Tap, the wearable chorded keyboard, is gaining in popularity. It's an ever-evolving piece of hardware with a focus on getting developers in on the craze. This week, the Tap gains full support for customizable languages and key mapping with TapMapper.
TapMapper, currently in beta, lets you as the user, create custom layouts (called TapMaps) that you can load onto your Tap and use how you want. You can also share your TapMaps with the rest of the Tap community so they can use it too!
The TapMapper customization makes it possible to create additional keyboard languages, game controls, mobile device interfaces (like launching an app on your iPhone), and more.
One of the most interesting aspects of this update is that your custom TapMaps can be shared with others. If, for example, you map controls for Fortnite (which apparently has already been done), you can upload your TapMaps to the Tap community page so that I can then download the custom layout to my Tap and use it to play Fortnite, too.
It's especially helpful for creating various language keyboards. By default, Tap only supports English, but anyone can map a keyboard layout and share it with the Tap community so everyone that wants to use Tap for that language can.
Tap's creator, Dovid Schick explains how it works.
TapMapper is a web-based utility that allows you to create custom layouts called TapMaps which can be loaded into your Tap Strap and shared with other tappers. It requires no coding skills and has a point and click interface. All you need to do is click on the tap you wish to map, and then simply press the key, (or key combination) on your keyboard.TapMapper will automatically store the key in your TapMap. It allows you to associate keystrokes and hotkeys to single taps, double taps, triple taps and taps that are combined with shift and switch.Once you are done with your TapMap you can load it on to your Tap Strap using TapManager.
I know Tap is a niche market. You're not all going to go out and get one just to use it to play Fortnite, but for fans of chorded keyboards, this new customization feature is really going to open up the possibilities for you.
If you already own the Tap wearable keyboard, you can start mapping your own keyboard layouts right now using the TapMapper tool.
If you don't own Tap, but you're a fan of chorded keyboards, you can get your own set for $179.
