Custom Aliases

OverKeys allows you to define custom aliases for key combinations. This is useful for visualizing shortcuts or macros on your on-screen keyboard. For example, you can map Ctrl + Z to display as "UNDO" on your layout.

Setup Instructions

1. Right-click the OverKeys tray icon

2. Select Preferences

3. Go to the Advanced tab

4. Toggle the Turn on advanced settings option

5. Click the Open Config button

6. In the JSON file, add or modify the customAliases field to match your desired aliases

   {
    "customAliases": {
     "UNDO": ["Control", "Z"],
     "PASTE": ["Control", "Shift", "V"],
     "Ability 1": ["Q"],
     "ULT": ["X"],
     "Item 1": ["Alt", "Q"]
    }
   }
   

7. Save the file

8. Right-click the tray icon and click Reload config to apply changes

Configuration Details

Structure

The customAliases field is a map where:

• The key is the name of the alias (e.g., "UNDO", "PASTE").
• The value is a list of keys that must be pressed simultaneously to trigger the alias.

Supported Modifiers

You can use the following modifiers in your key combinations:

• Control (matches both Left and Right Control)
• Shift (matches both Left and Right Shift)
• Alt (matches both Left and Right Alt)
• Win (matches both Left and Right Windows key)

You can also specify specific sides if needed (e.g., LControl, RShift), but the generic modifiers are usually more convenient.

Usage in Layouts

Once you have defined your aliases, you can use them as key names in your custom layouts.

{
    "name": "Gaming",
    "keys": [
        ["ESC", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5"],
        ["TAB", "Ability 1", "W", "E", "R", "T"],
        ["CAPS", "A", "S", "D", "F", "G"],
        ["LSFT", "Z", "X", "C", "V", "B"],
        ["CTRL", "ALT", "SPC", "Item 1", "ULT"]
    ]
}

In this example:

• When you press Q, the key labeled "Ability 1" will light up.
• When you press Alt + Q, the key labeled "Item 1" will light up.
• When you press X, the key labeled "ULT" will light up.

Notes

• Aliases are case-sensitive. Ensure the name in customAliases matches the name in your layout exactly.
• If an alias shares the same key combination as a regular key (e.g., "Ability 1" is just "Q"), both keys will light up if present in the layout.