I just ordered my UHK v2 last weekend and am very eager to start using it.
I got the rubber rests and the thumb cluster and trackball modules.
I’m coming from a WASD keyboard. But I also have a Stream Deck XL.
Biggest adjustment will be making use out of my right thumb and the fact that it’s a split.
What do you recommend I do to prepare/stress test once I get it?
You’re going to be tempted to go into the Agent and create a mapping for EVERY LITTLE THING. I guarantee you’re going to not end up using 3/4 (if not more) of that in a week.
Grow your layout as you need it, and as you learn what’s comfortable for your personal preferences.
Some good starting points would be mapping a function and numpad layer if that’s something you had before, mapping an input layer with things like arrows, home/end, pgup/pgdown, and a layer with media keys. Also give mouse keys a shot, I’m a huge fan of it.
These are what most people are actually using day to day. Once you’re actually getting comfortable with the board you’ll find use cases where you want more specific mappings.
Also if you’re comfortable with touch typing the split layout doesn’t take long to adjust to. I was only hitting empty space for T and Y for the first few days.
This is great, thank you! I know what you’re saying is right because I felt that way as well with layers on my current WASD keyboard. I use on that’s a macro to type my email address automatically (I use it constantly) and I have a few others but overall it really is only one or two I use frequently.
I’ve already mimicked the numpad layout, home/end, pgup/pgdwn, etc. on my Stream Deck XL!
I don’t look down when I type - most of my current keys are blank! So good there, too.
What’s cool about the UHK are the F keys and others are displayed on the front part of certain keys, making them natural options for another layer. I love that idea.
Seriously appreciate the reply, I am very excited. Should arrive May 2nd.
I’d suggest practicing touch typing, but checking that you are using the right fingers for the keys. I.e. what fingers/hand are you using for b and y? Getting used to using the MOD key for arrow keys (they will feel annoying at first, but I promise that after a while you’ll find having to move your arm for the arrow keys to be more annoying).
Yeah! I think getting used to the mod key is going to be the biggest. The sheer potential of these layers is huge so I’m trying not to overwhelm myself and keep things fairly default/vanilla for now. But luckily touch typing and correct finger positioning is mostly what I have already! I’m trying to use backspace on my right thumb (to give it something to do) and enter and delete keys on the left thumb key cluster.
Enter is surprisingly less often needed than one might think. I have Enter on Mod-i and Backspace on Mod-; Delete on Mod-, For that my mod-key is the left thumb (space) key. This works very nice for me.
Thank you for sharing that! I’ve gone back and forth, and I think I’m going to try and use the little clicky keys below the space/mod keys as my Mod layer keys to make it easier for my brain to remember how to access them. Plus it lets me use the Mod layer on either hand.
You will see that the little case keys are not a good option for often used keys / modifiers – they are too hard to press. I use them almost never. You can use both space keys as MOD and Space at the same time. The only thing you loose is space-hold-down (for repeats). But you can assign that with other ways.
I only use space with my right hand, so I have the left one as MOD only
holdLayer mod
and the right one as a combination:
// tap: space, hold: mod
set secondaryRole.advanced.timeout 250
// set secondaryRole.advanced.timeoutAction secondary
// set secondaryRole.advanced.triggerByRelease true
ifSecondary advancedStrategy goTo secondaryaction
primaryaction: final tapKey space
secondaryaction: final holdLayer mod
The mouse-key is my Fn2 layer-switch (as OneShot and held as well) and I assigned the left and right space key to space, when in the Fn2-layer. So I can use repeated space with the right thumb, but also hold down left space for shortcuts like talk in Zoom or move in Photoshop (and have the mouse in the right hand).
Insightful! Thank you. You’re right about the case keys.
So what I’ve settled on for now is not using a Mod layer at all for now, just Fn.
My left thumb is the only one that presses the space bar, so the left space key is that, and the right space key is backspace as before. That feels the best to me.
I want to focus on just getting used to using one layer before I think about multiple.
Thank you for your advice!