# Learn the layout

> Hold-to-Reveal, the on-screen action display, and the Playground's lessons, Safe Practice and Free Play.

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LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

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Nobody memorizes 357 bindings up front. Capslock teaches the layout in three
ways: it shows the current plane when you pause, it can show each action as
it runs, and the Playground has short lessons that follow your own mappings.

## Hold-to-Reveal {#hold-to-reveal}

Hold Caps Lock without pressing another key. After a short delay the current
plane appears on screen as a full keyboard with every action written on its
key. Press ⌘, ⌥, ⌃ or ⇧ to switch planes while it is open; release Caps Lock to
close it.

It is on by default. In Settings › Hyper you can turn it off, change the delay
(550 ms by default, 250 to 1500 ms), and choose whether it hides when an action
runs or only when you release Caps Lock.

## Show actions on screen {#hud}

Settings › Hyper › **Show actions on screen** displays a small caption at the
bottom of the screen each time a chord runs: the keys you pressed and the
action they produced. It is off by default; the caption stays for 1.35 seconds
unless you change the duration.

## Playground {#playground}

The Playground page has three parts, chosen under **Lesson**:

- **Basics** practises four gestures: tap Caps Lock for Escape, hold it to
  reveal the plane, `⇪ Esc` to toggle Caps Lock, and `⇪ Space` to switch input
  source.
- **Navigate** practises moving with `⇪ H`, `⇪ J`, `⇪ K` and `⇪ L`.
- **Free Play** shows the last key you pressed: the plane, the action, the app
  in front, and whether the action ran, was previewed, was blocked, or the key
  passed through.

Lessons read your current mappings. If you changed or disabled a key a lesson
uses, the lesson says so instead of asking for a key that no longer does what
it describes.

### Live and Safe Practice {#safe-practice}

The **Mode** switch chooses between **Live**, where chords really run, and
**Safe Practice**. In Safe Practice, actions with side effects are previewed
instead of run: opening apps, Shell commands, sleep, clipboard slots, and
toggling Caps Lock. Keystrokes and mouse actions still run, so you can see the
cursor move.

Safe Practice turns itself off when you leave the Playground, hide the window,
or switch to another app.

Free Play keeps only the most recent key, only while the Playground is in
front, and clears it when you leave. Nothing you type is recorded.

## The Keyboard page {#keyboard-page}

The Keyboard page draws your keyboard with each key's action on it. Choose a
plane from the menu or with the ⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ toggles. While you hold Caps Lock, the
drawing follows the plane you are actually on and shows a **Live** badge. Key
legends follow your active keyboard layout, so Dvorak or AZERTY users see
their own letters. Click a key to see or change it; see
[Keyboard editor](/docs/guide/editor/).

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Backlinks:

- [Settings, menu bar and statistics](/docs/guide/settings/)
- [Default layout](/docs/layout/)