9 ms·

The Amazing Shortcut Keypad

99 points by ptrptr 9y ago

blacksmith_tb 9y ago
I like the idea, but can't you achieve most of the functionality just with an add-on $10 USB 10-key, and your choice of scripting? I have used the crazily versatile Controllermate[1] on macOS to do something similar with a gaming keypad that triggered Applescripts and shell scripts. 1: https://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/ https://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/
- lfowles 9y ago
  It'll send the same codes as any other 10-key you have. That was my issue when I was looking for something similar, as I still use the 10-key on my keyboard occasionally. I ended up getting a Logitech G13 for the same purpose but never ended up clearing the desk space so I could set it up.
  - stevage 9y ago
    Ah, much less of an issue for a Macbook. Looking at this one (https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823173006 https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682317...) I'm not sure any of those keys even exist on the Macbook keyboard, other than BS (delete).
  - melling 9y ago
    In addition to a few more keys next to the keyboard, how about adding a simple voice interface? "Keypad 1" "Keypad 2" or even name the macros: "Keypad sort" If I'm not constantly repeating a macro, I like to keep my hands on my main keyboard.
    - lfowles 9y ago
      ;) I use VoiceAttack when playing Elite Dangerous in VR. https://voiceattack.com/ https://voiceattack.com/
      - rhcom2 9y ago
        What kind of things do you get to control with your voice? ED in VR looked cool as hell.
  - blacksmith_tb 9y ago
    Controllermate at least can prevent the normal keypresses from registering for the OS (it's actually tampering with all the HID devices, via its .kext - your comfort level with that will vary, of course). Otherwise, yes, I can imagine that having the odd "6" inserted into the text of the active window could get old.
- nebabyte 9y ago
  Yeah, I was thinking this might have a niche in medium businesses/etc, but tbh if they have a bored tech guy they've probably already asked him/her to help automate basic tasks (for which any number of Python/AHK scripts already exist or can be trivially created)
  - robinhartley94 9y ago
    You're right about automating repetitive tasks. Usually they're going to get automated if they come up often enough. But what if you're going to do something tedious for the next 10 minutes, like editing numbers in a data base. You wouldn't write a script because it would take too long. However, with the keypad, you could spend 45 seconds setting up some basic automation and it may save you 4 or 5 minutes in total. The speed of setting it up makes it possible to do short-term automation which I've not come across before.
gumby 9y ago
Wouldn't it be faster to just input a key accelerator (which you can do on your Mac straight from system preferences -- I would assume Windows has similar)? That way you don't have to take your hands off the keyboard, simply press command-foo. I doubt cmd-foo is harder to remember than the bindings of blank keys on an accessory device.
- to3m 9y ago
  Going by the screenshot, it looks like you can do a bit more than the System Preferences keyboard shortcut page lets you! Looks more like something like AutoHotkey, I'd say, but with a non-insane interface.
  - robinhartley94 9y ago
    Yeah, you've got it! You can type text, send keyboard shortcuts, mouse movements, media commands and numpad keys. You can also delay and repeat anything as much as you like. Now any of that can be done in any combination and it's set up in less than 1 minute. It hasn't got all the features of AHK - some things have to be sacrificed for simplicity but you are very right in saying it has a lot more to offer than simple key bindings. These are proper macros :)
- arkitaip 9y ago
  "I doubt cmd-foo is harder to remember than the bindings of blank keys on an accessory device." Absolutely. I have a Corsair K90 keyboard with 18 extra function keys (actually that's 18x3) and never use them because I can't remember what G1, G2, G3, etc stand for.
  - flashman 9y ago
    Knowing that you've pressed a button is an issue, too. I have a Sidewinder gaming keyboard with a similar number of macro keys, and often the only indication that I've accidentally tapped one is that I start typing 'W' every few seconds (that's a macro I have for avoiding going AFK in some games).
- 9y ago
RichardHeart 9y ago
Less powerful than autohotkey, and requires you to use a separate keypad? Just use autohotkey and the keyboard you're already using? I just bind my capslock to my alternate layer. For instance holding caps turns j,k,l,i into arrow keys.
- petey283 9y ago
  I thought I was the only person to do this. Glad to know others had the same idea.
- monk_e_boy 9y ago
  I have RSI so a single keypress for things like ctrl+c and ctrl+v is much easier. The more keys you need to press simultaneously the worse it is for some people.
  - RichardHeart 9y ago
    You could program press and hold of any key to do whatever you like. Or you could use the copy paste buttons on a contour roller mouse. With autohotkey, you can make any key, do anything. The sky is the limit. You could make press and hold c equal copy.
- stan_rogers 9y ago
  Now picture doing that with a Wacom tablet or 3D manipulator as your main interface tool and your keyboard shoved off to the side.
thoraway25455 9y ago
I can't wait for the "Hacker" "News" commentary on this post. Is this a parody website? Mind-blowingly out of touch with reality. Christ.
