This DIY HotKeys Keyboard Is Perfect for People Who Work with a Lot of Different Software

You likely take advantage of common system-wide keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + C to copy, Ctrl + Z to undo, and so on. If there is a particular piece of software you use often, such as Photoshop, you probably know many of its specific shortcuts. But you’re probably missing out on many of those shortcuts because they’re simply hard to remember — forcing you to navigate inefficiently through menus or toolbars. That’s especially true if you frequently work with a lot of different software. If that’s the case, you may want to consider building FabroLabs’ HotKeys Keyboard that features multiple profiles that can you switch between.

This tutorial will walk you through how to build your own HotKeys Keyboard. There are many other small keyboard designs out there that you can make or purchase in order to easily activate shortcuts, hotkeys, or macros, but this one stands out because it has a dial at the top that will let you select from a variety of profiles that are suited to different programs. You can, for example, set one profile to contain your shortcuts for working within Autodesk Fusion 360 and then use another profile for your Adobe Premiere shortcuts. Each of the 20 buttons can be configured to send any combination of key presses, so it’s customizable to suit your individual needs.

Those buttons are all Cherry MX key switches (or compatible clones), which gives you the opportunity to have whatever key feel you prefer. Profiles are selected by turning a rotary encoder at the top left corner of the keyboard. The information for the profile you have chosen is shown on a 16x2 character backlit LCD display. The keyboard matrix is intended to be wired by hand, and is monitored by an Arduino Micro (ATmega32U4) board. That board was chosen because it can be configured to show up as a standard USB HID when plugged into any modern computer. All of the components are housed within an attractive enclosure that was modeled in SolidWorks CAD software and that can be 3D-printed. You can either 3D print the key caps, or purchase caps that fit Cherry MX switches. When finished, you’ll have an easy way to quickly activate a huge variety of shortcuts across all of your programs.