Announce: 1-finger launcher for iQue

[JMckie]

FastFinger 1.04 - iQue Launcher

Who needs another launcher?
Many applications are difficult to use in the car, besides being quite dangerous. There are some functions on the iQue that require stylus entry. In comparison, automotive GPS units be easily navigated and controlled with simple controls.

FastFinger is a launcher with macro capabilities. It allows you to control the iQue using hard button presses and large screen buttons. With two finger taps, you can route to home, find the nearest gas station, set a detour, or perform over a hundred functions (http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53599).

Installation:
1) Important: In installing on top of a previous version, uncheck "precision timing" in preferences first.
2) Install the .prc file to the handheld. It won't work from the SD card. (The first time the program runs, it will do a quick automatic calibration process. )
3) In the Palm preferences, map a hard button of your choice to "Fastfinger". I suggest Button 1.

Instructions:
Tap the the "Route To Home" button. This will create a route to the first alphabetical entry in your Waypoint list and go to QueMap.

Move the rocker up and down to highlight the menu choices. Press the jog dial to select. Press the Esc button to cycle through different menu pages, if you have more than one. This is useful for one-handed operation when holding the iQue. You can also use the up and down keys to cycle through menu choices.

Configuration:
Open the preferences page from the main menu,
1) Choose the number of menu choices shown on the display.
2) Pick a hard button for launching a highlighted menu item
3) Pick a hard button for switching to another page of menus

The menus and menu actions are configured using Memo Pad entries. When run the first time, three Memo Pad entries are created: "FastFinger 1", "ffscript=Route Home", and "ffscript=Test".

The memo "FastFinger 1" controls what shows up in the menu. The three buttons correspond to this:
M,Route Home runs a script (macro) in a memo called "ffscript=Route Home"
A,Calculator runs the built in calculator application
M,Test runs a script called "ffscript=Test"

1) Find scripts you want from contributions by other forum members. Over a hundred scripts can be found here: script thread (http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53599). Create memo pad entries for scripts that you want.
2) Add lines in the "FastFinger 1" memo for the your new scripts.

Example: You find a script called "ffscript=Refuel". Copy and paste the script to Memo Pad. Edit your "FastFinger 1" memo to look like this (some lines are omitted):

FastFinger 1
M,Route Home
M,Refuel
A,Calculator
M,Test

There is a script writer's guide that explains how to create your own scripts

Advanced
1) Preference to use "precision timing". When checked FF will observe delays in the script as precisely as the OS will allow. I recommened checking this

2) Preference to start on last used menu page when using multiple page menus. If not checked FF will always open on page 1. If checked, FF will open the last menu page viewed. (Example: You could configure page one for automotive use, and page two for hiking. By checking this option, FF will remember that you want to use the hiking menu page, and it will show that page by default)

3) Plot mode - reports the x,y position of pen taps. Select "Launcher mode" to return to normal functioning.

The file attached here is a stable release but is not the latest one.
Please go here (http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43835) to get the latest versions.

[JMckie]

Menu and Script Writer's Guide

General notes (Read This!):

- statements can be commented by prefixing with a semicolon ';'
- whitespace is not allowed
- scripts are not case sensitive except when specifying appname
- there is no syntax checking and no error reporting
- misspelled statements are simply ignored
- the last statement in a script will be ignored if not followed by a carriage return
- copying and pasting from a web browser can sometimes introduce strange characters. Paste to a plain text editor first, like notepad. Then copy and paste into Palm Desktop's memo pad.

There are two types of memos. The first type is a Fastfinger menu and the second is a Fastfinger script.

FastFinger Menu Guide

These must have names like "FastFinger 1". This is the table of contents for the launcher. There are two kinds of entries as shown in the snippet below.

M,Route Home
A,Calculator
;M,Test

"M" means macro. The script called "Route Home" named will be executed.
"A" means application. This simply launches an app like any old launcher
";" is a comment

You can create multiple menu pages. Simple create a new memo called "FastFinger 2". You can create an arbitrary number of menu pages. You can switch between menu pages by pressing the Esc key, the Switch button (configurable in a preference dialog), or even in a script.

You can change the look of the menu. Each menu page can have it's own color theme and font.
Optionally include the following commands in the menu file. Please note: These are not script commands, they are menu options. This will do nothing if placed in the script file.


FastFinger 1
font=0
text=0,0,0
back=255,255,255
bord=220,220,220
sel=0,0,0
M,Route Home

The values listed above are the default values.
font - values 0,1,2,3 represent four system fonts
text - RGB values (0 to 255) of the icon label
back - RGB values of the window background
bord - RGB values of the icon border
sel - RGB values of the icon border when selected

Note: It is also possible to render different menu items using different colors.


text=0,0,0;black
M,black label 1
M,black label 2
text=255,0,0;red
M,red label
text=0,0,0;black
;all succeeding items are black again


FastFinger Script Writing Guide

command: ffscript=Route Home
- Identifies the script. Should be the first line in the memo

comments: ;comment
- optional. It is highly recommended that you comment your scripts

command: appname=QueFind
- optional. will launch the named app. The only part that is case-sensitive: the name has to match exactly. The name should be the same one reported by Filez as the filename. You can have multiple appname statements in one script to run one program after another.

command: pen=X,Y,s
optional. makes a pen tap and pauses before the next command
- X is the horizonal coordinate. Range is from 0 (leftmost) to 160
- Y is the vertical. Range is from 0 (top) to 240
- s is the pause time in seconds.

command: key Enter characters in data entry field.
Example:
key=hello world!

command: wait Pause a specified number of seconds
Example:
wait=2

command: lcd
Set brightness level from 0 to 255
Examples:
lcd=0;backlight off
lcd=255;max brightness
lcd=50;night use

command: vg
Some apps will launch in full screen mode or not, depending on its state when last used. This command is used to force the app to go to a known screen state, so that the screen controls will be in the expected place. Warning! Certain applications resent being manipulated this way and can cause a soft reset. Omitting the "wait" can sometimes cause a reset, because the application may not have finished redrawing.

vg=1 will go to full screen mode if it is not yet in full screen mode
vg=0 will open the grafitti area if it is not already open

Example:
wait=1;needed before vg
vg=1;force full screen mode

command: menu
Tells FF to switch to a certain menu.
Example script:

ffscript=Page 2
menu=2
end

As usual, create a menu entry for this: M,Page 2

command: sound
- optional. Used in debugging to sound beeps of varying frequences. sound=0 means no sound. sound=4 produces beep at 400hz. You can have several of these statements, turning on and off sound as needed.

command: cmd
Virtual keystrokes
Format: cmd=nnnn or cmd=nnnn;optional comment
Please take care when entering the parameters. Use this command at your own risk.
Examples:
cmd=000B;page up
cmd=000C;page down
cmd=0105;menu
cmd=0106;command toolbar
cmd=0107;Confirm
cmd=0108;launcher
cmd=0109;keyboard
cmd=010A;find dialog
cmd=010B;route dialog
cmd=0103;next field
cmd=010C;prev field
cmd=010F;Graffiti reference
cmd=0110;kbd alpha
cmd=0111;kdb numeric
cmd=0112;lock and power off
cmd=0114;power off
cmd=0122;brightness dialog
cmd=0204;hard button 1
cmd=0205;hard button 2
cmd=0206;hard button 3
cmd=0207;hard button 4
cmd=209;cradle button

command: end
- self explanatory

[HighFive]

Joseph, you rock! :)

this is exactly what I need for one-handed operation on a motorcycle. I can't wait to try it out!

Keep up the good work!
HighFive

[beaker]

Joseph,

what a fantastic app.
Just what I needed as my Que sits just a roll of my right hand off the steering wheel. Now with the sausages er I mean fingers I have I can use it without hitting every other icon.

Now to try and do as you suggest and come up with some.

Thanks

Beaker

[JMckie]

Say you're driving along in an unfamiliar place, then all of a sudden the fuel gauge starts blinking. Here is a script to find the nearest fuel stop.

1) Create a new memo with the following content. The best way to avoid typos is to cut and paste into Palm desktop then hotsync.

ffscript=Refuel
Appname=QueFind
pen=23,218,1;Services
pen=25,24,1;search where
pen=25,24,1;near current
pen=25,35,1;type
pen=25,30,2;Auto Fuel
end


2) Add the following line to the memo called "FatFinger Menu"

M,Refuel

[HighFive]

Joseph,

I suppose that the pen coordinates are retrieved by "trial and error"? Or is there an application that shows the stylus coordinates while operating the Palm/iQue?

Thanks,
HighFive

[JMckie]

Originally posted by HighFive
Joseph,

I suppose that the pen coordinates are retrieved by "trial and error"? Or is there an application that shows the stylus coordinates while operating the Palm/iQue?

Thanks,
HighFive

Trial and error would be too frustrating!

Several methods:
1) If you go to the menu, you can choose between the normal "Launcher mode" and "Plot mode". In plot mode, you can see the coordinates of your screen taps.

2) To avoid all trial and error, I used ScreenShot to capture the screens of the app as I went along. Open the screenshots in Paint, which displays the coordinates in the status bar. You'll have to divide by two to use the Palm coordinates.

3) If you can find a suitable transparency, you can put it on top of the screen. Then while in the application, you can mark off the points that you are tapping. The go to plot mode, and re-tap the marks to get the coordinates.

[Kit]

This is great. You're really meeting needs I have, especially with search types I run often and Stop Navigating. Thanks! Kit

[flipflop]

That's one sweet app....thanks!

Eric

[apersson850]

Originally posted by JMckie
command: sound=0
- optional. [...] A value of 4 beeps at 400Mhz. [...]
Not even my cat will hear that! :p

[bsherrill]

Great App! Here's another that could prove useful:

ffscript=Find Hospital
Appname=QueFind
pen=120,210,1;Emergency & Gov.
pen=25,24,1;search where
pen=25,24,1;near current
pen=25,35,1;type
pen=25,60,2;Hospital
end

In Fatfinger menu, add: M,Find Hospital

Ben

[thodge]

Very cool idea!

Some functions are working fine. But I'm having a few problems and I have a few questionws.

1) I cannot seem to be able to launch any "A" type applications. (ie, calculator, HotSync) There's a script present and a Fatfinger memo entry. But the button is not displayed while running FatFinger.

2) How do I determine the actual application filename?

3) Refuel sometimes brings up a search for other places of interest.

I need a little calibration....

Thanks,
Tim

[JMckie]

To debug "Refuel", you can try running it in slow motion. replace the third parameter in the pen command from "1" to "2" (or a higher number) E.g. pen=23,218,1; becomes pen=23,218,2;
This way you can observe which part of the script is misbehaving.

The application names are case-sensitive. You have to look up the exact name using FileZ. Here are the built-in apps:


A,Calculator
A,HotSync
A,Security
A,To Do List
A,Memo Pad
A,Address Book
A,Date Book
A,Preferences
A,QueVolume
A,QueVoice
A,QueTurns
A,QueTrip
A,QueTracks
A,QueRoutes
A,QueMap
A,QueAudio
A,QueGPS
A,QueFind
A,QueClock
and my favorite:
A,QueHuntAndFish

[JMckie]

Here are some screencaps of QueFind that I used. Used Paint to determine the coordinates to the points to tap. You have to divide by two.

[BruinFan]

Joseph,

This is a great application! I'm already using it.

I have a few thoughts...

1. I don't use Palm Desktop, I use Outlook. I "unarchived" the macros in Palm Desktop and then cut/pasted them into the Notepad area of Outlook. If there are better instructions you might want to include them for the feint of heart.