dln_eintr 9y ago
These guys have been making some pretty neat controllers for a while now: http://xkeys.com/XkeysKeyboards/ http://xkeys.com/XkeysKeyboards/
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  They are really sturdy pieces of kit and they're UTF-8 too so great for custom characters etc. However, they're really expensive in the UK (where I'm from) and the interface is seriously old and clunky so there is room for improvement, especially if you're looking for a more customisable solution.
- partycoder 9y ago
  They have pedals too. I think that's great. I would like to have a pedal for the delete key, that feels like a car break pedal. And maybe add a sound effect like "no thanks", and push it when I am deleting tech debt. It would make my job very satisfying.
- a3n 9y ago
  I like their slogan.
ekiminmo 9y ago
HammerSpoon already does a great job at this on Mac. http://www.hammerspoon.org/ http://www.hammerspoon.org/
- epaga 9y ago
  Or alternatively BetterTouchTool, which additionally allows Touch Bar customization if you have a tMBP. https://www.boastr.net/ https://www.boastr.net/
Klathmon 9y ago
I actually made something similar using a small program called "luamacros" to intercept keys from a Planck ortholinear keyboard, then I printed out labels to put on the blank keycaps. I think I've finally settled on a good layout, so I'll be printing up some custom keycaps to permanently print the legends on the keys. It's surprisingly useful! I've got some buttons to open websites, some to do git-things, some to open terminals to various places on my PC, some to open folders, and a few to open programs.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  That sounds like an awesome setup. Can't deny that programming up your own layout to your exact needs definitely gives you the best results.
  - Klathmon 9y ago
    Yeah, I really wanted something easier to work with as it's a bit of a pain to maintain, and I might see if I can pick one of these up for my office machine!
    - robinhartley94 9y ago
      Hmm yeah that's the thing with a highly customised setup. Well if you do get one I've no doubt it'll do the job for you well :)
- stcredzero 9y ago
  Luamacros was used by the video editor of Linus Tech Tips to make an entire spare keyboard into a macro pad. He even used up every single key! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn8ExQ2Gjg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn8ExQ2Gjg
  - Klathmon 9y ago
    Yeah that was where I got the idea. I was actually able to remap the keys of the Planck with some customizable firmware to remove the layer key and Ctrl/alt/etc... keys which made it easier to work with.
garyclarke27 9y ago
Steelseries keyboads offer the same functionality with numerous easily programmable keys. I use heavily with Sublime Text. Steelseries engine software is flacky on mac though, since sierra update often freezes, fine on Windows. Ideally keys should have programmable LCD icons aswell, I would happily pay $200 for such. I used to use Actions app on ipad, but a bit slow compared to steelseries, so stopped using.
swah 9y ago
Alternative if you feel like spending a little more: https://rama.works/m10-a/ https://rama.works/m10-a/
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  It's worth the money!
- cyberferret 9y ago
  Nice, but nearly everything on their online store appears to be "Sold Out"?!?
  - throw_away 9y ago
    I suspect that they might only sell through massdrop: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/rama-m10-a?mode=guest_open https://www.massdrop.com/buy/rama-m10-a?mode=guest_open
robinhartley94 9y ago
Hey! Robin here - the creator of TASK: The Amazing Shortcut Keypad. Great to see so many comments and some interesting engagement :D A lot of you are identifying other ways to achieve this sort of automation either with AutoHotKey or custom scripts and if that works for you then good on ya, no point in changing :) However, the keypad was designed to give you quick, easy and intuitive automation in seconds. No writing code, no binding keys or running scripts. You just drag and drop and it's there. It's not supposed to be revolutionary new tech, it's just taking a fairly standard macropad and making it easier, faster and less bother to get working. Added benefits are you can share automation 'recipes' and it'll be open source so you can hack/tweak it to your own needs.
- charlesism 9y ago
  > No writing code, no binding keys or running scripts. This might be a dumb question, but why bother making hardware for that? Could you write software that works with an existing external num pad?
  - robinhartley94 9y ago
    This is a really good point, and in the future it would be really cool to implement it on anything. However, it's tricky to guarantee compatibility with every num pad out there, and there are several pieces of software which try and do this already but come up against numerous problems. In the spirit of keeping it simple, I'm using an Arduino as the heart of it as they are simple to programme and people can hack and tweak to their own needs, rather than struggling with firmware upgrades etc. I do really like your idea of making it work with a range of hardware. I'm actually going to release 4 different designs ranging from a single button right up to the 12 mechanical key version you see in the link. That way people can choose their price range. Could be as low as £15 !
- desireco42 9y ago
