What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
Nautilus Nightmares takes place in the same universe as Nautilus, so it can technically be considered as a spin-off of Nautilus. The idea for this set surged some months ago, when Novelkeys shared with me their Nautilus deskmat’s design which portraits a giant cephalopod moments before its confrontation with Captain Nemo’s ship. It’s such a great design that some time after sharing it with me, I just asked if they could do a green version of it, and that’s when this new keycap project started.
Given how I’ve set up the kits, ideally I’d like to have the set dropping on Massdrop so if you are interested, don’t forget to vote for your favorite kits!
GMK Nautilus Nightmares Poll https://www.massdrop.com/vote/GMK-Nautilus-Nightmares
Proposed kits Nautilus Nightmares’ kits are slightly different than the rest of GMK sets and they have been specifically designed for medium and big group buys.
The Core kit is the starting point for everyone, as it provides great coverage for most people. You might have noticed that compared to other standard GMK base kits, Nautilus Nightmares have a smaller one, composed by only 128 keycaps, as ISO and numpad support have been moved to extension kits. The result is a Core that costs less, making it more accesible for the vast majority of people which then means that it would be more prone to reach new price tiers faster.
The kit includes dark gray Escape and Enter keys, dark green pipe and tilde, 1.75, 2.00, and 2.25 extra shifts; three extra spacebars in 6.00 (both center stem and off-center) and 7.00U sizes, 65% and 75% dedicated keys, stepped caps lock and control, scooped and barred homing keys, as well as HHKB R4 coverage with 1.50 Code keys.
A second R2 1.50U Tab key has also been included on this kit. This eccentric addition allows you to potentially reuse some of your extra modifiers on another keyboard. For instance, you’d be able to cover a standard ANSI TKL keyboard and reuse the extra modifiers on an HHKB layout.
With Nautilus Nightmares’ Core you’ll be able to cover keyboards such as Nemo, Tokyo60, M60-A, TX60, Pok3r, Tokyo66, Zephyr, Kuyo, Canoe, TX65, Massdrop ALT, Clueboard, FC660, Singa, Octagon, Verne, TX-84, Massdrop CTRL, or the Masterkeys S.
Extension kits
The first of Nautilus Nightmares’ extension kits provides UK ISO layout coverage and it comes with two ISO Enter keys (one of them in the accent color), and an extra R1 1.00U ` ¬ for symmetry purposes.
The Numpad kit consists of 30 keys and aside standalone numpads, it extends Core’s layout coverage to 1800 layouts (Andromeda, TX-CP, Duck Jetfire), 96-key (Duck Lightsaver, Red Scarf III), and fullsized keyboards (Q100, Southpaw, Masterkeys L).The kit includes an extra R1 for standalone numpads, accent Enter, Escape, and Num Lock keys; and scooped and barred homing keycaps.
Composed by just 23 keycaps, the 40s kit is enough to extend Core’s coverage for forty percent keyboards such as Planck, JD40, Minorca, Sebright, Percebe or Preonic and split spacebar keyboards such as TGR Alice or VE.A.
Note: depending on how much interest is on this set, accent keys might be added. Also note that by the time this set reaches the Group Buy stage, 2.25U and 2.75U R4C spacebars might be available
A set of extra modifiers for your bottom row and enter key with custom symbols. It features the iconic Nautilus submarine, sea vortex novelties, and a pair of tridents.
Note: depending on how much interest is on this set, more novelties might be added.
This kit consists of a set of dark gray spacebars, ranging from 1.00 to 7.00 unit keycaps. Ideal for those who want an extra splash of color on their keyboard.
Note: by the time this set reaches the Group Buy stage R4C 2.25 and 2.75 unit keycaps might be available.
Keyboard Gallery Percebe
Nemo
Verne
Tokyo66
Andromeda
Koyu
Q100
Technical specs
Extras Nautilus Nightmares isn’t an exception when it comes to extras and here is a teaser of what we’ve got prepared for you.
NovelKeys Nautilus Nightmares Deskpad These deskpads are a must have. Designed by Novelkeys, they will be the perfect companion for your Nautilus Nightmares set.
Specs
- 900×400×4mm (35.4×15.7×0.16 inches)
- Rubber bottom
- Cloth top
- Stitched edges
Verne: Nautilus Nightmares Edition What better to have the perfect setup by having matching keycaps, deskmat, and even your keyboard. What about a limited edition of a Nautilus Nightmares themed Verne made to match the set?