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Hi all,
The idea is to create an amazing picture viewer for Android, free, open-source, and community powered. This thread is a call for Android developers, designers, and users so that we can kickstart this project.
IMO, we should start by:
1) users saying what they would like to see in a picture viewer app (in terms of UI, features, ...)
2) gathering a team of developers - everyone is welcome independent of their skill level (if you just want ot learn as we go thats great too)
3) gathering a team of designers - same as above
4) creating a few app concepts (devs and designers involved)
5) kick-off development
6) iterate the app with users feedback
So anyone (dev, designer, user) that is interested please post here the skills you are willing to contribute with, and your preferred way of communication, and project management software (IM, forum, etc)
So... what are you waiting for, get involved!
Cheers,
about me: I am the developer of RockOn (http://abrantix.org/rockon.php)
I'm in! I will be the token learner! My prefered form of contact/conversation is IM and email. I have accounts for all of the major messengers.
As for concept ideas, the ability to swipe to change picture is very high on my list. Also, as mentioned in the rock on app thread, a layout similar to the rock on layout would be nice for thumbnail viewing.
yeah, i'm happy to help out =]
I might be able to help out. Either development or testing. I prefer email, but also have Google Talk. As for project management, whatever works for everyone else works for me.
Sounds good to me. I am a C/Linux guy who dabbles in Java when he has to. I have almost no GUI skills that lead to anything besides functionality, I am an engineer. I prefer IM or group chat for lengthy design discussions.
As far as functionality I would personally like, I think the RockOn look/feel is pretty close:
Basic:
- scrolling list of thumbnails (maybe like a film roll?) while showing a larger version of the active item in the scrolling film roll
- tap any image to see full screen (best fit maximize, best fit crop, possibly scale to fit (yuck))
- auto rotate of course
- slideshow in order or random with variable delay time in seconds (1,2,5,10,15, tap only)
- optionally override screen timeout when on charger and on battery
Advanced:
- ability to rotate/delete/edit pictures
- show any picture info (mainly titles/when taken/where taken)
- transitions, possibly opengl?
- select background music playlist (which is part of why I thought RockOn was such a good fit)
- defined slideshows (like playlists for music) (maybe as easy as selecting what directories should be in this slideshow and what playlists to use for music)
- widget control to select and start/resume a slideshow (or maybe just a shortcut per slideshow?)
- show subdirectories like the built in picture viewer does? (by creating custom thumbnails)
Really out there stuff:
- integrated media station for pictures/music/movies since they can all benefit from a nice coherent GUI frontend
knoxbrder said:
Sounds good to me. I am a C/Linux guy who dabbles in Java when he has to. I have almost no GUI skills that lead to anything besides functionality, I am an engineer. I prefer IM or group chat for lengthy design discussions.
As far as functionality I would personally like, I think the RockOn look/feel is pretty close:
Basic:
- scrolling list of thumbnails (maybe like a film roll?) while showing a larger version of the active item in the scrolling film roll
- tap any image to see full screen (best fit maximize, best fit crop, possibly scale to fit (yuck))
- auto rotate of course
- slideshow in order or random with variable delay time in seconds (1,2,5,10,15, tap only)
- optionally override screen timeout when on charger and on battery
Advanced:
- ability to rotate/delete/edit pictures
- show any picture info (mainly titles/when taken/where taken)
- transitions, possibly opengl?
- select background music playlist (which is part of why I thought RockOn was such a good fit)
- defined slideshows (like playlists for music) (maybe as easy as selecting what directories should be in this slideshow and what playlists to use for music)
- widget control to select and start/resume a slideshow (or maybe just a shortcut per slideshow?)
- show subdirectories like the built in picture viewer does? (by creating custom thumbnails)
Really out there stuff:
- integrated media station for pictures/music/movies since they can all benefit from a nice coherent GUI frontend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All very good points, I agree 100%. I'd like to add "browse pictures by swipe" to that list though, and double-tap to zoom in and double-tap-hold(xxx ms) to reset zoom.
I don't know the first thing about java/coding, but I have experience in graphical design (Android themes/icons/etc).
Unfortunately, I have so little experience with linux that I might as well know nothing and I'm going deeper C++ so no Java yet =( and no knowledge of GUI programming either) but I do have a suggestion, you could try a format similar to the ScatterView that is on Microsoft Surface, there is already source code that somewhat does this made my Luke Hutchinson for multitouch In the middle of this page If there is anything I can help with I would be more than happy to.
