I love the idea of softkeys. With it you can put bigger screens on smaller devices and they can disappear whenever needed to.
The main problem is that it's a 50/50% chance that they will disappear when I think that they should. With physical keys that's never an issue.
Movies, yes
Games, yes
Full screen applications, yes
etc.
What determines when the keys disappear and not? Is it up to the app creator? What can I do about it (I'm not rooted)?
They can't always disappear in full screen games. If the game needs a back button you would be stuck.
I assume there is something in there that tells it. Much like if an app does not have an on screen menu button (usually three dots), a menu button will be added to the lower right side of the portion of the screen where the soft keys are.
It's not there for all apps, only ones that don't have a menu button on screen. Not sure if this is declared by the app or if 4.4 can detect it somehow and show the button when needed.
fury683 said:
They can't always disappear in full screen games. If the game needs a back button you would be stuck.
I assume there is something in there that tells it. Much like if an app does not have an on screen menu button (usually three dots), a menu button will be added to the lower right side of the portion of the screen where the soft keys are.
It's not there for all apps, only ones that don't have a menu button on screen. Not sure if this is declared by the app or if 4.4 can detect it somehow and show the button when needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my tablet (running 4.1) I get these dots you are talking about (but not in the lower right corner, they replace the ordinary softkeys)). That's all fine because they take less space (from what I remember) then the ordinary softkeys.
If it all comes down to having a back button in the app, why not implement that in the app?
I downloaded crazy taxi yesterday and those softkeys are annoying me as hell.
I ended up getting used to using LMT and just turn on expanded desktop to make the navigation keys go away. That way if LMT gives me any trouble...I just hit the power button and turn off expanded desktop and my navigation keys are back. (Gravity box to get that option in power menu.)
Hated pie at first...but used to it now.
Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...
Related
Hello XDA'ers,
I am wondering what the reason behind why the buttons (camera, power, green, red, etc.) in Android on HTC Vogue map to the various tasks they do? For example, the camera button is back, but why not the red button? Is this something hard set in Android and cannot be changed or did someone specifically set it up this way for a reason?
Secondly I am wondering if I create a new "keylayout file" (source.android.com/porting/keymaps_keyboard_input.html) or modify the default one in /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl will I be able to change the mapping of these buttons?
Compared to the Win Mobile mapping, they button layout can take some getting used to,
but once you get used to it, it's actually a very cool layout, especially if you are right handed.
You can hold the phone in your left hand, and use your thumb to access the settings 'top button',
Use your ring-finger to always back-out or end an app
Green button for phone / initiating calls
Red button to end a call, sleep mode, or power off
I wish the d-pad had more use, but I'm always using the stylus, so barely use it.
Would love for the d-pad center key to maybe be the main power-off button.
Does_It_Matter said:
... It's actually a very cool layout.
...
I wish the d-pad had more use, but I'm always using the stylus, so barely use it.
Would love for the d-pad center key to maybe be the main power-off button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree the current layout is a very cool layout indeed, but as I imagine most people on here like to tinker it may be interesting to know how to customize the button bindings.
I am not sure if its just a matter of changing the button layout file.
I looked at that qwerty.kl file in the android.tgz
It looks like its just a mapping file, and if you change the mapping, you change
buttons,
but doesn't that mean you're just re-mapping the button itself?
Not re-mapping its functionality?
I.e., if you remapped the camera button to the d-pad center, for example, then
the d-pad center would do all functions the camera button used to do,
and the camera button would do any functions the d-pad center would?
Seems like you'd actually have to change more code than just the .kl file?
i wrote this application for polaris, and with simple changes you can add the vogue setup...
I'm an amateur at all this I've managed to get my nook color rooted, and I've installed a few apps. I've tried softkeys, but I'm not 100% happy with the result. First it wouldn't start on its own after a reboot. I reconfigured it following some directions form another user, and it starts now, but it's still too "busy", with bars and buttons popping up all over.
ALL I WANT is an app or some way to configure a "back" button and "menu" button in the lower black bar where the clock, bettery meter, etc are? Any ideas?
Either that, or is there a way to turn off ALL THE OTHER FUNCTIONS AND DISPLAYS of softkeys EXCEPT the ability to go "back" when pressing the physical "N"/home button, which is how I have it now.
In the end, I don't want any "back" or "menu" buttons on the actual viewable screen except the lower black bar.
THANKS a million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
not quite what you asked for but i remapped my volume keys for menu and back. works great for my needs. i control volume with a widget now.
hxxp://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Remap_volume_buttons_for_back_and_menu
hope this solves your frustrations with hotkeys.
nookcolor
zeam launcher
Well, if all you want is a back button on the notification bar..... you have one. Not talking about the back button that appears on there either. Just swipe left on the notification bar and it should always work as a back button.
Other than that, there's an app you can try called Button Savior you can get from the Market. It has a small launcher button that appears on the edge of the screen. You can move it around a limited range as you see fit. It's not as complicated or as "busy" as Softkeys.
