There has been lots of interest over at Android Forums for an app that adds increased functionality to the optical button on the bottom of the Incredible.
App Fuctions:
While sleeping/locked
-Use button to wake the phone when sleeping (mimic power button)
While Awake (choose your setting)
-Button jumps to home screen
-Button brings up programs
-Button opens notifications drop-down
-Any other ideas?
Possibly could add additional function with a double press of the button as well.
I'm not a developer, so I really don't know how difficult something like this is. I just spent the last several hours creating sample apps and reading through the android developers website, but I'm not seeing anything on hardware button mapping.
Is anyone else interested in something like this? Or can anybody more familiar with the code chime in to what steps to take. I don't mind doing the leg work.
Thanks.
bump, would love to see something like this as well!
+1 on waking up the phone...something like this would probably require root though.
SoCalMiles said:
+1 on waking up the phone...something like this would probably require root though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was kind of afraid of. Hopefully somebody will know more.
would love to see the trackpad run a virtual mouse (arrow cursor)
"myLock" already wakes up the phone. I know the dev uses a dInc... so if you email him ideas and he can do it, he probably will.
I'll tell you what would be most useful.
Instead of holding down the power button for 5 seconds to bring up the power/sound settings menu, make the optical button do that instantly.
That would be very useful. It seems like there is a laundry list of things that the button could be used for and it's extremely under utilized.
I pretty much gave up on developing the app myself because I couldn't figure out how to wake the phone with only the power and optical button.
Looks like we have to wait and hope a developer sees the interest and can help out.
I'd hate to bother them with such a small request when they are working hard on rooting our incredibles.
Increase Sensitivity?
I haven't seen anyone ask, but the one thing I really want from the Trackpad, is to turn up the sensitivity level, like one can do on a BB, (They have 10 dif levels for vertical and horizontal)
Why HTC didn't make this an option is beyond me, my trackpad is not nearly fast enough for me to utilize right now.
I have used it only 3 times to choose page numbers on forums/tightly spaced links so far.
That's really what the trackball is for... slow scrolling, with high precision. Personally, I hated how the End button on my Hero was also my Screen Toggle, but then again I came from WinMo where all HTC phones I owned had a dedicated power button. Call me weird, I just prefer it that way. And I don't really want the sensor-button to wake up the device; its not an iPhone. I think it distinguishes the devices, and besides, Apple is already suing HTC for a buncha crap (HTC is suing back, hurray!) and the last thing we need is for them to pull a bogus patent about the "Center analog input button waking up device."
Buuuut I do agree with maybe adding some sensitivity settings, as some games would be impossible to play with this optical sensor at its current sensitivity. Also, maybe a long press to open a custom menu, but not the sound/power menu as that would be redundant.
+1 for a app.
+1 on the app as well. A lot I'd these features would be very useful.
+1 on any app that gives us control over all of our buttons ala AEButton for WinMo... That's really the only thing I miss from my Omnia. Short, Long, Double, Triple presses, all for different functions.
I know you need Root, but that's inevitable. Hopefully someone with the skill is motivated to create an app like this.
+1 from me, would love to switch programs using the trackpad button
all great ideas OP
would love to see this implemented.
I'd love to have this app as well!
maxxve said:
There has been lots of interest over at Android Forums for an app that adds increased functionality to the optical button on the bottom of the Incredible.
App Fuctions:
While sleeping/locked
-Use button to wake the phone when sleeping (mimic power button)
While Awake (choose your setting)
-Button jumps to home screen
-Button brings up programs
-Button opens notifications drop-down
-Any other ideas?
Possibly could add additional function with a double press of the button as well.
I'm not a developer, so I really don't know how difficult something like this is. I just spent the last several hours creating sample apps and reading through the android developers website, but I'm not seeing anything on hardware button mapping.
Is anyone else interested in something like this? Or can anybody more familiar with the code chime in to what steps to take. I don't mind doing the leg work.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only app i found that does anything with the trackpad is Widget Locker.
You can wake the screen with the trackpad and unlock it like you normally would.