2. I notice when I edit the "FatFinger menu" script there is an entry of "A,Calculator". Yet that entry doesn't show up on any of the fatfinger buttons. Why is that?

3. When I tap on "Edit Scripts" it must assume that I leave my memo pad at the list of memos. I don't. Generally, I am within a memo when I leave memo pad. Thus, I don't get a list of macros and instead the open memo gets its category changed to the second category in my list (which is "Business").

Thanks for your great work on this ingenious product!

[thodge]

JMckie,
Thanks for the replies with the additional tips!

I figured out the missing button problem.

My copy of the "FatFinger menu" memo did not have an "end" statement included. So what ever was in the last menu spot would not be displayed.
Once I added the "end" statement, the last valid button showed up!

I checked the .ZIP archive, it does not have the end statement included.

:D

I'm having a blast! Takes me back to my "Hollerith" card programming days!

Thanks,
Tim

[JMckie]

Make sure you have a carriage return at the end of the last line menu. In this case, place one carriage return after "A,Calculator"

I understand what you're saying about "Edit Scripts". You can remove the lines which change the category.

[Patch]

Hi JMckie, sorry about this question which would probabily seem a bit silly to you, but in your 4th posting you post an attachment which advises to divide co-ordinates 200,256 by 2 and gives the result of 199,125, please can you explain as this 200,256 divided by 2 is 100,128. I am honestly not trying to be smart or sarcastic, but wish to learn how to make my own macro's for this great prog. :)

[JMckie]

Originally posted by Patch
Hi JMckie, sorry about this question which would probabily seem a bit silly to you, but in your 4th posting you post an attachment which advises to divide co-ordinates 200,256 by 2 and gives the result of 199,125, please can you explain as this 200,256 divided by 2 is 100,128. I am honestly not trying to be smart or sarcastic, but wish to learn how to make my own macro's for this great prog. :)

I was touch typing and hit the '9' when I meant to hit '0'. Honestly! The other one was a stupid mistake.

I've forgotten how to divide by two! Thanks, I fixed the attachment. :)

[GPS_Dave McK]

A question and a bug???? for JMckie

I was useing the launcher when one of my datebook alarms went off. After clearing the alarm the launcher screen didn't come back.
A refresh problem??


A,QueVolume <- This dosn't seem to work. All other Que apps work fine.
I tryed: pen=135,240,1;volume
but I guess that is off the screen limits for the pen. I was trying to hit the speaker icon on the lower icon bar.
Any ideas?

David McKittrick (david@mckittricks.ca)
McKittrick's Ltd.
236 Dundas St.
London, Ont
Canada
N6A 1H3
V:519-434-7752
F:519-434-5466
www.mckittricks.ca
N 42 59.074
W 81 14.811

[NewQ]

This is a very handy (read that as AWESOME) app. Thank you for your efforts. It's something that will truly enhance the usabililty of the iQue.

I tried to rem out an entry in the FatFinger menu with the ; and it still showed up on the "keypad". Had to delete it to make it go away. Did I do something wrong?

Thanks again - great job!!

[JMckie]

Dave, you were hitting too low. This worked for me:
pen=135,230,1;volume
You're right about the refresh problem after clearing an alarm.

NewQ, I've forgot to put the comment logic in the menu.

[Patch]

Thanks JMckie for your reply, i was so confused, i think that i am now starting to understand the basics. Once again thanks :)

[NewQ]

Another question.
I wanted to put the "Find Hospital" (thanks Ben) in position 12 and "Find Fuel" (Thanks JMckie) in position 11 so I always knew where they were (micromanagement?). Unfortunately I didn't have enought scripts. So I used numbers for the unused ones and then made empty scripts for the numbers.

FatFinger menu
M,Route Home
M,Edit Scripts
M,Stop Navigation
M,Find Good Food ;(Steaks on the Road!!)
M,5
M,6
M,7
M,8
M,9
M,10
M,Find Fuel
M,Find Hospital
end


Was there an easier way?
Thanks again.

[Q-Eye]

Got an interesting problem...

I have the menu and scripts installed as directed. The top row consists of "Route Home", "Edit Scripts" and "Birdwatch Trip".

It seems that the "Birdwatch Trip" button launches the "Route Home" app!. I tap on that third button but the first button gets "outlined" and executed! I have verified that the "ffscript=Birdwatch Trip" memo does indeed have the "Appname=Birdwatch" and pen values correct. All other buttons seem to work fine.

Did I do something wrong?

[Q-Eye]

Sorry, I figured it out. I had a problem (misspelled "Appname"). So I guess it ignored the appname parameter (as you said it would) and selected what ever appname was in position one instead.

I would have been spared if I could have followed your advice to import the memo pad info directly from the Palm Desktop -- I seem to have lost my Memo Pad conduit so I couldn't do that. Hand entry will be the death of me.

Thanks for a REALLY AWSOME app!!!

[thodge]

JMckie,
I'm having a little problem with "key switch bounce". When I hit a button and accidentally hit the same position a second time. This disrupts the normal flow of the automatic penning sequence by inserting an unwanted pen action immediately following the application start up.

Of course this prevents the desired outcome from happening.

(Good)
Is there a way to have a slight time delay placed immediately after the initial FatFinger button action? This would give the fat-finger operator time to successfully remove the finger from the screen before launching the application?

Or possibly...

(Better)
Have the application launch as the button press is being removed. For example: The action doesn't begin until the button is released. This should remove any bounce from slow finger presses or vibrations caused while driving.

Thanks for a great "ditty" program...A term used in early coding for an unfunded, personal, but critical piece of code.

Tim

[JMckie]

So I used numbers for the unused ones and then made empty scripts for the numbers. Was there an easier way?


If you go to the preferences screen, you can set the number of visible icons. You can choose six for the macros that you have and have the bonus of having larger icons. But your technique will work as well.

[NewQ]

I test drove your app just a few minutes ago while taking my wife to her doctors appt. Niiiiiiice. So easy to hit the buttons. Was starting to get used to using my fingernail for a quick "stab" and then stabbing the wrong icon anyway.

Thanks a bunch (again).

[EarlyAdopter]

Originally posted by JMckie
[b]Installation and instructions

The worst has to be when you need to pull out the stylus to do something.

/B]

Just on this one point, my quality of life in the car with Betty improved considerably when I acquired a PDA pointing pen -- an easy-to-grip pen-sized stylus.

[BruinFan]

Joseph,

I can't tell you how cool this product is! In combination with "Hard Button" (HBX) it makes all the difference in the world!

Question: Is there a way to type letters? For example, I'd like to enhance the auto fuel search by limiting it to just showing the ARCO stations. Of course I could bring up the keyboard via a pen command and then use pen commands for each letter in the word ARCO but that could be tedius. Is there any sort of TYPE command?

[RNGeek]

OK, this is without a doubt one of the most useful apps created! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Once again, this group has outshined it's self!!

Thanks Joseph.

Joe

[qFriend]

WOW! That's what I am looking for. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you:)

I am thinking of using the Avaion's 'FatFinger' (www.avaion.com) in the script, but I can't install the App, because it's the same name. JMckie, can you change the App's name to something else?

Thank you again:D

[JMckie]

Originally posted by qFriend
WOW! That's what I am looking for. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you:)

I am thinking of using the Avaion's 'FatFinger' (www.avaion.com) in the script, but I can't install the App, because it's the same name. JMckie, can you change the App's name to something else?

Thank you again:D

Arrrggh! Damn it, I should have done a google search on the name before I used it. I'm going to change it to "FastFinger" - nothing seems to show up in a search.

Please, can you tell me what the creator code of avaion's product is? You can see it in Filez.

I'm currently testing ver 1..02 on my machine - it has commands for:
- entering text characters
- changing the brightness
- support for dozens of commands, from controlling the jog dial to tabbing to the next field, to bringing up the keyboard

Should be available shortly.

[qFriend]

The Creator for Avaion's FatFinger is avF5.

The new version of your app sounds great. Keep up the good work!

[Yorglaa]

JMckie, Thank you very much for this great App...

very, very, very helpfull !

[HighFive]

Joseph,

I have two ideas on extending FastFinger:

* multiple screens of buttons (2 would do), and the possibility to rotate through the screens with the same hard button that is mapped to FastFinger, if possible. I realize that this would exclude one of the buttons as the launch button.

* a preferences option for white-on-black or black-on-white display of the buttons. The reason is that I find white on black easier to read in bright sunshine. For that reason, I keep my map display prefs on "Night Mode" at all times.

Please tell me what you think of it.

Thanks,
HighFive

[apersson850]

This Joseph is as enthusiastic a programmer as I ever was, when I was new to that trade!

Keep up the good work, and don't forget the timing application I once suggested...

[beaker]

Here is another script, but this time for a mile detour :-


1) Create a new memo
code:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ffscript=Detour 1 mile
;only when a route is active
Appname=QueRoutes
pen=37,234,0;
pen=82,25,0;
pen=27,144,0;
pen=10,234,0;
pen=127,61,0;
end
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2) Add the following line to the memo called "FatFinger Menu"

code:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M,Detour 1 mile

You can alter the detour amount by changing the line
"pen=27,144,0;" to read 27,127,0 for 1/2 a mile or 27,173,0 for a 5 miler.

Hope somebody finds it of use.

[JMckie]

New release 1.02b. I have updated the first two posts in this thread.

The following steps are necessary because someone pointed out that there is already a Palm application called Fatfinger.
1) Uninstall the previous version.
2) Rename the memo from "Fatfinger" to "Fastfinger"

This new release introduces four new commands which can make more powerful scripts. It is now possible to route to a user-specified waypoint. I have started a new script thread for actual examples using this new version. If you are running an older version of Fastfinger, the new commands will simply be ignored.

New commands in version 1.02b:
key Enter characters in data entry field.
Example:
key=hello world!

wait Pause a specified number of seconds
Example:
wait=2

lcd Set brightness level from 0 to 255
Examples:
lcd=0;backlight off
lcd=255;max brightness
lcd=50;night use

cmd Virtual keystrokes
Format: cmd=nnnn or cmd=nnnn;optional comment
Please take care when entering the parameters. Use this command at your own risk.
Examples:
cmd=0105;menu
cmd=0106;command toolbar
cmd=0108;launcher
cmd=0109;keyboard
cmd=010A;find dialog
cmd=010B;route dialog
cmd=0103;next field
cmd=010C;prev field
cmd=010F;Graffiti reference
cmd=0110;kbd alpha
cmd=0111;kdb numeric
cmd=0112;lock and power off
cmd=0114;power off
cmd=0122;brightness dialog
cmd=0204;hard button 1
cmd=0205;hard button 2
cmd=0206;hard button 3
cmd=0207;hard button 4

[BruinFan]

Joseph,

I too would like multiple screens and thought of an elegant way you could implement them...

Just make jumping to another page a macro. So, I could create a button that, in its macro, lists the name of the new screen.

For example:

S,Screen2

That way if I were displaying screen 3 I could have a button to display screen 4 and a button to display screen 2. Sort of like a "next" and "previous" button.

Example:
S,Screen4
S,Screen2

I could see having an entire screen to just for saved routes.

Think of the possibilities!

[BruinFan]

Joseph,

On reflection, it's clear that this simple little program has value. Have you thought of making it shareware? If not, if you have a paypal account I'm sure there are many of us who would donate, including myself, to compensate for your generous time!

Chuck

[Statsman]

Originally posted by JMckie
Trial and error would be too frustrating!

Several methods:
1) If you go to the menu, you can choose between the normal "Launcher mode" and "Plot mode". In plot mode, you can see the coordinates of your screen taps.