BTW: I prefer E-Mail/IM for communication ([email protected])
Take a look at the LOL Cats application. The picture browsing is great, left right swipt to navigate, up swipe to go to "film strip" and tap to zoom. It doesn't have all the features we'd be looking for but it would be a start. Perhaps they'd be willing to share some code.
I will be happy when any developer add multitouch (like in browser from JF )
and gesture
Alright so we have a few people interested in joining already, and nice ideas to start with. Let's schedule a date for an IRC/MSN/Skype conference to kick this off and start creating some app concepts and distributing tasks.
As for myself, I am really into animation-related stuff like rotations, translations, and 3d-like whenever possible. Id also like to add features for automatic categorization of pictures (for instance making dynamic albums by data- last week/month/6 months/whatever -, location, or even image similarity).
I will have a few hours Wed April 29, 2009 say 9pm-11pm EST.
Busy Thursday / Friday.
I will be free Sat May 2, 2009 after 6pm EST or pretty much any time Sun May 3, 2009 8am - 10pm EST.
@bjehsus, nEx.software, mannyb - Check your PMs
@knoxbrder - check you email (sent via the forums).
Ok well to help out with the project I'm trying to find out how to code the inertial movement for teh scatterview. If anyone has any ideas please E-Mail me ([email protected])
Edit: Please note that I have very little knowledge of Java so it will be in C++ syntax but should be easily translated from what I've been told
I am not a dev and can't really contribute to your work. However, please allow me to make one suggestion....
You already noted that you may wish to integrate the following:
widget control to select and start/resume a slideshow (or maybe just a shortcut per slideshow?)
I would suggest that you integrate a widget into your app. The widget could act like an table top lcd picture frame in which the photos change periodically.
Long press on the widget could open up the full app. Closing the app returns to the home screen with the widget on the screen.
Also, please make it so that the user can designate a folder for the widget, and one (+ the widget folder) for the full app. That way a user could have family photos alternating in the picture frame widget folder, but when the full app opens the user could look at all of the photos (widget file + regular file).
You would also have an icon in the app grid for those who didn't want to use the widget.
Just my $.02. I'm excited to see your progress and will be willing to be a beta tester if you want. I like to have photos of my wife as my "desktop" but, love photos in general. I've been waiting for an app like this!!
Thanks for considering these ideas.
***Note: If you consider working on the widget first you could enter the widget into the contest and then build the app after the widget. Just something to consider.***
maybe you can PM haykuro / JF to help you get the kernel for multi-touch and incorporate that into your photo viewer :]]
i would so pay for this!
shaneaus said:
I am not a dev and can't really contribute to your work. However, please allow me to make one suggestion....
You already noted that you may wish to integrate the following:
widget control to select and start/resume a slideshow (or maybe just a shortcut per slideshow?)
I would suggest that you integrate a widget into your app. The widget could act like an table top lcd picture frame in which the photos change periodically.
Long press on the widget could open up the full app. Closing the app returns to the home screen with the widget on the screen.
Also, please make it so that the user can designate a folder for the widget, and one (+ the widget folder) for the full app. That way a user could have family photos alternating in the picture frame widget folder, but when the full app opens the user could look at all of the photos (widget file + regular file).
You would also have an icon in the app grid for those who didn't want to use the widget.
Just my $.02. I'm excited to see your progress and will be willing to be a beta tester if you want. I like to have photos of my wife as my "desktop" but, love photos in general. I've been waiting for an app like this!!
Thanks for considering these ideas.
***Note: If you consider working on the widget first you could enter the widget into the contest and then build the app after the widget. Just something to consider.***
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have a list of ideas we (and other users) would like to see, I will add this to our list, and we will see what happens
maybe you can PM haykuro / JF to help you get the kernel for multi-touch and incorporate that into your photo viewer :]]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is definitely in our list of wants! It may not happen right away, but we will have to see how the project plays out.
PSV Review (WiFi):
Rough Draft Copy, just to jot some points down, will organize and revise later, mostly about Vita Pros and Cons, not a game experience review
Pros:
- Great HW quality, solid feeling dual joy-sticks, better than its predecessor
- Quality screen OLED 5” 960x544 (I think OLED has become common place going forward since 2011, where the prices of OLED have fallen enough to be affordable on sub ~5” screens.)
