Built a custom low-profile 40% row-staggered split keyboard with Auto-KDK

Having become accustomed to the 40% layout, I found myself wanting a 40% split keyboard as well.

However, while there are many ortholinear and column-staggered 40% split keyboards, row-staggered ones are rare. To put it simply, what I wanted was a split version of the low-profile Trident40.
Among my research, Zinc LP was close to what I was looking for, but it had a few more keys in the bottom row than my preferred layout, and I couldn't find a perfect match.

So, I created one using the automated keyboard design tool Auto-KDK.

Besides being a "split version of the low-profile Trident40," the key points of the layout are:

• I kept the key sizes in the bottom row under 2u to avoid using stabilizers, which tend to compromise quietness.
• I moved the keys assigned for Japanese conversion/non-conversion and Layer 2 (the ⌘ keys in the image) inward for easier access. However, I didn't go too far, as overdoing it would make typing with the pinky finger difficult.

I was impressed by how easily I could create a keyboard with an original layout just by adjusting it on the web.

If you are interested in Auto-KDK, please check out the introductory article "Introduction to Custom Keyboards with Auto-KDK" by the tool's creator, Sekigon-san.

Thank you, Sekigon-san, for such a wonderful tool.