Today I began to make an old idea into reality: a new, lightweight launcher.
The basic idea was derived from iPhone: an easy-to-use menu, without a home screen (thus light-weight).
So basically, this won't be the favorite of the people, as it does not include widget support, or anything like that. Just a bunch of icons, and a bottom dock (what is editable of course).
After mixing the good features of the latest launchers (ADW, LauncherPro, TouchWiz, original Froyo, Donut launchers), I came to a feature list:
- Pages of icons instead of a list
- Page indicator dots (top or bottom)
- Icons get background like iOS (or like TouchWiz)
- Icons are placed based on position - new app goes to the end (not alphabetically ordered - like in TouchWiz3 Launcher, layout loaded from an XML file)
- A nice clock screen (this one is my idea - to have a clean area, where are no icons, just a clock, maybe with weather and music player, and with notifications)
- Use labels if possible (so the GMail account will have an incoming messages circle at the top, just like messaging and Phone (for missed calls, etc).
- Customization by skins - icons can be replaced with a custom theme, and this time, the app icons aren't loaded (lightweight!!!!)
- Customization by settings - select layout style (4/4 or 4/5 icon layout, page indicator position and color)
- Settings backup to SD card
After this list, I made a little mockup what shows how I imagined iLauncher:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
What you can see here:
- The basic layout
- Page indicator circles on top (first page - clock, second page (current) - icons, third page -icons)
- Incoming indicators on icons (GMail and messaging)
- Running background process indicator (Google Talk is running in the bg)
What you can't see here:
- Icon labels - it will be the usual icon label, nothing really big change
- Icon backgrounds - when the mockup was made, I did not decide whether to have them or not
- Anything else I forgot to include
Then, when the mockup was ready, I began working on the code.
As a beginning, I took a look at android-7's (Android 2.1 update 1) samples, namely the Home sample (actually, the whole current AppInfo/AppIcon class is from there). That gave a pretty nice look over the stuff, so I grabbed what I needed (the icon classes) and began working on the bottom dock.
More will come as I develop each bit of the app!
Please note:
I do NOT need help in this. This journal is merely a share of my experience what I got coding iLauncher. Any time I code a bit of it, I add here what I did, and what happened after.
If you want to help me even I told you I don't need it, you can do so by collecting tutorials, code samples on these:
- The (not so) random icon background - still haven't figured out how to add them based on icon color, etc
- The paging system (the whole page system, flipping around, needs to be done)
- Notification labels
I will test it for you.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Related
Hi,
I recently picked up an MDA Pro and am pretty happy with it, but there are a couple of things on the Today screen that I'd like to get rid of and can't find out how.
The bottom of the screen has a bar for the softkeys (currently says 'Messages' and 'Calendar') that's a waste of space, and likewise just above that there is a toolbar with battery status/wireless manager/screen rotate that I'd like to ditch. Any ideas how to do this?
Separately, are there any today plugins that give you the ability to crush down the # of messages and tasks to a single line rather than the current individual items?
Cheers,
Jim.
I don't use WM2005, however, have a look for my program, TodayToggle (which is not entirely WM2005 compatible: it doesn't hide the softbutton menu bar; I've purposely NOT tried to hide it because it's there for a reason. Would it be useful to hide it? When I get WM2005 I'll think about it).
For better control of task and alarms etc, look into alarmtoday by pocketmax. 3rd plugin down here:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
V
vijay, u have some AWESOME looking features going on there. Please can you tell us what you're using for:
- What is giving you all the icons in the top bar?
- Which app are you using for the calendar summary?
- What is the second-last plugin and what does it do?
craigiecraigie4 - have a look at the second post here for some shots of my setup http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=26468
The bar at the top is just PhoneAlarm using a skin I made, and using a hack I made called ToggleToday. Both are described in detail here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=27331
Toggletoday will minimise the Startbar to a tiny 2 pixel high bar, and then allow your today screen to show through. So you get phonealarm on every page. It should work in QVGA on the Universal, although I'll be sorting out VGA and full WM2005 support when I get a WM2005 device (shortly I hope).
The second to last plugin is claunch set up with shortcuts to dial or sms my better half - they use tools I wrote called VJSMS and VJDialer, both available in the development forum; http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=26972.
I use a dual sim, so claunch is also set to allow me to switch sims (not visible on screen) - the plugin after phonealarm is a plugin i wrote to show my current operator, o2 UK and Orange UK.
The calendar summary is using AlarmToday by Pocketmax (phonealarm guy) but hacked a little to suit my theme better.