2) To avoid all trial and error, I used ScreenShot to capture the screens of the app as I went along. Open the screenshots in Paint, which displays the coordinates in the status bar. You'll have to divide by two to use the Palm coordinates.

3) If you can find a suitable transparency, you can put it on top of the screen. Then while in the application, you can mark off the points that you are tapping. The go to plot mode, and re-tap the marks to get the coordinates.

When using ScreenShot, I only get the upper 320 x 320 pixels. Is there a way to get the final 160 bottom pixels?

I figured it out. The new Beta version of ScreenShot will allow for capturing of the full screen.

[si4xp]

I have been wowed using this application just after writing one script. Great app JMckie! The only tough part is to figure out the coordinates. But this could be solved if we start to share our scripts.

Here is one to find Fast Food restaurants:
-------------------------------
ffscript=Fastfood
Appname=QueFind
pen=50,138,1;Food&Drinks
pen=27,23,1;Where?
pen=27,23,1;Near current
pen=23,36,1;Type?
pen=22,124,1;Fast Food
end

[Q-Eye]

Originally posted by si4xp
... this could be solved if we start to share our scripts.

There is a separate thread running now for just this purpose. The FastFinger Launcher Scripts thread (http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53599) is solely for sharing FastFinger scripts.

[waltisimo]

I can't get 1.02 from the download link. It keeps giving me 1.01!

[Q-Eye]

Originally posted by waltisimo
I can't get 1.02 from the download link. It keeps giving me 1.01!
I had the same problem until I right clicked on the link and did a "save link as". Maybe my Firefox "remembered" too well what the old link was or something.

[mavic-zap]

Fantastic app JMckie !!

This is not necessarily a bug, but I saved your application guide in the memo pad under the name Fatfinger instructions, this sent Fatfinger a bit crazy and caused a system freeze every time I launched it.
Eventually I figured out what was going on and changed the name to F@finger instructions, now all is well

Also worth mentioning is the difference in waypoint selections, some of the scripts for CS-USA need to be tweaked to work with CN-Aust V5, eg the fast food script, CN-Aust has a different selection in its menu.
This may show up when US, Europe or Aust scripts are shared

Anyway I have put some scripts on the new thread

Thanks again JMckie, you’re a legend :)

[HighFive]

Originally posted by JMckie

cmd=0103;next field
cmd=010C;prev field


Joseph,

Are these the up/down hard buttons? If so, I can't seem to get them to work.

It would be great if we could also control these buttons, since I need them for a script that controls the Speed application to increase and decrease the speed limit.

Great app!
HighFive

[axco]

I downloaded the zip file, unzipped it and noticed there was no memo pad archive file as promised. However I went ahead and installed the .prc file to my iQue 3600. Now I have a FastFinger icon on my Home screen but when I click it I get an alert: menue file missing need a memo file called 'Fastfinger'. What am I missing here :confused:

[JMckie]

axco, this should get you started.

Look for scripts you want in the script thread. Copy those to separate memo pad entries.

Then Create a memopad file with the following contents


FastFinger Menu
M,script1
M,script2
M,scriptn


...where you replace script1 to n with the names of those scripts.

[axco]

Thanks for your help. You need to know I sync using Outlook. in any event I created in Outlook a note entry using your suggestion (copied and pasted), than I copied and pasted a refuel string posted earlier. Now I get on my iQue 9 buttons (I also had to rename the note entry to 'Fastfinger') but the refuel script is all over the buttons. Somehow I guess the scipt needs to be on one line, if so how do I seperate?
Axel

[JMckie]

Originally posted by axco
Thanks for your help. You need to know I sync using Outlook. in any event I created in Outlook a note entry using your suggestion (copied and pasted), than I copied and pasted a refuel string posted earlier. Now I get on my iQue 9 buttons (I also had to rename the note entry to 'Fastfinger') but the refuel script is all over the buttons. Somehow I guess the scipt needs to be on one line, if so how do I seperate?
Axel

What does your FatFinger menu look like? It should look something like this.

[JMckie]

Originally posted by HighFive
Joseph,

Are these the up/down hard buttons? If so, I can't seem to get them to work.

It would be great if we could also control these buttons, since I need them for a script that controls the Speed application to increase and decrease the speed limit.

Great app!
HighFive

I think the ones you quoted are to move back and forth between data entry fields. I haven't tried that yet. (By the way, Birdwatch has a better speed limit warning.)

To page up and page down, try this
cmd=000B;page up
cmd=000C;page down

[JMckie]

I like the idea of having multiple pages. So far here is what I have on the wish list:

- Multiple pages of menus
- Configurable display options (black on white, bold font)

Lots of great scripts to choose from! I can almost use my iQue without removing gloves.

[axco]

Not at all like your picture. I have a blank screen (only on the bottom I have a row with small iQue icons) On top I have a large box (solid frame) with the "Refuel" in the middle and next to it I have a box (gray frame) with "script2" in the middle. That's it. I have now two outlook notes entries. One is the script you sent me with the script 1 replaced by the words:"Refuel" and a second note called "ffscript=Refuel" with the copied and pasted scrip. This however get things going but most of the time it gets stuck on the Find menu.

[rocket666]

WoW!!!!!! And such a tiny app too.


I agree, make this shareware, get rich, you deserve it. It's so great it gets one thinking....


Maybe a prefs to set the font size. Maybe some foreground/background colors too on a per item basis. In the fastfinger menu script.


I did a copy from the forum scripts to the palm desktop menu and it ended up as one long line. I had to edit in the line breaks. Did I do something wrong?

[axco]

Dear JMckie,
I also noet that your picture calles the memo "_macro" upper right corner. In my case all these memos are called "unfiled". Do I need to add a category "_macro"?
Axel

[JMckie]

Originally posted by axco
Dear JMckie,
I also noet that your picture calles the memo "_macro" upper right corner. In my case all these memos are called "unfiled". Do I need to add a category "_macro"?
Axel

No, that is not needed. I just wanted to categorize my scripts.

One is the script you sent me with the script 1 replaced by the words:"Refuel" and a second note called "ffscript=Refuel" with the copied and pasted scrip. This however get things going but most of the time it gets stuck on the Find menu

You're on the right track. That script is supposed to end up at Quefind showing a list of gas stations.

Maybe a prefs to set the font size. Maybe some foreground/background colors too on a per item basis. In the fastfinger menu script.
rocket666, I like this.
I did a copy from the forum scripts to the palm desktop menu and it ended up as one long line. I had to edit in the line breaks. Did I do something wrong?
Aha! I think this is why other people are having problems. This is why I post scripts in [code] brackets. When you copy and paste, it is in some HTML clipboard format. What you can do is cut and paste to windows notepad, and from there cut and paste again to Palm Desktop.

[axco]

Originally posted by JMckie
What does your FatFinger menu look like? It should look something like this.

Not at all like your picture. I have a blank screen (only on the bottom I have a row with small iQue icons) On top I have a large box (solid frame) with the "Refuel" in the middle and next to it I have a box (gray frame) with "script2" in the middle. That's it. I have now two outlook notes entries. One is the script you sent me with the script 1 replaced by the words:"Refuel" and a second note called "ffscript=Refuel" with the copied and pasted scrip. This however get things going but most of the time it gets stuck on the Find menu.

[JMckie]

axco, my screenshot was of memo pad, not Fastfinger.

The way you describe your Fastfinger screen - (blank screen (only on the bottom I have a row with small iQue icons) On top I have a large box (solid frame) with the "Refuel" in the middle and next to it I have a box (gray frame) with "script2) - is how it is supposed to look. You need to add more scripts to fill up the screen. Please read the instructions in the first post of the script thread.

[axco]

Originally posted by JMckie
axco, my screenshot was of memo pad, not Fastfinger.

Got it! But it still does not perform very well. Sometimes the screen comes back with the "Find" window. Palm OS Find button is in the same location as the "Refuel" button (just on a different screen) and sometimes the screen comes back with QueFind and the window with the Near Current Location; By Name; Near Other options. Other times it does work. Should the Fastfinger menu have an "end" statement?
Thanks for your help, Axel

[JMckie]

Try adding wait commands before and after launching the app.

ffscript=Refuel
wait=1
Appname=QueFind
wait=1
...etc...

[qFriend]

I am having a blast with this application.

If it's not too much troble, JMckie, could you please have cmd or anything to confirm the 'ok' button?

Some of my scripts are having problem with the graffiti area, which sometimes are in full mode, sometimes minimized. And the position of the 'ok' button are not always the same.

[JMckie]

I'm thinking Palm already has a virtual key (for use with cmd=key) that taps the default button. But it'll take some clever googling to find it.

One of the enhancements I'm considering is a command to check if the VG area is closed, then open it. Something like this:
VG=0;close graffiti area
VG=1;full screen mode

[JMckie]

If it's not too much troble, JMckie, could you please have cmd or anything to confirm the 'ok' button?


Try this:

cmd=0107;Confirm

[HighFive]

Originally posted by JMckie
I'm considering something like this:
VG=0;close graffiti area
VG=1;full screen mode

Joseph,

That would be very useful, e.g. for FastFinger buttons that control QueAudio's Play, Stop, Previous, Next, etc.. It would require only one script if that script preconfigures the VG area before tapping any of the QueAudio buttons.

More stuff for the wish list: expansion of the FastFinger menu entry format to
Type,TextColor,BackgroundColor,Name

e.g. M,White,Blue,Showmap

One more remark: it seems that the command 'pen=x,y,s' does not wait one second if s=1. To me it seems as quick as specifying no time at all. Sometimes, two seconds is too long, and zero too short.

Cheers,
HighFive

[qFriend]

Originally posted by JMckie
Try this:

cmd=0107;Confirm


nope, doesn't work. But I really like your VG function idea.

Thank you:)

[JMckie]

Hmm, it worked on all 3 different dialogs I tried. qFriend, can you show me your script?

[qFriend]

here is my script of find and add the nearest toll way to active route:

ffscript=Via toll
Appname=QueRoutes
pen=85,80,1;via
pen=15,160,1;find
pen=20,125,1;all points
pen=33,25,1;drop down
pen=33,23,2;near current
key=toll
wait=10
pen=20,52,1;first on list
cmd=0107;confirm
pen=15,220,1;done
end

anything wrong, please advise. Thanks

[si4xp]

Since there are more scripts than we could fit into the launcher, I was wondering if we could comment out/uncomment those that we don't want to use/reuse, in the FastFinger Menu, as shown below?

FastFinger Menu
;M,EST - this is commented out
M,Night Mode
M,Metric
M,CST
M,Day Mode
M,Statutes
M,Gas
M,Rest Area
A,WordSmith
M,Burger King
M,Donuts
M,Pizza
M,ToHome
M,ToOffice
A,Birdwatch
M,Find Food/Drink
M,Street Maps

[NewQ]

JMckie.... another idea/question.
I added the enable WAAS and Battery Saver scripts (thanks thodge) and was amazed at how bad my memory is getting. I usually don't use WAAS because of the drain on the battery and since your new app makes it so easy to switch to and from, I am starting to use it in my vehicle. I press the fast-finger button and am happy as a clam because now I think my accuracy is much better.
Then I went into the preferences and realized that it is a toggle and I'd pressed it more than once and actually it was off - DOH!!
Now I have to check each time to see which mode it is in, to be sure :( (that memory thing).

Is there any way to get feedback thru the palm OS that something is active/checked or not? If not, are there any pseudo points built in that can be assigned/activated?
If so, maybe the color of the text could be changed for one state and a different color for another or change the button color or background of the button. Don't know how this would affect scripts that check/uncheck more than one thing though.
It's still wonderful as it is, just maturing.
Thanks,

[rocket666]

Here is one item I would like to see,

a menu command, with 2 coords:

menu,x,y

but x is 1,2,3.... for the menu pulldown, left to right

y would be the vertical menu item, 1,2,....