  It seems that others gave you a good hint. Since it is your software that is making a difference, ditch the hardware, adopt external numerical keyboard and go with that. What do you think?
robinhartley94 9y ago
BTW, full demo vid is here showing the drag-and-drop software in action as well as several use cases. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIkcKXIPrLY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIkcKXIPrLY
kalaracey 9y ago
> Automatically loop through tedious editing. (in the video) Why would I get a new numpad when I can do this with vi/emacs/etc. macros?
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  Mostly for speed but macros will do the job - it's just another example really :)
ChanderG 9y ago
I use xcape (https://github.com/alols/xcape https://github.com/alols/xcape), to overload modifiers. You get around 7-8 extra keys at an easy to reach distance.
sundvor 9y ago
I like this. It also reminds me that I should make more use of my G keys on my Logitech mechanical keyboards.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  Very similar functionality to the G Keys - if you have them then definitely make use of them. I'm jealous, I want G keys.
Slackwise 9y ago
My mechanical keyboard has all this functionality, built-in. No software. No coding required, as it just remembers your strokes. (Or emulated mouse input via its mouse input controls.) The same company has a mechanical numpad/calculator that can do the same as this shortcut keypad as well, in about the same package, along with having a calculator and display. These macro pads are all over r/MechanicalKeyboards. Plenty of parts and kits to get you started if you want to make your own.
isaacremuant 9y ago
Kind of on-topic, does anyone know what's the smallest industry made USB keyboard/button presser one can find? I'm talking small as in, number of keys. Ideally just one or two keys and a USB connection so that you can interact with a computer. Think like a clicker.
- nathancahill 9y ago
  Maybe some accessibility hardware? Or for one press, repurpose a U2F key? I think Yubico has cheap ones branded with sites like Github.
  - isaacremuant 9y ago
    Thanks for the suggestion. I'd probably need a USB extension to make it usable and it's probably more costly than other solutions but it's an interesting idea nonetheless.
- topher200 9y ago
  I have a USB foot petal I keep under my desk: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MU0TBU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MU0TBU/ref=oh_aui_se... I mostly use it as a quick play/pause video button.
  - isaacremuant 9y ago
    This is a great idea! Thanks. I'll purchase one and try it out.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  There are a couple of them kicking around the Mechanical Keyboard community. This sort of thing: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSutzWPW0vYd2-VYMsDQZF8S0F5-gLjtdz7ei60vtwjfEyKouIRQ https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSutzW... However, you will be able to make a keypad consisting of anywhere between 1 and 16 keys using the TASK software. In fact, you will be able to make a highly functional single key for about £7 using the designs I will be releasing in the shortcut keypad crowdfunding campaign!
nycdotnet 9y ago
This looks awesome. I have missed the Gateway 2000 AnyKey keyboard since my last one died a number of years ago, and perhaps this will fill that role.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  I hope so! If you have any tech questions, ask away.
peterburkimsher 9y ago
I made a program that lets you use a laptop as an external keyboard, which is also based on an Arduino. http://peterburk.github.io/programs/#keymouserial http://peterburk.github.io/programs/#keymouserial As a clicker for presentations, I'm planning to buy a Sanwa Supply NT-MA1 Optical USB Numeric Keypad Mouse. But I still need to save up money for that.
bastijn 9y ago
Slightly off topic but what kind of things are people automating behind macros here? I run autohotkey but only use 2-3 macros daily which are macros to start and kill apps I work on (hard kill to avoid waiting some shutdown time) and an "attach to app" macro. Not enough to justify buying these. Am I missing out? Any great macros for developers?
- lolive 9y ago
  I remap CapsLock+hjkl as the arrows. And CapsLock+Space as Return. But of course I want them to be right at my fingertips. Not on an external "far away" device.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  I originally created The Amazing Shortcut Keypad to automate AutoCAD during my engineering studies. Instead of having to type 'line' 'rectangle' 'fillet radius 20' 'snap 5' etc, I now just press a button and it happens instantly. It sped me up so much and was so much more efficient, I decided to develop the project to help other people... and here I am today! It's not just long tedious things which are worth automating, but sometimes, it's the things you use really frequently which need a slightly more efficient way to be accessed.
gradstudent 9y ago
This is great. It's like a mouse only stationary and with lots of keys that you can press instead of clicking. And you can program the keys to do whatever you want! Wow!
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  You've got it in one!
nebabyte 9y ago
or, y'know AHK
8draco8 9y ago