- Responsive touch screen (Capacitive) (Popularized by the iPhone, Capacitive touch screens have become common place for brand name devices for the pass 2-3 years)
- Responsive Gaming action, no lag felt during game play in all games including Wipeout, StarDust Delta (though it’s the least you can expect from a custom tailored game SW and HW solution, unlike generic solutions like Windows, Android solutions where hardware resources available on the device are unknown to the SW developer)
- Lots of hardware controls (Gyro, Accel, and your regular HW buttons)
- Light Weight, easy to hold for extend periods of time (on the flip side, this could mean small battery, and explain the 3-5 hr battery life, since the battery is almost always the most physically dense thus heavy component of a system)
- Loud enough speaker (when not covered by finger)
-CONs:
- Hardware: The SGX543CPU is from 2009 (probably reasonable for a $250 device)
- Hardware: No GPS (probably reasonable for a $250 device)
- Packaging: Typical Sony package, bare essentials, no free bonuses like cheap sleeve common with other manufacturers
- Hardware: Backtouch screen is not 1:1 with the front, due to the Sony sticker offsetting the back touch screen by a couple millimeters up, when you compare by touching the front and back touch screen together with your fingers clamped to approx the same place, you’ll notice the back touch is offset by a few millimeters above the front touch screen. This means the backtouch is not exactly intuitive when used in reference to what you see in the front.
- Game: Wipeout: In Wipeout control mode, moving right finger at many times hits the right d-pad up, reversing the ship unexpectedly, This means the Right D-PAD to a little too close to the action buttons.
- OS: BUG: instability on OS screens, ie: settings, power down
- OS: BUG: Poor automatic WiFi Access Point selection. Vita will automatically erroneously pick the access point with worse signal
- Hardware: speaker placement, causes sound to go in and out every time the finger moves to hit different buttons, inadverdently covering the speaker, recommend bottom placement to avoid accidental covering
- OS: BUG: Bluetooth Stereo a2dp doesn’t reconnect upon device resume
----- poor game sound quality when Party voice is enabled
------have to manually reconnect to headphones
- OS: Interface: interface is very touch dependent, this was the same as Sony’s other newly converted touch devices, they tend to abandon all hardware button controls and force touch screen navigation as if the developers got too carried away by its discovery one day. There are many GUI instances where HW buttons still make more sense even in the presence of a touch screen. Like when there is only 1 button available to press (ie: ok) that should be equally accessible by our familiar X button, practically speaking it’s silly to completely abandon the HW interface. Lazy interface programming
- OS: Interface: Double tapping apps. In all apps/games, to access them, you first have to click on the icon on the app drawer, and then again click on the start button of the program to start the program.. I understand that some gaming information (ie: website, addons) is put in front but given the rarity of usage, couldn’t they be put into the main game screen? Other apps such as settings, friends, party, where there isn’t any other options on the front screen, what is the point in forcing the user to double tap?
- OS: Integration: Party, group apps, Friends, trophies, I’m still confused as to which app to launch for what purpose. These separate programs could have been integrated into one social app, where you can see your friends, select them to text or group chat or trophies.
This gated unintegrated experience forces a lot of guesswork and wasted load times between related apps that otherwise should have been an easy all-in-one integrated experience like other mobile social apps.
- OS: Interface: quick program switch, not allowing the top bar swipe gesture to pull down the list of open apps was a missed opportunity for quick app switch and WiFi on/off switching. The PSV seems to force the Playstation button on users to switch out of apps. Unfortunately, Sony is forcing the touch screen when it makes sense to allow HW button and forcing HW button, when it makes more sense to use the touch screen.
- OS: Interface: Cut and Paste: Again it seems pretty inconvenient whenever you want to move type something you’ve painstakingly typed on the touch pad to a different location, there is no way to do it. You are forced to retype what is already in front of you again. I would have accepted it even if the Copy clipboard was confined to pasting from the same program. For example, if you just see a non hyperlinked URL on the webpage that you’d want to go to in the browser, you’d literally have to manually type it in yourself. Or in the chat program if you want to refer to some text previously typed by copying the quote, again, you’d have to retype the whole passage manually. This might not be as big of an issue with an HW keyboard but when the device is dependent on a small touch screen keyboard, you’d want to make every effort to minimize any unnecessary typing.