And you get a nice new Android 2.2 lockscreen!
Related
Apologies if this has been thoroughly covered, I went back 4-5 pages in each forum but didn't see anything.
From what I can gather from reviews and youtube videos the D-pad on the Touch pro works like a standard D-pad, and when in opera can be used to zoom in by circling it with a finger like a click wheel on an Ipod. Is it possible to modify it to work as a scroll wheel instead of a "zoom wheel". I know this isn't an option out of the box, but is it something that's possible, or being worked on?
I'm considering from the tilt, and while I've convinced myself that I don't need the hard left and right buttons, or the email & browser buttons, I'm not sure I'll be able to get used to working without any kind of jog dial/scroll wheel.
I think it's been asked and the answer is not yet.
The D-pad is one of the things I really don't like about the phone though, the buttons are all on the same plane, not separated in any way, and that makes it very difficult to differentiate the d-pad from the home/back/send/end buttons. I didn't find it was a problem until playing games, when I kept minimizing the window by hitting the Back button.
oh... the touch pro has a d-pad??? omg ive had the phone for almost a month and i only just discovered it. i thought it was just a scroll thing. its really hard to press though..
Black93300ZX said:
I think it's been asked and the answer is not yet.
The D-pad is one of the things I really don't like about the phone though, the buttons are all on the same plane, not separated in any way, and that makes it very difficult to differentiate the d-pad from the home/back/send/end buttons. I didn't find it was a problem until playing games, when I kept minimizing the window by hitting the Back button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I don't really play a whole lot of games on my phone, but I do read a lot of really long email threads, and more importantly, when I'm bored I read sites like overheardinnewyork.com which is basically a lot of text to scroll through.
I'm getting the feeling that I'm going to have to find a way to "play" with a TP and see if I love it or not. I went 8125, x01ht, tilt, and now I'm looking to upgrade. but if this phone isn't going to rock me, I'll hold out (for what I don't know).
As much as I like flashing new roms to my tilt, it seems all anyone does is try to rip the best features from other phones...so at some point I might as well just get the other phone.
Diamond Tweak 0.5.3 allows you to enable d-pad scrolling for some applications.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=409540
(you need to soft-reset after you have changed options)
dougalls said:
Diamond Tweak 0.5.3 allows you to enable d-pad scrolling for some applications.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=409540
(you need to soft-reset after you have changed options)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, looks promising. Have you tried it? I just can't imagine I'd ever use the zoom feature, although up to now I've used opera mini, so perhaps after switching to opera mobile I'd change my mind. But I'm still pretty sure I'd prefer to double tap the screen to zoom, and have another means of scrolling.
I have tried it and it works well for contacts (useful), programs etc but does not work with my Yahoo inbox (possibly due to the ROM I am using - ROmeOS v1.22) and it does not replace the zoom in opera. You can set up custom applications in DiamondTweak so it may be possible to overcome any differences between ROM's by setting up a custom application. I do use the zoom in opera so wouldn't want to replace it.
You can still double tap to zoom in/out on opera, as well as the wheel - the wheel lets you zoom in/out in small increments, double tapping toggles between full page and zoomed in.
DesCo said:
Hmmm, looks promising. Have you tried it? I just can't imagine I'd ever use the zoom feature, although up to now I've used opera mini, so perhaps after switching to opera mobile I'd change my mind. But I'm still pretty sure I'd prefer to double tap the screen to zoom, and have another means of scrolling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think about this, with Opera Mobile you'll only have 2 levels of zoom ("in" or "out") unless you use the wheel to zoom. I liked being able to use it to fine tune and get things to look just right, but that's me. Try it out and see what you think.
With newer versions of Opera Mobile, there is now an on-screen zoom slider that adds a "tap and slide" button for incremental zooming. Now I find myself wanting an alternative to scrolling, since my finger otherwise covers up part of the screen and might accidentally click a link. Unfortunately the arrows and dpad don't scroll the page but instead jump from link to link.
This has been one detail (although a minor detail) that has made be begin to consider replacing my TP with the X1, since the X1's optical sensor dpad apparently provides scrolling functionality.
DesCo said:
Hmmm, looks promising. Have you tried it? I just can't imagine I'd ever use the zoom feature, although up to now I've used opera mini, so perhaps after switching to opera mobile I'd change my mind. But I'm still pretty sure I'd prefer to double tap the screen to zoom, and have another means of scrolling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use advance config 3.3 ........search for the link
go to options, click smart touch and it allows you to add any application, where in touch wheel (above D Pad) can be used for scrolling......i use it for contacts, file manager, program, call history, phone window, mails, messages and its really usefull and very cool........i dont use it for opera and internet explorer and use it for zooming as put in default
~
Kingjack
Thanks for the info. As I said, I haven't picked up the TP yet, I'm holding out for the Fuze (or a reasonably priced GSM model).
To change gears a bit, I'm curious, what kind of difference do people see in using cooked Roms on this device. I only ask because as a Kaiser user I'm used to using Roms because they incorporate features from the latest equipment. But as this is among the newest models out, and a "flagship" phone so to speak...is there much of an advantage over say a stock ATT rom minus the bloat? I enjoy high level of customization, and being able to pick my features, but as this is a relatively new device, I don't want to go through the trouble of unlocking and flashing if there isn't going to be a real gain in performance/features, or if it's going to impact performance (like trying to run Manilla 2d on a Kaiser, and pretending that a 5 second screen rotate time is ok)
PS: just for the record, despite my incredibly low post count, I've been lurking on the board for ~2 years...I'm not some (I hate this word) newb asking "what rom is best" or "can someone explain to me how to XXX reading the Wiki is too much work"...just wanted to throw that out there.
Volume buttons for scroll
Review on wmexperts of Sprint Touch Pro has the information below in the comments area. Looks like the reviewer followed up with the statement that he used AE Buttons to remap the volume buttons on the side, where the scroll wheel is on 8525/Tilt to scroll up and down with each click. I don't have Fuze, but it seems like this would work on it as well, I don't think it's a free softare though.
http://www.wmexperts.com/reviews/smartphones/review_24_hours_with_the_sprin.html
Buttons: I have successfully used AE Buttons to successfully remap the volume up and down buttons. I have the volume down button set at one click to scroll down and a log click for OK/Enter. The volume up button is set at one to scroll up and the log click Alt/Tab Wisbar's switch utility. I have also remapped the Back button to OK/Enter. The Home button now brings down the Start Menu on a single click and Email when I hold it down. This has made life a lot easier and has in virtually increased my available hardware buttons to a more comfortable level of usable buttons.
cparkhorn said:
Review on wmexperts of Sprint Touch Pro has the information below in the comments area. Looks like the reviewer followed up with the statement that he used AE Buttons to remap the volume buttons on the side, where the scroll wheel is on 8525/Tilt to scroll up and down with each click. I don't have Fuze, but it seems like this would work on it as well, I don't think it's a free softare though.
http://www.wmexperts.com/reviews/smartphones/review_24_hours_with_the_sprin.html
Buttons: I have successfully used AE Buttons to successfully remap the volume up and down buttons. I have the volume down button set at one click to scroll down and a log click for OK/Enter. The volume up button is set at one to scroll up and the log click Alt/Tab Wisbar's switch utility. I have also remapped the Back button to OK/Enter. The Home button now brings down the Start Menu on a single click and Email when I hold it down. This has made life a lot easier and has in virtually increased my available hardware buttons to a more comfortable level of usable buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How have you managed to get AEButton working on your home button?
I found that the home and back buttons seem to be "hard coded" to do their tasks, and AEbutton only assigns an *additional* task to each button. In other words, when I press Home for start menu, it first goes home, and then opens start. If I map the back button to Camera, it first goes back an application screen, then launches camera. Very annoying. The only buttons I found AEButton works with is the vol up and down. Is there a trick I'm missing?
As i know that touch pro is not only can be touched on the screen but also the hard button area ( home, back, call, hang up buttons)
How can i use that feature
Which software that i need to install or how can i active it
Thank for reading my topic
What do you want exactly? Do you want to remap hardware buttons?
the hardware buttons are enabled by default. you don't have to 'activate' them.
