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276

Living Room / It's alive, it's alive!!! mwahaha! - WinButtons and 7" touchscreen works

« Last post by nudone on September 05, 2011, 04:09 AM »

Ath's WinButtons: http://ath.dcmembers...tware/winbuttons.php and a 7" MYMO Touchscreen are now part of my system - AND IT ALL WORKS perfectly.

Okay, there are slight issues but they aren't worth mentioning just yet; it works better than I could have hoped for within a few minutes of setup.

THIS REALLY IS THE ULTIMATE TOUSCREEN + PC setup. (Potentially, at least; this is still early days.)

I've already said to Ath that I think this could easily make the iPad look prehistoric in comparison. Imagine the combined power of your computer setup and the ability to have a super multi-purpose "magic" keyboard that changes to every one of your program requirements. WinButtons makes touchscreens genuinely useful to your average user - that's amazing - that's a first. (It's blowing my mind just thinking of what's possible - even without considering the serious business market - imagine if Adobe or Microsoft were selling a universal touchscreen device. Oh, I'll shut up as I'm getting carried away.)


Here are a couple of photos. Not a great deal to look at as I've only just had all this working for about 10 minutes (yes, it works straight out of the box). I'll try and do a video demonstration when I've set up all my buttons and programs.


WinButtons with custom 40 button layout on MYMO 7" touchscreen. I shall be moving the touchscreen down so that it doesn't get in the way of the the 30" center screen. (On the left screen is the WinButtons template in edit mode.)


Close-up of the 40 button layout. Sorry for the poor quality (I need to buy proper a camera). The four buttons in the top left are graphics - just for testing.



Oh, just a quick description of what actually happens when using all this stuff:

1) A program has focus, say, Photoshop for example.

2) The touchscreen displays a specific set of buttons related to the above program (in focus).

3) Hitting the touchscreen buttons trigger macros or, more simply, just hotkey shortcuts already built into Photoshop.

4) Moving Photoshop (or whatever) out of focus, i.e. to focus desktop or Explorer, makes another Button layout appear on the touchscreen. This layout has its own set of custom triggers/buttons and appearance.


What's the point?

a) No need to remember hotkey shortcuts as they'll be displayed as buttons on the touchscreen (nice graphic buttons will help this).

b) No need to remember which macro key on a fancy keyboard relates to which function. (I've got around 30 macro keys on my MS Sidewinder keyboard and I can't remember which key is which.)

c) It's like Star Trek but without having to wait a hundred years for the technology to arrive. (This isn't rocket science, something like WinButtons and a touchscreen should have been on the market a few years ago.)


More posts on the project to follow, I'm sure...

277

General Software Discussion / Re: Realtime backups

« Last post by nudone on September 04, 2011, 07:05 AM »

As I always say on this forum, maybe MirrorFolder will suit your needs, though, it's not free.

I've been using for years. Too many options to list here.

278

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by nudone on September 03, 2011, 11:39 AM »

Okay, moving slowly but making progress; I now have Photoshop responding by using [CLASS:Photoshop]. Now, just need to figure out how to make the buttons layout change depending on which program has focus.

edit:
right, I see "Groups" control the button layouts depending on the the program in focus. So, that's good.

I think I'm ready to start putting together a real set of buttons to now.



One thing I've just noticed is that it takes a while to redraw the buttons as they flick between the Groups. I've got 40 buttons on display in each group; is this pushing WinButtons to its limits?

279

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by nudone on September 03, 2011, 11:10 AM »

Okay, I've got the basic CTRL + N working with {ctrldown} n {ctrlup}. Now, another problem, I can't get the button to recognise Photoshop, which I assume is because Photoshop's window title doesn't actually contain the word "Photoshop" in it.

But, I do see that it the word "Photoshop" does appear in the ahk_class when I use the window spying tool that comes with autohotkey.

Is there a way to use these non window title program names with WinButtons. (If not, then that's pretty much the end of my touchscreen experiment before it even began.)

280

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by nudone on September 03, 2011, 10:32 AM »

I thought I'd put together a set of WinButtons for testing out for when I'll have the touchscreen configured. I think I've got the hang of constructing a matrix of buttons using WinButtonEdit, seems relatively simple for something that could be very difficult 

One major problem I've hit immediately is that I'm incapable of sending a simple keyboard hotkey combination. I know this must be simple to do, I've managed to make a button send words, i.e. keystrokes, to a text editor (Notepad++). I just can't figure out how to send something so basic as "ctrl + n", for "open new file". I've tried several combinations of what I think might be correct by reading the winbuttons readme, the WindSendKeys webpage and the autoit send keys list - which only confuse matters as they don't have identical instructions.

So, any idiot-proof instruction will help. Do I need to use pauses between keystrokes or something, or put things is square brackets, or ???

(Obviously, I'll be wanting to send more complicated hotkey keystrokes than ctrl+n when I know the correct syntax to use.)

Thanks

281

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by nudone on September 03, 2011, 05:37 AM »

Ath, pm me your address details and I'll look for a MYMO touchscreen to send you. Amazon (UK) looks like they are out of stock for a while, so might have to try elsewhere.

