Over the past few years, we've been refining a feature that has the potential to transform the way you type. And it's finally ready.
Now, you can add up to 5 functions to one single key.
Imagine the possibilities.
How Superkeys can help you
Let's start by exploring all the possibilities that the new Superkeys have to offer.
Superkeys let you assign different functions depending on how you press a key: TAP, HOLD, TAP&HOLD, DOUBLE-TAP, and DOUBLE-TAP&HOLD.
Let's start with something simple.
For example, you could have:
- Caps Lock on TAP and Shift on HOLD, which turns two keys into one.
- ESC on TAP and Alt+F4/command+Q on HOLD to close windows easily.
- TAB on TAP and Shift+TAB on HOLD to navigate tabs or indents fast.
- Backspace on TAP and CTRL/command+Backspace on HOLD to delete full lines of text.
One of our favorite uses of superkeys is to add shortcuts to normal keys. You can configure X, C, and V to become Cut, Copy, and Paste when you hold them.
Another great use is to have easier-to-reach Fkeys. You can add the corresponding Fkey on HOLD to your number row.
This TAP-HOLD functionality is also great to make the most of keys that you can reach easily.
For example, you can have a key that's SPACE on TAP, and Shift or CTRL on HOLD.
Another helpful thing to add to HOLD is layers.
TAP for SPACE, HOLD for a layer. Layers are like customizable Function keys, so you can have one with arrows, symbols, the number pad... You choose.
You can also add HOLD to your normal keys. For example, you can have Shift, CTRL, ALT/Option, and WIN/Command on HOLD for A, S, D, F, and H, J, K, L, and ";".
This is known as home-row modifiers and allows you to press them without moving your fingers from where they rest on the keyboard.
Other people use superkeys to avoid having to use Shift at all. To achieve this, you only need to configure a superkey where HOLD is the capitalized version of TAP. For example, if I hold "a", I get capital A.
These are just some examples.
You can choose or combine any of these to change the way you type. The result is similar: you'll avoid having to stretch and contort your fingers for things you repeat constantly, like capitalizing layers or using shortcuts.
However, the Superkeys' potential doesn't stop there. We've just explored TAP and HOLD. There are three more functions we can add.
Here's where you can go crazy.
These are some examples:
- Supermedia key: TAP for Play/Pause, HOLD for mute, TAP&HOLD to rewind, 2-TAP to skip.
- Supercopy: TAP to copy, Hold to Cut, Tap&Hold to paste without format, 2-tap to paste.
- Supersign: TAP for "best", HOLD for "warm regards", 2-TAP for "looking forward to hearing from you".
- Superscreenshot: TAP for Screenshot, HOLD for Snipet, 2-TAP for screen recording
How to Configure Superkeys
Open Bazecor, the configurator software, and go to the Superkeys menu.
Then, create a new Superkey and name it. Add the functions you want. You can add normal keys, layer changes, modifiers, shortcuts, media keys, and more.
Press "Save changes" and head over to the layout editor. Select the key where you want the Superkey.
Go to the Superkeys submenu and select the superkey from the dropdown menu. Press Save changes, and you are done!
One important thing to remember when configuring Superkeys is that they'll behave slightly differently depending on the number of actions you assign to them.
If you only assign TAP and HOLD, they'll be snappier. That's why we've named them "Fast superkeys."
If you add functions beyond HOLD, the superkey needs to wait to determine whether a TAP will be a single TAP or a double TAP. As a result, you may notice that the key takes a split second to appear on screen.
You can adjust the wait time for a Superkey in the preferences menu.
How to fine-tune the Superkeys
Here, you'll find many settings, so let's go through them.
For Fast Superkeys, here are the key takeaways:
- If you're accidentally triggering the HOLD when you want TAP, increase the HOLD TIMEOUT, the OVERLAP THRESHOLD, and the MINIMUM HOLD TIMEOUT.
- If you're not triggering the HOLD and getting TAP instead, decrease the HOLD TIMEOUT, the OVERLAP THRESHOLD, and the MINIMUM HOLD TIMEOUT. You can ignore the Minimum Prior Interval.
For Normal Superkeys, the settings are simpler:
- Hold Timeout manages how long you have to hold a key to trigger the HOLD.
- Next Tap Timeout manages how long the superkey waits for that second tap. Lower it if you want them to feel snappier, but if you lower it too much, you'll trigger fingers to be able to get a 2-TAP.
Developing the Superkeys has been a long, arduous journey. It might seem simple, but it turns out that people type and use them in a gazillion different ways, so making everything work in all those scenarios has been a titanic endeavor. That's why they have been in Beta for years.
Thanks to your help and feedback, we have polished dozens of different use cases and unexpected behaviors. If you'd like us to make a crazy deep development video, let us know!
