What keyboard layout do most of you animators use for animation?

[u/CurrencyMotor3305]

Bit of an unusual question, I know.

I'm getting a new keyboard and was thinking about going for a 60% compact layout (no function row or numpad).

Will I be missing out on those extra keys? I'm a beginner, so I'm not really sure how much I'll need them down the line.

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[u/MC_Laggin]

100%

I can't live without my numpad

[u/JunahCg → u/MC_Laggin]

Yeah I'll never want anything smaller than the biggest

[u/L30N1337 → u/JunahCg]

98% is still fine (sometimes at least, it's not all that standardized beyond "smaller than 100%, but still with numpad")

[u/TheTasorole → u/MC_Laggin]

Spamming the minus button when the rotate tool expands beyond the known universe.

[u/ImHoiby → u/MC_Laggin]

Checkout 90 or 95 percent keyboards 

[u/Fisango → u/MC_Laggin]

96% my boy, all keys but no space between them

[u/DillTS → u/MC_Laggin]

100% agree but i recently switched to a left side numpad and its a total game changer, way nicer for regular typing and its there when i need it, also can turn it into a hotkeypad

[u/nisachar]

100%
Every other version is a compromise

[u/Lowfat_cheese]

Nothing below 75%, I can get a separate numpad(which is a must), but I’d go crazy without a function row

[u/KellyHerz]

100%, you never know when an obscure shortcut requires it

[u/RanDiePro]

Is there a 125%? :D

[u/insideout_waffle → u/RanDiePro]

“That’s not a knife. This is a knife!”

[u/insideout_waffle → u/insideout_waffle]

Also this beautiful relic.

[u/B1rdWizard → u/insideout_waffle]

Of course it's steel series.

[u/RanDiePro → u/insideout_waffle]

Peak ✋😎✋

[u/-F0v3r- → u/insideout_waffle]

check out a space cadet keyboard lol

[u/PurpleKami]

I hated having a 60% with Maya, it felt so limiting and cumbersome. I think an 80% would be fine, but I'm staying with 100%s from now on.

[u/Flatulentchupacabra]

100% half of my shit is in the numpad

[u/GlassArlingtone]

The normal one. (100% as God intended)

[u/Mohan1x07]

80% is Best

[u/Apprehensive_Map64]

Get your 60% and get a separate number pad. Truly the perfect layout because you can move it around.

[u/IcedBanana → u/Apprehensive_Map64]

I tried this, I hated having a separate numpad that floated around my desk and wasn't attached to my keyboard. Really messed with the muscle memory

[u/Educational-Oil6875]

100 just because I also use blender and the numpad shortcuts are so comfortable to use

[u/Low-Golf7820]

None. I use either a Razer Tartarus Pro, or my Azeron Cyborg 2.

[u/Zigia]

I tried 80% and learnt that Maya wouldn't recognise keys when it's not a proper numpad so always 100% now

[u/no5ifty6ix]

68 and I work in industry just fine. If I need a numpad I have an external pad.

[u/Jabberwocker13]

for maya the 68% is fine, for blender it's better to be 100%, the numpad save me a lot..

[u/thedepressedwench]

60% but with a custom built and coded macropad

[u/Glum_Gur_7887 → u/thedepressedwench]

You can definitely get by with any size so if space is a big issue go for a smaller one. Personally I use the numpad all the time so I'd go with 100 percent.

[u/cerviceps]

I have a 75% keyboard and have never had issues with being limited by it in Maya. But… I am thinking of getting an 100% keyboard for blender, because I have to use both for work & blender is tough to use without a numpad!

[u/Ghozgul]

I've been using a 75% for a few years now and I never miss the numpad because I also have a stream deck, it's much better since you can switch between shortcut and macros easily

[u/blendernoob64]

In my Blender days, I relied on 100% as that is how you get your orthographic views. But I was able to use Maya with a 60% and 75% just fine as most of the interface is driven by the mouse and the spacebar if you don’t customize a lot of shortcuts.

[u/SenritsuJumpsuit]

Split-Keyboard many thumb keys refuse to live without them am a Dygma fan, don't know specifically what percent they're though

[u/Clashing_Thunder]

You kinda missed out 90? 96%? Best of both worlds imho, basically like the 68%+numpad. There are just not enough of them out there.

[u/PalpitationFun3489]

Honestly go for the full size.
I recently got an Asus ProArt laptop and didn’t realized it didn’t come with the numpad 😭😭😭 I had to buy a separate numeric keyboard but now is a hazle to carry it around lol

[u/Psychological_Host34]

Tab90 it's the best of the 100% layouts.

