keyboard_layout_optimizer VS APT

Regarding evaluating, comparing and potentially even optimizing layouts, I would recommend my keyboard layout optimizer.

I recently got a new ergonomic keyboard, after just typing on my laptop for years. I've used an ErgoDox before, so I went with the Moonlander. While configuring the keyboard and playing with the location of the spacebar, I realized that putting it on the right hand side resulted in a really bad balance between the two hands – it seemed like dvorak was way more right-hand dominant, and that was confirmed when I started looking into it. Went down the rabbit hole of alternate keyboard layouts, and found this repo: https://github.com/dariogoetz/keyboard_layout_optimizer . You can specify the physical configuration of your keyboard and provide a sample text, and it will generate layouts for you, using simulated annealing or a genetic algorithm. Here's a screenshot of the generated layout, along with Dvorak on the bottom:

That's very interesting. I tried a genetic algorithm myself for my optimizer. In the end, I removed the crossover part, but mainly because I did not understand, how exactly it worked :)

You can find the code for the evaluator here. Apart from my own set of metrics, it includes the ones used in KLAnext and also the ones from Oxey's layout playground (with some caveats).

Regarding an evaluator with support for multiple layers that can be user-configured, supports "classical" hold layers as well as one-shot layers, and modifiers on "any key" (think home-row mods), I can advertise my own evaluator/optimizer https://github.com/dariogoetz/keyboard_layout_optimizer Saves you some time on a new project ;)

Identified (amongst others), by tweaked version of https://github.com/dariogoetz/keyboard_layout_optimizer

I want to introduce a pet project of mine that I have been working on in the last year - a keyboard layout evaluator/optimizer: https://github.com/dariogoetz/keyboard_layout_optimizer

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 ; , .