By the year 2012, I would have expected Copy and Paste to be the most basic function across all text enabled devices.
- OS: Interface: Text cursor, not accessible by d-pad, forces touch access, but no text cursor handle like on Android and iPhone that allows easy cursor movement between characters. By the year 2012, I would have expected cursor control to have become a basic best practice across all touch enabled devices that have text cursors. (edit: cursor control is actually hidden, you have to press and hold the cursor for a second and the text field will magnify allowing you to drag and move the cursor back and forth. So this is good, but if only it wasn’t hidden to be found by accident.)
- Browser:
----------Double tap zoom is broken on many sites
----------No copy and paste
----------poor compatibility, even simple javascripts that are necessary to open certain webpages properly don’t work, for example I was unable to load the flyer from a simple futureshop webpage at all.
- OS: Interface: App Management:
There seems no way to organize the apps into folders, for example, Action games into one folder, puzzle games into other. On my android OS, I have 50 programs and games, none for which would be manageable if they were all just together in the app drawer, but thankfully with folders on the home screen, I was able to categorize them into their respective folders by functionality.
- OS: BUG:
Flight mode: with flight mode enabled, if you grant an app request for WiFi connection, the WiFi turns on, and the game proceeds. But BOTH the flight mode and WiFi icon remains active on the top bar even when the app has been closed. It appears the apps have no way of telling the OS what it’s done with the WiFi or that the OS should return the WiFi to its original state. In fact, after checking the Network settings, OS indicates flight mode is still enabled even though WiFi is also active. The redeeming factor is that upon closing the app, the WiFi icon does disappear (sometimes). But upon subsequent launch of the app, it no longer requests to enable the WiFi, it just does it automatically. The proper behavior should have been to ALWAYS ask for permission when Flight Mode is enabled, this could have serious implications for hospital settings where the WiFi gets inadvertently enabled without the user’s notice and permission. This is fairly poor hardware handling by the software
- OS: Functionality: Multitasking: The browser can not run without first closing the game. This means it's pretty hard to quickly reference for Walk-Throughs or cheat codes while you're playing a game without either first quitting or having a second device handy. It's completely understandable if games won't multi-task amongst other games, but when even the webbrowser doesn't work, essentially there is no multi-tasking, besides on built-in programs like Party, that needs it to be on for the Party Voice to work in game.
-Reviewer:
Last mobile console: NDS, last played 1 year ago, causal player of mobile games. Occasional PC gamer who enjoys some causal tablet gaming when bored.
Owned Sony devices:
Cameras: DSC-T9
Laptops: Vaio P
e-Readers: PRS-505, PRS-650, PRS-950
Gaming: PS2, PSV
What i was interested in is transfer game play between ps3 and the vita?
I thought that is what i saw on tv...
Any thoughts on that?
davidrules7778 said:
What i was interested in is transfer game play between ps3 and the vita?
I thought that is what i saw on tv...
Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im curious about that too
Sent from my X10a using xda premium
buump bump proof
Buy an Xperia Play
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
I have recently installed a Parrot Asteroid Smart Android Headunit, running Android 2.3.7, and I would like to try and replicate an exiting launcher UI from the Volvo Sensus connected touch.
The sensus UI is essentially one large icon per screen (large and easy to touch when moving) each screen transitions continuously, with each screen having a subtle zoom effect zooming in as its selected and zooming out as it is swiped off screen. The closest I've seen is a cylinder transition, but it was the wrong way around, and as I recall it was on the app drawer rather than home screens.
But the thing I'm trying to replicate that I haven't seen any launcher do (they most probably don't see a use case for it) is that the previous and next screens are about 75% in view when on a particular screen, so you can see the what apps/screens are would come next if swiping right or left.
I have been using sslauncher so far, and have got a similar effect, but not quite right as the launcher can't replcate having the previous and next screens partly in view.
Heres a youtube link, skip to 1 minute in to see what I'm going for
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VjPmstvBuE
There are some other touches I'd like, the particle emitter effect when a shortcut is pressed is quite nice, but they are nice to haves.
Any ideas?