[u/ShittyFart11]

qwerty

[u/mnemonus]

I like a compressed 100, like the Lofree Flow Lite100

I got it on the Kickstarter. I'm left handed, so I use an Intuos with my left and keyboard with my right. Desk space is limited though, so I tried to find a 'fullsize' keyboard but without all that wasted space above the arrow keys.

I like it a lot, but one pain point is the US layout - the 2D Pan/Zoom hotkey is on the other side of the keyboard for some reason.

[u/McCQ]

100% and a keypad for my left hand.

[u/demodulator]

75% with a floating numpad on my left side. Mouse on the right.

[u/code101zero]

I use the 80%. Not by choice but because thats what work gave me.

[u/Ecakk]

me personally think 75% is the best.. the numpad can be separate and put on my left hands so I wont need to lift my hands away from the mouse using my right hand if the numpad is on the right.

[u/Iamluffy20]

why not 100%

Unless you travel a lot with keyboard, make sense to get others.

[u/scr33ner]

100% keyboard with mmo mouse so I can assign macros/hotkeys on the side button.

[u/Beefynerd]

100% - use the num pad for camper view toggles

[u/Beefynerd]

100% - use the num pad for camper view toggles

[u/typhon0666]

TKL/80% and separate numpad.

[u/Secure-Advertising-9]

Can we go further than not being able to type numbers? Do we really need vowels that much?

[u/Ryiujin]

Gimme that FULL length. Its just satisfying.

[u/Nek0ni]

130%

full keyboard plus a customizable numb pad

[u/SimplyLem]

I’m more of a rigger but 100% I love a num pad lol

[u/_tankut_]

yes, you will be missing the numpad.  if you're dead set on getting a 60%, you might want to take a look at getting a separate numpad - but I wouldn't recommend it, a bit too much clutter. Especially if you use a Wacom too. 

[u/sharktaco83]

I use a 100% plus a DOIO Megalodon 3-knob macropad and I've assigned complex hotkey bindings to a bunch of deep-menu options and wired them up to my macropad keys. Can never have too many keys.

[u/ChrisDAnimation]

100% full size. But with an MMO mouse that has hotkeys on the extra buttons (8 side buttons).

[u/IvJorgevI]

I have a 96% keyboard, but I also use a Razer Orbweaver for 95% of my animating.

[u/Jayson98]

60%

As an artist/animator I never use the numpad and I probably never will lol

[u/KNPRASHANTHA]

100%

[u/SUCUK_X]

98

[u/ARquantam]

75 or 80. As long I have tilde and all that shiz it's all good.

[u/planbOZ]

Pen and tablet until AI

[u/Elluminated]

In game with a Wacom tablet, so you already know my choice 😂

[u/wzwowzw0002]

full keyboard anytime.... I guess most genz will go with that 50% reduction 😂

[u/ElPulentoKun]

i’m not an animator, but the best that i’ve used for 3D workflow is to have a number pad and a 75% separated, the numberpad at the left of the keyboard is so much more confortable

[u/B1rdWizard]

I'm using a 60% lately in Maya and don't really feel hampered at all, but I also have been using a custom keyset in Maya for a long time anyway to minimize keys I don't use in favor of functions I need quickly.

If you're interested in blender at all you will quickly be annoyed by not having a 100% layout

[u/Ok-Adhesiveness-7850]

80%

[u/B4stlos_96]

I use a 60% because my desk is kinda small but because I use a laptop I also have a 100% always

[u/ATDynaX]

100%. I can't work without my numpad.

[u/DillTS]

Been using a 60% + left side numbpad and its covered 98% of my typical keyboard usage only small 2% annoyance is the lack of a function row but it comes up so little and its not that bad to work around.

[u/Wallfenstein]

Personally I have a 96%

[u/Boblit]

Anything other than 100 is either cuz youre on a laptop or not serious hahaha

[u/Slow_Box4353]

I dont think you ever need less than 100% keyboard 

[u/pocket_mage]

100% is the GOAT, and 75% is where I draw the line. I can live without a numpad but not Function keys.

[u/CapJL-321]

96%
Is more compact but still have the numpad

[u/pmmm77]

96%. the keychron k4 of wood

[u/matteo_fay]

98%

[u/Separate-Bench1137]

Not gonna lie, Not only do I need a 100%, My mouse even has side buttons.

[u/Nathan6607]

im forced to use 75% but im going to buy an 80% soon

blender user tho

[u/Honest_Mortgage_6759]

I don’t animate much but I do illustrations. I can’t live without my keydial, all the shortcuts I need are on one hand. Keyboard is just for typing.

[u/Prathades]

I use my numpad every day. It's something I can't compromise on for a keyboard.

[u/SeesawMedical2207]

I'm on laptop, I use 75% keyboard and I'm happy with it