Database Users

Changing the camera button for one-handed use

Hey everyone, I just got my 8525 and have been playing around with a few customizations. One of the things that bugs me about the original button layout is that the placement of the camera button makes it nearly impossible to use the camera with only one hand (at least I always feel like I'm going to drop the phone).
So, I got the PTT patch (thanks Slueth255!) to map the camera to that button. However, it looks like any function can only be mapped to one button at a time, so the original button has to be remapped first. It works great in portrait mode, but in landscape, either the button is on the bottom of the phone or the display is upside-down. Is there a way to map two buttons to the same function? Or better yet, is there any way to rotate the camera display? Has anyone else found a better way to use the camera one-handed?
Thanks,
Sar

Sarumiso said:
Hey everyone, I just got my 8525 and have been playing around with a few customizations. One of the things that bugs me about the original button layout is that the placement of the camera button makes it nearly impossible to use the camera with only one hand (at least I always feel like I'm going to drop the phone).
So, I got the PTT patch (thanks Slueth255!) to map the camera to that button. However, it looks like any function can only be mapped to one button at a time, so the original button has to be remapped first. It works great in portrait mode, but in landscape, either the button is on the bottom of the phone or the display is upside-down. Is there a way to map two buttons to the same function? Or better yet, is there any way to rotate the camera display? Has anyone else found a better way to use the camera one-handed?
Thanks,
Sar
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Trying to work out at what stage your problem is. I turn on TyTn with thumb, move thumb along to camera button and then take picture with central D Pad button.
Mike

mikechannon said:
Trying to work out at what stage your problem is. I turn on TyTn with thumb, move thumb along to camera button and then take picture with central D Pad button.
Mike
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip about using the center D-pad button to take a picture, it makes things a little easier. I realized after trying to take a pic that switching the camera function to the PTT button won't work. It will activate the camera program as expected, but once in camera mode, you still have to push the original camera button (or D-pad) to take a shot.
After some more playing around, I found that you can take a pic with the scroll wheel button as well, which makes it easier, but not perfect. You still have to reach for the camera button to switch to camera mode and the scroll wheel is not good for taking pictures as it will change camera modes with a scroll if your press is not dead center.
Ideally, I'd like to be able to take out the phone and snap a quick spur-of-the-moment picture without too much fumbling around. Typically, I hold the phone in my left hand with my index finger near the power button and thumb near the PTT button. Or, in landscape mode, index finger on the PTT button and thumb about halfway between camera and comm button (with the D-pad resting in the palm). Moving all the camera button functionality to the PTT button would really be great. Getting the camera program to run inverted would also be nice, but I could probably learn to live with having all my pics turn out upside-down.
-Sar

Sarumiso said:
Thanks for the tip about using the center D-pad button to take a picture, it makes things a little easier. I realized after trying to take a pic that switching the camera function to the PTT button won't work. It will activate the camera program as expected, but once in camera mode, you still have to push the original camera button (or D-pad) to take a shot.
After some more playing around, I found that you can take a pic with the scroll wheel button as well, which makes it easier, but not perfect. You still have to reach for the camera button to switch to camera mode and the scroll wheel is not good for taking pictures as it will change camera modes with a scroll if your press is not dead center.
Ideally, I'd like to be able to take out the phone and snap a quick spur-of-the-moment picture without too much fumbling around. Typically, I hold the phone in my left hand with my index finger near the power button and thumb near the PTT button. Or, in landscape mode, index finger on the PTT button and thumb about halfway between camera and comm button (with the D-pad resting in the palm). Moving all the camera button functionality to the PTT button would really be great. Getting the camera program to run inverted would also be nice, but I could probably learn to live with having all my pics turn out upside-down.
-Sar
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Click to collapse
Yes, I see. I just tried it left handed and it is more difficult due to button positions. I also agree about scroll wheel push you have to be spot on with press else you end scrolling to another function.
Hopefully others will have some more tips/tricks.

volume keys as camera laucher

hi all is it possible to make the camera boot and take pictures with the volume up hardware button, i find my self not needing the volume keys so this would make taking pictures easier for me
thanks all

You can even assign different functions to the volume keys, e.g. single press for volume up, long press for camera, with AEButton Plus.

