Hi. I’m thinking of getting a cheap gaming keyboard, and I’m not decided if I should I get one with marcro keys or not. I’m also planning to use the keyboard for moddeling stuff in Blender. I know that Blender has a lot keybindings. Would a keyboard with macros increase productivity ? Will it make modelling faster ?
Not in blender’s case since it’s already so customizable
Get yourself a pen tablet though
Logitech k810 + wacom pro M + autohotkey software…you thank me later
Out of curiosity, what do you use AHK for in Blender?
I re programmed capslock to function as a new modifier key. This new modifier key now commands all my addon hotkeys.
I can easily use hard ops, asset manager, right click pie menus and several other addons that used those hotkeys that was doupled by some other addon.
I also dont need numpad since I use pie menus, which is the reason I can comfortably use this small keyboard alongside the huge (wacom) pen tablet without destroying my shoulders. (I work in industry and this setup so far has been most comfortable, ergonomic and efficient so far).
It will help you if you can find a way to make it work in your workflow.
I know Tor Frick uses an MMO Logitech mouse to map shortcuts and macros in Modo to his thumb.
He uses a Logitech g600 and in theory that thing can map over 60 commands to the thumb buttons. And he models incredibly fast. And good. Just check out his YT.
Whether that is your style in Blender and you can adapt it … personal preference. I have a gaming keyboard and I never used the Macro keys on any 3D program. I also own a G600, though. 
Yes g600 is incredible good if you prefer mouse modelling. I personally switched to pen tablet modelling since I can model, sculpt and paint with the same tool and it prevents carpal tunnel syndrome better being more ergonomic choice.
I have also heard some ppl like to use logitech g13 but I havent tried that solution yet, but it seems very appealing since I could get my tablet even closer to my left arm.
I second the multi button mouse for really fast modelling. Back in the days when I still did a lot of modelling I used a mouse which besides the regular buttons had 5 extra buttons (cutting edge at that time). Combining 5 buttons with modifiers such as Crtrl, Alt and Shift you are able to assign 40 different short cuts to your mouse buttons. I used maybe 10 mainly for things like “bridge”, “merge” other suff you frequently use.
However, the time in which you make money with lots of modellng appear to be over and I have since gone back to a standard 3 button mouse for 10 or so bucks. Outside of modelling I haven´t found use for extra buttons.
Left Windows key cant be used in blender hotkey so i remap it to another key
change my LWIN key into :: " / "
then in blender hotkey i change all related
3D cursor hotkey into " / "
for me I find left windows key is useless and annoying when working in blender
( start menu popup )
with combination of shift , alt , ctrl + LWIN or double tap keys
i have different function : set cursor to selected , quick origin , snap cursor to center, reset origin to center and Context Menu Popup ( cursor , individual , median )
turns out to be effective in my workflow
glad that AHK exists in Windows
Oooh - the Logitech G13. I was thinking about giving it a try as well. I still model quite a lot in my job actually. But we can’t use that kind of extra hardware in our company and for personaly work I am absolutely fine with keyboard/tablet. So I can probably skip it.
For me it’s the mouse for hard Surface modeling and the tablet for sculpting (ZBrush - it’s a tablet program anyways). Topology is mixed and I use whatever I feel like 50/50.
@OP - So really it comes down to personal preference again. I like the things that are reachable without the need to move my hand. Everything that is reachable without taking the fingers off Ctrl/Shift/Alt. Give it a try if you think it works for you.
The only thing I definitely do NOT recommend are Razer mouses. They break astoundingly often compared to how much they cost. And the software is sometimes a little … instable. At least that’s my expereience. I stick to Logitech mouses. The Razer mechanical keyboard is awesome, though!
Thanks for the input. Atm I only use AHK to change Caps Lock to an enter key, and prevent num lock from being toggled (pre AHK, I would tear these keys off my keyboards, lol). I’ll look into the LWIN change. Always nice to have another modifier key.
Anything with no ghosting and keys that feel comfortable to use.
YES! Macro keys are a massive boon to any 3D art workflow… especially for applications like Blender, Modo, Maya…ect
I use a logitech G600 mouse which is filled with macro buttons, as well as a handful of gaming keyboards that have them as well. If you spend the time to set up the macro keys, you will work so much faster and with less steps required.
An ideal setup would be centered around a graphics tablet (as they are far better for modeling than a mouse, better for your health too). For macro keys you can use a full keyboard with them included, or my personal favorite a tenkeyless keyboard plus a gameboard (see: Logitech g13, Razer Tartarus or cheaper chinese knockoffs). You can also toss in a G600 mouse (or similar mmo mouse) for when you would use the mouse. For the most part though the primary hand would be on the tablet, the other on the gameboard (with macros set up) and the keyboard above the tablet used for typing in text.
If you need to save money, there are so many cheaper generic devices out there so it doesnt require spending too much, however if you use the same hardware brand its often easier to set up and manage macros. For example, a G13 and a G600 will both use the same software to set up macros, same goes for Razer devices.
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anyone figured out how to turn windows key as a modifier key in autohotkey?
In blender hotkey editor it seems like windows key is recognized as “cmd” modifier key and could potentially be used as completely new modified key to douple your commands, but the problem I’m facing is that it still uses windows own commands.
I managed to remove start menu pop up while still retaining modifier key capabilities
~LWin Up::return
if someone finds a way to block windows own commands while blender is running this “cmd” modifier key would be super useful for all of us =P
I’ve recommend most of the Logitech keyboards, they offer great support when I had issues on any of their products.Check these out
I’ve got a bunch of stuff bound to my Corsair Scimitar pro’s macro keys. Its unbelievably handy to have so much stuff right there on the mouse. Saves on movement and hypothetically on the risk of RSI.
Also a few on my K95’s macro’s, but I sort of ran out of most-used actions, so its nowhere near full.
The way I’ve set it up is by making a normal keyboard binding for an action in blender(ctrl-shift-1-2-3 etc) then bound those key presses in Corsair Utility Engine onto the mouse and keyboard macro keys.
Oh - another thing I noticed. CUE records the time between presses and feels laggy as hell as result. To get rid of that all one need do is remove the milliseconds between them.
Corsair’s macro keys aren’t recognised natively by Blender, but I am quite sure that Logitech’s are - at least the 2 extra thumb keys on the MX Master worked without needing something like CUE.
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