It's a split keyboard in 4 parts and 101 keys, though i could move the number pad and control pad to outside of the thumb keys if making a 4-piece keyboard is too hard or complicated.
Left thumb gets space, control, and super. Right gets space, hyper (just a 3rd layer), and alt. The keys next to T and N are repeat keys. Above Fn is escape and sleep. Above power is compose.
The control pad has cut, copy, paste, open, select all, save, undo, and redo.
I think that's every key i'll need, especially with a compose key and so much extra space available on the hyper layer.
Is there anything i've forgotten to consider? Anything i should know about split keyboards, or custom shapes in general?
More specific question, are 0.5u switches and caps available anywhere for all my small keys? I could replace most of them with full size keys fairly easily, but the 101st key on the number pad would make the layout asymmetrical.
I've also never heard of a split layout in more than two pieces. Reddit says it's been done (https://old.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/13dkk8g), but it certainly doesn't seem like a common thing.
I can get by without the small keys. I could move backslash and caret to letter keys, set up Fn+number pad for my function keys, and do something similar for caps lock if i don't omit it entirely. I'm a little surprised there's not more demand for small keys. I guess people prefer layers/chords or some other kind of button.
My current layout for an ANSI board has my fingers on the top 3 rows and my thumb on the bottom two row with symbols and space/modifiers, where QWERTY has ZXCV... and its thumb row. My thumbs already do this so i figured it would be fine as long as the thumb buttons aren't too high up. I'll watch out for that when i make a physical model. As for the stagger, i based it on how my hands rest when they're not at a keyboard. A bigger stagger sounds uncomfortable to me but i guess i won't know until i've tried more different keyboards.
Backslashes are pretty rare for me, especially because i don't use Windows. I just put that there because it's on shift-slash on my current layout. I'll move them if i need the space for something else, but i don't see it coming up.
Have you ever had a split keyboard before? I use a readily available one and the split does take getting used too.
Why do you want the pads? I work with layers for things like numpad and other specific keys and that works fine. I do come from full sized ISO, so I get why numpad is attractive, it does kinda negate part of the benefits of the split though.
I've never had a split keyboard before. I have a Chouchou board that's clearly divided into halves but is a single board.
I want the pads mostly so i can move them. My current keyboard has the number pad and arrow keys touching next to where i put my mouse and reaching there with both hands to change numbers throughout a document or moving my right hand off the home row for a number in the middle of a sentence is uncomfortable. I'd prefer to be able to use whichever hand is more convenient in the moment. And the control shortcut keys are things that are sometimes uncomfortable when a program expects me to be using QWERTY.
What are the benefits of a split keyboard besides freedom in how far apart your hands are? Would two more split sections really mess that up?
Personally I do reposition throughout the day, but that is personal preference.
It is more and issue on how you do the connections between parts so everything can speak with everything else.
My commercial split has a master half that I could use standalone, the other half needs that master to function though. I imagine that also applies on a scale and then you run into problems on how to do the matrix without compromising nkey-rollover.