ok will give this go does this app allow taking pictures while in the app? or just bootup app

If you assign the 'enter key' function to a volume key as well, you can also take pictures.
E.g. long press to launch camera, sinlge press for taking the picture (if you don't need the volume up function) OR long press for camera, double press for volume up and single press for taking the picture OR any other configuration you like

maati said:
If you assign the 'enter key' function to a volume key as well, you can also take pictures.
E.g. long press to launch camera, sinlge press for taking the picture (if you don't need the volume up function) OR long press for camera, double press for volume up and single press for taking the picture OR any other configuration you like
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ok im not quiet understanding matey please bare with me, ive assigned the long press fuction on the volume up button to booting the camera app,
and then selected the single tap on the volume up button and set it to "press enter" this did not allow me to take a picture, did u mean something else?
thankyou
edit the press enter function i assigned to the volume key works in say file explorer by opening and installing cabs e.c.t

Hm, I have not tested it on the HD2, but it worked on the HD like that.

maati said:
Hm, I have not tested it on the HD2, but it worked on the HD like that.
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does the hd have a ok/enter button in which it take pictures as the hd2 doesn't its all screen based
is this correct

No, the HD has no dedicated button as well. It's strange that pressing enter on the HD works but not on the HD2. Are you sure that it doesn't work on the HD2?

maati said:
No, the HD has no dedicated button as well. It's strange that pressing enter on the HD works but not on the HD2. Are you sure that it doesn't work on the HD2?
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tested few times now rebooting and testing again, send me pic of ur settings like i have above

Yes, your settings are correct.
It doesn't work on my HD2 either. Strange, because it worked with the HD. Well...

any other info that would help?

how do you edit volume keys to use them like this?

Enter in camera app doesn't work on my HD2 as well ..
ANybody found any solution to this.. aeb is wonderful app

found
found this :
http://www.scilor.com/leocameraanykey.html
try it

There is also Volumex, it will catch the keys automatically, no need to hook any shortcut to open camera app. Doesn't work for zoom though...

To take a picture press vol. up or down possible?

I sometimes wanna take a picture of myself or something and you cant feel the capture button so it'll be cool to use volume up or down to capture a shot

i am an htc kaiser user. i've been browsing the hd2 forums for a few weeks so maybe my suggestion won't help.
on the htc kaiser, there are THREE button-based ways to capture a photo:
1. full press of the camera button
2. press the start menu button
3. press the d-pad center button
i know 1 and 3 don't exist on the hd2...but the hd2 does have a start menu button...see if pressing that captures a photo. if so, post back here and let us all know!

My Tab can take screenshots...but I don't know how

Ok, something really weird.
Yesterday, I was showing off my Tab to a friend, and we kind of got stuck on comparing how fast the portrait/landscape switch works on ADW launcher vs. stock touchwiz. So we were tipping the device back and forth for a while when it froze for a few seconds.
Trying to get it to react, I hit back, home, power, probably in that order, but I'm not sure.
The reaction, a message pops up about the image capture being saved. Then again. And indeed, in my Gallery I now have a folder call Screen Captures and inside it there are two screenshots. One of my standard homescreen and one of a force close error message (for the calculator app I use - Kreac).
I've been trying to reproduce this since, but without any success. Is there a hidden screenshot app in there somewhere?

Hi , just keep pressing the back button and double press the power button to take screenshots.

adolfotregosa said:
Hi , just keep pressing the back button and double press the power button to take screenshots.
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Indeed.
Is this common knowledge that I had missed? I ask because I've seen several threads on various forums claiming that there is no app and no way to take a screenshot?

Interesting. Is there a service running that handles this feature or is it a core process?

Don't know. But I just noticed there's an entry 'com.sec.android.app.screencapture' in the application manager list.

Rapax said:
Don't know. But I just noticed there's an entry 'com.sec.android.app.screencapture' in the application manager list.
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i remember it... but ive removed it now and theres no apk, so theres no way to restore without flashing
i was trying screens with one of the root apps on the market and they all came out in funky colors so i got rid of it (must have taken sammys built in app out as well by mistake)

IMHO, best way to take screenshot on any device, galaxy tab included, is via ddms.bat ( Dalvik Debug Monitor) under dir tools of SDK. You can find "screen capture" under Device menu.

