layout VS APT

The layout is a simulate annealing optimized layout which I've added to stevep99's Keyboard Layout Analysis Tool it's available on the sa-tidy branch for now. I liked NotGate’s SFB minimized layout but wanted to expand and add more finger roll and make sure it's optimized for English as well as C/C++/Rust and Python.

It is commonly used on a thumb key (Right-alt on tradtional keyboards) to repeat an alphanumeric key to avoid double tapping with the same finger, making it a smooth motion instead and helping in the same vain as reducing same finger bigrams. For example typing "hello" you would instead do hel{rAlt}o. See also the bottom of https://notgate.github.io/layout/

IRST

Looks okay. Right ring is a little questionable (try typing "you" on it), and there's also a layout with 0.473% SFBs.

Thanks for the reply! Interesting how you skipped colemak, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on plain colemak if you decide to give it a go. I might do the same with colemak-dh or IRST for that matter.

Looks like NotGate's SFB Minimized Layout (https://notgate.github.io/layout/)

I am using the .json file from https://github.com/NotGate/layout

I've considered both the earlier version of APT, as well as Engram, with these layouts putting punctuation on the center index columns.

APT

Apt: https://github.com/apsu/apt

It's a rather bad layout by current measures. Not a lot better than QWERTY, and barely better than std Norman, much worse than Workman, Dvorak, Halmak, Engram, Colemak, Semimak, ISRT, RSTDH, MTGAP, APT, Poqtea, Hands Down, and many, many others. Even the simple Notarise is much better (with similar distance stats), and is much easier to learn coming from QWERTY.

Or u/apsuity's Apt v3

I don't have any personal experience with anything except Colemak-DH so I can't offer recommendations based on personal experience. With that being said, if I was to try a new layout I'd likely choose APTv3 or some variation of Hands Down as I hear good things about both.

It's the L placement and left index _mostly. Right hand is a bit overloaded as well however, like rnv on ring and the f placement, never on dvorak despite being full alt is not fun lol. That is not to speak for all sfbs on right hand like rn, sl, ct and gh which are bearable to slide on a low profile keyboard but hard to deal with on anything else. It also creates annoying patters like ght and wr because it puts everything on this hand. Left index is all of that, squared. You can deal with it just like you can deal with qwerty's jank, but there's just many better options out there. You could for example take a look at apt

nah colemak is good, dvorak is pretty garbage. If you wanna try something with a similar feel that's really good maybe try APT. Instead of that you can maybe also try some colemak mods like Colemak DH or rollmak: q w f p b z l u o y c r s t g m n e a i ' x v d k j h ; , .