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vkeyboard suggestion (corrected for dodgy diagram alignment)

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JdGordon:
bump :) wondering if you are still working on this or someone else should pick it up?

gbl08ma:
I'm also really interested in seeing a vkeyboard like this one (not the prototype made by seani where many things aren't as described), to get an idea of its usability. From thinking how it would be without seeing it in action, I think it would make text input much more practical.

seani:

--- Quote from: JdGordon on September 26, 2010, 02:19:34 AM ---bump :) wondering if you are still working on this or someone else should pick it up?

--- End quote ---

Yes, I've been trying it out with decent success on a C240, E280 and Clip+ (sim. and target), but I've stalled a bit due to a fairly crippling amount "Real Life" work - I find I need to have a good few hours run at a time to make decent progress.

I've tried a few different methods of flipping between character groups, inserting, deleting etc. and there don't seem to be any problems on even the players with the most restricted controls.


The control model I've gone for is:


LEFT and RIGHT:
Move the focus character left and right through the input string. This moves the input string "around" the focus character which remains in the  middle, and this is highlighted by one of: an inverse square, a solid border or "chevrons" depending how I feel.

When you move left and right and bring a char into focus, it synchronises the vertical keyboard correctly. I thought this might feel "flickery" but not so. Even so I'm thinking of fading out characters in the keyboard progressively where the display would support it.


UP and DOWN
Move up and down through the characters in the currently selected keyboard changing the one at the focus


I then use the DEL and SEL buttons, but always as part of a two keystroke sequence, as opposed to simultaneously, and am using variations on this scheme;

SEL -> RIGHT
Insert an empty character to the right of the current focus character.

SEL-> LEFT
Insert an empty character to the left of the current focus character

SEL -> UP
Cycle to the next keyboard set in the sequence (each keyboard set is just a line of characters. There are no "special" characters any more. I have Upper, Lower, Numeric and Symbols as a test)

SEL -> DOWN
Cycle to the previous keyboard set in the sequence

SEL -> SEL
Accept the current string

DEL -> DEL
Delete the current focus character

DEL -> SEL
Abandon the current edit


This still leaves DEL->LEFT, DEL->RIGHT, DEL->UP, DEL->DOWN - possibly delete to end, beginning etc. although I haven't tried those out yet.


Moving "past" the end of the current string performs an implicit SEL->RIGHT to allow chars to be added to the end.


I'm toying with adding an extra explicit SEL press to confirm a change if UP and DOWN have changed the character. This isn't necessary, but I just keep *expecting* to do it, rather than just moving off when it's correct.


I've also tried a number of ways of flowing characters straight-line or round-the-corner as above and a number of methods of indicating focus etc. Not really any clear winners, more personal taste.

One thing I've found is that players without a scrollwheel are a lot better than I thought they'd be - really quite fluid - but the e280 with a scrollwheel isn't quite as good as imagined (although I have a few tweaks pending and it's *all* details with this). Part of the problem for me is that I'm using the current vkeyboard a lot more so my muscle memory for it is a lot better, and it's skewing my judgement a bit.


I haven't put any new voicing in for accessibility yet which was one main driver for me, that's next up.


As far as other efforts are to do this are concerned, I'd like to post at least one starter patch for discussion, but equally wouldn't want to stop anyone from doing it - I'm not getting through it as quickly as I'd hoped.

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