Naturally, I have no idea if this is feasible :D

[noom4u]

Here are my idea to create second menu page

1. Create 1st menu page in memo

FastFinger menu
M,Switch to 2
M,a
M,b
M,c
M,d
....
....

2. Create 2nd menu page in memo

FastFinger menu2
M,Switch to 1
M,e
M,f
M,g
M,h
....
....

(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h .... is any script)

3. Create 2 Scripts below

ffscript=Switch to 2
Appname=Memo Pad
pen=135,6,1;categories
pen=135,18,1;1st cat
cmd=000B
pen=25,26,2
pen=90,23,2
key=1
pen=15,154,1
pen=25,36,2
pen=90,23,2
cmd=0109
pen=152,91,1
pen=18,150,1
pen=15,154,1
Appname=FastFinger
end

ffscript=Switch to 1
Appname=Memo Pad
pen=135,6,1;categories
pen=135,18,1;1st cat
cmd=000B
pen=25,26,2
pen=90,23,2
key=2
pen=15,154,1
pen=25,25,2
pen=90,23,2
cmd=0109
pen=152,91,1
pen=18,150,1
pen=15,154,1
Appname=FastFinger
end

Now you have 2 switchable menu pages

:)

[JMckie]

qfriend, you will probably need the future enhancement to control the VG area as described earlier.

si4Xp, the next release will probably have support for multiple launch pages. You probably shouldn't eat that much fast food. :)

newQ, if there is a way for FF to "read" what is on the screen, I haven't learned how to do it. I have considered what you mentioned how "pseudo points" would could be useful. I'm afraid if I start on that route, we will soon have variables, flow control, subroutines, input/output, etc. :)

rocket666, the best way to implement that is by controlling the jog dial. But with regards to the jog dial, the iQue isn't behaving the way the documentation says it should.

[thodge]

Rick,
You are very welcome! JMckie has made a fantastic app for us.

BTW, you can adjust the timer to see whether the box clears or gets checked.

Just change the third variable in the following line to give yourself the time to see the state of the check box.

pen=20,36,1;toggle check box
^
^
^
For myself, I'd rather have the scripts run more slowly and do it right. Than to speed them up and make a mistake.

[si4xp]

noom4u
The following scripts by you take the control to Palm Preferences, not QueMap preference:

--------------------------------------------
-Shorter Distance-

ffscript=Shorter Distance
Appname=Preferences
pen=140,8,1
pen=115,107,1
pen=32,23,1
pen=21,80,1
pen=45,51,1
pen=40,62,1;Route Preference
Appname=QueMap
cmd=0107
end

-Faster Time-

ffscript=Faster Time
Appname=Preferences
pen=140,8,1
pen=115,107,1
pen=32,23,1
pen=21,80,1
pen=45,51,1
pen=40,50,1;Route Preference
Appname=QueMap
cmd=0107
end

[paul6347]

Also I would like to see more control over the timing of the taps. 1 seems to be instant, 2 is really 2 seconds, 3 is 3 etc. I would like to be able so say put .5 for 1/2 second. 1.5 for 1 and a half second. Basically adding a decimal place for the time to control tenths of a second. What do you think??

[si4xp]

JMckie
I am trying to display QueMap menu to further select QueMap Preferences with the following script. It does display the QueMap but not the menu:
--------------------------
ffscript=test
appname=QueMap
cmd=0105;menu
pen=xx,xx,1;preference
-------------------------
What am I missing?

[noom4u]

si4xp

No This is absolutely Que preference control. This script design to access Que preference via Palm Preferences to avoid the moving botton when route is inactive.

You can use this script both active and inactive route status.

:)


-----------------------------------------------

I got the problem as save as si4xp too.

[hagaborg]

JMkie,

I'm trying to to use Fastfinger within PathAway3 but no succes. Getting to PathAway3 via Fastfinger is no problem but then PathAway3 takes control over the hard buttons. Can't get Fastfinger back up on the screen. I use PathAway3 while flying helicopter, which can be very bumby, so it sure would help me a lot by increasing the touch area to Fastfinger size.

Regards Christer.

[JMckie]

hagaborg, perhaps there is a hard button extender that will allow the use of the Rec or Esc buttons to launch FF.

Can someone recommend a hard button launch program that can do this?

si4xp, I had no problems running the script you posted. I can only suggest checking carefully for typos, extra whitespace, or missing carriage returns

Regarding the timing, it works fine on the emulator but there's something funny about the iQue. I won't be able to provide finer control without rewriting the engine.

[si4xp]

[i]si4xp, I had no problems running the script you posted. I can only suggest checking carefully for typos, extra whitespace, or missing carriage returns [/B]
JMckie
The following script, which is without the comment, works....
---------------------
cmd=0105
---------------------
...but the following with the comment doesn't!
--------------------
cmd=0105;menu
---------------------
An idea why?

[JMckie]

Originally posted by si4xp
JMckie
The following script, which is without the comment, works....
---------------------
cmd=0105
---------------------
...but the following with the comment doesn't!
--------------------
cmd=0105;menu
---------------------
An idea why?

You found a bug. I'll fix it in the next go-around.

[si4xp]

For those who prefer to view the changes being made to Que Preference setting should include a 2 seconds wait in the script, as shown below in the example:
---------------------------------------
ffscript=MED Detail
Appname=QueMap
cmd=0105
pen=25,22,1;Prefs
Pen=121,45,1;Medium_Detail
wait=2
Pen=19,154,1;Done
end
---------------------------------------

[rocket666]

I too found that comments on the cmd= function failed. In my case it was the brightness dialog, so I guess it's not specific to the 0105.

BTW, is there any reason to limit timing to integer number of seconds? How about 10ths or even 100ths of seconds. And it does seem that a delay of 1 second on the pen command is not working.

Is the list of cmd= options specific to fastfinger or is this a list of some sort of built in palm functions, and ff simply passes in the parameter specified? If so, are there any others besides the ones listed here?

[Herc]

JMckie or others,

FastFinger looks like a great application. I've installed on my iQue and have started playing with the scripts. I have created the "FastFinger Menu" in which I have "Refuel" and "Night Mode" so far. I have also copied and pasted the "ffscript" contents for each of the above macros as seperate memo entries. When I start FastFinger two boxes are displayed with the names of the macros. When I touch either box I get the message "Alert Uncrecognized script error". I've gone through the entire thread and have found no reference to this error. Any ideas? I am using FastFinger 1.02b

Thanks, Shayne

[Statsman]

Originally posted by Herc
JMckie or others,

FastFinger looks like a great application. I've installed on my iQue and have started playing with the scripts. I have created the "FastFinger Menu" in which I have "Refuel" and "Night Mode" so far. I have also copied and pasted the "ffscript" contents for each of the above macros as seperate memo entries. When I start FastFinger two boxes are displayed with the names of the macros. When I touch either box I get the message "Alert Uncrecognized script error". I've gone through the entire thread and have found no reference to this error. Any ideas? I am using FastFinger 1.02b

Thanks, Shayne

I hate to say it Shayne, but probably the only way to get to the bottom of this issue will be for you to share your ff files with us. Nothing malicious, just expedicious.

[Herc]

Thanks for the reply Statsman.

The files are copied and pasted from the Script Thread. In memo they look like this:

ffscript=Refuel
;by JMckie
Appname=QueFind
pen=23,218,1;Services
pen=25,24,1;search where
pen=25,24,1;near current
pen=25,35,1;type
pen=25,30,2;Auto Fuel
key=shell
end

ffscript=Night Mode
;by JMckie
lcd=50
end

Unless something is being added that isn't visible during the copy and paste procedure I believe this is what the script should look like. This is the first time I've attempted using scripts.

Regards.

[Statsman]

Shayne,

Do you have a carriage return after the last line in each of these two scripts? Otherwise, I do not see any problems with them.

Edit: Also try removing all of the comments along with the semi-colons.

Statsman

[Q-Eye]

Originally posted by Herc

Unless something is being added that isn't visible during the copy and paste procedure I believe this is what the script should look like.
They look OK to me. Do make sure that you have a new line (carriage return) after the final "end" in each script. I don't know if that would cause the error you are seeing but it WOULD keep the script from working.

[JMckie]

Herc, Look for your problem is in the menu file, not the scripts. The entries have to start with a capital 'M' or 'A', no whitespace. For example:

M,Refuel

rocket666, the cmd parameters is a list of Palm constants, called virtual keys. I have included a list of what I consider to be useful functions. You can see a list (http://www.mit.edu/afs/sipb/project/pilot/proventmp/Emulator_Src_21d28/SrcShared/Palm/Incs/UI/Chars.h) here. Caveat emptor.

I am not familiar with all of them, nor do I know what all the side-effects are. If you do find something useful that is not in my list, let us all know. :)

[Herc]

Thank you everyone!

As JMckie suggested I checked my FastFinger Menu and I had lower case "M"s and not uppercase. I changed them and everything works great. Now onto trying to write my own scripts. I must have missed the case sensitive part while reading the directions.

I should add that the error was "Unknown script type" and not "Unknown script error" as I wrote in my first post.

Thanks again, Shayne

[JMckie]

Originally posted by GoGo
What a great App!! Can anyone explain to me why the following script will not Open QueAudio and Play??

ffscript=QueAudio
appname=QueAudio
pen=83,40,3
pen=37,197,3
end

For some unknown reason, the VCR controls of QueAudio are unresponsive to the Pen commands.

[Statsman]

Originally posted by JMckie
For some unknown reason, the VCR controls of QueAudio are unresponsive to the Pen commands.

Maybe the script name can not be the same as a Palm function name? or maybe the word "appname" needs to be capitalized "Appname"?

[JMckie]

Originally posted by Statsman
Maybe the script name can not be the same as a Palm function name? or maybe the word "appname" needs to be capitalized "Appname"?

No, neither of those is a concern. QueAudio will come up as expected. It is the Play button that does not respond to the pen command.

In fact if you look closely sometime you can see the button flicker as it is being tapped.

[Roofrat]

I've look through this entire thread and didn't see anyone complain about having to do a reset after attempting to run a macro.

I copied and pasted the Refuel script, set up the menu script and tried the button - shut me down and required a reset. I looked at the script in memo pad. Lo and behold, some lines had been combined and needed separation. I separated the lines, double checked the syntax, etc. and tried again. Same result (several times). Then I realized that I had recently changed cards and didn't have detail maps loaded. Loaded maps, but no change.

Eventually, I decided to eliminate the comments from the script. Eureka! Worked like a charm. Anyone else have this problem?

[Roofrat]

By the way, regarding the request for multiple screens. My vote would be to allow the chosen hard button (mapped from Palm Preferences) to toggle between multiple screens. Ideally, the number of screens would be based on the number and size of buttons set up (i.e. if you have 25 scripts, and prefs set to 9 buttons per screen, you would have 3 screens to toggle through). A different hard button could then be mapped from within the FF prefs to be used as the selection button (this is the way I have mine set up currently). As this button is only affected while running FF, it would not affect the mapping of any other hard buttons when not in FF.

[BruinFan]

Roofrat,

Using the hard button to toggle through screens could be cumbersome. If I were to have 8 screens, it could take a long time to get back to screen 1. And, if I oops and push it too many times and end up on screen 2 then I have to push the hard button another 6 times to get back to screen 1.

I like the option of having any button take me to another screen. That way I can code "next", "previous", or jump to any screen that I like.

Using the hard button would create a lot of work should I want to re-order the screens.