I use different solution that is arguable better than this and is right now on the market for not much money. I am talking about MMO mouses. Personally I am using Logitech G600 that have total of 20 programmable keys which can be programmed in 3 layers giving grant total of 60 macros, all within a reach of your thumb. This mouse is able to save macros onto on board flash memory which allows use on any system, even Androidm of course after configuring it either on Windows or MacOS.
- StavrosK 9y ago
  Huh, really? That's very nifty, I didn't know it saved commands to flash and didn't need a companion utility. Very useful, thanks for the info.
  - 8draco8 9y ago
    Yes, many mouses are doing that, you just have to check with the manufacturer (I had A4Tech and Bloody mouses having this feature). Unfortunately this is not the case for all mouses of one company so while Logitech G600 have this, Logitech M705 doesn't. I found out that mostly gaming oriented mouses have that feature. As for my mouse I have shortcuts for different systems (Linux, MacOS, Windows) set on each layer. Companion utility is needed only for initial setup.
mercer 9y ago
I can also recommend QuadroSync, which basically turns your iOS device into a TouchBar. I don't use it much because I prefer keyboard shortcuts, but it's one of the first apps of its kind that I actually can see myself using for a bunch of things.
jasonkester 9y ago
The device somebody needs to make is a little 3x2 home/end/pgup/pgdown/ins/del block of chicklet keys with an adhesive back that I can stick on to my Macbook Pro to turn it back into a computer. Most (all?) other manufacturers have also ruined that little magic block of keys, so there would certainly be a market from folks like me who were brought up in a world where you could delete a character or jump to the end of a row with a single finger. Charge me $500 for the thing and I'll still buy it.
- lj3 9y ago
  > Charge me $500 for the thing and I'll still buy it. Is this what you were looking for? https://techkeys.us/products/sixkeyboard https://techkeys.us/products/sixkeyboard
  - jasonkester 9y ago
    A bit chunky but yeah, that's sort of the thing. It'd be nice if they had a low-profile chicklet version (or at least included the actual keys with the thing), but I'll order one and see if I can make it work. Thanks!
ForFreedom 9y ago
You can assign macro or function to keys on your keyboard, why the need for the extra hardware? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/237179/assign-macro-or-function-to-keys-on-your-keyboard https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/237179/assign-macro...
- m_t 9y ago
  Since you're citing a Microsoft page, let me give you my very recent experience. We've acquired a Surface Book, which as you probably know can be used as a tablet or as a laptop. The tablet part can also be reversed and closed back on the keyboard. This makes for a very nice graphic tablet! The only problem is that, in this configuration, no more keyboard for the essential shortcut used while drawing in Photoshop and the like. One solution is to plug an external keyboard. Another solution would be to use this!
  - ForFreedom 9y ago
    It was an example. When using PS the menu bar is always available.
  - robinhartley94 9y ago
    Fantastic use-case, never heard of that one before but a very interesting opportunity for automation :)
jlebrech 9y ago
what it's missing is a display on each key.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  I actually looked into this but it gets hideously expensive! Such a cool idea though
jlebrech 9y ago
https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/aux/ https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/aux/
eigengrau 9y ago
I’ve been wanting a macropad for a while, but to be a really useful complement to the keyboard this would need a display. There appear to exist some OLED solutions, but iirc they were very pricey and probably didn’t support Linux very well. Unfortunately nobody makes what might be a cheap display-enabled solution, namely a macropad with a regular, large LCD character display matrix, with buttons arranged on the side to each line, like a quickdial. This is probably not super hard to realize with Arduino (though I would be unsure which interface to use; possibly serial over USB? Then implement an evdev driver?). Getting it nicely looking and sturdy would be much harder, though. So if anyone is going to market something like this let me know. ;)
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  Your comment has made me think about putting an LCD display on this. Like you say, with it being an Arduino, it's just a matter of wiring up a 16x2 LCD display and using the inbuilt library. Nothing too tricky there. In fact, the hardest bit is just designing a 3D printed case for it but that will only take an afternoon. I will look at adding this to the crowdfunding as a stretch goal.
  - eigengrau 9y ago
    Well my thought is, to be really useful, there would have to be one line of LCD characters for each button. My ideal macropad would be columnar, with the display in the center, and a row of buttons laid out on the sides. With a keypad style macropad, I don’t think I would find much practicality in just a single, global 16x2 display. Whatever is shown there could just as well be shown on-screen. What would water my mouth is something like this, but as a programmable PC peripheral: http://www.evenflow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/EXP39.jpg http://www.evenflow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/EXP39.j... This is a fancier LCD tech, but dot-matrix would work just as well. A man can dream though. A man can dream.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