V
PS - this is my old screen! I've improved one or two things since, will try to post some new pics soonish.
Hmm... not quite what I was after. Here's a screenshot of my today page with the things that I don't like about it:
Items that I'd like to fix:
1 - combine these into a single line item
2 - get rid of the softbar (using a softkey for messages is a waste as there's already a hardkey for this and the calendar is already on the today screen)
3 - get rid of this line of icons (again duplicated information/functionality)
I tried your software but it doesn't seem to work with the MDA Pro: the screen ends up somewhat distored with the messages part of the today screen showing through to other apps and the right-hand 20% or so of the screen no longer updating - suspect a WM2005 prob somewhere.
Any other ideas?
Okay so not a perfect fix but I've found out how to change the softkeys on the Today screen and posted the details at http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?p=140027
Some RSS Reader for HTC Homescreen would be A fantastic Idea! It looked out like that:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
ManuelLemke said:
Some RSS Reader for HTC Homescreen would be A fantastic Idea! It looked out like that:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where i can found it??its very Amazing...
It is...
(Sorry for my English. ) ...not been created yet, but i hope, someone can make it!
This is just some Idea and Animation with MS-Paint.
And again (just like i wrote in the german coop-forum ) i totally agree with this but am of the opinion, that the email-style would not be too productive/userfriendly. Some kind of Twitterlike layout with the channel-symbols at the side would work waaayyyy better
- There can be p.ex. only two feeds listed on one "email-paper" (and only in preview-form as well)
- What happens when you click on a paper (which feed/article gets opened?)?
I thought it could be like this (maybe with some more eyecandy ):
Channel-Symbols
elburna said:
And again (just like i wrote in the german coop-forum ) i totally agree with this but am of the opinion, that the email-style would not be too productive/userfriendly. Some kind of Twitterlike layout with the channel-symbols at the side would work waaayyyy better
- There can be p.ex. only two feeds listed on one "email-paper" (and only in preview-form as well)
- What happens when you click on a paper (which feed/article gets opened?)?
I thought it could be like this (maybe with some more eyecandy ):
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great Idea with the big Symbols. One Suggest for Handling is this:
1. There could be the latest Update of News showen in 3-Lines Text, so you can read-in and there is more than just Headlines. So there would be one Letter per one Update (and if no Updates are aviable, there will be no Letter).
- If there is A Video at one new Headline, or A Picture or Music-File, than you see just one Haedline per Paper-Sheet with A Thumbnail.
2. When you click at one Letter, A List with all Headlines could start - at the Position of the Date of the Update, you clicked at. If there are less than 4 Headlines, you see 1 complete opened and you scroll to the next by moving the Finger from right to the left, like at your Emails.
3. My aditional Idea is to put this together with you Email-Client, HTML-Client, Twitter, Facebook - so there would be one Symbol for each Componente. In Mail-Accounts you scroll like before, SMS the same, HTML: there you see Thumbnails of Favorites and last opened Sessions. In Twitter or Facebook, you see latest Updates on the Screen - aditional Options and Handling could be integrated in Menus or by starting the whole App. - There could also other Mailclients be integrated like Skype or iCQ with Symbols at the Sidebar.
-
Some other Option is, to put this Menu on the Screen with Icons for single Messenger-Apps in Lines,
just with the Numbers (for Updates) at the Bar downside. So Messaging+ Surfing Apps-, Cellphone-Apps and Tools-, Multimedia-Apps could be collected together (Photos, MP3, Youtube+ Videos), Explorer could be integrated at the Sense Homescreen (also with Icons in Lines, animated like that)
and be used for all Apps the same one (also rar-Zipp-App), And:
4. there could be some Manager for Programms and running Programms, running Status too (like Battery, Calendar, ...) at the Homescreen for Sense.
Collecting Things together would be good, because if there will be more Widgets for Sense, you have to scroll through 20 or more Icons! in one Line. - More than one Line with all this (Home, Email, SMS, Twitter, RSS, PDF, ......) sorted in Categories will be necessary. The Lines could be animated like Rings and with glowing-Effects.
With this, there would be integrated the Homescreen, the Explorer and Browser, the Taskbar and the Start-Screen with Programs, also the Settings-Screen.
This idea has been bought up so many times, but no one has developed it yet. I literally have been on the watch for 3 years for it. Seems like it gets mentioned then dies out like:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=533334&page=2
ask Dutty? His ROMs feature a RSS "ticker" on the main home tab...
Check this project: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=758107
I have been gone from the seen for a while after the Sense2.5 screenshot leak that eventually cost me my job at Big Red.
