keychron_qmk_firmware/keyboards/redox/keymaps/nrichers

A tweaked keymap for Redox

This keymap modifies the default keymap for the awesome Redox keyboard designed by Mattia Dal Ben.

Changes to the default keymap

These keymap changes are meant to improve the usability of the layout in everyday use:

• Move GUI (SUPER) key to where default left CTRL and right ALT are - gives you two frequently used CMD keys on macOS where my brain expects them
• Move /? into usual location next to right SHIFT - the default flash from Falbatech put \| here (might not be the Redox default?), which felt unintuitive
• Put \| into bottom-left spot where GUI (SUPER) was - had to go somewhere and this bottom-left placement sort of balances with the almost bottom-right /?
• Change default ESC into ESC on tap, CTRL on hold - Love the UNIX-ey CTRL key location and wanted to keep ESC in the original position
• Change default ' above right SHIFT into ' on tap, CTRL on hold - Love the UNIX-ey CTRL key location, but it can give you 'left claw hand', which a second, mirrored CTRL key fixes
• Add F11 and F12 keys to two layers - needed on macOS if you want to control volume up and down from your keyboard (not shown, on a different layer)
• On thumb clusters:
  • Left: Move SPACE closest to left thumb and move BACKSPACE to the right of that - put the key for 'getting it right' closest to your thumb and reduce usage of my right hand (purely personal preference)
  • Right: Move ENTER closest to right thumb and move DEL to the left of that - put the key for 'getting it right' closest to your thumb

Changes to the Redox layout

These are physical keycap changes on the board that make reaching the Layer 1 keys easier and that, subjectively, look more balanced visually:

• Increase the Layer 1 key sizes from 1U to 1.25U
• Decrease the 1.5 U key size for [ and ] to 1.25U

You could even make [ and ] 1U so that you can use keycaps from a standard ANSI key set and also increase the size of the Layer 2 keys to 1.5U.