99 points by ptrptr 9y ago

I like the idea, but can't you achieve most of the functionality just with an add-on $10 USB 10-key, and your choice of scripting? I have used the crazily versatile Controllermate[1] on macOS to do something similar with a gaming keypad that triggered Applescripts and shell scripts. 1: https://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/ https://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/

lfowles 9y ago
It'll send the same codes as any other 10-key you have. That was my issue when I was looking for something similar, as I still use the 10-key on my keyboard occasionally. I ended up getting a Logitech G13 for the same purpose but never ended up clearing the desk space so I could set it up.
- stevage 9y ago
  Ah, much less of an issue for a Macbook. Looking at this one (https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823173006 https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682317...) I'm not sure any of those keys even exist on the Macbook keyboard, other than BS (delete).
- melling 9y ago
  In addition to a few more keys next to the keyboard, how about adding a simple voice interface? "Keypad 1" "Keypad 2" or even name the macros: "Keypad sort" If I'm not constantly repeating a macro, I like to keep my hands on my main keyboard.
  - lfowles 9y ago
    ;) I use VoiceAttack when playing Elite Dangerous in VR. https://voiceattack.com/ https://voiceattack.com/
    - rhcom2 9y ago
      What kind of things do you get to control with your voice? ED in VR looked cool as hell.
- blacksmith_tb 9y ago
  Controllermate at least can prevent the normal keypresses from registering for the OS (it's actually tampering with all the HID devices, via its .kext - your comfort level with that will vary, of course). Otherwise, yes, I can imagine that having the odd "6" inserted into the text of the active window could get old.
nebabyte 9y ago
Yeah, I was thinking this might have a niche in medium businesses/etc, but tbh if they have a bored tech guy they've probably already asked him/her to help automate basic tasks (for which any number of Python/AHK scripts already exist or can be trivially created)
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  You're right about automating repetitive tasks. Usually they're going to get automated if they come up often enough. But what if you're going to do something tedious for the next 10 minutes, like editing numbers in a data base. You wouldn't write a script because it would take too long. However, with the keypad, you could spend 45 seconds setting up some basic automation and it may save you 4 or 5 minutes in total. The speed of setting it up makes it possible to do short-term automation which I've not come across before.

gumby 9y ago

Wouldn't it be faster to just input a key accelerator (which you can do on your Mac straight from system preferences -- I would assume Windows has similar)? That way you don't have to take your hands off the keyboard, simply press command-foo. I doubt cmd-foo is harder to remember than the bindings of blank keys on an accessory device.

to3m 9y ago
Going by the screenshot, it looks like you can do a bit more than the System Preferences keyboard shortcut page lets you! Looks more like something like AutoHotkey, I'd say, but with a non-insane interface.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  Yeah, you've got it! You can type text, send keyboard shortcuts, mouse movements, media commands and numpad keys. You can also delay and repeat anything as much as you like. Now any of that can be done in any combination and it's set up in less than 1 minute. It hasn't got all the features of AHK - some things have to be sacrificed for simplicity but you are very right in saying it has a lot more to offer than simple key bindings. These are proper macros :)
arkitaip 9y ago
"I doubt cmd-foo is harder to remember than the bindings of blank keys on an accessory device." Absolutely. I have a Corsair K90 keyboard with 18 extra function keys (actually that's 18x3) and never use them because I can't remember what G1, G2, G3, etc stand for.
- flashman 9y ago
  Knowing that you've pressed a button is an issue, too. I have a Sidewinder gaming keyboard with a similar number of macro keys, and often the only indication that I've accidentally tapped one is that I start typing 'W' every few seconds (that's a macro I have for avoiding going AFK in some games).
9y ago

RichardHeart 9y ago

Less powerful than autohotkey, and requires you to use a separate keypad? Just use autohotkey and the keyboard you're already using? I just bind my capslock to my alternate layer. For instance holding caps turns j,k,l,i into arrow keys.

petey283 9y ago
I thought I was the only person to do this. Glad to know others had the same idea.
monk_e_boy 9y ago
I have RSI so a single keypress for things like ctrl+c and ctrl+v is much easier. The more keys you need to press simultaneously the worse it is for some people.
- RichardHeart 9y ago
  You could program press and hold of any key to do whatever you like. Or you could use the copy paste buttons on a contour roller mouse. With autohotkey, you can make any key, do anything. The sky is the limit. You could make press and hold c equal copy.
stan_rogers 9y ago
Now picture doing that with a Wacom tablet or 3D manipulator as your main interface tool and your keyboard shoved off to the side.

