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Svalboard
Preview. The current manual is at svalboard.com/manual.

Typing on a Svalboard

Layers

Section titled “Layers”

A layer is another set of meanings for the same keys, like Shift turns lowercase into capitals. You hold a key to use a layer for a moment, or tap a key to switch to it.

The default layout

Section titled “The default layout”

The default layout is Sval-QWERTY. It approximates Datahand QWERTY. This is the Svalboard QMK default; Svalboard’s Vial firmware may differ in details.

  • Base layer (layer 0): letters. Thumbs:
    • Left: Shift (Down), Enter (Pad; hold for NavNAS), Tab (Nail; hold for GUI), Ctrl (Knuckle), Caps Lock (Double Down).
    • Right: NavNAS (hold Down), Space (Pad), Backspace (Nail), Alt (Knuckle), Function layer (hold Double Down).
  • NavNAS layer (layer 1): hold Right Thumb Down or Left Thumb Pad. Numbers are on the Center keys and symbols on the North keys. The right South keys are arrows; the left South keys are Home, End, Page Up and Page Down.
  • Function layer (layer 2): hold Right Thumb Double Down (press Down all the way through). F1–F24.
  • Board settings layer (layer 14): hold Right Ring East. The left hand has pointer speed keys and Output Status.
  • Mouse layer (layer 15): turns on by itself when you move a pointing device (see Pointing modules).

The thumb Up keys ship blank. Thumb Up layer switching from older layouts is no longer used. Assign the Up keys as you like.

Layouts

Section titled “Layouts”

A layout is how the letters and other keys are arranged on each layer. Start with the layout you already know: QWERTY, Colemak, Dvorak or another. Svalboard uses the same finger for the same letter with few exceptions, so your existing habits carry over. Finger travel drops a lot with any layout.

Keybard’s Layouts panel has ready-made letter layers (Dvorak, Colemak, the Hands Down variants HD Promethium and HD Neu, and Graphite) and number layers, including the default NavNAS. See Start from a layout Svalboard provides.

You will use your thumbs for modifiers, Space, Enter, Backspace, Shift and Tab, instead of your pinkies. You will also switch between the letter and NavNAS layers often. It gets fast with practice.

Learning and practice

Section titled “Learning and practice”

You’ll adapt faster if you already use thumb keys, a split keyboard or layers.

  • Many people type 30–40 wpm within a few days.
  • Coming from a flat QWERTY keyboard, expect full-time use at 40–50 wpm after 4–6 weeks of practice.
  • Practice 15–20 minutes at a time, two or three times a day. Increase it as you get comfortable. An hour a day early on usually slows you down; sleep is part of how muscle memory forms.
  • Use a typing site with statistics, such as Monkeytype. Tag your sessions “svalboard” to help us study learning curves.
  • You can still use other keyboards. Many users switch every day.

Learning aids: