QMK static keyboard without pattern

Framework Laptop 16
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I just finished setting up my laptop. There does not seem to be a very good integration or application that comes with the system that lets you stop the keys easily. I know there are hot keys that let you change the pattern and speed and brightness, etc. but what happens if I would like to have it white with no rolling pattern. A couple of apps I found that seem to do something. I have no clue how you’re supposed to make it do this. I’ve had factory laptops in the prior years where the system came with the necessary software to make everything just hum together properly. Also, I chose to get the 24 blank key pad. But there are no key caps. There’s no labels there’s no nothing. I guess if I use this thing all day every day I could probably remember where some of the keys were but there’s needs to be some kind of a key cap or something.

Anyway, I’m wondering what everybody else is doing that uses this keyboard and the 24 blank keys??

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First, regarding the “rolling pattern:”

I think you might be talking about the funky “backlight breathing” functionality - that’s the term I’ve seen describing the repeated LED animation that alternates between no keyboard backlight and full keyboard backlight. If that’s the correct understanding, you can toggle it on/off by holding down your ‘fn’ key and tapping your ‘C’ key. Once turning off that “breathing” function, you can then step between no backlight and three levels of backlight brightness by holding down your ‘fn’ key and tabbing the space bar.

^ This is also written with the assumption that you’re talking about the main keyboard in your machine. If you are looking for some more comprehensive info about the macropad (i.e. the 24 blank key pad), you can find some good info here:

Second, a bit more about the RGB macropad module:

Those things are pretty neat. The main idea for the macropad vs. a standard numpad module (like this) is to support people that like to configure and use a single key/combos of keys to execute repetitive tasks. Technically you can do this with the numpad module, too, but the macropad’s physical key layout, containing 24 keys instead of the numpad’s 21, gives the user a bit more to work with.

If you want to mess with an online GUI to set macros or map keys, you can do so here: https://keyboard.frame.work/

^ I don’t think there’s a helpful “how-to” for the keyboard GUI yet, but once you’ve authorized your keyboard/macropad devices on the website, there are some fairly intuitive controls to mess around with. The Framework community mods might be able to provide a walkthrough that I don’t know about, too, but I haven’t found such a guide yet.

Last, the topic of no key cap labels:

If you’d like to mark your macropad keys, you can find some 3rd party vendors online to order some labels. I’ve ordered some labels from keyshorts.com for the clear RGB keyboard I bought recently after reading some positive reviews in these forums, BUT they’re located in Poland, I’m not, and I haven’t yet received them.

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Yeah, thank you very much for all of your input. I finally got KIA to work on the main keyboard. At least I just have a steady color non-rolling keyboard so I will be able to work without going crazy following the dotted line so to speak

The problem I have now is the macro pad on mine does absolutely nothing the leds work and I was able to use the same KIA to set the leds. But none of the buttons do anything.

I tried to set the program like I did on the main keyboard with it just doesn’t do anything

I’ve left a message for Support. But I don’t think Support really is in tune with how great the hardware is the integration between software and hardware seems to be miserable from what I see so far. I hate to say that I’m sure they’re trying. But when you spend several thousand dollars on a laptop, you kind of wanted it to work.

Hopefully they have some good input so far they haven’t

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This link shows how the unlabelled keys of the RGB Macropad are mapped by default.

Personally, I leave it in “Arrow Layout” most of the time, in order to make up for the lack of dedicated Page Up/Down keys on the main keyboard (which I use mainly with Ctrl to switch tabs in Firefox). I also mapped two of the keys on the bottom-left to switch between the two inputs of my monitor - very handy!

Since I only use a few keys on it regularly, memorizing the locations isn’t important currently. But if I used more of them, I would look into making a custom color map as a helpful guide.

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