Dash Home on the Play Store
Hi,
This is the app I am using with my car's android based radio to give it a custom touch and save my sanity trying to do anything while driving. The hardware and OS are rather limited in the device, so my app goes into retro land to get some performance, using the fixed function pipeline with GLES 1.0 and renderscript. The OS is 4.03 but lacks sensors, etc, etc. This is what I have made to work, it is no where near as smooth as on my Nexus 5, (renderscript is cpu/gpu based instead of just cpu) but it isn't too bad in the car, listening to tunes and getting a visualization effect. On the plus side, visualizations are not impacted by audio tunnelling, but with no GLES2, most visualization apps on the market don't work with the car radio (s100).
Looking for feedback and suggestions for where to go with themes. Or anything else really.
Cheers!
EDIT: updated version info, just updated the play store.
Update Available
Update 1.8.1.419:
Many Changes:
App is half the size, same with the expansion file, (added the ability to patch the base bitmap, but you can still use full bitmaps, see the obb flle in android / obb, it's a zip, the version and size are checked against mods , however you can add a patch file to add your own changes, no size check, same name. Post questions here or email me with theme requests.)
Reworked renderscript code, much faster.
Added a KIA Soul theme, just the Jeep one with Kia images.
Added toggle for compressed textures, most themes seem fine to me, but the Jeep one looks off with compressed textures.
IAn app drawer, swipe right instead of left to access. Launch apps with single click, long press to add/remove to an auto start list, viewable in prefs. (Auto start apps are triggered when the external sdcard is mounted on the S100/S150) I only use the default home these days for uninstalling apps, your usage may vary.
mesh options, you can increase the mesh density for better visuals (higher res), lower for more speed.
Audio visualization strength option added.
Torque integration, press the gas and the 3D GUI tilts forward, if no Torque it still uses the GPS. Suggestions welcome on OBDII sensors to try and what to do with them. I tried GPS heading to get a left right change without much luck, harder to figure that out without going for a drive.
GPS Data logging, automatically saves to the sdcard when stopped or when you turn off the radio, use prefs to disable or specify sdcard location.
Autosaves logcat to sdcard when radio/phone shuts down. (most will be rooted and see all the logs, otherwise just for the app).
ToDo: Upload a proper video to the playstore.
Google Groups: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/dash-home
Update 1.8.1.693
Update 1.8.1.693:
-rotating lights brought back into view (bug fix)
-holiday setting turns on and off (bug fix)
-more tweaks to preferences look
After a week of using the 6T, I noticed that my typing wasn't as accurate as it was on my Moto Z Play. My thumbs also were a little uncomfortable when typing for a while. I realized that because of the screen extending further down the screen on the 6T vs the MZP, I had to move my thumbs much more down the phone than before. After playing around with the floating function of the Google Keyboard, I found a position that is more comfortable (image attached), and my accuracy has improved as well. The keys are now in a more natural position, lining up right next to where my thumbs fall when holding the phone.
The other option is also holding the phone lower, thereby placing thumbs where the keyboard lies on this phone. The downside of that for me is that I have to shift my hands up and down the phone to get my thumbs to the top of the screen. Time will tell which solution I prefer.
Out of curiosity, I wanted to see if anyone else who is coming from a phone that had a much larger chin than the 6T has had the same challenges. It may be also that I'm just getting old, and my hands are less flexible.
how do you make the gboard float like that? I can't seem to find it in settings.
raing said:
how do you make the gboard float like that? I can't seem to find it in settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tap the g in the upper left, then the triple dots top right, look in the lower right?
This will be a necessity for me if I ever talk myself into upgrading my MZP to a 6T as well. My stubby, clumsy thumbs will have nothing to do with a keyboard all the way at the bottom of the device.
Actually recently got rid of nav bar for gesture nav on the MZP, and this helps in that scenario too.
I just got my OP6T today and I'm pleasantly surprised by the phone. Maybe the screen is not as sharp as my previous U11 but the difference is quite small so I think I can live with that for now. The secondary thing is like the OP mentioned typing on the keyboard. I tried using the phone with gestures and even though its really easy to navigate around the UI, writing is just horrible. Space bar is so low that I have to hold the phone really low in order to right properly. With standard navigation bar everything is ok. Tried floating keyboard but its so weird to type and look down to see what you are writing.
Also it's so funny that everyone is chasing the 99% front display ratio but at the same time interaction with the phone suffers a lot and we have to find ways to go around obstacles created but those almost full front display phones.
I use Minuum keyboard with adjustable spacebar height independent of the adjustable keyboard height.