thoraway25455 9y ago

I can't wait for the "Hacker" "News" commentary on this post. Is this a parody website? Mind-blowingly out of touch with reality. Christ.

dln_eintr 9y ago

These guys have been making some pretty neat controllers for a while now: http://xkeys.com/XkeysKeyboards/ http://xkeys.com/XkeysKeyboards/

robinhartley94 9y ago
They are really sturdy pieces of kit and they're UTF-8 too so great for custom characters etc. However, they're really expensive in the UK (where I'm from) and the interface is seriously old and clunky so there is room for improvement, especially if you're looking for a more customisable solution.
partycoder 9y ago
They have pedals too. I think that's great. I would like to have a pedal for the delete key, that feels like a car break pedal. And maybe add a sound effect like "no thanks", and push it when I am deleting tech debt. It would make my job very satisfying.
a3n 9y ago
I like their slogan.

ekiminmo 9y ago

HammerSpoon already does a great job at this on Mac. http://www.hammerspoon.org/ http://www.hammerspoon.org/

epaga 9y ago
Or alternatively BetterTouchTool, which additionally allows Touch Bar customization if you have a tMBP. https://www.boastr.net/ https://www.boastr.net/

Klathmon 9y ago

I actually made something similar using a small program called "luamacros" to intercept keys from a Planck ortholinear keyboard, then I printed out labels to put on the blank keycaps. I think I've finally settled on a good layout, so I'll be printing up some custom keycaps to permanently print the legends on the keys. It's surprisingly useful! I've got some buttons to open websites, some to do git-things, some to open terminals to various places on my PC, some to open folders, and a few to open programs.

robinhartley94 9y ago
That sounds like an awesome setup. Can't deny that programming up your own layout to your exact needs definitely gives you the best results.
- Klathmon 9y ago
  Yeah, I really wanted something easier to work with as it's a bit of a pain to maintain, and I might see if I can pick one of these up for my office machine!
  - robinhartley94 9y ago
    Hmm yeah that's the thing with a highly customised setup. Well if you do get one I've no doubt it'll do the job for you well :)
stcredzero 9y ago
Luamacros was used by the video editor of Linus Tech Tips to make an entire spare keyboard into a macro pad. He even used up every single key! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn8ExQ2Gjg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn8ExQ2Gjg
- Klathmon 9y ago
  Yeah that was where I got the idea. I was actually able to remap the keys of the Planck with some customizable firmware to remove the layer key and Ctrl/alt/etc... keys which made it easier to work with.

garyclarke27 9y ago

Steelseries keyboads offer the same functionality with numerous easily programmable keys. I use heavily with Sublime Text. Steelseries engine software is flacky on mac though, since sierra update often freezes, fine on Windows. Ideally keys should have programmable LCD icons aswell, I would happily pay $200 for such. I used to use Actions app on ipad, but a bit slow compared to steelseries, so stopped using.

swah 9y ago

Alternative if you feel like spending a little more: https://rama.works/m10-a/ https://rama.works/m10-a/

robinhartley94 9y ago
It's worth the money!
cyberferret 9y ago
Nice, but nearly everything on their online store appears to be "Sold Out"?!?
- throw_away 9y ago
  I suspect that they might only sell through massdrop: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/rama-m10-a?mode=guest_open https://www.massdrop.com/buy/rama-m10-a?mode=guest_open

robinhartley94 9y ago

Hey! Robin here - the creator of TASK: The Amazing Shortcut Keypad. Great to see so many comments and some interesting engagement :D A lot of you are identifying other ways to achieve this sort of automation either with AutoHotKey or custom scripts and if that works for you then good on ya, no point in changing :) However, the keypad was designed to give you quick, easy and intuitive automation in seconds. No writing code, no binding keys or running scripts. You just drag and drop and it's there. It's not supposed to be revolutionary new tech, it's just taking a fairly standard macropad and making it easier, faster and less bother to get working. Added benefits are you can share automation 'recipes' and it'll be open source so you can hack/tweak it to your own needs.

charlesism 9y ago
> No writing code, no binding keys or running scripts. This might be a dumb question, but why bother making hardware for that? Could you write software that works with an existing external num pad?
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  This is a really good point, and in the future it would be really cool to implement it on anything. However, it's tricky to guarantee compatibility with every num pad out there, and there are several pieces of software which try and do this already but come up against numerous problems. In the spirit of keeping it simple, I'm using an Arduino as the heart of it as they are simple to programme and people can hack and tweak to their own needs, rather than struggling with firmware upgrades etc. I do really like your idea of making it work with a range of hardware. I'm actually going to release 4 different designs ranging from a single button right up to the 12 mechanical key version you see in the link. That way people can choose their price range. Could be as low as £15 !
desireco42 9y ago
It seems that others gave you a good hint. Since it is your software that is making a difference, ditch the hardware, adopt external numerical keyboard and go with that. What do you think?