No! My point is how can i use the sensor of hardware button ^^
Well,did you mean to use the capacitive surface of those sensors,not the buttons itself? And what exactly do you want? Please explain.
google for "G-scroll"
TomasNM said:
Well,did you mean to use the capacitive surface of those sensors,not the buttons itself? And what exactly do you want? Please explain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point is
Instead of pushing down the 4 hard buttons (call, back, home, hang off) i just need to touch it on the surface?
You can buy gscroll (mobilesrc.com), but unless you can get the 1.x series, I'd pass. The 2.x series is buggy as hell, and it seems like development has stopped. There are some free apps you can find around here as well. I'm thinking Dredscroll is one, and there was another app called Butler (I think, lol) that allowed you to use it as a launcher with gestures on the area. Gscroll lets you swipe to scroll (it's good for reading ebooks, when it's working) as well as to launch things, but it has the annoying habit of going on smoking breaks.
As I know HTC testing software,I can say,it could not be a problem to create an app of this kind,but...
- Do we have SDK for it(I didin't searched for it yet)?
- Currently I don't know,how to send keyboard hooks to the system
- I cannot prevent/disable default keyboard hooks
So that means,I am not able to solve your puzzle. Sorry.
That was my honest opinion...
I don't think he's asking about the Vibrant-Scroll Wheel, I think he's talking about the Optical Track, itself.
[As the Home, Back, Answer, & End Call buttons require you to actually PUSH them down.]
You know, the "OK/Enter" button. When you place you finger on it [NOT PRESS IT], by default, it lights up the Bottom Hardware Keys, as well as brightens the screen.
If it's not working for you, I recommend Backing up your Important Information with either SPB Backup or Microsoft MyPhone, and flashing a New ROM. There are certain Drivers that control the Optical Track. What they are, however, is beyond me.
anyone know of an app like the iphone's activator app (from cydia)
for those that don't know, it allows you to set to open different app/functions with different combinations of button presses, e.g a double press of the home button in the lock screen might turn the light on, a long press of the home button at the lock screen might open the camera.. It's fully customizable.
The basic function I after is to quickly get up the camera app with out having to unlock the phone (I use the pattern lock)
has anyone used activator for iphone?? what do people think of its capabilities?
Hold home button.
The only thing that comes to mind is Tasker. Im not sure if it will do the things you want, but it might be able to.
Tasker: https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&feature=search_result
brat81 said:
Hold home button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for what???
mdonova33 said:
The only thing that comes to mind is Tasker. Im not sure if it will do the things you want, but it might be able to.
Tasker: https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&feature=search_result
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, it seems like it can do a lot of things.. I'll have to work out how it works now
no luck
I have been trying to recreate Activator's functionality with Tasker since I switched to Android (2 years ago). I think Android just doesn't function similarly enough to get the same functionality. Activator & Glovepod (no touch music control) are the only things I miss about iOS. Tasker has so many awesome features though that I would never consider switching back.
GMD Gesture Control + Tasker replicates and even improves upon Activator. Bad part? They have a total cost of $11, but there are free trials for both.
Gesture Control works best on tablets though..
Sent from my Acer Iconia Tab A500
I love the fact that samsung continues to use hardware home button but dont like that they still use inflexible capacitive buttons. So whats the solution?
Well my solution is slightly pricier but I doubt it would raise costs too much. Instead of having capacitive buttons at each side of the home button, how about we have 2 tiny OLED screens? This way you could change the position of the buttons from left to right, you will be able to have a dynamic menu key so no need to have it all the time. You could have a dedicated search button if you want or a dedicated task switcher or nothing at all. We know an OLED screen consumes very insignificant power when displaying all black. Basically you will have a hardware home button AND the flexibility of on-screen buttons in one phone.
I would go with a back key on the left and would leave the right screen to dynamically display the menu button whenever needed. Basically everyone could have their own configuration how they see fit. Sounds like a great idea to me seriously but lets see others opinion.
