Trying to get a proper typewriter stagger

[Sudrien]

Usa layout

So the number row is half a key offset from the q row
A row is half a key offset from Z row
Q row is a quarter key offset from A row.
Because typewriter mechanisms.

And for all those pushing ortholinear - no android keyboard actually does the old stagger properly. I wanted to at least try it to see if my typo count improved

[
[
{ "label": "q", "popup": { "main": { "label": "%" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "w", "popup": { "main": { "label": "\" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "e", "popup": { "main": { "label": "|" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "r", "popup": { "main": { "label": "=" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "t", "popup": { "main": { "label": "[" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "y", "popup": { "main": { "label": "]" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "u", "popup": { "main": { "label": "<" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "i", "popup": { "main": { "label": ">" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "o", "popup": { "main": { "label": "{" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "p", "popup": { "main": { "label": "}" } }, "width": 4}
],
[
{ "type":"placeholder", "width": 1 },
{ "label": "a", "popup": { "main": { "label": "@" }}, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "s", "popup": { "main": { "label": "#" }}, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "d", "popup": { "main": { "label": "$$$" }}, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "f", "popup": { "main": { "label": "_" }}, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "g", "popup": { "main": { "label": "&" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "h", "popup": { "main": { "label": "-" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "j", "popup": { "main": { "label": "+" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "k", "popup": { "main": { "label": "(" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "l", "popup": { "main": { "label": ")" } }, "width":4 },
{ "type": "placeholder", "width": 3 }
],
[
{ "label":"shift", "width": 3},
{ "label": "z", "popup": { "main": { "label": "*" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "x", "popup": { "main": { "label": """ }}, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "c", "popup": { "main": { "label": "'" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "v", "popup": { "main": { "label": ":" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "b", "popup": { "main": { "label": ";" } }, "width": 4 },
{ "label": "n", "popup": { "main": { "label": "!" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "m", "popup": { "main": { "label": "?" } }, "width": 4},
{ "label": "delete", "width": 9 }
]
]

Problems:
It does not seem I can configure the optional number row. I can hard code it, but i have no idea what this highlighted crossed off gear in my custom layout is supposed to do. Are there supposed to be more editing pencils?

The bottom row doubles up when i try to manually specify it. Will this always happen, or is there a minimum requirement i'm missing due to what i previously customized?

[Helium314]

It does not seem I can configure the optional number row

You can configure it in Secondary layouts. When editing the subtype (coming from Languages & Layouts), you can only choose a secondary layout to override the default.

The bottom row doubles up when i try to manually specify it

Do you add another row, or do you edit the functional keys layout?

[Sudrien]

Apologies, finally have time to get back on this

On version 3.5 on my tablet, i added a custom board. I tried hardcoding the number row into the main layout at first, but realized that was not the intwnded use.

In the secondary layouts, each section has a wide dropdown/select, and appears to be a crossed out settings gear, but i am not seeing anything that leads to a FlorisBoard style layout configuration for the number row that i was hoping for, as that would seem to be the only way to get 4 stagggered rows of keys.

The bottom row behavior i was seeing before: it's visible by just adding a 4th row to the layout given,

 [
  [
    { "label": "q", "popup": { "main": { "label": "%" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "w", "popup": { "main": { "label": "\\" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "e", "popup": { "main": { "label": "|" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "r", "popup": { "main": { "label": "=" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "t", "popup": { "main": { "label": "[" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "y", "popup": { "main": { "label": "]" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "u", "popup": { "main": { "label": "<" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "i", "popup": { "main": { "label": ">" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "o", "popup": { "main": { "label": "{" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "p", "popup": { "main": { "label": "}" } }, "width": 4}
  ],
  [
    { "type":"placeholder", "width": 1 },
    { "label": "a", "popup": { "main": { "label": "@" }}, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "s", "popup": { "main": { "label": "#" }}, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "d", "popup": { "main": { "label": "$$$" }}, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "f", "popup": { "main": { "label": "_" }}, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "g", "popup": { "main": { "label": "&" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "h", "popup": { "main": { "label": "-" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "j", "popup": { "main": { "label": "+" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "k", "popup": { "main": { "label": "(" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "l", "popup": { "main": { "label": ")" } }, "width":4  },
    { "type": "placeholder", "width": 3 }
  ],
  [
    { "label":"shift", "width": 3},
    { "label": "z", "popup": { "main": { "label": "*" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "x", "popup": { "main": { "label": "\"" }}, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "c", "popup": { "main": { "label": "'" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "v", "popup": { "main": { "label": ":" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "b", "popup": { "main": { "label": ";" } }, "width": 4 },
    { "label": "n", "popup": { "main": { "label": "!" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "m", "popup": { "main": { "label": "?" } }, "width": 4},
    { "label": "delete", "width": 9 }
  ],
[{"label":"space"}]
]

This gives me two spacebars, two shift/caps lock keys, and two backspaces.

If there was a minimum manually-specify-spacebar-row set of keys (so i could hard code widths rather than let it be dynamic width), i did not find documentation for it.

[Helium314]

The bottom row & keys that get added are in the functional keys secondary layout. You can either adjust the functional keys to match your desired size (will also apply to number and symbols layouts), or make them empty.
To have empty functional keys for alphabet only, you would need a keyboard_state_selector, e.g. { "$": "keyboard_state_selector", "symbols": { "label": "space" }, "moreSymbols": { "label": "space" }}

i am not seeing anything that leads to a FlorisBoard style layout configuration for the number row that i was hoping for

Not sure what you expect, but you can adjust & add new number rows in secondary layouts.