Space Mission 30

1. Install and open Vial or use the web version, then connect the keypad

You can view each available layer by clicking its number at the top of the interface. Layer 0 is your base/main layer

2. Choose the layer from which you will activate your future layer

By default you have the base Layer 0 and the additional Layer 1, which is activated by holding MO(1). In this example we will set up switching from the base Layer 0

3. Select the key that will activate your layer, then open the layer tab in the bottom menu

Layer switching can be done in several ways. Open the layer tab in the bottom menu to see all the different options

4. Choose the activation method you want and the layer number to use

In this example we will use TG(*), which toggles a layer on if it is off, and off if it is on. You can read more about the other layer switching methods in our article. Since we already have 2 layers by default, we will configure Layer 3 for a new layout, so we will choose TG(3), where the number in parentheses is the layer being toggled

5. Select the layer you want to edit and assign keys/macros to the buttons you need

Since we are creating our own Layer 3, we will choose Layer 3 at the top of the interface. First, assign a key to deactivate our layer and return to the base Layer 0. To do this, select the same key on the layout and click TG(3) again in the Layers tab

As an example, we will assign arrow keys to the W, A, S, D positions. On Layer 3, select each key position in the layout one by one and click the corresponding keys in the Basic tab

P.S. The triangle symbol means transparent. This means that pressing a key with a triangle will perform the same action as the layer below it. In our example, below Layer 3 there is the additional Layer 2, so the keys with the triangle symbol will trigger the corresponding actions from that additional layer

Layer use examples:

• A separate layer for layouts that fit different game genres
• A separate layer for macros that help you quickly send messages in in-game chats or use combos

Let’s create a macro that presses A, D, S, S, J in sequence

1. Open Vial or use the web version, then in the top menu go to the Macros tab

In this tab you can view each available macro by clicking its number at the top of the interface, and up to 109 macros can be created

2. Choose a macro number, then click Add action in the bottom-right corner

In this example we will create macro M0 using the most common method, Add action, which manually adds an action to the list

You can also use Tap Enter, which adds an Enter key press right away, or Record macro, which records a macro directly from the keyboard

3. Select the needed action from the dropdown and assign keys for that action

Choose the Tap action, which sends a single key press or a key combination, click +, and assign the A key

Other available actions are Text for typing text templates, code snippets, and more, Down for pressing and holding a key or a combination, Up for releasing a key or a combination, and Delay(ms) for adding a delay in milliseconds between macro actions

4. Add the next action to the macro the same way as in the previous step

Click Add action again, choose Tap, click +, and assign a key, but this time choose D

Macro actions run from top to bottom, so keep that in mind when creating macros. If you need to change the order of actions, use the up and down arrow buttons on the left side of the action you want to move

5. Add the remaining actions to the macro and save the result

Just like in step 3, add key presses S, S, J to our macro

When you finish creating the macro, click Save in the bottom-right corner

Macros are saved to the keyboard’s internal memory and will also work on another PC. When saving a macro, Vial will ask you to unlock the keyboard by holding two keys in the top-left corner

6. Add the created macro key to the layout

In this example, assign our M0 macro to a key on Layer 3. Go to the Keymap tab in the top menu, select Layer 3, select the key you want on the layout, and in the bottom Macros tab click M0

Choose any convenient layer and key position for triggering the macro; read above to learn how to create layers

For example, let’s create a macro that opens the in-game chat in Counter-Strike 1.6, types "Hello!", and sends the message

To implement this example, you need to understand the sequence of actions required to send a message to the global chat in CS 1.6. By default, you need to open the global chat window with Y, type the message, and press Enter to send it

1. Open Vial or use the web version, then in the top menu go to the Macros tab, choose a macro number, and click Add action in the bottom-right corner

In this example we will create macro M1 using Add action

2. Add the action that opens the in-game chat

Choose Tap, click +, and assign the Y key

3. Add a delay between opening the chat and typing the message, otherwise the text may not type correctly

Click Add action again, choose Delay (ms), and set the delay to 100 ms

Macro actions run from top to bottom, so keep that in mind when creating macros. If you need to change the order of actions, use the up and down arrow buttons on the left side of the action you want to move

4. Add the action that types the message text

Click Add action, choose Text, and enter Hello! in the text field on the right

5. Add a delay between typing the message and sending it to chat

Click Add action, choose Delay (ms), and set the delay to 100 ms

This delay is optional in this example, but for some other tasks it is better to use it for correct macro timing

6. Add the action that sends the message to in-game chat and save the macro

Click Add action, choose Tap, click +, and assign Enter

When you finish creating the macro, click Save in the bottom-right corner

Macros are saved to the keyboard’s internal memory and will also work on another PC. When saving a macro, Vial will ask you to unlock the keyboard by holding two keys in the top-left corner

7. Add the created macro key to the layout

In this example, assign our M1 macro to a key on Layer 3. Go to the Keymap tab in the top menu, select Layer 3, select the key you want on the layout, and in the bottom Macros tab click M1

Choose any convenient layer and key position for triggering the macro; read above to learn how to create layers

More information about the Macros feature can be found in the official QMK documentation

• RGB Effect — choose different animations or a static color
• RGB Color — adjust the backlight color
• RGB Brightness — adjust the backlight brightness
• RGB Speed — adjust the animation speed

After configuring all RGB lighting parameters, click Save in the bottom-right corner of Vial to save all changes