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Support and General Use
User Interface and Voice
Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
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Topic: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted (Read 4403 times)
natror
Member
Posts: 1
Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
on:
November 23, 2006, 07:26:47 PM »
I use iPod Video and the standard font is too small for my tired and short-sighted eyes. I _don't_ mean the font I can load with Browse Fonts (I like and use ter-u20b.fnt) but the one used for Virtual Keyboard or Calculator or Clock's Menu.
Maybe at least just doubling of the letter size is available? (The display seems to be wide enough for it)
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nls
Developer
Member
Posts: 460
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #1 on:
November 24, 2006, 12:15:19 PM »
Unfortunately the font used in some screens is not changeable, it has to do with the difficulty of making these screens work well with different font sizes and that the compiled in sysfont is the same for all players and has not been adapted to players with larger screens.
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Mikerman
Artist
Member
Posts: 721
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #2 on:
November 26, 2006, 02:32:59 PM »
But (he asks innocently) isn't this one of those ocassions when the player differences should be celebrated and taken advantage of, rather than causing impediment?
I agree with the original poster (and said so maybe a year ago, and was told that the virtual keyboard letter size could not be changed, because of the need to fit it on all the players). Â Doesn't it make sense, given the different sizes of screens, to take advantage of that, and to offer a bigger virtual keyboard for bigger screens? Â For those over 40, this is not a luxury--it is an eye-need.
I know that this is an issue caused in trying to have a "universal" firmware, but I wonder if that concept hits a brick wall at times.
Of course, I know nothing of the many hurdles to this, and it could be that offering different virtual keyboard sizes would occupy too much space/cause programming issues/ etc. Â But simply my humble non-developer thought. (And in re-reading this, I see that the prior comment notes the programming issues--I just wish they could be handled (and, for that matter, that I had skills to do so; alas, not).)
«
Last Edit: November 26, 2006, 02:35:12 PM by Mikerman
»
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tucoz
Rockbox Expert
Member
Posts: 110
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #3 on:
November 26, 2006, 03:46:50 PM »
The problem is that the current system font is the same on all targets, whether it´s an old archos or a new ipod. This has been discussed, and as far as i can tell, it is likely to change sometime. This is one of those things that
will
change, but when is another question.
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Claus10
Member
Posts: 5
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #4 on:
December 01, 2006, 03:07:52 AM »
I urgently need this too!
Is ist such a problem to include at least 2 different sizes for the system fonts (big and small)?
Or to merge the tools with different choiceable fonts? That would be the best possibility!
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AlexP
Member
Posts: 3688
ex-BigBambi
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #5 on:
December 01, 2006, 03:44:54 AM »
The system font is compiled into the code, therefore including two is a no go for many targets where the binary size is important. I imagine the way to do it would be to selectively compile in different fonts for different targets, but AFAIK no-one is working on this.
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H140, F60, S120, e260, c240, Clip, Fuze v2, Connect, MP170, Meizu M3, Nano 1G, Android
Mmmm
Developer
Member
Posts: 922
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #6 on:
December 01, 2006, 05:11:50 AM »
Well, here's a patch to display the current user font in the virtual keyboard. If it won't fit on your screen then it goes back to the default font.
If you want bigger fonts in the recording screen then the
REP
will do that.
It works but it's a hack and using different sized fonts makes for an untidy keyboard so this won't ever get committed. That's why I'm not putting it on flyspray and posting it here instead (is that ok Llorean? I'll move it to my own server if not
)
Edit: moved to flyspray:
http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/6405
«
Last Edit: December 01, 2006, 01:42:47 PM by Mmmm
»
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My H120 build with Recording Enhancements Pack
Some examples of recordings done on H140 with Rockbox
bascule
Rockbox Expert
Member
Posts: 1298
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #7 on:
December 01, 2006, 05:49:08 AM »
I don't think Flyspray is unsuitable for never-to-be-committed patches, surely?
Provided it's clearly marked as such. It will just lost on the forum.
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DataBase
fanboy and author of the totally overhauled
Rockbox Sync Tool
Llorean
Member
Posts: 12931
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #8 on:
December 01, 2006, 05:54:53 AM »
Patches are best kept on Flyspray, even if they aren't to be committed. I'm not sure how never-to-be-committed user-fonts for the VKeyboard is anyway. I have no objection if a patch is here for a short time, especially if it's sharing one to help someone with a quick fix, though, but this one seems the kind that would be helpful to more people so even if it's not committable for one reason or another, it probably belongs there.
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Mmmm
Developer
Member
Posts: 922
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #9 on:
December 01, 2006, 01:47:19 PM »
Ok then, Flyspray it is.... (the link is up there in my original post)
I just remember Linus asking someone why they had put a patch on flyspray if it wasn't intended for inclusion in the main program, but that was a long long time ago and a lot has changed since.
I suppose that now it is there as an idea, it
may
be improved on to make it acceptable...one day.... (I think a complete rewrite of how the font system works would be the only good way though).
Actually, the way it should work IMO is that you load a virtual keyboard (which you can already do) but the font for that keyboard would be specified in the keyboard file that is loaded. That way the loaded keyboards would always look good. It would be screen dependent though, a bit like the WPSs. And, yes a complete rewrite of the font system would be necessary!
A lot of work!
«
Last Edit: December 01, 2006, 01:53:19 PM by Mmmm
»
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My H120 build with Recording Enhancements Pack
Some examples of recordings done on H140 with Rockbox
JdGordon
Member
Posts: 1817
Constantly breaking stuff
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #10 on:
December 03, 2006, 08:27:09 PM »
What about a completly rethought out keyboard?
How about something which uses a bar at the top/bottom of the screen which lets you run through the alpha-bet with only the left/right keys (would work great with the ipod scroll wheel), then select would add the current button.
the player uses this sort of keyboard (
http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-player/rockbox_interface/images/ss-virtual-keyboard-charx11x1.png
)
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Using PMs to annoy devs about bugs/patches is not a good way to have the issue looked at.
Mmmm
Developer
Member
Posts: 922
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #11 on:
December 04, 2006, 04:20:36 AM »
Nah, That'd drive me nuts, I much prefer being able to see the main characters all on the screen at once.
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My H120 build with Recording Enhancements Pack
Some examples of recordings done on H140 with Rockbox
Davide-NYC
Member
Posts: 429
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #12 on:
December 04, 2006, 11:34:18 AM »
I wonder which input method is in fact faster?
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Currently: iRiver H132-RTC-CFMod
alsaf
Member
Posts: 47
Re: Default font (for virtual keyboard e.g.) too small for short-sighted
«
Reply #13 on:
January 12, 2007, 05:23:32 PM »
There is an ability to use morse code instead of the virtual keyboard. With a bit of swotting it can be memorised so there is no need to squint at screen and should be quicker with less keypresses.
On my H120, it is accessed in the virtual keyboard screen using the Play + A-B button pressed together.
For ease of use, here's a link to the morse code alphabet.
http://www.babbage.demon.co.uk/morseabc.html
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iRiver H120/Sansa M240
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