No worries though. I am back now with a TP2 in hand and VZW's MR2 installed.
I have been hard at work on all sorts of Manila icon replacements for Sense 2.5 and should be updating my website (tp2.bfgreenberg.com) soon with all the goodies.
UPDATE
I have reworked many of the icons.
I have a CAB available for some testing as there are just too many icons for me to find every error (over 350 icon replacements so far)
Some things to know if you decide to test:
I have seen the "black screen of death" after the 1st reboot after installing. If you get this, just DO NOT hit the VOL UP button. Any other button will allow the phone to boot normally.
The file is HUGE. Over 1 MB so it takes a while to install.
I have verified that it does UNinstall cleanly.
Please email me any problems you find to [email protected] and please include screenshots.
When emailing me please put ICONPACK in the subject line and be sure to include your XDA username in the body on the email
Please make sure to reboot after installing or un-installing (not just restart Sense) ... this is because there are other graphic files (BMP, PNG) in additional to manila files.
This is FAR FROM COMPLETE. Still email me if you see something that doesn't look right. I will reply if it is indeed a bug or just something that I haven't gotten to yet.
Included in this:
World Clock Slider
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
All Contacts Slider
Individual Contact Slider
Photo Albums Slider
Music Library Slider
Other contacts icons
Settings icons (can be seen on my website)
Notifications icons (can be seen on my website)
Other icons here and there scattered throught the UI.
Update - July 28, 2010
Minor Bug Fixes
Call Log Icons
Update - August 2, 2010
Minor Bug Fixes
More Icons
This will probably be the last BETA before the final release.
I have received very little feedback which tells me that either nobody gives a crap or that it works really well.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS WILL INTERACT WITH CHT - USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
NOR WILL IT LOOK GOOD WITH A TRANSPARENT SLIDER / BOTTOM CURTAIN (for now - options for this will be included in the final release).
THIS IS FOR UNCOMPRESSED MANILA ONLY (again - for now)
PLEASE!!!!
No requests for different icons if you just dont like the ones I have used.
This and all BETAs to follow can be found here:
http://tp2.bfgreenberg.com/BETA/
BETA now available for testing. See POST #1
You should post some more 'screenshots' of the full slider in here and I think many people will be glad to use them. I went to your website, they're actually pretty good, I like them.
slimslim said:
You should post some more 'screenshots' of the full slider in here and I think many people will be glad to use them. I went to your website, they're actually pretty good, I like them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This icon pack does not include a main slider.
The final product is done.
Available on my website or see the post in WM Themes section.
I like Ur sliders. They r pretty awesome
Hi all,
I posted this screenshot on Twitter last night and had some interest:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
So thought I'd show how I did it.
Yes, and before you say anything - I know the icons aren't quite lined up, but on screen you don't really notice (and it was late, I was tired, and I didn't want to start messing with images! Well, I know 8.25pm isn't late, but I had a busy day, ok? lol)
In the flesh:
So, I'm running MIUI 12.3 on my Milestone (great ROM!), but I doubt that matters - you just need LauncherPro as your Launcher and you should be good to go. It doesn't have to be registered to Plus, but if it is, you'll be able to fit in the battery as well as the clock (by resizing the 4x1 widget to 3x1)...
1) Install LauncherPro and Desktop Visualizer from the Android Market.
2) In LauncherPro settings, set Appearance of the Dock to Custom, and use this image: http://imgur.com/download/N4HuX
3) Under Advanced, set rows to 7 (yes!) and leave columns on 4. This is at the moment the best way I've found the icons line up. It seems the Milestone screen doesn't seem to match other Layout configurations I've seen!
4) You'll also want to Hide the Status Bar.
5) Get the icons from here and download to your SD card: http://cl.ly/587f170f67f0e691eec9
6) Using Desktop Visualizer, layout the icons in 3x1 or 1x2 widgets as above, making sure you Clear the icon text after you select the program to link the image to.
7) Delete all the items from the dock, and use this transparent icon from here for the centre menu button: http://www.elektrobike-hotels.com/markers/transparent.png
8) The clock is the Digital Clock Widget and the battery is BattStat.
I hope that helps some of you!
The source of the files I've used are here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=781455 and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=783946. Thank you to those original posters - without you I wouldn't have even tried! However, I couldn't get either layout to line up exactly so had to make my own instructions.
It may be due to the fonts under MIUI, so this make not line up the same on other ROMs - I'm not sure! You may find the first link above actually works better for you if this one doesn't! I know different ROMs seem to layout things a bit differently!
Nice work!
