Database Users

Disabling orientation change on power on and keyboard slide.

Anyone know if it is possible to change the TyTn's annoying habit of making unwanted reversions from landscape to portrait orientation?
On my machine it:
1. Always changes to portrait when the device is switched on, even if it was in landscape when it switched off. Some idiot obviously thought this was a "feature" since it comes up in landscape initially and then switches to portrait as you watch.
2. Changes to portrait when the keyboard slide is closed even if it was in landscape before the slide was opened. This is a useful feature poorly thought through. Auto switch to landscape on open IS logical, but it should not assume you want to go back to portrait when the slide is closed again.
I'd be very happy if I could just disable both these "features", but ideally I'd be able to keep "switch to landscape on slide open", with or without "revert to previous orientation on slide close".

JohnHind said:
Anyone know if it is possible to change the TyTn's annoying habit of making unwanted reversions from landscape to portrait orientation?
On my machine it:
1. Always changes to portrait when the device is switched on, even if it was in landscape when it switched off. Some idiot obviously thought this was a "feature" since it comes up in landscape initially and then switches to portrait as you watch.
2. Changes to portrait when the keyboard slide is closed even if it was in landscape before the slide was opened. This is a useful feature poorly thought through. Auto switch to landscape on open IS logical, but it should not assume you want to go back to portrait when the slide is closed again.
I'd be very happy if I could just disable both these "features", but ideally I'd be able to keep "switch to landscape on slide open", with or without "revert to previous orientation on slide close".
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I don't have problem #1, and I wonder if it's being caused by the orientation sensor being triggered at the wrong time. The sensor is magnetic, so if there is a magnet (any magnet) making contact the screen orientation will be landcape. Others here have noticed that even the magnetic closures on the official Tytn case from HTC will trigger the change.
Problem #2 is strictly software and yes, it's damn annoying when a UI designer assumes that the only functionality needed is the one that best fits his/her needs with no regard to anyone else. The only solution I can offer you, short of writing an app to do this yourself is to map a key to orientation switching and switch it yourself once you retract the keyboard. (A side gripe here is why the orientation settings are buried so deep that only a power user can find it).

I think I did see an app for changing orientation but will need to search.
By the way it starts (sometimes) in landscape because the mechanism that changes orientation is a magnet switch. A magnet on the keyboard is moved when you slide it open and operates the switch. Howver since there are powerful magnets in some carrying cases these can operate the switch (as if the keyboard was open) Then when you take it out of the pouch it takes a second or to and reverts to portrait.
You can operate the switch manually by running a magnet along the side of the casing. (not that I'm suggesting that as a solution )
EDIT: perhaps this will help
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1098622#post1098622
Mike

Thanks guys.
I have been able to get a rotation icon on the today screen (iLauncher) and to map rotation to a hard-key using a combination of iLauncher and Resco KeyMapper. But rotation takes a noticable time (seems to redraw at least four times, probably a poor model for the today screen plugin architecture) and it is irritating to have to do it twice when you do not want it at all.
With further experimentation I find it goes according to the slide position when switched on - if you open the slide and then turn on, it always switches to landscape, if you switch on with the slide closed it always switches to portrait. I suppose this makes sense - it reads this magnetic switch at power on and acts accordingly. But if Rob is right, maybe this is a "feature" of one of the utilities I've installed. Next time I have to do a hard reset I'll see if it still happens with the base OS.
I was really hoping there'd be a registry key I could change to modify this behaviour or that there'd be some utility I could buy that allowed me to hook any action I wanted to the slide switch (or none). For example, it would be more ergonomic if it turned on on opening the slide as well as changing to landscape.
See what you mean about the magnet - maybe if I got a strong enough one it would permanently magnetise and stick!

Gyrator 2 - But keyboard doesn't get bigger?

All:
I have been using Gyrator 2. So far so good. But if the keyboard doesn't increase in size when you rotate the screen I don't see a huge advantage other than reading text or email on wider screen.
With the iPhone, yes I said the bad word, when you rotate the screen your keyboard changes making it easier to type on. That's what I'm really looking for. Something that will change the keyboard to a more finger friendly keyboard when rotated to landscape. Anything out there that can do that?
Also, any way to shrink those huge black bars when you rotate the screen at the top and bottom? I was noticing the top title bar (black bar 1) and the bottom soft menu bar (black bar 2) are HUGE in landscape mode and take up way too much real estate. It would be nice if those screen disolved and only appeared if you tapped the header/footer in a screen. I hope that made sense. Anythign apps than can do that? Or am I wishing on star.

