ergo dash layout

[shirobachi]

Hey,

Firstly, thanks a lot for the app, it's awesome!
I've ergodash with layout like that but web show it like
Is there a way to let them know how it should be rendered?
Also can I somehow import key map from qmk like this one

Thanks in advance!

[nickcoutsos]

Hey there!

So, this tool doesn't have a canonical source for keyboard layout data. It uses the same format that QMK's configurator uses (with some custom extensions) so the same info.json used there could be used in the app by saving it in config/info.json or config/ergodash.json in your repo, buuut:

1. The most important thing is that the order of keys in that layout match up with the order of bindings in the ZMK board definition
2. The keymap editor operates by manipulating devicetree code and to do that in a way that's readable it relies on the layout defining row and col properties to represent the textual layout of the keymap bindings. That requirement is particular to this app so when you're getting a layout from another source it won't be present.

If a layout isn't available the app will try to make one up based on the matrix transform in the ZMK board definition -- that's what we're looking at in the above screenshot. It's meant to be "just enough" to get started, but if customizations are needed or desired, I've been working on some tooling to make it... less painful. Keymap Layout Tools has some code and a helper app to get live feedback when making changes to a layout, and more recently I have added functionality to import more accurate layout data from Kicad PCB files.

Ergodash seems to be a little more complex... there are three revisions of the PCB and they all seem to feature variable positions of some keys, but more importantly it seems an entire column of the thumb cluster is optional and the ZMK definition is excluding them.

Do you have any idea how "official" this is? I'd be concerned with importing the more customized version and breaking compatibility with the version supported by ZMK.

[nickcoutsos]

In fact, the ZMK version appears to include one of the variable position switches twice. Here's a version imported from a PCB with duplicate keys and the extra thumb columns removed:

In the matrix transform for the ZMK definition there appears to be 5 keys in the bottom row which I don't think corresponds to any singular switch placement. Keymap Editor aside, can you confirm that the ZMK layout works as expected? Someone might need to supply alternate matrix transforms for other setups but I could see that getting complicated.

[shirobachi]

Hey,

So at first thanks for so much information, I am totally newbie, actually. I bought this made up keyboard for me and just starting using it, or making it work, but I have programming background, I am not that crazy 😅

"Do you have any idea how "official" this is?"

So about that I don't really know. However, qmk have only two versions and one of them is mini and other is rev1 (same as in ergo dash repo what you linked) here is repo. Does it somehow help?
Also, maybe this picture will help. If there is no arrow is as expected and tested only master (left) by now, luck of time ;/

Just for reference, mine looks like that one.

Keymap Layout Tools

Thanks for that link, I'll play around with that tool a bit <3

(...) can you confirm that the ZMK layout works as expected?

So at least left master and with dump test. On the screenshot, you may observe that there is no "change mode" key, not sure if this make any changes, but if it does now you know.

Thanks a lot of for your help🤩
Simon

[nickcoutsos]

I wouldn't worry too much about a mapping from the QMK Configurator diagram as we aren't looking at a default keymap implemented in two firmwares (also the QMK diagram includes the extra thumb columns).

I'm not sure what the "change mode" key is but I'm noticing that one of the variable position keys is &none. Now I'm suspecting that each of the two switch positions exist separately in the matrix. That's a little clumsy but it's a problem for representing visually in the Keymap Editor as you'd need to make those keys invisible or else just ignore them.

[shirobachi]

Sorry “change mode” I meant change layer, my bad. Oh, yeah, there is &none I just did not change it yet.
From my perspective we can drop this, I was wondering if maybe that just easy, but that's no problem since I know how to check what is what.

Thanks a lot, anyway,
If I could somehow help, feel free to ping me!
Simon

[shirobachi]

Could I ask for a little help?
If so could you please have a look at this file? Is it correct "info.json" file by syntax? I got some errors however your Keymap Layout Helper does not complain at all

Thanks in advance,
Simon

[nickcoutsos]

I think I may have unintentionally added some validation checks to the editor that I hadn't yet finished implementing in the layout tools helper. As you can see, it's a lot of errors that all kind of mean the same thing but aren't that easy to take in.

Pasting your layout into the helper app I get the following textual rendering:

 0   1   2   3   4   5   6
14  15  16  17  18  19  20
28  29  30  31  32  33  34
42  43  44  45  46  47  48
56  57  58  59  60  61  62
    12  11  10   9   8   7  13
    26  25  24  23  22  21  27
    40  39  38  37  36  35  41
    54  53  52  51  50  49  55
    68  67  66  65  64  63  69

This should roughly match the visual layout but it appears that the left and right keyboard halves are separated. Additionally, it looks like some of the columns (but not all) are reversed in the right half.

To fix this I use the Re-order action to visually map keys that are in the same approximate row or column.

From this point it's simplest to start over by hitting the Clear button and creating now row/column groups.