robinhartley94 9y ago

BTW, full demo vid is here showing the drag-and-drop software in action as well as several use cases. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIkcKXIPrLY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIkcKXIPrLY

kalaracey 9y ago

> Automatically loop through tedious editing. (in the video) Why would I get a new numpad when I can do this with vi/emacs/etc. macros?

robinhartley94 9y ago
Mostly for speed but macros will do the job - it's just another example really :)

ChanderG 9y ago

I use xcape (https://github.com/alols/xcape https://github.com/alols/xcape), to overload modifiers. You get around 7-8 extra keys at an easy to reach distance.

sundvor 9y ago

I like this. It also reminds me that I should make more use of my G keys on my Logitech mechanical keyboards.

robinhartley94 9y ago
Very similar functionality to the G Keys - if you have them then definitely make use of them. I'm jealous, I want G keys.

Slackwise 9y ago

My mechanical keyboard has all this functionality, built-in. No software. No coding required, as it just remembers your strokes. (Or emulated mouse input via its mouse input controls.) The same company has a mechanical numpad/calculator that can do the same as this shortcut keypad as well, in about the same package, along with having a calculator and display. These macro pads are all over r/MechanicalKeyboards. Plenty of parts and kits to get you started if you want to make your own.

isaacremuant 9y ago

Kind of on-topic, does anyone know what's the smallest industry made USB keyboard/button presser one can find? I'm talking small as in, number of keys. Ideally just one or two keys and a USB connection so that you can interact with a computer. Think like a clicker.

nathancahill 9y ago
Maybe some accessibility hardware? Or for one press, repurpose a U2F key? I think Yubico has cheap ones branded with sites like Github.
- isaacremuant 9y ago
  Thanks for the suggestion. I'd probably need a USB extension to make it usable and it's probably more costly than other solutions but it's an interesting idea nonetheless.
topher200 9y ago
I have a USB foot petal I keep under my desk: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MU0TBU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MU0TBU/ref=oh_aui_se... I mostly use it as a quick play/pause video button.
- isaacremuant 9y ago
  This is a great idea! Thanks. I'll purchase one and try it out.
robinhartley94 9y ago
There are a couple of them kicking around the Mechanical Keyboard community. This sort of thing: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSutzWPW0vYd2-VYMsDQZF8S0F5-gLjtdz7ei60vtwjfEyKouIRQ https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSutzW... However, you will be able to make a keypad consisting of anywhere between 1 and 16 keys using the TASK software. In fact, you will be able to make a highly functional single key for about £7 using the designs I will be releasing in the shortcut keypad crowdfunding campaign!

nycdotnet 9y ago

This looks awesome. I have missed the Gateway 2000 AnyKey keyboard since my last one died a number of years ago, and perhaps this will fill that role.

robinhartley94 9y ago
I hope so! If you have any tech questions, ask away.

peterburkimsher 9y ago

I made a program that lets you use a laptop as an external keyboard, which is also based on an Arduino. http://peterburk.github.io/programs/#keymouserial http://peterburk.github.io/programs/#keymouserial As a clicker for presentations, I'm planning to buy a Sanwa Supply NT-MA1 Optical USB Numeric Keypad Mouse. But I still need to save up money for that.

bastijn 9y ago

Slightly off topic but what kind of things are people automating behind macros here? I run autohotkey but only use 2-3 macros daily which are macros to start and kill apps I work on (hard kill to avoid waiting some shutdown time) and an "attach to app" macro. Not enough to justify buying these. Am I missing out? Any great macros for developers?

lolive 9y ago
I remap CapsLock+hjkl as the arrows. And CapsLock+Space as Return. But of course I want them to be right at my fingertips. Not on an external "far away" device.
robinhartley94 9y ago
I originally created The Amazing Shortcut Keypad to automate AutoCAD during my engineering studies. Instead of having to type 'line' 'rectangle' 'fillet radius 20' 'snap 5' etc, I now just press a button and it happens instantly. It sped me up so much and was so much more efficient, I decided to develop the project to help other people... and here I am today! It's not just long tedious things which are worth automating, but sometimes, it's the things you use really frequently which need a slightly more efficient way to be accessed.

gradstudent 9y ago

This is great. It's like a mouse only stationary and with lots of keys that you can press instead of clicking. And you can program the keys to do whatever you want! Wow!

robinhartley94 9y ago
You've got it in one!

nebabyte 9y ago

or, y'know AHK

8draco8 9y ago

I use different solution that is arguable better than this and is right now on the market for not much money. I am talking about MMO mouses. Personally I am using Logitech G600 that have total of 20 programmable keys which can be programmed in 3 layers giving grant total of 60 macros, all within a reach of your thumb. This mouse is able to save macros onto on board flash memory which allows use on any system, even Androidm of course after configuring it either on Windows or MacOS.

