I just got my keyboard yesterday and asked myself: How could I have paid $1500 USD for a product I have no idea how to use?

Some people on this forum seem to know how to use the Configurator for the PC. Is there any way anyone could post a user guide explaining the basics (preferably the whole details) of how this thing works? The 3 page PDF manual posted on the artlebedev site is, to be polite, woefully inadequate. After all these months of advertising this keyboard, you'd think that they would have a pretty good user guide by now. Let's say that I'm not holding my breath for one to come out soon.

Also I'm sure many people have created great icons, any way you guys can share those?

I'm a gamer and was hoping to just jump right in using all those cool icon I had seen on the demo video of the keyboard. Now it looks like I'll have to create them myself. Problem is I have no idea where to start, not to mention that I have no artistic talent. Can anyone share their knowledge on the basics of creating an icon and with what program?

Why cant artlebedev make those icons available? And why can't they get a detailed user guide out?

I hope I can get help soon or I'm seriously considering returning the keyboard or selling it on eBay, it's just too frustrating. I feel like a beta tester to artlebedev. Their product is great but their Customer Service... wait, they have no Customer Service.....

Hi Baffled

In my opinion the keyboard is relitively straight forward, but I do share you sentiments with regard to the lack of pre prepared layers for popular games and apps! And the lack of a decent manual is just poor! I did realize when I bought mine that this is a one of a kind product and that it's first incarnation would be a bit of a work in progress, so be patient with Artl as I'm sure good things will come! At present software updates are coming at about 3 a month.

If no one beats me to it I may have a go at an instructional post at some point but as always time is precious. So for the time being, tell us what you would like to achive with your keyboard and we will help you from here?

Also any layouts created by others can be found here. You can install them with the use of a good Drawing or Paint program.

Hi Baffled am in the same boat as you. My keyb hasnt been out the box for much longer than an hour!!! The software and lack of manuals forces (frustrates) me to jus put it into the box before i can even get use to typing on the thing.

I also seem a bit gutted paying $1500 for a peice of hardware that doesnt seem to operate smoothly...yet!

I would share my know-how but i have none with this KB

Thanks a lot for the offer mostdom. I guess I am just getting over the shock of getting something totally different then I was expecting. So I'll bite the bullet and resign myself to climbing this steep mountain of learning how to use this thing.
To start with, what is a "good Drawing or Paint program"? It'd be easier, I guess, if you tell me which one you use so I could follow the steps you give me. Then how do I use that program to install a layout. A step by step approach would be nice since I have no idea of even the basics of using the Configurator except for the very short 3 page pdf brief in which concepts are stated but not explained (i.e where do you find a plugin and how do you use it?)
Thanks again for offering your help.

You should have recieved the half life layer I have sent you! For this example you should use the default windows paint program, but I use paint shop pro.

LAYERS
With the half life file, right click on the file and select 'open with' and select 'paint'. Paint will open to show you the half life layout. In paint select 'edit' and 'select all'. This will highlight the whole image. Then again select 'edit' and 'copy', now exit paint.



Now open Optimus Configurator. Take note of my screen shot. I have created several groups including the default important things layer, which I have at the bottom of the list as it is my main layer and it works best at the bottom. Create a new group with the 'add group' button and select your new group. Now add a new layer with the 'add layer' button. And here is the magic, select the new layer and hit 'paint'. In the new window select the paint program again and set to always if you wish. Cool huh. Now back in paint you need to select 'edit' and hit 'paste' and you'll see the half life layer you copied earlier. Now just exit paint and say yes to 'save'. Just wait a mo for your new layer to appear.

You can rename all your layers as you wish, and you'll see tool at the bottom of the configurator to assign your layer to your chosen game, which I think you know how to do already. Don't change the individual buttons too much as you won't be able to restore the original otherwise you will have to repeat the whole process again. By using paint you can edit you layer by drawing or pasting images into the spaces shown, even if they are crude words or symbols see 'rigs of rods' layer. After drawing a new layer exiting the paint program will always prompt to save.

FONTS/COLOURS
Below the layers you should see your appropriate language under the background heading. By selecting keys or groups of keys by dragging a box, you can change the fonts and colours etc. to whatever tasteless design you can dream up (as art himself would say).

Thats enough for now. Play with the rest.

Good work Mosdom,
Now I know how to use other people's layers. Next step will be to make my own. More on this later.

In the meantime could you explain how the layers work? I can't seem to be able to understand what happens when I tick/untick or move them up and down.
Sometimes the keyboard changes configuration but to me it seems more random. What is the logic? I would like to have your HL layer but also have the other unused keys show up the standard configuration (F keys and other letters) at the same time. I can't seem to achieve this.
Thanks.

Right click on the keys on the half life layer and select delete. WARNING: This will be permanent, less you re install the HL layer as described above.

I'm not 100% sure on the layers side of things, so here goes. For me it seems that the order the layers run in top to bottom has a barring on which layer is displayed. The layer at the top will have priority, unless those layers are set to only run with active programs, in which case the layer you wish to run at all times should be the last. e.g. a layer showing just the system monitors on the apps keys. Also if you don't fill all the boxes in a layer the next applicable layer below will then show through. Imagine pieces of paper stacked up on your keyboard with layouts on some with holes in and you remove in order the ones you don't need and back again as you then need them.

The tick boxes are if you want to disable a layer from working say if it is interfering with another layer or if it wont activate with the app, you could select it without a run app command ('is active') and is above the main layer. This was useful when the configurator didn't have the browse for apps option.
Multiple layers can be run with one application, where only visible when specific keys are pressed. This I am only just currently trying to work out now. (see my half life layers)WIP

Thanks a lot mostdom, that worked.

As far as the layers concept, I'm still a bit foggy about it but hopefully I'll get it after playing with them for a while.

Now to the SD memory card. Is everything that you do with the configurator automatically saved to the SD card? I notice a Virtual Disk appearing when connecting the keyboard. I get that this is the content of the SD card. Why/when would you use it?

And finally in Configurator when you press "Export Optimus Layout" what data is being "dumped"? Is it the SD card data? When/why would you use it?

The SD card currently stores the default layer you see when you turn it on. i.e. shakespere. The sd card is not used by configurator at all!!! To use the SD card you export the layer you car looking at on the configurator and that information can then be copied to the card to overwrite shakespere. WARNING: any special keys will not work without configurator. I'm sure this is just a work in progress and a better system will come soon.

There is a better description of SD card usage here.

Both question answered at the same time!