[NewQ]

Originally posted by BruinFan
Roofrat,

Using the hard button to toggle through screens could be cumbersome. If I were to have 8 screens, it could take a long time to get back to screen 1. And, if I oops and push it too many times and end up on screen 2 then I have to push the hard button another 6 times to get back to screen 1.
......

Not to mention creating another RMA item for Garmin - a sudden (and unexplainable :confused: ) increase of worn out hard buttons :D

[rocket666]

Roof:



Have you been copy/pasting code from this forum into the memopad?

When I did that directly, it combines lines. I used JMckie's suggestion and paste into a text edtitor first (notepad should work), then select from the editor, copy, then paste into the memopad (on the pc). This fixes any line ending problems.

As to the comments, did you notice the posts on comments in the cmd= function? It seems for sure that they won't work and JMckie is looking into this.

=============
I like Roof's idea for multiple screens, except it might as well be whatever button you choose once inside ff. In my case, I'd want to use the same button that got me there. Then to get to say my 3rd screen, it would be 3 button pushes, which I could do w/o looking.

Bruin:

If you really get to 8 screens, then I guess you could always get back to screen 1 by running something, like calculator, that comes up instantly, and then re-enter ff with one more button press.

Also, I would think that the way to implement multiple screens would be to have mulitple memo scripts, with 1, 2, 3, etc. in the title. Then to reorder would be just an easy memo edit. (BTW, what happens if you have 2 with the same title, would you just get the first one?)

However, if other buttons are mapped at this point, then it would be nice if they were optional - i.e. have a none option. At present you must select 1-4 for the activate.

[Roofrat]

Another little tip -

When using the A,Application format in FastFinger Menu to map an application to FF, it uses the application name as the button name. If a different name is desired, just create a script using the appname for the mapped application, and ffscript for the button name.

Example: M, Date Book

ffscript=Date Book
appname=ksDatebook
end

Using the A,Application format, the app name ksDatebook would have been used as the button name, which actually extends slightly beyond the button boundaries. Using the example above, the botton name is changed to Date Book. When there is a space between words, the words will wrap to fit better within the button boundaries.

[Roofrat]

Rocket,

Yes, I had copied and pasted into memo pad, then sync'ed without checking first. I did see the tip to paste first into a text editor. However the editing can just as easily be done directly in memo pad, either on the desktop or iQue. I just had failed to check the syntax.

I think I had seen the post about the comments, but didn't understand the impact until I finally deleted them and found that to be my problem. What I didn't see were any posts relating to this causing a crash and needing to do a reset.

Rgarding the multiple screen toggle, your suggestion for the toggle button to be the same as the one that opens FF was what I had intended also. You press the button to open FF, then keep pressing until you access the screen you need. For those with numerous screens, I don't see why Bruin's scripting idea wouldn't work in addition to the toggling, in order to go directly from one screen to the next. In order to do that, however, there would probably need to be some means of identifiying each screen to differentiate them. We'll see what JMckie will come up with.

[si4xp]

[i]I like the option of having any button take me to another screen. That way I can code "next", "previous", or jump to any screen that I like.[/B]
I prefer the same, as this will be more flexible.

[Bavarian]

A really great app! THANKS But i read sometimes that 15 entries can be in the menu. But on Betties screen i see only 12 buttons. Whats the matter?

[Q-Eye]

Originally posted by Bavarian
A really great app! THANKS But i read sometimes that 15 entries can be in the menu. But on Betties screen i see only 12 buttons. Whats the matter?
You can configure the number of buttons you want on the FastFinger menu screen. I think it defaults to 12.

[Mique]

Originally posted by Bavarian
A really great app! THANKS But i read sometimes that 15 entries can be in the menu. But on Betties screen i see only 12 buttons. Whats the matter?

Hi,

I agree about the great app! I wished for a hot update Birdwatch - got it - and also Fastfinger as creaming on the cake, thanks!!

Change the Fastfingers prefs to show 15 icons.

//Mike

[boatbumm]

I'd like to add my THANKS for this wonderful application. I've been lurking on this forum for several months now, and when Betty saw this app, she MADE me register so I can offer proper thanks!

:D

[JMckie]

FastFinger 1.03 Beta

If there are no problems with this version, I'll update the link at the top of this thread. Aside from bug fixes, I'll let this version stand pat for awhile. But please keep the suggestions and wishlists, and most of all, the useful scripts coming!

Upgrade notes
Scripts created for previous versions will run in this version. The menu has to be renamed to include page number.

New in this version:
Creation of starter/template scripts
When installing for the first time, three Memo Pad entries are created: "FastFinger 1", "ffscript=Route Home", and "ffscript=Test". If a memo of the same name already exists, it is left unchanged.

Multiple pages of menus
- Menu entries should be called "FastFinger 1", "FastFinger 2", etc.
- A hard key (default is button 1) is used to cycle through the different pages. The hard key used to run the highlighted icon is now button 2.
- This hard key, called the menu switch button, is configurable in preferences
- A script commands is available to switch using an icon. An example follows.

ffscript=Page 2
menu=2
end

As usual, create a menu entry for this: M,Page 2

Script timing precision
Wait times of one second happened instantaneously in previous version. In preferences, there is a checkbox called "Precision script time delay" which enables more precision in timing delays. When using this option, it is still possible to run rapid-fire scripts by specifying a pen delay of zero. E.g. pen=80,80,0

All my old scripts worked without modification when using this option. It is possible some scripts may require fixing. Because scripts now run more slowly, it is possible to launch another script while a long script is still active. I don't recommend doing this.

Virtual Grafitti management
Some apps will launch in full screen mode or not, depending on its state when last used. This command is used to force the app to go to a known screen state, so that the screen controls will be in the expected place.

vg=1 will go to full screen mode if it is not yet in full screen mode
vg=0 will open the grafitti area if it is not already open

wait=1;needed before vg
vg=1;force full screen mode

Warning! Certain applications resent being manipulated this way and can cause a soft reset. Omitting the delay can sometimes cause a reset, because the application may not have finished redrawing.

Bug fixes
Menu entries can be commented out
Comments after commands are now handled properly

Menu display options
Each menu page can have it's own color theme and font.
Optionally include the following commands in the menu file. Please note: These are not script commands, they are menu options. This will do nothing if placed in the script file.

FastFinger 1
font=0
text=0,0,0
back=255,255,255
bord=220,220,220
sel=0,0,0
M,Route Home

The values listed above are the default values.
font - values 0,1,2,3 represent four system fonts
text - RGB values (0 to 255) of the icon label
back - RGB values of the window background
bord - RGB values of the icon border
sel - RGB values of the icon border when selected

Note: It is also possible to render different menu items using different colors.

text=0,0,0;black
M,black label 1
M,black label 2
text=255,0,0;red
M,red label
text=0,0,0;black
;all succeeding items are black again

[JMckie]

Originally posted by GoGo
Can you elaborate on how this will cause QueAudio to play?

I don't think you can. QueAudio uses a different kind of button that doesn't respond to FastFinger's pen command.

[aagps]

I want to thank JMckie for developing this, it is by far the most useful (and used) add-on yet. For months I've been using
hacked versions of the original bwscript/GoHome to invoke multiple usages. I want to share some issues I've discovered with using pen positions on the iQue. They all revolve around the fact that somethings don't always show up in the same place.

Example 1: Look at the difference between invoking queFind from the launcher (or hard button) and using the little magnifying
class icon on the bottom of the screen (note the cancel button). Fortunatly, invoking appname=QueFine is invoking the
launcher version, so that Services is shown.

More subtle:

Example 2: If you have last used "by name" in QueFind, leave and re-open QueFind, then the grafiti panel will be open - even
if it was closed when you left, and even if you then select some other method ("near current location" for existance).

Example 3: Perhaps obvious, if you are trying to program a "type" choice from the bottom of a drop down list and the graffiti
panel is open, then the choice may not show up (without scrolling), but if the graffiti panel is not open then the list is
longer, and it may show up.

Example 4: Much less obvious, the placement of the "type" drop down box moves based on whether the grafiti panel was open or
not. Normally, on opening QueFind, the grafiti box does not show up, so the drop down list will be "low". BUT, what if it
was last left in "by name"?

Try the following with the macro supplied with FastFinger - "Find Fast Food".

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ffscript=Find Fast Food
Appname=QueFind
pen=80,125,1;Food
pen=18,22,1
pen=18,22,1
pen=33,37,1;type
pen=33,120,2;fast food
end
>>>>>>>>>>>

Go into QueFind, click on "by name" and then return to FastFinger. Now execute "Find Fast Food" - Mexican Food anyone? The reason Mexican Food was selected is the drop down list moves up if the graffiti panel WAS open. Here is my script:

>>>>>>>>>>>
ffscript=Find Fast Food (Better)
Appname=QueFind
pen=74,125,1; Food
pen=151,233,1; Toggle Graffiti to ensure Graffiti was open at least once
pen=151,233,1; Hit twice to restore state
pen=30,35,1; type
pen=15,95,1; fast food (Notice a different 'y' value!!
end
>>>>>>>>>>>

Example 5: I've created a script that selects "Near Current Route", so that subsequent finds will show things on my route.
The difficulty with this is that the "Near Current Route" location on the drop down can change. Following a reset, if one
looks at the drop down list there will be 5 choices available:

Near Current Location
By Name
Near Route Destination
Near Other
Near Current Route

So "Near Current Route" is 5th in the list, a pen value of 20,68 would work. If you select one of the POIs (let's say
Denny's) from the list and then go to the menu and select "Find Near Selected Item", you will now see a list like this:

Near Current Location
By Name
Near Route Destination
Near Other
Near Denny's
Near Current Route

Now "Near Current Route" is 6th in the list, and a pen value of 20,79 is required to work. If you click on "Near Other" and
select a spot on the map, then the list looks like this:

Near Current Location
By Name
Near Route Destination
Near Other
Near Selected Location
Near Denny's
Near Current Route

Now "Near Current Route" is 7th on the list, and a pen value of 20,90 is required to work. Here is a script that exercises
both these options, so that I will know where "Near Current Route" is.

>>>>>>>>>>
bwscript=doscript g;NrRte
Appname=QueFind
pen=124,29,1; Waypoints
pen=30,24,1; type
pen=20,35,2; by name
pen=20,7,1; menu
pen=30,30,1; near select to fill buffer
pen=125,6,1; WyPt Type
pen=80,73,1; Food
pen=30,24,1; type
pen=40,57,1; Select Other to fill buffer
pen=22,215,1; Select done
pen=30,24,1; type
pen=40,90,1; near route
pen=55,48,1; within
pen=45,69,1; 1 mile
end
>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm sure there are more instances of things moving around, and probably if R4 ever shows up, things will move again.

ps: Thanks JMckie for 1.03 - this looks even better!

[Bavarian]

Originally posted by Q-Eye
You can configure the number of buttons you want on the FastFinger menu screen. I think it defaults to 12. I did not think about the menu function becaus there was no title line. Thanks for the hint.

[paul6347]

There might be a better way for selecting "Near Current Route". Is there a command for the "UP TOGGLE"? If there is, you can command that and you will always have the last item on the menu. Just a thought..

[AlanJ]

I'm having big problems with this, I know its something Im doing wrong or something Im not doing.
I cant get more than the 3 icons you have with v1.03 to show, I have edited the menu to 4 scripts and placed 4 scipts in my memopad, but it will still only show the initial ones you put with the new version, Ive edited those 3 to what I want but cant add another script, it just dont show anywhere.....

here are some screen shots to show what I mean...

[AlanJ]

next

[AlanJ]

last

[thodge]

JMckie,

Is there a direct method to change the number of "buttons" displayed as we shift from menu 1 to menu 2 (without trying to write a script to change the grid preferences) ?