This version is a little better organized, but some guesses had to be made with the thumb clusters:

 0   1   2   3   4   5   6                     7   8   9  10  11  12  13
14  15  16  17  18  19  20                    21  22  23  24  25  26  27
28  29  30  31  32  33  34                    35  36  37  38  39  40  41
42  43  44  45  46  47      48            49      50  51  52  53  54  55
56  57  58  59          60  61  62    63  64  65          66  67  68  69

The other consideration is that this ultimately needs to match the matrix transform for this keyboard

https://github.com/zmkfirmware/zmk/blob/fd05478897567bff34d607229636ae4d4507ef0f/app/boards/shields/ergodash/ergodash.dtsi#L27-L34

        map = <
RC(0,0) RC(0,1) RC(0,2) RC(0,3) RC(0,4) RC(0,5) RC(0,6)                 RC(0,13) RC(0,12) RC(0,11) RC(0,10) RC(0,9) RC(0,8) RC(0,7)
RC(1,0) RC(1,1) RC(1,2) RC(1,3) RC(1,4) RC(1,5) RC(1,6)                 RC(1,13) RC(1,12) RC(1,11) RC(1,10) RC(1,9) RC(1,8) RC(1,7)
RC(2,0) RC(2,1) RC(2,2) RC(2,3) RC(2,4) RC(2,5) RC(2,6)                 RC(2,13) RC(2,12) RC(2,11) RC(2,10) RC(2,9) RC(2,8) RC(2,7)
RC(3,0) RC(3,1) RC(3,2) RC(3,3) RC(3,4) RC(3,5)         RC(3,6) RC(3,13)         RC(3,12) RC(3,11) RC(3,10) RC(3,9) RC(3,8) RC(3,7)
RC(4,0) RC(4,1) RC(4,2) RC(4,3) RC(4,4)         RC(4,5) RC(4,6) RC(4,13) RC(4,12)         RC(4,11) RC(4,10) RC(4,9) RC(4,8) RC(4,7)
        >;
  };

There are two discrepancies:

1. Your layout is omitting that extra switch in the bottom row for the alternate switch placement
2. Your layout includes an extra switch for the 2u thumb keys

For the first issue I think you'd just have to include a key for both key placements and just ignore one.

For the second, are there any RC(...) entries in the matrix transform that map to the switches where your 2u keys would go?

[shirobachi]

Oh god, it's big,
So I managed to copy what you do (I like helper, it's very easy to use :) ) Do you consider adding option for manual type x, y position? I would vote for that feature:)

Your layout is omitting that extra switch in the bottom row for the alternate switch placement
Unfortunately, I am not sure what you mean? Is it about my layout's last row has 4 keys when on the zmk is 5? I believe it's on of thump key is on this row, see here

Also, is there any way to make sure that info.json is recognized? I am suspecting that this is not always taken (like I got error before this what I sent, but Today I don't get an error when I'm expecting this)

Your layout includes an extra switch for the 2u thumb keys
I thought it won't be a problem, but I think it should be (4,6) for left one or (4,13) for right one

Also, sorry for wasting your time, I thought that since visually it was right it would be simple missing comma or sth similar, not that big. Since I am newbie, I believe that Ill not manage that ;/

Thanks for your help a lot!
Simon

[nickcoutsos]

Do you consider adding option for manual type x, y position? I would vote for that feature:)

This is possible already, the panel on the left is the raw layout data and you can edit x/y/row/col etc. Did you have something else in mind?

Also, is there any way to make sure that info.json is recognized? I am suspecting that this is not always taken (like I got error before this what I sent, but Today I don't get an error when I'm expecting this)

I see you have ergodash.json as well as info.json in your repo. The more specific <keyboard>.json is preferred to support repositories where multiple keymaps are being edited, and info.json is used as the fallback. So if you'd prefer the latter either delete ergodash.json or replace it with info.json.

[nickcoutsos]

That's great! What does your layout look like now?

[Doc-Worm]

here it is:

[nickcoutsos]

Ah, right, matching the layout for the board defined in ZMK. So you've still got the extra bindings in the bottom row where there's two possible positions (Super and End in your photo), but I guess right now what matters most is that the keyboard works.

[Doc-Worm]

not sure what you mean by extra bindings, as the physical keyboard and the map matched up 1:1 . . but you're right, it working is all that i really care about. If i do this again i might have to get deeper in the weeds of this but for now i'm good.

I've been using your tool though to change the mappings as I learn what keys i'm missing that i use and what the optimal place for the space bar is, etc. Now i just need to figure out how to replace the text on some of the caps with what they are actually mapped to. I'm thinking stickers.

[nickcoutsos]

Sorry, I might have made a mistake. It does seem that all of the keys are in use, although the graphical representation doesn't use the 2h keys and I think they're ordered differently. Is that right?

[Doc-Worm]

the 2u key is the bottom right key, the other two are the other two. now i just need to figure out why battery life is so bad. the battery life estimator for zmk says i should get a few months out of the right side when in reality I only get a few days.