It needs some fine tuning (size/overlap) and some more icons (modern).
Here's a screenshot on my Moto.
AndiTails said:
Hi all,
I posted this screenshot on Twitter last night and had some interest:
So thought I'd show how I did it.
Yes, and before you say anything - I know the icons aren't quite lined up, but on screen you don't really notice (and it was late, I was tired, and I didn't want to start messing with images! Well, I know 8.25pm isn't late, but I had a busy day, ok? lol)
In the flesh:
So, I'm running MIUI 12.3 on my Milestone (great ROM!), but I doubt that matters - you just need LauncherPro as your Launcher and you should be good to go. It doesn't have to be registered to Plus, but if it is, you'll be able to fit in the battery as well as the clock (by resizing the 4x1 widget to 3x1)...
1) Install LauncherPro and Desktop Visualizer from the Android Market.
2) In LauncherPro settings, set Appearance of the Dock to Custom, and use this image: http://imgur.com/download/N4HuX
3) Under Advanced, set rows to 7 (yes!) and leave columns on 4. This is at the moment the best way I've found the icons line up. It seems the Milestone screen doesn't seem to match other Layout configurations I've seen!
4) You'll also want to Hide the Status Bar.
5) Get the icons from here and download to your SD card: http://cl.ly/587f170f67f0e691eec9
6) Using Desktop Visualizer, layout the icons in 3x1 or 1x2 widgets as above, making sure you Clear the icon text after you select the program to link the image to.
7) Delete all the items from the dock, and use this transparent icon from here for the centre menu button: http://www.elektrobike-hotels.com/markers/transparent.png
8) The clock is the Digital Clock Widget and the battery is BattStat.
I hope that helps some of you!
The source of the files I've used are here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=781455 and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=783946. Thank you to those original posters - without you I wouldn't have even tried! However, I couldn't get either layout to line up exactly so had to make my own instructions.
It may be due to the fonts under MIUI, so this make not line up the same on other ROMs - I'm not sure! You may find the first link above actually works better for you if this one doesn't! I know different ROMs seem to layout things a bit differently!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been searching for the Battstat widget, but have not been able to get it from the market or anywhere.
Could yuou upload this for us, or assist with download.
Firstly, please don't quote a WHOLE massive post to ask a question about one line.
Secondly, does this help? http://www.appbrain.com/app/battstatt-free/net.bajawa.battery
COMMANDS LAUNCHER
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
[More screens in google play's page]
Hi all
This is my first "real" application. I done only CyanogenMod themes until now. For learning something about Android programming, I developed a small app, Commands Launcher.
It is very simple: you can define commands (only shortcuts actually) that you can use in a widget (homescreen and lockscreen).
I hope to add more features in the future, but as I'm an university student at the last year, I won't have much free time.
WIDGETS:
-Homescreen widget with a list of the commands defined (better than folders, it has an unlimited capacity and helps in saving space)
-Lockscreen widget [only from Android 4.2] that allows you to run commands directly from the lockscreen, without unlocking the device (note that this obviously won't work if you have a pin /password security for the lockscreen)
-1x1 minimum size
APP FEATURES:
-homescreen and lockscreen widgets
-three different text sizes for widgets (small, medium, big)
-side scrolling menù for helping app's navigation
-view of commands defined in a list
-backup and restore your commands in and from sd card
-three themes: light, dark, black (black is useful for amoled users, it will displays better and will save battery)
-four different transitions types between app's page
CHANGELOG
-1.5: now items of the list in the widget are centred
minimum widget size decreased from 2x2 to 1x1 (you may need to replace widgets)
-1.3: possibility to change widgets text size (small, medium, big)
small fixes
-1.2: other little fixes after first release
-1.1: little fixes after first releare
-1.0: initial release
DOWNLOAD:
Google Play
(if you like the app, rate it )
Enjoy
I love the concept of this widget. I've been looking for something like this. As a next step, I'd love to be able to create multiple different widgets that I can place on different homescreens. Also, font and size customization and the ability to link apps and not just shortcuts.
Great start!
Jesellers88 said:
I love the concept of this widget. I've been looking for something like this. As a next step, I'd love to be able to create multiple different widgets that I can place on different homescreens. Also, font and size customization and the ability to link apps and not just shortcuts.
Great start!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you for your appreciation and for your useful suggestions I'll see what i can do in next updates
Commands Launcher updated to 1.3 version:
-possibility to change widgets text size (small, medium, big)
-small fixes
enjoy
update again (1.4 version): fixed a wrong thing in 1.3 version, sorry!