Many thanks,
Tim
(thodge)

[JMckie]

Originally posted by AlanJ
I'm having big problems with this, I know its something Im doing wrong or something Im not doing.
I cant get more than the 3 icons you have with v1.03 to show, I have edited the menu to 4 scripts and placed 4 scipts in my memopad, but it will still only show the initial ones you put with the new version, Ive edited those 3 to what I want but cant add another script, it just dont show anywhere.....

here are some screen shots to show what I mean...

AlanJ, do you have a carriage return after the last item, M,Test ?

[paul6347]

I didn't see an "end" command on the bottom of that script.

[paul6347]

JMckie...
I there a command for the "UP" or "DOWN" toggle button, or rocker switch that on the side of the que?

[JMckie]

AlanJ, do you have a carriage return after the last item, M,Test ?

Thodge, the menu grid is an application preference, and cannot be customized per menu.

Paul6347, by "Up toggle" do you mean the jog dial? I'll have to research that a bit.

aagps, I was wondering when you would show up again. :)
At least some of the variances can now be prevented by using the "VG" command for controlling the virtual grafitti area.

[JMckie]

Has anyone encountered any problems with today's release 1.03 yet?

[JMckie]

Originally posted by paul6347
I didn't see an "end" command on the bottom of that script.

Actually that's a better solution. By having an "end" statement, you're guaranteeing a carriage return at that last menu line.

[thodge]

JMckie,
Thanks for your quick response!

But I have more questions for you on your v1.03 Beta.

Many of my scripts include a call to return to Fastfinger. But everytime that call is made, the default menu #1 comes up even if a script from menu #2 made the call. Am I missing something here?

Upon start up of Fastfinger, menu #1 appears to be the default menu. Is there a way to return to the menu you just left instead?

Finally, at least for now: The two scripts you included in v1.03 Beta, Test & Route home, are reinstalled each time I start Fastfinger. They just won't go away. Extremely minor issue, but I wanted to alert you to it.

Thanks!
Tim

[JMckie]

Many of my scripts include a call to return to Fastfinger. But everytime that call is made, the default menu #1 comes up even if a script from menu #2 made the call. Am I missing something here? Upon start up of Fastfinger, menu #1 appears to be the default menu. Is there a way to return to the menu you just left instead?


I designed this intentionally. When starting FF, I want it to go to the first page always. This way you are guaranteed to be on the same page, and you can use the menu while driving without paing close attention to what page you are in.

[Bavarian]

Originally posted by JMckie
Has anyone encountered any problems with today's release 1.03 yet? No probs until now. All scripts working well. Tanks again for your pretty good work.

[thodge]

JMckie,

Is there any way to make the start up behavior an option for future growth? We use you app frequently when we are not driving and would be a nice convenience at those times.

I'm setting my Q up for two basic menus. One to use while motorcycle touring (find fuel, reset trip, volume & brightness, etc). The second is while geocaching. Some buttons I have are duplicated on both menus.

It would be nice to not have to start on the travel menu only to return to the geocaching menu each time.

Thanks again, I'm having a great time with your app!
Tim

[microbe]

JMckie,

Thanks, what a great and useful program.

One "bug" I noticed (in 1.03 beta) is that while using fastfinger if an alarm/appointment screen pops up, clearing the alarm pop-up leaves that region of the screen blank/unpainted until one exits and reenters fastfinger.

[paul6347]

One way would to be change the name of the script. From Fastfinger 2 to Fastfinger 1 and vic versa. Another way would be to make a menu with just 2 buttons Geacaching and Traveling. With one touch, your in the menu you want.

[rocket666]

Did I say WoW before!!!! Well Wow Wow!!! You even supplied 2 ways to invoke multiple screens! Nothing for us to debate about anymore :D

Originally posted by JMckie
FastFinger 1.03 Beta

Note: It is also possible to render different menu items using different colors.

text=0,0,0;black
M,black label 1
M,black label 2
text=255,0,0;red
M,red label
text=0,0,0;black
;all succeeding items are black again


Should this let me change the background color on an individual button, say to create a checkerboard pattern etc.

I used repeated back and bord requests, but all buttons had the same background and border. Do you render the screen based on top to bottom processing of the menu? Or do you do the back/bord once at the end using the last settings? Or is it only text that you render differently per menu item? Or is this a bug?


FastFinger 1
font=2
text=0,0,0
back=255,255,255
bord=220,220,220
sel=0,0,0
M,Route Home
back=255,255,0
bord=220,220,0
A,Calculator
M,Test


On launch button:

Could you add a "none" to the prefs pulldowns so one can choose to not have a launch button? I am satisfied to push the on-screen button to run the script.

In my case, I've chosen button 2 for launching ff, and then I also want button 2 for switching screens. But I don't want to have another button to launch the currently selected button, I prefer to leave the other buttons as they are. Less to remember this way.

If I set both to the same value, i.e. button 2, the launch takes precedence, and masks out the change screen button.

[Patch]

JMckie, sorry to ask this, but could you please give a brief instructions as to how you get ScreenShot to capture the iQue screen, I've looked at config panel and can not for the life of me figure out how you do it? :o

[NewQ]

Originally posted by Patch
JMckie, sorry to ask this, but could you please give a brief instructions as to how you get ScreenShot to capture the iQue screen, I've looked at config panel and can not for the life of me figure out how you do it? :o
Try using the app "Snap". Easy to use and it's freeware.

[NewQ]

JMckie,
I tried to use comments after the menu items in FastFinger 1 and they still show up on the menu screen. I put numbers after the menus items so i know what position they're in.


FastFinger 1
text=0,0,0 ;black
M,Route Home ;1
M,Stop Navigation ;2
M,Route To Work ;3
text=255,0,0 ;red
M,Find Good Food ;4
M,Battery Save ;5
M,Enable WAAS ;6
text=36,0,254 ;blue
M,7
M,Shorter Distance ;8
M,Faster Time ;9
M,10
M,Find Fuel ;11
M,Find Hospital ;12
end


The comments after non-menu items don't show up, just the numbers OR letters (I tried both) after the menu items.

[Patch]

Thanks NewQ, but a Google search comes up with a whole lot of links for this "SNAP" and i can't seem to find the app you mention. Can you help, Many Thanks :)

[NewQ]

Originally posted by Patch
Thanks NewQ, but a Google search comes up with a whole lot of links for this "SNAP" and i can't seem to find the app you mention. Can you help, Many Thanks :)

I still have the file I d/l'd - here it is. (I hope it's ok to do this)

[Patch]

Thanks NewQ, much appreciated :)

[Patch]

Once again NewQ, thanks for your guidance, program works like a charm. :)

[NewQ]

Originally posted by Patch
Once again NewQ, thanks for your guidance, program works like a charm. :)
You're welcome.
Looking at the number of times it's been d/l'd in the last 10 minutes, you're not the only one that needed an app like that.

[NewQ]

thodge -
I'm setting one menu page up for common find routines and I'm
trying to follow this script and can't figure out what you're doing. (Very hard to reverse engineer ;) )
Can you explain please?


ffscript=Disable All Ways
;by thodge
wait=1;debounce button action
Appname=wayQue
wait=1;delay needed
pen=150,5,3;open menu
pen=150,5,2;select all
pen=120,215,2;no way button
appname=FastFinger
end


Same with enable all ways, I guess.

EDIT: Never mind :o
I have had my head in the sand, I guess, and didn't remember RVRodie's post of his app - sorry RVRodie.

Thanks bud,

[NewQ]

paul6347 -

I'm looking at your Dunkin Donut script


ffscript=DD on Route
Appname=QueFind
pen=72,125,1;Food & Drink
pen=39,36,1;Type ?
pen=20,9,1;All Types
pen=27,23,1;Where?
pen=27,68,1;Near Current Route
pen=51,47,1;Within
pen=43,60,1;Half a mile
key=Dunkin
end


and am intriqued by the "Within", "Half a mile" lines.
Using my quefind I don't seem to find that filtering capability - am I missing something or doing something wrong?

[HPH]

Like everyone else, I'm impressed by and thankful for this nifty application. The new version, with multiple menu screens, makes it even better.

As the list of scripts (in the other thread) gets longer and longer, it would be helpful to have an index in the first post there -- another task for our benefactor, as only he can edit his original post, but maybe someone could email it to him now and then.

And I'm very surprised that no one has come up with a script to change the zoom level -- I've become reasonably adept at hitting that little box on the map with a fingernail and then picking one, but it's sometimes hit-or-miss. I'd try to invent such a script, but I'm enough of a neophyte that I'm sure it would fail horribly. HPH

[TheDutchMan]

HPH,

You can change the zoom level by using the thumb wheel on the side of the queue (The one in the middle). Force the wheel up to zoom out and down to zoom in.

Ben

[jonasolof]

If you use the jog wheel or up and down buttons to chaneg zoom level, the iQue can take a long time to redraw each screen. Therefore it could be a good idea to jump directly to a preset zoomlevel. And especially to jump down from that 50 km level that Anders, living out there in the wilderness, decided was OK to set a location.

[HPH]

Didn't know about the wheel to zoom -- thanks. And I PM'd a contents (not index) of the script thread to JM, just to get started. HPH

[rocket666]

If you have 2 scripts, and one is a substring of the other, it finds the longer one, when requesting the shorter one.

I had:

M,Route To zzz

and

M,Route To



And both would do the Route To zzz.


I solved it by just renaming, but thought you might want to know.

[rocket666]

Would it be possible to allow a second deliminter, besides comma in the pen command.

For example,

pen=111,222,1

alternate

pen=111+222+1

Then, one can double tap the numbers to select them. Using a virtual graffiti extenstion, e.g. the one with a numerical keypad, makes changes to numbers a cinch.

Double tapping on 111,222,1 selects all three and the commas, which is less useful.

================================
BTW, I use the Clip PRO utility (shareware) to cut/copy/paste etc. activated with a button press and hold (so you don't lose the normal button use) and it is a pleasure to edit ff scripts this way when not using the memo pad on the PC.

http://www.pocketscience.com.au/products.asp

[NewQ]

si4xp - examining your script below,


ffscript=Donuts
Appname=QueFind
pen=50,138,1;Food&Drinks
pen=27,23,1;Where?
pen=27,23,1;Near current
pen=23,36,1;Type?
pen=32,214,1;D'nut&Coffee
Key=donut
end

Without trying to reverse engineer it and looking at the "D'nut&Coffee" line is: what is the "32,214" tapping? I ask 'cause your comment says "D'nut&Coffee" and I don't see an entry like that on my type (not trying to be stupid here). 214 is at the bottom of the screen too???
I wrote the same thing using "All Types". Just wondering...

[rocket666]

Originally posted by jonasolof
If you use the jog wheel or up and down buttons to chaneg zoom level, the iQue can take a long time to redraw each screen. Therefore it could be a good idea to jump directly to a preset zoomlevel. And especially to jump down from that 50 km level that Anders, living out there in the wilderness, decided was OK to set a location.

In case you hadn't noticed, you can interrupt a screen draw with another up/down or jog up/down, so if you do say, 3 downs quickly, it will only redraw once.

[TheDutchMan]

A request. I have been looking at the scripts in the Script Thread. Please please please document your scripts lines.

I was a programer for 40 years, code without documentation is very difficult to go back to later and figure out, especially the type of language Joseph had to use. We need to remember that 99% of the command are based on icon and pull-down position. We are NOT guaranteed that Garmin will keep every item used in the scripts in the same place on the screen. In no time at all a lot of us will be dependent on FastFinger and the convenience it provides. With the next release from Garmin a lot of scripts may have to be changed. It will be a lot easier to change the scrips if they are documented.