282

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by nudone on September 03, 2011, 05:23 AM »

Great. Looking forward to trying this now. The touchscreen was delivered today BUT I was out, so it's now on the way back to the local depot; which means I won't be able to collect it until Monday (two days away).

283

Living Room / Re: Should I Get A Divorce?

« Last post by nudone on September 03, 2011, 05:20 AM »

App, that's a brilliant strategy. Weed out all the posers that have nothing better to talk about than a shinny plastic box. Definitely a good way to avoid years of potential boring psuedo religious gibberish about sublime Apple products spewing forth from your son-in-laws gob.

284

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on September 01, 2011, 05:40 AM »

Okay, that's very encouraging. I suspect you can devise a way to hide the mouse cursor when it's over WinButtons and somehow grab the cursor's screen coordinates before a WinButton button is pressed. So, just a quick "trick" of putting the (hidden) cursor back to its orginal "real" position.

I was hoping that the driver that comes with the touchscreen would do all this - maybe it will and WinButton will work without any further modification. (Looks like the touchscreen isn't going to arrive until the end of next week. Though, Amazon said it was in stock at the time of ordering it.)

285

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on September 01, 2011, 03:32 AM »

Okay, forget all that. I've just seen another clip with the mouse cursor jumping problem I suspected there would be with these things. Hmmm, not good.

286

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on September 01, 2011, 03:24 AM »

I'm beginning to think that the mouse cursor jumping from screen to screen problem may not exist. Looking at clips on youtube (mainly of "MIMO" not "MYMO" screens) there doesn't appear to be a mouse cursor visible on the touchscreen

The clip shows MYMO software, with "interesting" circular slide control. Perhaps this could be something for WinButton II  


edit:
Oh, and here's a clip of a MIMO with our favourite circular based GUI, CircleDock...

287

General Software Discussion / Re: a light notetaker/word processor that autohides to the side of the screen

« Last post by nudone on August 31, 2011, 04:38 PM »

Thinking this auto hide feature could be useful with a long list of programs I thought I'd just check if there was an autohotkey solution, and there is: http://www.autohotke...orum/topic56326.html

Not tried it yet though. (Will probably use it with Notepad++.)

288

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 31, 2011, 11:00 AM »

I've taken a chance and ordered a MYMO MY-720 touchscreen: http://www.amazon.co...314806117&sr=8-1

I decided to go for this one rather than the MIMO or LILLIPUT as I prefer the stand it rests on, and anything larger seems a bit over-the-top.

So, all being well, things will work straight out of the box. If they do, or if they don't, regardless, I'll send the same screen to you, Ath, after I've checked this one out. (In other words, if I don't send it back to Amazon because it's total rubbish.)

289

General Software Discussion / Re: a light notetaker/word processor that autohides to the side of the screen

« Last post by nudone on August 28, 2011, 02:50 PM »

Ooh, Stick looks kind of cool, going to try that...

290

Living Room / Re: Centurylink is on CracK

« Last post by nudone on August 28, 2011, 02:44 PM »

What a nightmare. But an entertaining read.

291

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 27, 2011, 09:25 AM »

You're welcome. I want this to work and I'd wondered why you'd not be testing it out on a touchscreen already. There's a massive gap in the market for a genuinely useful touchscreen AND custom button gui for it - let's make WinButtons fill that gap.

292

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 27, 2011, 09:01 AM »

Well, if we can make WinButtons work properly on a touchscreen or, at least, begin to make it look like it will work well with a mini touchscreen I promise I'll buy you the same sized touchscreen I buy.

293

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 27, 2011, 05:32 AM »

p.s. I forgot to say that the iPad is not anywhere near like a decent drawing tablet - not even if using Photoshop via one of the iPad apps.

Drawing on an iPad is like drawing with big fat crayons. Fine if you like big fat cartoons, or fine if you are prepared to keep toggling the brush size and pressure to achieve a more refined drawing.

I mean, I think that Wacom Cintiqs are pretty awful to draw with and they are specifically designed for the task. The iPad is more like a toy in comparison. That's not to say you won't be able to draw a work of art using it - but you could just as easily draw the same work of art using a broken pencil on a soggy bit of newspaper. Well, almost.

294

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 27, 2011, 05:27 AM »

Thanks, Ath. They are some of the apps I was referring to - but there are more generic ones (at least one I know of) that will make the iPad behave like a secondary monitor - but crucially, without touch capabilities (though, touch is promised in the "future").

For me, as a typically DC'er, I want custom layouts for buttons and what they do. I'll happily use lots of Photoshop (and other programs) keyboard shortcuts but there are always a couple of dozen that I forget where I've positioned them on my macro keypad. Hence, the desire to use something like WinButtons and a mini touchscreen.

I'm quite amazed we've not seen something manufactured by now, something that does exactly what thousands (if not millions) of people could benefit from instantly. That is a touchscreen with customisable button layouts and the intelligence to adapt to the program that has focus. So far, I only see WinButtons getting near to these requirements.

