QMK – can you start with the configurator and add to it in text editor?

Learning and discussion Firmware, programming, and hardware compatability
1

I have a Preonic board I have a custom keymap for I have made with the QMK configurator. I just want to add rotary encoder support which isn’t possible in the configurator.

Can I start with the binary or something else from the configurator or do I need to start from scratch when creating a firmware locally?

2

Rev3 has the encoder support. However, there are lots of keymaps to build from.

I am not sure I entirely understand your goal, but I am happy to help. I think you are correct, the configurator will not allow encoder support, but you can still fall back on generating the file via QMK and the command line and then flashing via QMK toolbox.

3

Yes, default firmware the encoder worked great. However, I wanted a completely different keymap layout (a wide Colemak DHm)

So I’ve made the keymap I want in the configurator and just want to add encoder support back to it — if that’s possible?

Or will I just need to start from scratch in QMK CLI?

Final option — if I start with the default one in QMK, and just change all but that position — should that still work? :thinking:

4

Encoder support is enabled in the rules file - qmk_firmware/keyboards/preonic/rev3/rules.mk at 790f94533c936409e6be56e8b638969b42350180 · qmk/qmk_firmware · GitHub

This would be in the parent folder. I believe that any keymap that you create would have that as long as you build the keymap like make preonic/rev3:benfrains_layout:dfu-util # For Preonic rev3

Final option — if I start with the default one in QMK, and just change all but that position — should that still work? :thinking:

I believe that this would work as well.

5

My understanding of QMK is pretty limited, but you can see here that this person created their own keymap, and included their own rules file so that they can override encoder support - qmk_firmware/keyboards/preonic/keymaps/xulkal at master · qmk/qmk_firmware · GitHub

Likely to save memory. Maybe they have more code or fancy macros and are not using an encoder anyway :man_shrugging:

6

thanks, I tried amending the default in QMK config but that didn’t work. Flashing it with anything seems to wipe the encoder stuff out.

Looks like I’ll need to get my hands dirty with the .c files tonight!