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

[nudone]

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.com/wb/pages/software/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.dopplerthepom.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.

[wraith808]

Thanks!  I've been wanting something like this forever, and had actually been thinking about going the touchscreen route myself...

[KynloStephen66515]

This kinda came at the perfect time as I have been seriously looking at getting an iPad 2 (found one for £15/Month).

Would be cool as hell if I could also control the TV with it at some point

[Ath]

Would be cool as hell if I could also control the TV with it

Like these?
http://www.l5remote.com/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10462439-1.html
http://www.amazon.com/Re-iPhone-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B0038Z45IW
http://www.amazon.com/Gear4-UnityRemote-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B00468G6PU/ref=pd_cp_e_pw_1

[lotusrootstarch]

This kinda came at the perfect time as I have been seriously looking at getting an iPad 2 (found one for £15/Month).

Would be cool as hell if I could also control the TV with it at some point

Hmm... really? Most of my TVs and Blu-rays are configured to be controlled by iPads and Android devices over WiFi through an app from the manufaturer. I cannot see much real benefit from this setup other than being able to say "I can".

The problems with RedEye Mini are obvious to me:
1. Holding a huge remote like iPad is silly
2. The fact that app-based remote requiring you to switch pages (mostly by hitting PgUp/PgDown one or more times) in order to get access to other addition buttons is a productivity killer.
3. When the iPad falls from a height the thing could easily snap
4. Device support list is very unlikely to be as comprehensive as Logitech Harmony

[nudone]

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)...

[KynloStephen66515]

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)...

Can you use the iPad as a Tablet of sorts on which you can actually draw directly on the iPads screen, and see what your doing (rather than typical tablets where your drawing on your desk, and staring at the PC screen)

[nudone]

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.

[Ath]

@nudone
You might be pointing at Photoshop Touch? http://www.photoshop.com/products/mobile
Especially Eazel should be what you need, imho.

[nudone]

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.)

[nudone]

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.

[Ath]

@nudone, I'll support WinButtons for as long as it seems feasible, meaning I'll (try to) solve any issue you may have


I have a Wacom PenPartner2 that I 'inherited' when I got my wife a (proper) Bamboo drawing tablet, but I hardly use it, as I don't do any graphics stuff, most coding and 'investigating' (aka web-browsing)
That PenPartner is so totally un-fit for WinButtons (combined with a 1920x1200 monitor), I've actually been thinking about getting a real touch-screen, but (tmp lack of) financial means have stopped me so far

[nudone]

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.

[Ath]

+1 Now that is motivating

[nudone]

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.

[nudone]

I've taken a chance and ordered a MYMO MY-720 touchscreen: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MY-720-Powered-Touch-Screen-Monitor/dp/B003MU9WU4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314806117&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.)

[Ath]

I have some (minor) changes planned for WinButtons, regarding mouse movement/placement, but haven't started that yet. Planned for later this week or the weekend.

The screen is looking really nice, IMHO

[nudone]

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkLvTKYgEko

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...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcIAIOO5O5w

[nudone]

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.

[Ath]

Hmmm, not good.

I'll try to fix that ASAP, as said before, I've been thinking of a possible solution, just have to implement it

[nudone]

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.)

[Ath]

I just released WinButtons 3.4.0 and WinButtonEdit 1.0.1.1 from the WinButtons release message.

A new feature CursorRestore is introduced.

Any feedback is welcome