Can't for the life of me see how using DDMS can be "better" than this on-device method in general use!
This is a good find - we need a sticky for these tidbits!
Regards,
Dave

adolfotregosa said:
Hi , just keep pressing the back button and double press the power button to take screenshots.
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It's a good tip, but I much prefer using DropCap 2 from the Market, at least for when I'm not using a full-screen application. Talking of which, are in-game screenshots possible with the hardware button method ?

I was able to capture a screen shot by pressing back and then pressing the power button twice. But that does not capture the screen that I wanted. Instead, it captured the screen of "back" when I press the back button.
This button combination does not make much sense in my opinion. Any say?

It works fine for me in most apps (including Angry Birds), but not in the stock Video player or in the Gameloft games like N.O.V.A.
Regards,
Dave

Is there any other way to do it ? Ad soon as I hit back it goes back to the previous screen and take screenshot of that screen. Isnt that kinda pointless?
Sent from my SGH-T849 using XDA App

dliao said:
Is there any other way to do it ? Ad soon as I hit back it goes back to the previous screen and take screenshot of that screen. Isnt that kinda pointless?
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Click to collapse
For this cases I suggest ddms in the previous post. ddms don't need any user interface and grab everything, also video played in stock video player. And grabbed screenshot can be saved directly on HD, rotated, discarded...

I find that "holding" the back button down until vibrates (rather than merely just pressing it) and then pressing the power button just once works consistently well for me. Haven't needed DDMS yet.

For me it works fine; keep pressing back and tap power button.

dliao said:
Is there any other way to do it ? Ad soon as I hit back it goes back to the previous screen and take screenshot of that screen. Isnt that kinda pointless?
Sent from my SGH-T849 using XDA App
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Hit back and power at the same time... and then hit power again... and you hear a sound like a camera shutter... and says it's saved.

Dear all
Very simple
. Press and hold back key
. Short press power key
screen will automatic save in folder Screen picture
regards
-------------------------------------
Sent via Galaxy Tab

Ok, I got it now. The theory is to hold the back button and do not let go until you hit the power button twice. It works!! But it takes quite a while for the picture to show up in the Gallery. I thought the screen capture did not work.

SOLVED: How to screen capture if Back key exits from the current screen
I just solved how to capture the screen if holding down the Back key exits from the application so you end up capturing the previous screen, or the Home screen in most cases.
For example, in Maps, I couldn't capture the Map as it goes back to the Home screen once I hold down the back key. The technique is to go one screen deeper; example in Maps, press Menu key then select Layers. When you hold down the Back key, the Maps image screen is displayed. Keep holding the Back key then press the Power key. Screen capture now completed on the desired screen.
I think you can do the same technique for other apps.
Hope you enjoy using your Galaxy tab as much as I do, like me having sleepless nights on the porch using Google sky map, or playing Guitar solo (paid version is much better).

balmazan said:
I just solved how to capture the screen if holding down the Back key exits from the application so you end up capturing the previous screen, or the Home screen in most cases.
For example, in Maps, I couldn't capture the Map as it goes back to the Home screen once I hold down the back key. The technique is to go one screen deeper; example in Maps, press Menu key then select Layers. When you hold down the Back key, the Maps image screen is displayed. Keep holding the Back key then press the Power key. Screen capture now completed on the desired screen.
I think you can do the same technique for other apps.
Hope you enjoy using your Galaxy tab as much as I do, like me having sleepless nights on the porch using Google sky map, or playing Guitar solo (paid version is much better).
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Click to collapse
That's strange... it should not go back until you have taken your finger off the back button and if you hit the power button whilst holding the back button it should cancel out any back button command.

Can you change what long pressing the volume buttons do (when screen is off)?

I like the long press Vol- for the camera, but I'd really like to rebind the Vol+. Is it possible with Xposed framework or something? Thanks

same problem here
whittikins said:
I like the long press Vol- for the camera, but I'd really like to rebind the Vol+. Is it possible with Xposed framework or something? Thanks
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Id like the same thing, somehow I keep long-pressing the volume down key while the phone is in my pocket, and I have taken up to 50 pictures of the insides of my pocket because of this, pretty annoying
I know I can change so the camera app cannot take pictures with the volume keys, but I like that feature.