The Vortex Race 3 is a great mechanical keyboard, but using it with MacOS requires some adjustments. We need to reposition and reprogram the modifier keys. Unfortunately the Race 3 does not support the online MPC, so we will have to do this using the on-board programming mode.
This guide is heavily based on a gist by arogulin. It only adds a bit of formatting and a few minor notes.
For better understanding we will use the following naming convention for the key positions: L1L2L3SpaceR1R2R3
- Reset everything. Press L3+R1 for 5 seconds. Release the keys when the white led stops blinking.
- Choose a progammable layer (and led color) by pressing R2+RShift several times. I chose red (layer 1).
- Put the keyboard in Windows mode: Pn+W
- Move Fn from R2 to Home.
- Press R2+L3 for 3 seconds. Both LEDs will turn blue when you release the keys.
- Press Home.
- You may want to open the MacOS Onscreen Keyboard or Karabiner-EventViewer to check what R2 is doing now. Like L2, it should be mapped to the Cmd key now.
- Enter programming mode. Press Home+R3. The right LED will turn white.
- Swap L2 and L3.
- Press L2. The right LED will turn red and will start blinking.
- Press L3.
- Press Pn. The red LED will turn white.
- Press L3. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
- Press L2.
- Press Pn. The LED will turn white.
- Swap R1 and R2.
- Press R1. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
- Press R2.
- Press Pn. The LED will turn white.
- Press R2. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
- Press R1.
- Press Pn. The LED will turn white.
- Swap § (non_us_backslash - above Tab) and ` (grave_accent_and_tilde - to the right of left Shift).
- Press §. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
- Press `.
- Press Pn. The LED will turn white.
- Press `. The LED will turn red and will start blinking.
- Press §.
- Press Pn. The LED will turn white.
- Get out of programming mode. Press Home+R3. The LED goes off.
- Swap the keycaps.