Add install and usage docs

2026-08-11 09:53:48 -05:00
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+# Omarchy Key Visualizer
+
+A tiny [Omarchy](https://omarchy.org/) plugin that shows the keys you press
+on screen. No keycap images, no animations — just the characters and
+combinations, rendered with the shell's own styles, appearing while a key is
+held and disappearing the moment it's released.
+
+Built for keybinding tutorials and screencasts: Omarchy is a keybinding-heavy
+desktop, so a combo like `Super + Shift + G` shows up as three small chips
+at the bottom of the screen.
+
+## How it works
+
+| Piece          | Where it runs                              | What it does |
+|----------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------|
+| `key-visualizer.lua`| Hyprland Lua config (inside the compositor)| Listens to `input.keyboard.key`, tracks the pressed combo, writes it to `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/omarchy-key-visualizer.json` |
+| `KeyVisualizer.qml`| Quickshell `omarchy-shell` (keep-loaded panel)| Watches the state file and renders the chips |
+
+No background daemons, no special permissions, no extra packages: the
+compositor is already the source of truth for keys, and the shell is already
+running.
+
+## Install
+
+```bash
+omarchy plugin add https://github.com/YOU/omarchy-keycaster
+omarchy plugin enable omarchy.key-visualizer
+```
+
+Then load the capture script into Hyprland's Lua config. Add this line at the
+bottom of `~/.config/hypr/hyprland.lua`:
+
+```lua
+dofile(os.getenv("HOME") .. "/.config/omarchy/plugins/omarchy.key-visualizer/key-visualizer.lua")
+```
+
+Reload Hyprland:
+
+```bash
+hyprctl reload
+```
+
+The panel starts with the shell, so it works after the next login too.
+
+### Requirements
+
+- Hyprland with Lua config support (0.56+), as shipped by Omarchy.
+- The plugin enabled in the shell (done above).
+
+## Behavior
+
+- **Typing** — shows just the character: `g`, `G`, `!`, `5`.
+- **Modifier combos** — shows every modifier plus the key: `Super Shift G`,
+  `Ctrl C`, `Super Enter`.
+- **Non-printing keys** — labeled: `Esc`, `Tab`, `F1`, arrows, `Space`.
+- Modifiers that produce the shifted character (`Shift` with a letter) are
+  folded into the character itself: `Shift + 1` shows `!`.
+- Key repeat is ignored; a held key shows once.
+- The combo disappears immediately after the last key is released.
+
+## Customize
+
+Everything lives in the plugin directory
+(`~/.config/omarchy/plugins/omarchy.key-visualizer/`); saved changes reload
+automatically.
+
+| Want to change...                 | Edit                                    |
+|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
+| How long a released combo lingers | `hideDelayMs` in `KeyVisualizer.qml` (default `120`) |
+| Chip font / padding               | `chipFont`, `chipPadX/Y` in `KeyVisualizer.qml` |
+| Key labels or layout mapping      | `KEYS` / `CHARS` / `SHIFTED` tables in `key-visualizer.lua` |
+
+The key tables use **US layout** keycode mapping. Letters and digits match
+most layouts; on other layouts, symbol keys (`;`, `[`, `ñ`, …) may show the
+US glyph or fall back to the key name. Dead keys and compose sequences are
+not expanded.
+
+## Status
+
+`omarchy-shell key-visualizer ping` — health check.
+
+## Roadmap
+
+- Layout-aware keysyms via `xkbcommon` instead of the static US table.
+- Mouse button display.
+- A pause toggle for presentations.
+
+## License
+
+MIT