Ben

[JMckie]

A request. I have been looking at the scripts in the Script Thread. Please please please document your scripts lines.

I couldn't agree more with TheDutchMan.

HPH, thanks for the list, but I don't think I'll have the time to maintain an index of scripts.

Other questions from earlier in the thread:
Only the text color can be changed in the menu entries. The other colors and font are constant within one menu.

I'm going to put an option so that you don't have to use hard buttons.

You know how some StreetPilots come with a remote control? I am toying with the idea of using a universal remote to do menu selection. It would be a neat feature, but I am not sure how practical it is. Any thoughts?

[Tron_1]

Would love to see a remote feature. Love the remote on the Streetpilot so intutive and yet can perform every function. The only problem I can see is that the IR is on the top of the IQ.

Tron_1

[JMckie]

I have an IR stowaway keyboard and it has a metal reflector to reflect the signal. I think if angled correctly it can work acceptably.

[Bavarian]

JMckie, during driving the car it is dangerous to switch the energy mode with FastFinger because you must take a look on the display during switching to control if the state is set right. To avoid this I think there is way to detect the state of the energy saver mode of the GPS. See GPSGetStatus. The filled structure is GPSStatusDataType has a variable mode. When this had the value of 2, the energy saver mode is active. So it can be possible to switch exactly to powered/battery within a script. Can you add a command to switch the energy mode with respect to the actual mode?

Another way is to get the color of a pixel with function WinGetPixel( x,y )

By the way: what is the reason that the coordinates for the pen command are half the screen size?

[NewQ]

Originally posted by Bavarian
JMckie, during driving the car it is dangerous to switch the energy mode with FastFinger because you must take a look on the display during switching to control if the state is set right. To avoid this I think there is way to detect the state of the energy saver mode of the GPS. See GPSGetStatus. The filled structure is GPSStatusDataType has a variable mode. When this had the value of 2, the energy saver mode is active. So it can be possible to switch exactly to powered/battery within a script. Can you add a command to switch the energy mode with respect to the actual mode?

This is what I was asking before - being able to get feedback from the OS as to what state it is in, i.e. WAAS on or off, Battery Save on or off and then use this status somehow in the FF. I didn't know if you could query via a status report or not.

[Bavarian]

Originally posted by NewQ
This is what I was asking before - being able to get feedback from the OS as to what state it is in, i.e. WAAS on or off, Battery Save on or off and then use this status somehow in the FF. I didn't know if you could query via a status report or not. The GPS energy saver mode can be queried, the WAAS state not. I dont understand why Garmin is so retentive with the SDK for the iQue. If more functionality is available for external programmers, more interesting software will be developed for the iQue -> more interesting software - more units are selled.

[NewQ]

JMckie - I'm think I'm armed for my trip next week. Anything that can go wrong (based on history of my classes on the road) that has forced me to scramble to find a local source/supplier is now in FF. And if not, I have more menu pages. :D Such a wonderful app.

I have a menu item named "Find Home Depot" and it wraps after the "Find" but on the 2nd line the words "Home Depot" extend past the edges of the button. I've tried putting one or more spaces between the last 2 words to force a wrap and no wrappie. ;) Unless I'm doing something wrong.

To add to the wish list, can you give us a 3 line wrap? That should fill the button. Haven't tried more than a font=1, don't know if the wrap would be affected by the font size.

Again, THANK YOU for ALL of your efforts

[Last Mrk]

Do you really need the "Find" word. I noticed similar things so I removed all the words like Route to, Find etc. They're my buttons so I know what they're for. :)

One thing I noticed is that if you press your FastFinger button while executing scripts including QueFind and let your finger linger on the button too long, you will get results you're not expecting. Your finger will execute the button "under" your intended FastFinger button. Is there a way around this?

edit: I seem to have solved the button pushing problem by activating "Precision Scrpt Time Delay" in the FastFinger preferences.

[JMckie]

Originally posted by Bavarian
Can you add a command to switch the energy mode with respect to the actual mode?

Another way is to get the color of a pixel with function WinGetPixel( x,y )

By the way: what is the reason that the coordinates for the pen command are half the screen size?

Although I have no other machines to test it on, theoretically Fastfinger should run on other Palm OS5 devices. So I wanted to support the lower screen resolutions. Eventually I want to have this available as a general Palm utility. My next step is to modify it to run on the iQue 3200, which has a fixed graffiti area.

I'll was thinking about WinGetPixel to get feedback as well. However, to do something with it I would have to implement conditional (if-then) logic in the script. I can kludge one up together, but the tiny parser I have will soon be creaking under the strain.

[Bee_sqare]

Does anybody (JMckie?) know a way to get the Saved Routes screen to come up without tapping the Saved Routes icon in QueRoutes? I'm trying to write a script that activates a particular saved route, but it won't always work because the Saved Routes icon isn't always in the same place -- it's usually in the lower right corner but not always. Is there a Saved Routes application? Or a cmd to make that screen come up?

Failing that, what would be the most elegant way for a script to ensure that the Saved Routes icon is in the lower right corner of the QueRoutes dialog?

[HotWing]

Is there a "Ique for dummier" man I need one.

I installed the fast finger program.

Created a memu fastfinger

when i launce fastfinger I get an postage size icon, blank.

OK, I'm a dummie and new to this machine, but it would work great on a motocycle, so I need to learn it.

I've attempted to cut and paste an script, but nothing shows after hotsync.

I guess I need someone to send an e-mail to me explaining how to work this and not tie up the board with stupid questions.

most if not all of you are so far above me, I feel I'm asking stupid questions and anoying most of you.

sorry
eagle-98@msn.com

[Last Mrk]

I noticed that too so put 2 pen tap scripts into my macro, one for each spot the saved route icon might be. Trial & error will get you the best results.

[NewQ]

Originally posted by Bee_sqare
Does anybody (JMckie?) know a way to get the Saved Routes screen to come up without tapping the Saved Routes icon in QueRoutes? I'm trying to write a script that activates a particular saved route, but it won't always work because the Saved Routes icon isn't always in the same place -- it's usually in the lower right corner but not always. Is there a Saved Routes application? Or a cmd to make that screen come up?

Failing that, what would be the most elegant way for a script to ensure that the Saved Routes icon is in the lower right corner of the QueRoutes dialog?

Bee,
When you have the map displayed, I've noticed that if you press the bottom right button (as if you wanted to show map), the next screen is a maximized QueRoutes. With the map displayed, if you tap the route icon (third from the bottom left), you always get a mid-sized QueRoute. I always use this icon in my scripts, that way I always know where the icon is.
Hope this helps.

[jonasolof]

Originally posted by JMckie
Although I have no other machines to test it on, theoretically Fastfinger should run on other Palm OS5 devices. So I wanted to support the lower screen resolutions. Eventually I want to have this available as a general Palm utility. My next step is to modify it to run on the iQue 3200, which has a fixed graffiti area.

I'll was thinking about WinGetPixel to get feedback as well. However, to do something with it I would have to implement conditional (if-then) logic in the script. I can kludge one up together, but the tiny parser I have will soon be creaking under the strain.

I beamed it to the Tungsten T3 which is also OS5. The screen looks OK but in prefs you can't shift buttons. The choice only flickers. You can't chose the number of screen buttons either, also only flickers.

As I see it FF is great for navigation, could be of some use on the TT3 which has some nav software made for it. On the other hand, I suspect that these (TomTom, Navman, Digi-map) occupy the hard buttons.

[JMckie]

Originally posted by jonasolof
I beamed it to the Tungsten T3 which is also OS5. The screen looks OK but in prefs you can't shift buttons. The choice only flickers. You can't chose the number of screen buttons either, also only flickers.



Jonas, apart from this, does the rest of the application work? Specifically, what happens when you press "Route to Home"?

[jonasolof]

On the iQue it routes to the first entry in the waypoint list. I know there is a rule for how to set up a home waypoint, but I forgot what it was - a blank letter first? Yep, that seemed to work. So it works fine.

On the TT3 it goes into preferences when the route home button is pressed. In fact, I've programmed the Rec button on the T3 to go to the launcher. It might be possible to program FF to use the rec button to launch. The rec button is as much a nuisance on the TT3 as it earlier was on the iQue. Letting it go to launcher was a good idea that I got from the TT forum nearby.

On the TT3 "calculator" brings calculator. Test- nothing happens

[JMckie]

Originally posted by jonasolof
On the iQue it routes to the first entry in the waypoint list. I know there is a rule for how to set up a home waypoint, but I forgot what it was - a blank letter first? Yep, that seemed to work. So it works fine.

On the TT3 it goes into preferences when the route home button is pressed. In fact, I've programmed the Rec button on the T3 to go to the launcher. It might be possible to program FF to use the rec button to launch. The rec button is as much a nuisance on the TT3 as it earlier was on the iQue. Letting it go to launcher was a good idea that I got from the TT forum nearby.

Jonas going to preferences was the expected behavior. When an application doesn't exist, like QueRoutes, the OS will launch Preferences instead. I'm curious if it will actually perform the pen taps on the Tungsten. Can you add the "appname and pen" commands to the existing script? This should launch press the number "3" on the calculator.


ffscript=Test
;use for testing
appname=Calculator
pen=110,120,1
end


I am also very curious to know if the same will work when choosing the "precision timing" option in preferences.

[jonasolof]

The test script only brings upp the calculator but doesn't show the digit 3. Beware that the TT3 screen is not exactly equal to the iQue screen, as far as I remember. That's why you sometimes need CodeDiver to adjust for the differences. We know that from using the Tungsten T3 web browser on the iQue. I've written on the subject some thousand posts ago. Both number of columns and number of rows differ slightly. I'll see if I can find the post. I had found info on a usenet palm forum.

I want to use Code Diver now on the TT3 but it had expired.

Actually CodeDiver was written for Sony Cliés of which some evidently had th4e same screen size as the iQue. Here is a threead that might contain some info on screen resources - here (http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.sys.palmtops.pilot/msg/38edb18fa8a80695)

But it didn't tell the exact number of rows and columns on a TT3.

[Glenn Robertson]

JMckie ... first, let me add my congrats on an excellent application. Allows operating the iQue 100% safer to use in the car.

A small bug - When I select the Graffiti Help from the menu, I get an error code #25, backlight goes off and the Brightness Control dialog box comes up.

No harms seems to caused by this, however, I thought you might like to know for whenever you do your next update.

[JMckie]

Originally posted by jonasolof
The test script only brings upp the calculator but doesn't show the digit 3. Beware that the TT3 screen is not exactly equal to the iQue screen. That's why you sometimes need CodeDiver to adjust for the differences. We know that from using the Tungsten T3 web browser on the iQue. I've written on the subject some thousand posts ago. Both number of columns and number of rows differ slightly. I'll see if I can find the post. I had found info on a usenet palm forum.

I want to use Code Diver now on the TT3 but it had expired.

Jonas, are you sure you are pressing the "Test" menu button instead of the "Calculator" button?

Intead of the pen command, maybe you can try this, which will pop open the pulldown menu.
cmd=105

Or this, which will attempt to set the backlight
pen=255

[jonasolof]

I tried several times and pushed the right button:)

Cmd=105 works as specified

pen=255 does not work. BTW, the TT3 adjust backlight option is not at all like the one on the iQue.

You simply have to map the TT3 screen with the regard to the layout on it. The bottom icon row is of course totally different.

[JMckie]

I meant lcd=255 instead of pen=255. Sorry.

BTW, If you have a drawing program installed like DiddleBug, you can see the pen taps as they are plotted on the drawing canvas.

