Windows – create a custom touch keyboard in windows 8

keyboardkeyboard shortcutskeyboard-layoutwindows 8

I am a graphic designer with a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet (specifically the Acer R7).
I would like to use my digitizer pen in my Adobe programs while in tablet mode… however, I use shortcut keys quite often in my natural workflow and find it very distracting and time consuming to have to undo, paste, delete, select alternate tools, etc.. from only the menus and tool panel.

So I would love a small, one line keyboard that would hold various shortcuts down… for example ctrl-shft-alt.
or one that would just have the quick keys I need like delete or the square brackets.

An on-screen keyboard (configurable hopefully) that could align to the left side of the screen instead of the bottom would work too!

I have searched far and wide and not found either a custom keyboard layout (perhaps added through a special language in windows system settings?) or a windows 8 program with buttons that simply press defined keys (holding keys would be great as well)

Can I create my own in a WYSYWIG design environment?
Do you know of one pre-existing?

Thanks!

[edit] I found a temporary solution (see answer below) but still looking for a better/best solution.

Best Answer

Some ideas.. (Please note that all links below are for examples only and I am not saying that they are the best.)

  1. A combination of typical numeric keypad and assign shortcuts there using AutoHotKey.
  2. A trackpad like Apple Magic Trackpad and setup mouse gestures app. * Mouse gestures can be configured on AutoHotKey as well.
  3. Programmable keypads.
  4. Programmable pedals.
  5. There are some smartphone apps to use your phone's touch screen as a PC's input device but I didn't check if they are fully configurable.

If I were you, I would try 5 & 1 first as they are the cheapest.

Related Question