Download

JSON files for PatorJ style KLAs

These JSON files can be used with most Patrick Gillespie (PatorJ) derived KLAs.
(ex. klanext.keyboard-design.com, or PatorJ's, SteveP's, Den's forks)



Other layout JSON files
(some are no longer actively recommended, but they're still as good as they were when they were created. You may find ways to learn from these, or to profitably modify them to suit your own needs.)


👍🏻  These layouts put a letter or other glyph on a thumb, and therefore require a keyboard with two  dedicated thumb keys.


Note on KLA compatibility

These are the JSONs that I used for the tests mentioned on this site. They all have thumb shift (except for the std ansi layouts).  My own implementations of Hands Down are on small keyboards (36 keys or less), with the numbers are on separate layers, but they are presented here on separate keys (in a similar layout) to work better with the KLAs. There are a few differences with my own implementation due to KLA design limitations that would likely be even better stats (use of AltGr, same keys on other layers, etc.  (Much thanks to Ian Douglas of keyboard-design.com for help making sure the files were complete and accurate.)

Playing with punctuation and other symbols can also improve the scores a tiny bit, or at least put them in places that are most comfortable for your specific needs. Most other layouts would also benefit from the same treatment. I use the /,. punctuation variation shown in the layout descriptions pages, but the JSONs may not all have that arrangement—the statistical difference is noticeable, but quite variable between KLAs, so you should pay attention to the arrangement that works best for you before judging any results.

You should be able to download these files, then paste them into the analyzer of your choice, and compare Hands Down against other layouts with your own sample texts. It is very important to note that each analyzer has its own assumptions for scoring. So, different sites and different sample texts will show different results....that's sort of the point—you should try it out with your own data and on an analyzer that you understand to see if it is something that might work for you. Be sure to read each analyzer's explanation of weighting so the resulting scores will be more meaningful.

Native OS support files (for standard ansi/iso/jis keyboards) ⌨️

These OS support files below hwere built with free layout creation tools that are used to produce standard OS layout files. They're very basic, no frills layouts. It's just the alpha layout, but it works as any other layout would on the OS, with shift and other mods in the typical locations, number row and other keys are (mostly) unchanged in the standard layouts. All should work fine on a typical keyboard supported by the OS (ansi/iso/jis). A symmetric programmer's version may be included, identified by # in the layout name (pronounced "sharp" as in music or in the C programming language variant), which is designed with the assumption that you have a dedicated 10key nearby, either on the same board, in a separate layer, or as a separate board, so the num row is an optimized symbol row. There is no code embedded, so no combos or adaptive keys. 


QMK files

You could have a look at my QMK files to see how I've implemented Hands Down on my boards. 

ZMK files

I currently use the Hands Down Vibranium-vv variation (R on thumb). My implementation is fairly complete, approaching feature parity with my QMK boards such that I can use them as daily drivers for extended periods. You can use this as a starting point for your own, making the changes necessary for whatever variation you choose. Eventually I will add templates for Neu and Gold variations, as well.  This is for your interest only. I cannot support your implementation, and offer no warranty of any kind.

In addition to the base alpha layer, those repositories also have my implementation of the following add-on features: