Database Info

Text-to-image utility for WM?

Anyone know of a utility that will take a text file as input and spit out a simple GIF/JPG/PNG/BMP?
If there are none, plan B would be text-to-speech. Anyone know of a good one that sounds reasonably natural?
Thanks in advance!

if there are such options this is the search which will lead you to them
http://www.google.dk/search?hl=da&q=ocr+pocketpc&btnG=Søg&meta=lr=lang_da|lang_en
you can replace ocr with text to speach if you wanna search for that

One of us is misunderstanding...
As I understand Optical Character Recognition, it takes an image (which contains text) and extracts the text. I'm trying to do the opposite - take a text file as INPUT and OUTPUT to an image. (See attachment.)
BTW- I Googled this heavily before posting. Tons of Text2Image links, but everything I found was made for a desktop PC - not Pocket PC. And including "pocket pc" in the search criteria didn't help... lots of pages with Wintel Text2Image software that mention "Pocket PC" somewhere on the page.

Have you thought of using a fullscreen doc viewer (picsel comes to mind...) and a screen-capture mapped to a hardware button? It isn't automated, but it would get the job done.

larsuck said:
It isn't automated, but it would get the job done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With mortscript, you can automate pretty much anything, right? Problem is, that really wouldn't get the job done.
Let me explain the application a bit better...
I use Wisbar Advanced Desktop extensively and I have a pretty sophisticated UI set up. I have a special page for weather, but I'm really not happy with *any* of the weather today plug-ins (and I think I've tried pretty much all of them!) So what I want to do is pass 2 or 3 URLs to mortscript, have it read the file in, parse out the stuff I don't want, leaving me with text that gives me the precise details I do want. I then convert the text to an image file, saving it with the same name ands size every time (e.g. currentconditions.gif - which is already set as a positioned element on the WAD virtual page.) I do the same with extended forecast and surf report (I live at the beach in SoCal) and tell mortscript to go out and update this once per hour. Then, when I go to my weather page, I get exactly the info I want (including sunset time, water temp, UV index, etc.) and my info is no older than 59 minutes.
I'm starting to think that I should just do this server-side... maybe I can find a text-to-image script using php. Hmmmm...

Modifying Touchflo

Hi,
I have an Xda running TouchFlo. I downloaded Diamond TF3D Config Setup and used it to modify Touchflo. It's great up to a point in that it lets me remove tabs that I don't use and change the order of the others. What it doesn't do is to allow me to create my own tabs, so that, for example, my diary and to-do lists have their own. Is there a piece of software available that will allow me to do this please?
The other thing that would be useful is a small utility that locks the keys when the stylus is inserted and unlocks them when it's removed - it would be so useful, particularly in conjunction with a very useful program that I use a lot called ListPro.
Many thanks for any advice that follows this message.

User definable bluetooth remote control

Hi guys,
for a few months now I am looking for a remote control for my Diamond. The best solution I found so far is the PPC Tablet Remote Control Suite, but this does not have all the features I need.
What I am looking for is a tool which allows me to define my own buttons (PPC Tablet does this) and also to create a script behind (PPC Tablet only sends key strokes). E.g. I want to have a full media center conrol app, including the control of my favorite programs, DVBViewer, Foobar2000 and the KMPlayer. Everyone of those has already several shortcuts. I can address them from PPC Tablet, but I can not start the programs. I also cannot shutdown Windows or in-/decrease the system volume if needed. This would only be possible if the tool sends a command like {volume_down} to a server processing tool, which then has a database where this command is linked to lowering the system volume (a kind of scripting language). My infrared remote has that ability, but I want to get rid of it since it only controls the DVBViewer in a correct manner.
I already heard of a tool called "Girder", but am not sure whether this is the right thing for me.
I hope I did not scare you off by this quite long text and would be very happy if someone could recommend a suitable application to me.
Regards and thanks in advance!

did you try Salling Clicker? you can create your own (java) scripts for it and a lot of scripts are shared on the salling clicker forum...

Hi,
thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I have been to the homepage, but have never installed it (I thought there may be an easier - code less - solution out there). I just dont like java very much, but I'll give it a shot.
Thanks!

check out theire forum, a lot of custom scripts are submitted and working very well! you can quite easily script yourself by starting from some other script and modifying it to your needs...

A quick update on this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=574593
We are trying to get as many contributors as possible at the moment, be it for beta testing or active programming.

fexplore folder shortcut with Icon View

I have a shortcut that brings up my ebooks directory in the traditional fexplore list view. What I want to know is if there is any command line argument I can use to make it show up in a more finger (and eye) friendly Icon View, like that which occurs if you do start -> Programs.
I found another post asking this question, but no answers. Thanks for your time.

a friendly and hopeful bump

Sure,
take a look into my thread;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=623195
There are links to other pages with lots of nice applications/utilities.
There are new utilities (yet not made by me though).
Within it is the basics of making your own shortcuts.
Within it is the basis of adding your own icon.
or *.icl icon library..
Now and then I'm still updating (editing) it. I'm looking into two *.icl files, where I need to find out if I can share 'm here (that is within the above link).
IMO this is a nice start fortunz
Senax

I do appreciate the info (which I've bookmarked for other uses), but I didn't notice any Icon View parameters for fexplore in the post. I'm not really interested in altering what icon the .lnk has, I'm just looking to avoid the default List View fexplore uses.
My googling on the issue has also been a complete failure. I've been assuming that Start -> Programs (sans manila, I don't know if it uses the same setup) on vanilla 6.1 uses fexplore in an Icon View, but I suppose it could be using a different program entirely to browse the start folder.

Another approach
Use Opera instead
Goto the url: file://localhost/ Browse for your preferred directory, bookmark it, make a link (*.lnk) for this bookmark and put this link on your application launcher. You could also copy and paste it into another browser (with better/other view capabilities).
Just a thought,
Senax

Senax said:
Use Opera instead
Goto the url: file://localhost/ Browse for your preferred directory, bookmark it, make a link (*.lnk) for this bookmark and put this link on your application launcher. You could also copy and paste it into another browser (with better/other view capabilities).
Just a thought,
Senax
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an interesting approach. Not quite up my alley having tested it out now, but I do appreciate the thought.
Since fexplore parameters seem to not be known, perhaps I should be looking for another file manager to use for these particular purposes.

fexplore free alternative
Hello again,
IMO I found it! I have it under the hood for ages, maybe that's why I did not think of it in the first place ; start using the free ware Total Commander file manager. Set it in it's Menu to Show - Large Icons
Done!
Senax

What you need is File Explorer Extensions
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=421723
You can switch between big icon and detailed view, but not using command line.
And
http://www.vijay555.com/?Releases:VJSmallIcons
Can get command line parameters, but only for program menu (WM 6.1 and below)

Senax said:
Hello again,
IMO I found it! I have it under the hood for ages, maybe that's why I did not think of it in the first place ; start using the free ware Total Commander file manager. Set it in it's Menu to Show - Large Icons
Done!
Senax
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it always default to showing large icons thereafter (Every time you open the program again after it's been shut down completely), or do you have to change it each time?
If not, I see at least one element in the ini file that might make the setting keep. Thanks. I'll give that a spin.

Interest for WisBar Advance Desktop

I'm interested to know how many people would like to see a WisBar Advance Desktop build for Android. Just let me know. Thanks!

+1
I think WAD was a very cool launcher in WMobile

Fantastic loved it on win mob
Sent from my Pulse Mini using Tapatalk

I loved wisbar!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

Well, so far it's looking like there's at least a little interest. I'll get started.

Count me in a interested. Never ran wm without it!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Its funny that you mention it. I just visited the wisbar forums thinking there may be something about it coming to android. Before switching to android I had purchased and used Wisbar and WAD. As good as WAD for WM was, it just never really worked perfectly. And thats only because of the limitation of WM and the hardware not WAD itself.
I think android is the perfect platform that would be ready to embrace WAD. I will be looking forward to using it in the future I think WAD for android will be what the long term goals of WAD for WM had striven for.

I'm glad that you finally decide to make an android version of WAD2(I've ask for that a long time ago in your forum).
I hope that this best wm UI will come on android devices very soon.
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I use WAD (now 2) since a long time. I could not do without it. It is the only reason to stay at WM6.x.
If there would bei WAD2 for Android, it would be great and I think I would change over to Android too

Interestng...I also used WAD when I had a PPC device. I would be interested too.

I would be interested too... On WinMo Wisbar Advanced Desktop was amazing!

Thank you everyone for your interest. I've been doing some thinking about this as it will be a major step for me as I've been a long-time supporter of Windows Mobile (I've been around since PPC2000).
Given how powerful Android is, I can only think of one UI limitation at the moment: since there's no taskbar with an ever-present start menu, I'll have to make the app-drawer/launcher available on every page. At least, that's probably the best way to go right now unless someone has a different opinion/preference.
Another thing I was thinkg about: do you want a variable number of pages (being added through Menu > Add Page) or should I add a preference like some other launchers have to specify the number of pages?

These are very good news.
I can't wait to be able to use WAD again. I just hope that HTC Tattoo will be supported.
As for pages, I prefer the way of wm WAD2(pages added via menu).

So, I'm thinking about approaching this from a different direction than I did with Windows Mobile.
The first major change is I'm thinking about using a scripting language to describe how things are laid out and how they behave rather than just dragging and dropping items. The reason is two-fold:
1) This will give the script designer more control about how things look and how they work.
2) We won't run into the problem of shortcuts that open apps and widgets that are not installed on someone else's device (a major shortcoming of WAD2's).
So, the language would say something like: create a folder at x, y. This "button" will open it and this button will close it. You would also be able to specify an area where shortcuts could be added, such as "create a shortcut grid at x, y", but you would not be able to specify the shortcuts (this would be left up to the user who is using your theme).
One downside of this is that the layouts would have to be created on the desktop and then uploaded to your phone.
The other downside is that this would severely hamper the ability to launch specific apps using scripts. But, this is really a limitation of Android itself as, unlike Windows Mobile, not every device comes with the same core set of apps. And, for the apps that are included in most devices (such as the calendar), the intents to launch them may vary depending on the OS version (i.e. the calendar changed in between Eclair and Froyo).
I'm just brainstorming here. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Right now I'm in the planning stages to see how close I can keep it to Windows Mobile, but at the same time implement new technologies in order to make it the most robust launcher around.

hells yeah man!!! i used it on my tilt for a while.....i think its ironic how similar android really is to winmo...just more refined but very similar in the idea

I found this thread quite late but i can just say +1. =)
I would really like to see Wisbar Adv Desktop on Android. Hope you are making good progress

I just finished asking your to offer support for android on your forums.
Feel free to plus one over too, guys.
http://forum.lakeridgesoftware.com/showthread.php?p=106717#post106717

See it for the first time. +100000
I used to love making themes!!
Sent from my X10i

Awesome. Back in the days WAD was one of the best applications for WM, I've always been impressed by how much one could do with it.
I like the idea of creating themes on the desktop and then uploading them to the phone, because creating themes has always been kind of difficult and work-intensive.
You can map the app drawer to the home button or you might even be able to implement the ability to create shortcuts that open the app drawer.
Concerning the number of homescreens, I think Menu > Add Page is a bit more convenient and less likely to mess things up (since removing non-empty home screens could create issues, as it did with some launchers).
chmckay said:
Thank you everyone for your interest. I've been doing some thinking about this as it will be a major step for me as I've been a long-time supporter of Windows Mobile (I've been around since PPC2000).
Given how powerful Android is, I can only think of one UI limitation at the moment: since there's no taskbar with an ever-present start menu, I'll have to make the app-drawer/launcher available on every page. At least, that's probably the best way to go right now unless someone has a different opinion/preference.
Another thing I was thinkg about: do you want a variable number of pages (being added through Menu > Add Page) or should I add a preference like some other launchers have to specify the number of pages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I just stumbled over this.... is it for real?
WAS with all the functionality will be ported over to Android? This will be the killer app taking all other launchers / home screen apps out of biz.
I am here to betatest!
chmckay said:
So, I'm thinking about approaching this from a different direction than I did with Windows Mobile.
The first major change is I'm thinking about using a scripting language to describe how things are laid out and how they behave rather than just dragging and dropping items. The reason is two-fold:
1) This will give the script designer more control about how things look and how they work.
2) We won't run into the problem of shortcuts that open apps and widgets that are not installed on someone else's device (a major shortcoming of WAD2's).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully you can get the HTC Sense Widgets to work as well at least on HTC devices where this should not be a violation of copyright laws. I will gladly offer to borrow you a european HTC Desire for testing purposes if that is of any help.
I second your notiong of requiring a script language, but of course it would take one that is not laid out for programmers but also still understandable for regular designers. Search around here in the Forum for SlickUI and KiteUI, both which are still deep in the "maybe wel will do this stage" for some decent ideas on how people imagine their ideal design, and therefore gfgiving you an idea how much flexibility your framework needs.
Things that should really be in the to-do-list: radial icon menus. That means you assign say 6-8 icons to a WAD icon placed on the homescreen, upon tapping this the home screen blurs and the assigned icons circle around the pushed icon. This is a terrific way to organize similar apps IMO, much better looking than the folder blocks we have gotten used to.
WAD actually was one reason I found it very hard to aprt with my WM phone. Thie level of adustability had not been reached before. People who do not know what the heck I am creaming my pants about should use google image search for "wisbar advance desktop". It was a pure naked framework, allowing beasically every freedom any designer could wish / hope for.
Anotherr important thing to note is the touch features which have come quite a long way since WM6.5. You would need to extend the framework in order to allow rotating dials for menu control, swipe movements for changing screen left to right and vice versa.
If you could actually manage to pull the old stunt where you made an app run constantly on a "homescreen" it would be awesome. Imagine 3-5-7-whatnot screen with widgets laid out side by side, but a simple upward stroke brings you into the already preloaded browser (from which you return with the back key into the regular homescreen).
God, I am bursting with ideas.
As I said, I will beat test all days long if you need someone.
So, the language would say something like: create a folder at x, y. This "button" will open it and this button will close it. You would also be able to specify an area where shortcuts could be added, such as "create a shortcut grid at x, y", but you would not be able to specify the shortcuts (this would be left up to the user who is using your theme).
One downside of this is that the layouts would have to be created on the desktop and then uploaded to your phone.
The other downside is that this would severely hamper the ability to launch specific apps using scripts. But, this is really a limitation of Android itself as, unlike Windows Mobile, not every device comes with the same core set of apps. And, for the apps that are included in most devices (such as the calendar), the intents to launch them may vary depending on the OS version (i.e. the calendar changed in between Eclair and Froyo).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just brainstorming here. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Right now I'm in the planning stages to see how close I can keep it to Windows Mobile, but at the same time implement new technologies in order to make it the most robust launcher around.[/QUOTE]
#Pinch to zoom and similar gestures will go a long way in allowing to extend the possibilites and ways the users can interact with the interface. Instead of an always visible appdrawer you could just use a gesture predefined that will launch the app drawer
Should we make a thread where all former WAD users and upcoming UI design freaks post their wishlists?