Make sure you're using the default HTC keyboard, not the WM original one. The HTC keyboard (called full QWERTY in the input picker) does change and fill the entire screen widthwise when the screen is rotated.

shueflie, I am. And you're right. It does fit the entire screen but for some reason it sure doesn't seem bigger. Maybe it's just me. I guess it has to be getting bigger...but for some reason it still seems like too many keys squeezed in.
Are there any replacement keyboards, say something like a standard letter only keyboard, and then you press something for numbers only, and then something for special characters only? My fingers are too big.

Try the phone keypad in portrait mode (either with or without T9) and see if that suits you better. There are other keyboards available but I haven't tired any of them

Will give it a shot. If you can direct me to a link with more keyboards I'd appreciate it, in the meantime I'll use the almighty search and see what I can dig up.

derrickonline said:
Will give it a shot. If you can direct me to a link with more keyboards I'd appreciate it, in the meantime I'll use the almighty search and see what I can dig up.
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Plenty of keyboards out there. Do a quick search in Themes, Applications and Software and you'll find what your looking for!!!
EDIT:
May also want to check Wiki to ensure keyboard software works ok, Programs/Utilites & Games working on the Touch HD (1 - M) & Programs/Utilites working on the Touch HD (N - Z)

Wow an entire wiki, that's what I'm talkin' about. Thanks!

derrickonline said:
Wow an entire wiki, that's what I'm talkin' about. Thanks!
Click to expand...
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Not all software is shown on these lists. Best option is to do a search for keyboard in Themes, Applications and Software.
If your unsure about anything, refer to this and it should answer most questions you have!

keyboard change based on rotation?

i had a app called butler on my touch pro that would change the keyboard based on if it was slid out so null kb would pop up.
i want something like this so i can use regular keyboard in landscape and swype in portrait.
has this come out yet?

That is A very good piece of thought! Swype in Portrait mode is just perfect, but in landscape the HTC keyboard works better for me, so if there is a way to achieve this automatically (yes, I know, I can switch the kbd on demand, but it's still 2 extra taps each time rotating the screen), that would be great.

bumptacular

BUMP BUMP BUMP lol

[Q]Single Line Input Button For Swype in Landscape Mode

Hi,
I love swype, however I have one major problem when using it with a chat program like Gtalk.
As you know when you put it in a landscape mode, you can't use the on-screen keyboard and see the screen at the same time. Problem is that you can't see their messages when you are typing, and you have to keep flipping back and worth.
I wonder if there is a app or a feature in built already which gives a single line input box, rather taking the whole top screen. That way you can see what the other person is seeing.
Cheers
Pritish

[Q] possible to set two different input methods? (one for upright/horizontal)

Is it possible to set two different input methods? Ideally, I'd like to use Swype if the phone is upright and have the phone switch automatically to multi-touch keyboard when I slide the keyboard out. I have looked around on the phone and am not sure if this is possible.

computerdating said:
Is it possible to set two different input methods? Ideally, I'd like to use Swype if the phone is upright and have the phone switch automatically to multi-touch keyboard when I slide the keyboard out. I have looked around on the phone and am not sure if this is possible.
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Click to collapse
I was looking for a way to do this a while back, but didn't have any luck. For me the perfect setup would be Swype in portrait mode and HTC IME in landscape. I really hope somebody finds a solution for this.

bump. Anyone know? Maybe this should be moved to the general forum?

I think I have it. If you disable auto-rotate and try to type a text upright it will pull up the multi-touch (or swype) soft keyboard but if you slide out the keyboard and start typing it will input that way.
Does that work for you guys?
Edit: I don't think auto rotate has anything to do with input method, sorry.
Can you clarify your question? where do you want to input stuff? text?

Well, you know how if you start typing on the slide out keyboard, word suggestions and punctuation will be available at the very bottom of the touch screen for quick access? That only happens when multi-touch keyboard is enabled. If you type on the slide out with Swype enabled, this doesn't happen and makes typing on the keyboard take a lot longer than it would otherwise.
So I was asking if there was a way to make the phone automatically switch input methods based on its orientation. If it's upright, Swype for faster text input on a touch screen. If it's horizontal or the KB is out, multi-touch keyboard for faster KB typing.
And yes, this is for all text entry.