branded/renowned keycap manufacturers, but I felt that in order to create the ambience of a poker table, I was urged to utilize "irregular" typeface to make this set really felt like you're seated in a game of Texas Hold'em Poker. Playing cards' symbols and characters are implemented into the High Roller Set, along with a touch of familiar objects in a poker game such as chips, "snake eyes", as well as some terms affiliated with the game itself (small blind, big blind, dealer, etc.)
Quickly summed, this keycaps set's specification that I have in mind:
- SA Profile
- ABS Dye-sublimated (For the sake of "glossy" look of the keycaps, in order to bring out the shiny nuance of poker table elements)
- Letterings colors : White & Yellow
- Keycap colors : Jet Black, Casino Table Canvas Green and Bloody Red (more specific color swatch such as Pantone or SP's color chips are TBD)
- Manufacturer : TBD
In my opinion, I would rather have the keycaps made as SA profile keycaps rather than DSA or OEM profile, just because I believe it will look beautiful on a custom board with simple, elegant colors or textures such as Black anodized or even Wood-textured cases. I haven't had a chance to make this set rendered yet, so in the future maybe I will be posting up the rendered images of the keycaps with SA profile.As for manufacturer, I can't really say for now (to make the keycap set price/production cost reasonable enough) whether I choose SP (Signature Plastics) or a renowned China keycap manufacturer.
What do you guys think? Oh, and lastly, any helpful inputs/insights is greatly appreciated. Thank you!