Keyboard for Left Hand

I’m wondering if anybody has any suggestions. I’d like to find a customizable keyboard that I can place to the left of my main keyboard. I work with my right hand on the mouse and my left hand on the left side of the keyboard where I can hit everything from Tab down to the Spacebar.

What would be nice is a short keyboard that could be set up like the left side of the usual one but would locate a bunch of customizable keys right there too. I’d copy all the F-Keys over there where they were closer and make as many 1-key hotkeys as I could.

Some of the gaming controller gizmos look kind of interesting but not really similar enough to a keyboard to make a smooth transition. I’ve tried a 3d mouse, but the 3d controller gives me motion sickness-like issues and the hotkeys are splattered all over the place.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Jim

I’ m not sure it is for sale yet, but the Optimus Aux keyboard seems to be what you are looking for. http://store.artlebedev.com/electronics/optimus-aux/

Or this one http://www.slashgear.com/oled-keyboard-and-keypad-can-display-programable-icons-and-images-1126020/

Last one http://www.xkeys.com/XkeysKeyboards/index.php

I use a left handed keyboard for the past 10 years. ->
http://www.alimed.com/left-handed-keyboard.html?CAWELAID=400004100000001077&gclid=CPrJ_qTti7wCFQmCfgody2YABQ

I haven’t tried to assign 1 key shortcuts for Rhino but find that the location of the numeric keypad and other navigation keys to the left side greatly enhances my comfort and functionality.

I use a large Wacom tablet with my right hand and a left handed keyboard is an almost essential accessory for this.
I’ve been using Evoluent keyboards for years now and love them:

Evoluent makes great stuff and I use their VerticalMouse in a monthly rotation cycle with a Logitec gamers mouse and a trackball. The best ergonomic solution is to change it up.

Here is the actual keyboard I use -> http://www.dsi-keyboards.com/dsi-left-handed-keyboard-usb-with-cherry-mechanical-key-switches.aspx
I find that having the full set of navigation keys on the left side to be very useful in Rhino and other software. Particularly the arrow keys for nudging a fresh selection of points.

Thanks for the ideas!

I hadn’t thought about switching to a left-handed keyboard.

I think the X-Keys board looks like what I want. They even have foot pedals… I wonder if it would be worth using one of those to get to the MMB Popup toolbar. I use that for almost everything which means not dragging the mouse all over searching for icons, but it does mean a lot of extra clicking to bring up the toolbar.

Jim

Could you please follow-up this post when you have acquired a device, and post your experiences?

menno,

I will do that. Thanks again for your help.

I talked with our IT guy and he’s going to get one of the 60 key X-Keys boards.

Jim

Hello,
it could not be what you are looking for but just an idea.
I assigned Aliases which I use often on left side keys as following,
Just imagine right finger keys mirror to left finger keys.
ex. p => q, o => w, i => e, l => s,

I can keep my right hand on the mouse most of the time, guarantee you can draw much faster and less stressful.

4v _4View ZEA ZOOM All Extents
ar array
b blend
C curve
ce circle
cet _circle t
cq copy
cs _ConnectSrf
cw connect
d delete
db dupborder
dd _DimDiameter
de DupEdge
deff _BooleanDifference
dev dim
ebt intersect
es _Export
ex extend
ext extrudecrv
f fillet
fe FilletEdge
ff join
ffe JoinEdge
fs filletsrf
gg hide
ggg Ghosted
q '_Plane 3point
qeq pipe
qs _PlanarSrf
qw _Polyline
r redo
rb rebuild
rd _DimRadius
re _Rectangle 3point
rec _Rectangle center
rr _Undo
rw rotate
S line
s1 sweep1
s1d Scale1D
s2 sweep2
s2d Scale2D
sa _SaveAs
sc SelCrv
se _ExtendSrf
seb length
sg show
sq _Split
st _line t
sw loft
tr trim
v move
ve mirror
W offset
ws _OffsetSrf
x extend
xq Explode
xs ExtendSrf
xt extrudecrv
xtt _ExtrudeCrvTapered
ze Zebra
Z '_Zoom Extents

I’ve used the X-Keys 60 key device for a couple months now. It’s exactly what I was looking for. It took a few days of trying things to get it set up the way I want but it’s perfect. The button I use the most is the one that pops up the MMB popup toolbar but that’s good because it takes the load off my right hand.

I have a bunch of my most used commands, navigation buttons, macros to assign layers and a couple that insert text strings that I use all the time.

menno, thanks for the tip!

Jim

Hey Jim,

That is so nice to hear, I’m glad it works so well for you.

I’m looking at a Logitech G 613 gaming keyboard. Is it possible to assign the extra keys as hot keys? There are six that run down the left hand side G1 - G6. Anybody using something like this outside of reassigning F keys?