Layers are one of the best things about ergonomic keyboards. They let you place dozens of shortcuts and functions right under your fingertips, so you don't have to contort your hand pressing combinations like Shift–Command–4.
There's just one small problem: at first, you have absolutely no idea where you put anything.
That's why we created Layer Lens.
What's Layer Lens
With the press of a key, you can see your current keyboard layer directly on your screen. Change layers, and the overlay changes with you.
You can show or hide it whenever you want, move it, resize it, adjust the transparency, or make it appear only when you switch layers. So instead of memorizing your entire layout from day one, you can actually see it while you use it.
How Layer Lens works
Imagine you are typing or coding and want to use the brackets. You know you placed them in a layer for easy access, but you can't remember exactly where.
Now you can simply tap the Lens key and switch to the layer you want. And there they are: those elusive brackets.
The overlay can be hidden by tapping the Lens key again, or it can stay active for as long as needed.
Move and resize the Layer Lens overlay
With Resize Mode, you can move or resize the overlay to get it out of the way while you're working.
You can also adjust its opacity, making the overlay more or less visible depending on how much of your screen you want to see behind it.
Show Layer Lens only when changing layers
Our favorite mode is “Show only on layer change”.
If you already know your main layer but are still learning Layer 2 or Layer 3, the overlay only appears when you actually need it.
And if you only want to briefly check your layout, you can also hold the Lens key. The overlay appears while you're holding the key and disappears the moment you release it.
How to enable Layer Lens in Bazecor
To start using Layer Lens, first make sure that Bazecor and your keyboard firmware are up to date.
Then, enable Layer Lens in Settings and give Bazecor the required keyboard-monitoring permission.
This permission is only used to detect the Lens key; nothing else is monitored or stored.
Finally, assign a Lens key in the Layout Editor.
- Lens TAP shows the overlay when you tap the key. Tap it again to hide it.
- Lens HOLD shows the overlay only while you hold the key.
- Superkey Lens does both.
If you want, you can also add Lens TAP or Lens HOLD to your custom Superkeys.
Once everything is configured, press Save Changes and restart Bazecor and your keyboard.
Customize Layer Lens settings
Head to Settings > Layer Lens Settings to adjust the opacity or enable the different Layer Lens modes.
If you enable “Keep running in the background”, Layer Lens will start at login and continue working even after you close Bazecor.
You'll also be able to access the different Layer Lens modes from the system tray.
A much easier way to learn keyboard layers
And that's all you need to make keyboard layers much easier to use and learn.
No more printing your layers, keeping screenshots open, or jumping back into Bazecor just to remember where you put something.
Press one key, and your layout is right there.
Join the discussion on Reddit or Discord and share your thoughts.
See you there 💜