If you find the visible button not to your liking, you can try this modded version of Button Savior. The button is invisible. You can see where the button actually lies by switching to the Sense UI theme. Then back to the default or Froyo theme to make it invisible once more. The modded version of Button Savior can be found here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=897253
I suggest you try the Market version of Button Savior first.
I'm going to second Button Savior. It hasn't let me down once
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
g-costanza said:
I'm an amateur at all this I've managed to get my nook color rooted, and I've installed a few apps. I've tried softkeys, but I'm not 100% happy with the result. First it wouldn't start on its own after a reboot. I reconfigured it following some directions form another user, and it starts now, but it's still too "busy", with bars and buttons popping up all over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have Softkeys set up properly..
http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Default_Launcher
I understand what you are looking for. I would like the same thing, but I do not believe there is anything out there for us..
I may end up remapping the volume keys myself.
spikey911 said:
I understand what you are looking for. I would like the same thing, but I do not believe there is anything out there for us..
I may end up remapping the volume keys myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With SoftKeys you can put the menu and back buttons in the notification area, since ver. 1.0.8 I believe. Then, disable the popper, and you are good to go.
With the advent of Nookie Froyo and rumors of CM7 only one thing makes me Pissed off as heck. HARD BUTTONS!!!!! Of course, we could map the volume buttons for these things, but I have a proposal/wish (Since I can't program --_--)
Is there anyone who could make a app so that long pressing a volume button would bring up or lower the volume, and tapping them slightly would trigger the back button or menu button? Or vice versa?
I think this would kill our needs for soft-keys or any annoying launcher stuff. Just a wish. tell me if this is possible plx
or... double tap them --_--
I don't program either, but I was just thinking about alternative methods too, since I find soft keys annoyingly unelegant as well. I like the remapping of the hard volume keys for long presses idea. Another option might be to take a play from the jailbroken iphone book where Activator can launch programs or perform system actions with gestures (swiping in from the top, or tapping the volume indicator box after voluming up/ down, etc) - sort of like how swiping left on the nook status bar goes back or how swiping down the left side of the screen in fbreader changes the brightness of the display. Could be a system wide action where swiping left at the bottom if the screen regardless of if the status bar is visible would go back while swiping right would invoke the menu...
Sent from my Nook Color (1Ghz oc kernel, Android 2.1)
hmm.. well, I guess I'll just have to stick with soft buttons for now. {presses the nook color home button to death}
Several Apps That I Use...
Have gestures that allow the functions that you folks mentioned. For example, Aldiko has a great brightness adjust by swiping down one side of the screen, and Dolphin HD has a lot of gesture-activated commands.
I'm not a programmer but some bright dev out there might be able to come up with the appropriate calls to allow gestures for volume - what about a poll?
Hi, is there a way to change the buttons in the bottom black menu on a stock rooted nook? Not sure what the proper term for that menu is. But it needs a back button. I don't like having softkeys running and would prefer to just add the button to the strip at the bottom of the screen.
Thanks.
Personally, I don't get everyone's fascination with soft keys on a stock-rooted nook. You can just swipe right to left on that bar you are talking about and it *is* a 'back' key. I shut off soft keys right away and have yet to actually need it.
doncaruana said:
Personally, I don't get everyone's fascination with soft keys on a stock-rooted nook. You can just swipe right to left on that bar you are talking about and it *is* a 'back' key. I shut off soft keys right away and have yet to actually need it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's mainly for apps that use full screen. Since you have access to the Market, and there are so many apps that use full screen, it's a must have. For example, Angry Birds. With just the hardware key, you would not be able to go back or use the menu. Also, any non native nook apps lose their menu without them. For things that came with the nook, it doesn't matter.
Coming from S2, I know it is long overdue lol, and got used to touch-style Home button, I would love to get back to home by just tapping instead of pressing Home button. Is it even possible?
Thanks.
re: home key
doanthaitu said:
Coming from S2, I know it is long overdue lol, and got used to touch-style Home button, I would love to get back to home by just tapping instead of pressing Home button. Is it even possible?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are two ways that it can be done.
Once we have a proper custom recovery like twrp you can use the softkey mod
which has the option of adding three softkeys menu/home/back buttons on the
bottom of your screen, they look exactly like real softkeys and are transparent.
The other way to do it would take a bit of getting used to is
the mod which can re-assign the back and menu keys to be
the home key or basically any anything else and can be
configured for long press, double tap or single tap.
Some of the high end launchers already have this feature of
re-assigning keys built-in like the "Next launcher 3D shell".
The Next launcher even has option to replace the home key
by simply swiping up or down to replicate the home button's
default/normal single tap.
With the Next Launcher, we do not even need root or custom recovery.
Good luck!
I've used Go launcher free version forever and got used to swipe down anywhere to bring down notification, I wonder if TouchWiz has this function? With the phone of this size, this function is a must.
And I miss AOSP dialer, swipe left or right to go to next tab. Touchwiz's dialer has the tabs on the top, makes it impossible to use it 1 hand.