The iPad Keypad Pro app almost fits the bill, but it's on an iPad (so, not as convenient as a permanent touchscreen) and it doesn't allow for "pretty" buttons - which I think are essential when dealing with a GUI that will automatically change with the program in focus; in other words, touchpad buttons have to be immediately identifiable otherwise the user may as well just memorise keyboard shortcuts.

I hope that WinButtons will work with the touchscreen I get, or if there are minor issues I hope we can find solutions to them. And, that means, WinButtons will, potentially, be an essential program for thousands of people.

(Maybe I just get carried away to easily, but, honestly, isn't a touchscreen that responds to your exact program needs an absolutely brilliant peripheral to have - it's the future, well, Star Trek has them.)

295

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 26, 2011, 10:52 AM »

There are apps that can make the iPad behave as a secondary monitor for a pc (or mac).

Which means you could drag your drawing program, e.g. Photoshop, onto the iPad "monitor" BUT, BUT, I don't think these type of apps then let you draw onto the iPad screen - which is what you'd require. I might be wrong though.

Instead, there are apps that are drawing/design/sketching programs. Which means you can then draw on the iPad like a Wacom Cintiq. There are "special" pens (rather like fat marker pens) that you can also buy that work with tablet screens.

The problem overall, is that the iPad isn't fast enough for this kind of tablet sketching to be any fun, well, not on an iPad 1 - I know because I've tried it and hated it, way too much drag. Now, maybe an iPad 2 is more than quick enough to remove the drag problem.

296

Living Room / Re: Anyone else using Ramdisk in Windows 7?

« Last post by nudone on August 26, 2011, 05:07 AM »

Maybe not as much fun as using a ramdisk but I think I get the same results by having Firefox (3.6 with lots of extensions) load in at startup and then minimise itself - so it's ready and waiting. The next important part is to keep FF open all day, minimise if need be (even to the system tray) just don't close it.

Does a ramdisk offer much more than this? If so, I'll have to try it, I mean, does a ramdisk make FF faster in actual operation and not just loading up?

297

Living Room / Re: Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 26, 2011, 04:42 AM »

Okay, I've bought the iPad Keypad Pro app and a few of the ready made button templates... but, I can't bring myself to try it. I may test it out over the weekend just to see how well it works - I've decided I just don't like the idea of having to keep an iPad next to my keyboard just in case I want to use some fancy button shortcuts.

Don't get me wrong, I do want some convenient fancy button shortcuts that are there whenever I need them; an iPad just doesn't fit those requirements.

So, I'm going to get a mini touchscreen and try Ath's WinButtons. It will be in a week or two from now that I get the touchscreen (unless I can't resist getting it sooner)...

298

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by nudone on August 25, 2011, 02:10 PM »

Ah, right, sorry, Ath. I wondered why you'd changed the name to WinButtonEdit - because you hadn't.

If the reviews were more positive for the available touchscreens I'd buy one right now and then try and help out with testing WinButtons.

I think I'll try the iPad thing. See if I can tolerate having to manually swap the button layouts for each program I switch to, hate it, then just order a MIMO screen...

299

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

« Last post by nudone on August 25, 2011, 01:56 PM »

Okay, I'm still liking the capabilities of WinButton over the iPad, Keypad Pro. The important feature being program aware context switching layouts.

I have to ask, though, has anyone had WinButtons working on a mini touchscreen, such as a MIMO or a Lilliput device.

The main problem I foresee is that when pressing the touchscreen to activate WinButton, it will cause the mouse cursor to jump to the touchscreen button location - where it will then stay and require moving back with the mouse - which isn't really what is desired when using a touchscreen. (Sorry, if this problem has already been resolved and I've just not been keeping oup with the thread.)

300

Living Room / Ultimate touchscreen control via iPad remote software - I'm excited

« Last post by nudone on August 25, 2011, 12:34 PM »

I've been wanting to try a touchscreen remote control "thing" for years now, something to provide quick ways to hit all the keyboard shortcut combinations you get in Photoshop and lots of other programs, the problem was that there just didn't seem to be a good way to do it.

I've tried a few keyboards with lots of extra macro keys, which works fine until you start to forget which key did which macro/hotkey - hence the desire to use a touchscreen that would have nice, pretty, graphical buttons that are easily identifiable.

Ath's WinButtons, http://ath.dcmembers...tware/winbuttons.php almost seemed like the perfect solution but it requires testing on a touchscreen - something I was prepared to try until I saw several reviews destroying my confidence in mini touchscreen technology (if they were a little cheaper I'd get one).

But, now, I've just found this: Keypad Pro http://keypadpro.dop...thepom.com/Home.html Which appears to be the perfect touchscreen creation and editing program - if you already own an iPad, which I do, and don't own a mini touchscreen, which I don't.

I've not tested it out yet but the features look quite amazing with the touch-slide capabilities. Depending on how well it works, I may even get an old iPad simply to use as a dedicated touchscreen device. Or, I'll just bite the bullet and go the WinButton way with a mini touchscreen.

Disclaimer:
Or, I may realise these things just don't beat learning the layout of macro keys on a keyboard.