PS: I posted the same topic in the nexus 4 forum but seems like not many people were interested in the discussion.
the hardware buttons always crash in 2 years.
my galaxy s ,s2......
realpg said:
the hardware buttons always crash in 2 years.
my galaxy s ,s2......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The power button of a phone with no home button is also likely to crash earlier than for a phone with a home button.
I think 2 years is not a bad period to be honest...iPhone home button has a similar life so it just seems a technical limitation right now.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
It's a neat idea, but I don't think there are enough people who feel the need to customize the buttons for Samsung to bother.
Pretty useless to customize the buttons in my opinion.
I feel that once you get used to the configuration, it is one of the best combinations in phones.
system.img said:
Pretty useless to customize the buttons in my opinion.
I feel that once you get used to the configuration, it is one of the best combinations in phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think we can all agree that there should be a dynamic menu button instead of a fixed one cant we? It still happens to me that an app has actions with the menu button and I never knew before because I never pressed the menu button. With a dynamic menu button that problem is gone.
I completely understand why samsung wont give a dedicated task switcher as accidentally pressing it can be quite annoying but really the fixed menu key needs to go.
What about the back button? If its displayed on-screen then it is capable of changing shape to tell you that your next press will exit the app. This is so helpful and only possible on-screen.
And secondly having a flexible button system can be really useful with an evolving OS like android. Who knows google might introduce another navigation button in the mix as all their phones use on-screen configurations.
I think it is a crime to put a hard home button on a top phone made in 2013. It's not 1995 anymore. Samsung insists on hard buttons just to make it easier for people coming from iPhone, which is an emberassment for the Android community.
aydc said:
I think it is a crime to put a hard home button on a top phone made in 2013. It's not 1995 anymore. Samsung insists on hard buttons just to make it easier for people coming from iPhone, which is an emberassment for the Android community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope the love hard button.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
aydc said:
I think it is a crime to put a hard home button on a top phone made in 2013. It's not 1995 anymore. Samsung insists on hard buttons just to make it easier for people coming from iPhone, which is an emberassment for the Android community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My biggest issue with having just a single screen is that there is just no gap between the actual screen and navigation buttons. If you increase the gap then ofcourse it becomes a massive waste of screen. I believe google should switch to using a separate screen in the next nexus for navigation allowing for a bit of gap between the actual screen and buttons. Efficient use of space be damned there is a balance you gotta keep between that and practical usage.
I love the hard button. When I had the Moto Defy, sometimes my finger would slip and touch the home button (I have big hands). It angered the heck out of me.
Is there any way to set the fingerprint button to behave like a capacitive button? I really just want to dab my finger on it and not have to depress, like the other two keys. I know the scanner registers contact but that click press it's really annoying when I just want the "desktop" etc. I think it would do wonders for the buttons longevity too... This may seem like a minor thing but it would really make the make the whole user interaction thing more standard. Having to big press one of three buttons is odd..
You can get a lot of apps that add "soft buttons" to your screen for things like Home. One that jumps to mind is called Button Savior.
That was my way of saying that, no, I don't think you can use that button without actually "clicking" it.
You could try the app called swype home button, just swype up from the screen just above it and itll take you home.
I completely agree with your desire here OP. Coming from an LG optimus G, I find myself gently tapping the button hoping for home.
As an alternative, I'd recommend the pie launcher app in the play store. No root required unless you want menu button functionality. Makes for a nice, easy to reach one handed set of on screen buttons that are only there when you need them, and you can use it as an app launcher too.
pisanty said:
Is there any way to set the fingerprint button to behave like a capacitive button? I really just want to dab my finger on it and not have to depress, like the other two keys. I know the scanner registers contact but that click press it's really annoying when I just want the "desktop" etc. I think it would do wonders for the buttons longevity too... This may seem like a minor thing but it would really make the make the whole user interaction thing more standard. Having to big press one of three buttons is odd..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There has to be a way to do it because of the fingerprint sensor. I'm sure custom kernels soon will have this feature.
Bump any new ideas here?