This is a WASD Keyboards custom layout for an 87 key Cherry MX keycap set from WASD Keyboards, optimized for the Varmilo VB87M Bluetooth keyboard, one of the few mechanical keyboards that is also wireless.
The Varmilo VB87M is one of the rare keyboards that offers both mechanical key switches as well as wireless connectivity, and one of the even rarer ones that is nominally Mac compatible. It can periodically be purchased through Massdrop for around $130.
The model I ordered is black, with Gateron Brown switches and light grey, top-printed dye sub keycaps:
The keyboard has some problems in the look and feel department:
- Default keycap color options are highly conspicuous (grey, white, or green).
- All of the mechanical switch options are quite loud.
- Classic PC layout has a Windows key, Alt, and so on, non-ideal for Mac usage.
- Raised bumps on F and J are a bit too small.
A replacement keycap set from WASD Keyboards addresses all of these problems: keys are available in black or dark grey, with o-rings to slightly dampen key click, and in a Mac layout. The raised bumps on F and J are more noticeable than those on the keys that ship with the Varmilo VB87M.
WASD Keyboards also offers a Mac hotkey shortcuts keycap set for normal Mac keyboards; however, the media keys on the Varmilo VB87M are slightly astandard:
- Fn+F7 = Mute
- Fn+F8 = Volume up
- Fn+F9 = Volume down
- Fn+F10 = Play/pause
- Fn+F11 = Rewind/previous track
- Fn+F12 = Fast forward/next track
- Print Screen = F13
- Scroll Lock = Brightness down (does not register as F14)
- Pause = Brightness up (does not register as F15)
Finally, there are a few keyboard-specific shortcuts, most usefully:
- Fn+Insert = Toggle keyboard power
- Fn+→ = Enter Bluetooth pairing mode
WASD Keyboards allows customers to upload a custom layout file when ordering a set of keycaps. This repository contains a custom layout that puts the media keys in the correct spots for the Varmilo VB87M, adds power and Bluetooth icons for the keyboard-specific shortcuts. changes caps lock to control (mapped via Seil), and uses uppercase for the function keys, i.e., F1 instead of f1.
WASD Keyboards custom layouts are SVG files, and WASD Keyboards recommends using Inkscape to edit them. Local copies of open source installation files:
If you want to edit any of the Mac layout keycap text, you will also need the proprietary VAG Rounded Light font (keycaps use size 9pt).
Related openly licensed media:
- Bluetooth icon vector graphic (public domain, from Wikipedia source)
- WASD Keyboard layout template (license unspecified, from WASD custom layout template file download page)
Related projects:
On Mac layer:
- Replace function keys with uppercase variants
- Remove F14 and F15
- Change caps lock to control
On Mods - Media Keys layer:
- Add mute icon to F7
- Add play/pause icon to F10
- Add fast forward/next track icon to F11
- Add rewind/previous track icon to F12
On Stock Artwork layer:
- Add volume down icon to F8
- Add volume up icon to F9
- Add brightness down icon to former F14
- Add brightness up icon to former F15
- Add power icon to insert
Add new Bluetooth Icon layer:
- Add Bluetooth icon (foreground only, stroked to black) to →
Icons are scaled to match mute icon height (7.998px) as reference.
I rarely use the media keys other than volume controls, and F13 doesn't do anything by default on my OS X configuration, so it would be nice to figure out how to remap F14 and F15 to have this configuration (no Fn modifier needed):
- F13 = mute
- F14 = volume down
- F15 = volume up
Neither the OS X keyboard configuration tool nor Karabiner seem to be able to recognize or remap F14 or F15, but the following hints might help:
- http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/tips/remap_function_keys.html
- http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050801052917667
Andrew Ho (andrew@zeuscat.com)
Local copies of Inkscape, XQuartz, and the WASD Keyboards custom layout template are covered under their respective licenses. The Bluetooth icon is public domain. The other files authored by Andrew are covered by the following 3-clause BSD license:
Copyright (c) 2016, Andrew Ho.
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
are met:
Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
Neither the name of the author nor the names of its contributors may
be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
without specific prior written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
"AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
(INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.