StavrosK 9y ago
Huh, really? That's very nifty, I didn't know it saved commands to flash and didn't need a companion utility. Very useful, thanks for the info.
- 8draco8 9y ago
  Yes, many mouses are doing that, you just have to check with the manufacturer (I had A4Tech and Bloody mouses having this feature). Unfortunately this is not the case for all mouses of one company so while Logitech G600 have this, Logitech M705 doesn't. I found out that mostly gaming oriented mouses have that feature. As for my mouse I have shortcuts for different systems (Linux, MacOS, Windows) set on each layer. Companion utility is needed only for initial setup.

mercer 9y ago

I can also recommend QuadroSync, which basically turns your iOS device into a TouchBar. I don't use it much because I prefer keyboard shortcuts, but it's one of the first apps of its kind that I actually can see myself using for a bunch of things.

jasonkester 9y ago

The device somebody needs to make is a little 3x2 home/end/pgup/pgdown/ins/del block of chicklet keys with an adhesive back that I can stick on to my Macbook Pro to turn it back into a computer. Most (all?) other manufacturers have also ruined that little magic block of keys, so there would certainly be a market from folks like me who were brought up in a world where you could delete a character or jump to the end of a row with a single finger. Charge me $500 for the thing and I'll still buy it.

lj3 9y ago
> Charge me $500 for the thing and I'll still buy it. Is this what you were looking for? https://techkeys.us/products/sixkeyboard https://techkeys.us/products/sixkeyboard
- jasonkester 9y ago
  A bit chunky but yeah, that's sort of the thing. It'd be nice if they had a low-profile chicklet version (or at least included the actual keys with the thing), but I'll order one and see if I can make it work. Thanks!

ForFreedom 9y ago

You can assign macro or function to keys on your keyboard, why the need for the extra hardware? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/237179/assign-macro-or-function-to-keys-on-your-keyboard https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/237179/assign-macro...

m_t 9y ago
Since you're citing a Microsoft page, let me give you my very recent experience. We've acquired a Surface Book, which as you probably know can be used as a tablet or as a laptop. The tablet part can also be reversed and closed back on the keyboard. This makes for a very nice graphic tablet! The only problem is that, in this configuration, no more keyboard for the essential shortcut used while drawing in Photoshop and the like. One solution is to plug an external keyboard. Another solution would be to use this!
- ForFreedom 9y ago
  It was an example. When using PS the menu bar is always available.
- robinhartley94 9y ago
  Fantastic use-case, never heard of that one before but a very interesting opportunity for automation :)

jlebrech 9y ago

what it's missing is a display on each key.

robinhartley94 9y ago
I actually looked into this but it gets hideously expensive! Such a cool idea though

jlebrech 9y ago

https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/aux/ https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/aux/

eigengrau 9y ago

I’ve been wanting a macropad for a while, but to be a really useful complement to the keyboard this would need a display. There appear to exist some OLED solutions, but iirc they were very pricey and probably didn’t support Linux very well. Unfortunately nobody makes what might be a cheap display-enabled solution, namely a macropad with a regular, large LCD character display matrix, with buttons arranged on the side to each line, like a quickdial. This is probably not super hard to realize with Arduino (though I would be unsure which interface to use; possibly serial over USB? Then implement an evdev driver?). Getting it nicely looking and sturdy would be much harder, though. So if anyone is going to market something like this let me know. ;)

robinhartley94 9y ago
Your comment has made me think about putting an LCD display on this. Like you say, with it being an Arduino, it's just a matter of wiring up a 16x2 LCD display and using the inbuilt library. Nothing too tricky there. In fact, the hardest bit is just designing a 3D printed case for it but that will only take an afternoon. I will look at adding this to the crowdfunding as a stretch goal.
- eigengrau 9y ago
  Well my thought is, to be really useful, there would have to be one line of LCD characters for each button. My ideal macropad would be columnar, with the display in the center, and a row of buttons laid out on the sides. With a keypad style macropad, I don’t think I would find much practicality in just a single, global 16x2 display. Whatever is shown there could just as well be shown on-screen. What would water my mouth is something like this, but as a programmable PC peripheral: http://www.evenflow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/EXP39.jpg http://www.evenflow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/EXP39.j... This is a fancier LCD tech, but dot-matrix would work just as well. A man can dream though. A man can dream.

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