I guess I will have to pick up a used TT3 on eBay if I want to achieve compatibility.

[JMckie]

FastFinger 1.04

If upgrading from a release 1.03, uncheck the "precision timing" option before installing this version.

New in this release:

- Jog dial support. Move the rocker up and down to highlight the menu choices. Press the jog dial to select. Use the Esc key to cycle through different menu pages. This is useful for one-handed operation when holding the iQue.

- Option to start on last used menu page when using multipe page menus. If not checked FF will always open on page 1. If checked, FF will open the last page viewed. (Example: You could configure page one for automotive use, and page two for hiking. By checking this option, FF will remember that you want to use the hiking menu page, and it will show that page by default)

- A choice to not map the hard buttons (for menu switching and launching). This will preserve the buttons to their default mappings.

- A new application icon (icon view only, not list view)

My setup: I've create a menu page (Favourites) that contains my most used applications, a driving page, and a hiking page. Most of the time I'm using the Favourites page as my program launcher. Instead of pressing the power button, I launch FF using hard button one, and use the jog dial to locate and launch the app that I want. All with one hand. This gives a taste of the great one-handed operation that Treo users are spoiled with.

I'll update the link and documentation on the first post in a day or so.

[TheDutchMan]

JMckie,

With the list of commands growing with each release (I am not complaining:)) could you put together a document with all the current commands. I could be in the form of a file included in the zip file or in one of the two threads.

Thanks

Ben

[jonasolof]

Originally posted by JMckie
I meant lcd=255 instead of pen=255. Sorry.

BTW, If you have a drawing program installed like DiddleBug, you can see the pen taps as they are plotted on the drawing canvas.

I guess I will have to pick up a used TT3 on eBay if I want to achieve compatibility.

OK lcd commands work. I tried a few different.

To see pen taps, shouldn't Notes built into TT3 be enough? But if I access FF notes won't bbe open. So how does that work?

[JMckie]

I'm assuming Notes for the TT3 is a freehand drawing application? What you want to do in the script is something like this:


ffscript=test
;plot three dots in a diagonal.
appname=Notes?
pen=20,20,1
pen=40,40,1
pen=60,60,1


I don't know what the proper appname is for Notes. Sometimes the application display name is different from the actual name. For example, the filename for "Calc" is really "Calculator". Filez reports the proper filename.

[paul6347]

NewQ

Sorry about the delay in responding to your question. I can't get to check in here on the weekend. :(

The searching within 1/2 mile or 1 mile or any of the other choices to are available on your route option with FF can only be done if no other waypoint was selected before. My script would work after a soft reset. But once you choose another item on the find results, and select "Find Near Selected Item" this item will now be in the menu, and "Near Current Route" would no longer be the fifth selection. As long as your "Near Current Route" is clean, ie, no other waypoint in that drop down menu, this Scrip would work. Did that answer your question?

[paul6347]

JMckie,

I tried V104 with Precision time control, and my scripts are not function correctly. When you programed this for "Precision Time" at what precision can it accept? .1 .01 .001 (tenths, hundreds thousands)? I installed V103 back, and my scrips works, but not in V104. Also, I unchecked "precision time" before I upgraded, and I now get "DataMgr.c, Line:6341,Invalid uniqueID passed" "Reset" when I reset my device. Only holding page up while resetting gets me back working. Do you think this could be part of the program?

Paul

[aagps]

Paul6347/NewQ:

See my post on page 8 of this thread for how to get around this issue. The trick is in placing "finds" into the menu so that you can know where "Near Current Route" will show up.

[JMckie]

Originally posted by paul6347
JMckie,

I tried V104 with Precision time control, and my scripts are not function correctly. When you programed this for "Precision Time" at what precision can it accept? .1 .01 .001 (tenths, hundreds thousands)? I installed V103 back, and my scrips works, but not in V104. Also, I unchecked "precision time" before I upgraded, and I now get "DataMgr.c, Line:6341,Invalid uniqueID passed" "Reset" when I reset my device. Only holding page up while resetting gets me back working. Do you think this could be part of the program?

Paul

All the scripts should work in v1.04. There is no difference between the new version and the last one in this regard.

If you install 1.04 again (remembering to uncheck "precision time" first!) you should see that the scripts works exactly the same.

By the way only integers are supported. It is called "precision" to contrast with the previous method, which does not wait one second. Checking the box will wait as close to one second as precisely as the OS would allow.

[JMckie]

I forgot to mention this for 1.04:

Use the Esc key to cycle through different menu pages.

[Roofrat]

Originally posted by Bee_sqare
Does anybody (JMckie?) know a way to get the Saved Routes screen to come up without tapping the Saved Routes icon in QueRoutes? I'm trying to write a script that activates a particular saved route, but it won't always work because the Saved Routes icon isn't always in the same place -- it's usually in the lower right corner but not always. Is there a Saved Routes application? Or a cmd to make that screen come up?
The location of the Saved routes icon depends on the status of your route. If no route is in progress, it is in the upper right corner. If a route is in progress, it is in the lower right corner. Maybe you could write your script to accommodate either one scenario or the other.

[JMckie]

It's time to close the beta period for FastFinger. The general availability release is version 1.04

I've updated the first two posts in this thread for this version. (If you already downloaded 1.04, there is no need to download again)

Post #1 is for installation and quick start. Post #2 is the script writer's guide. I've tried to make it a comprehensive list. I've omitted references to previous versions to avoid confusion.

I'd like to thank everyone for providing valuable feedback and for sharing your scripts.

[Roofrat]

JMckie,

Let me just add my thanks and kudos for this most useful and versatile utility. Your multiple menu solution was a perfect one. Thanks not only for the time and effort put into development, but your time and patience in responding to questions, requests, etc.

Let me offer one "wish list" request for future consideration. That would be the ability to have named menus. This would perhaps utilize the top (menu) portion of the FF screen to display the menu name. The name could also be selected to bring up the menu. Of course the menu script would need to accommodate a user-defined menu name (FastFinger 1, 2, etc. might be used as default names). This would allow creation and identification of a variety of menu classifications, such as "Applications", "Find Menu", "Favorite Routes", etc.

[jonasolof]

I'd like to show FastFinger to the local Garmin dealer who drives a bike. Could someone please post a FF version for a motorbike? It doesn't have to be complete, just to give the idea. I'm sure that bikers have special ideas how they want to use their iQues while driving and the colour and layout.

Like (examples just picked from script thread:

Page 1

Route home
Route to waypoint A
Route to waypoint B
Route to Waypoint C
Route to named waypoint
Reset Que Trip
Stop Navigation
Resume Navigation
Add VIA for a route
Shorter Distance, recalculate
Faster time, recalculate
Save active route while navigating

PAge 2

Set North up
Set track up
GPS on location
GPS on road
Street Maps
Topo Maps
Low, med, high, detail Maps
qBuddy Speedo
Night mode
Clock 5 seconcs

What would be a good way to transfer complete FF script sets between users? It might be to merge the scripts into an attached textfile with separators in between indivudal scripts/memo inserts. It would be even better if one could transmit the whole memo but I can't see how you could merge one memo.dat file with another.

[JMckie]

Originally posted by jonasolof

What would be a good way to transfer complete FF script sets between users? It might be to merge the scripts into an attached textfile with separators in between indivudal scripts/memo inserts. It would be even better if one could transmit the whole memo but I can't see how you could merge one memo.dat file with another.

Use Palm desktop. Organize the menus and scripts into one Memopad category. Highlight the memos you want to share. Use the export feature to write the selected records to a memopad archive (mpa file).

[Roofrat]

Originally posted by jonasolof
What would be a good way to transfer complete FF script sets between users? It might be to merge the scripts into an attached textfile with separators in between indivudal scripts/memo inserts. It would be even better if one could transmit the whole memo but I can't see how you could merge one memo.dat file with another. If you select a group of memos from within the palm desktop, then copy, you can then paste into any text editor (such as notepad). This will paste the entire text of all selected scripts in succession in the one file. The text file could then be distributed and pasted into a single memo in the desktop Memo Pad. Each separate script would then need to be separated from the combined memo to individual script memos. This is the best I could come up with. Unless there is some way, after assisgning all FF scripts to a unique category, to then export the entire category, then import this category (with its contents) back into the Memo Pad.:confused:

Edit: Just discovered the Export function and came back to find that JMckie beat me to the punch. I tried it out and it works perfectly.

[JMckie]

Unless there is some way, after assisgning all FF scripts to a unique category, to then export the entire category, then import this category (with its contents) back into the Memo Pad.

There is a way. This is exactly what I described two posts above. :)

[Bee_sqare]

Originally posted by NewQ
Bee,
When you have the map displayed, I've noticed that if you press the bottom right button (as if you wanted to show map), the next screen is a maximized QueRoutes. With the map displayed, if you tap the route icon (third from the bottom left), you always get a mid-sized QueRoute. I always use this icon in my scripts, that way I always know where the icon is.
Hope this helps.

NewQ: I should have been clearer about the "location" issue. There are two ways to bring up QueRoutes:

1. The QueRoutes application (e.g. by pushing the Que hard button, or tapping the Routes icon in the launcher, or using the ff command appname=QueRoutes). This puts the routing buttons at the top of the screen -- what you're calling "maximized".

2. The QueRoutes dialog (by tapping the route icon, third from the left at the bottom, or using the ff command cmd=10B). This puts the routing buttons at the bottom of the screen -- what you called "mid-sized".

Method 2 is better, as you say, because then the Saved Routes button is usually in the bottom right corner -- the normal button ordering is either

a.
Recalculate Detour Stop Navigation
Route Prefs Edit Vias Saved Routes

or

b.
Resume Navigation Route Prefs Saved Routes,

depending on whether or not a route is active.

But it's also possible to have any of the following configurations:

c.
Recalculate Stop Navigation Route Prefs
Saved Routes

d.
Route Prefs Saved Routes

e.
Recalculate Detour Stop Navigation
Route Prefs Edit Vias Saved Routes
Cancel Detour

[Contest: Who can be the first to describe how to get configurations c. and d.?! Configuration e. is too easy. Are there any other possibilities??]

LastMrk and Roofrat, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your answers were also related to dealing only with cases a. and b.

My real question was, is there a way to bring up the screen that lists the Saved Routes by a command, aside from a pen command that simulates clicking on the Saved Routes button (which won't be in the bottom right corner of the QueRoutes dialog in cases c, d, and e).

Failing that, what's the best way to ensure that one of configurations a. or b. is in effect?

[Roofrat]

Originally posted by Bee_sqare
LastMrk and Roofrat, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your answers were also related to dealing only with cases a. and b. Yes, my response related to cases a and b only. What are the conditions under which c, d or e occur?

[TheDutchMan]

Has anyone come up with a way to set the Preferences>Routing Avoid fields to the desired value, checked/no checked.

The problems is that they are toggles and since there seems to be no way to check their state I don’t know if taping them will turn the item (ie Toll Roads) on or off.

Thanks

Ben

Answered my own question. After looking at it further I realized I need to hit “default” and then set what I want.

[Last Mrk]

I've only seen the Saved Routes button either in the upper right position, or the lower right position. If there's another position, please describe how that happens. ??

I put a pen tap command to hit the lower position first and then the upper. Therefore if the lower right is hit and the button is really in the upper right, nothing happens with the first tap but the second tap activates the "Saved Routes" button.

If the scenario is reversed and the"Saved Routes" button is in the lower position, the "Saved Routes" list will appear and the second tap will do nothing. (if the position of the tap is high enough)

If you want to always see it in the upper right, you can use the appname=QueRoutes command rather a using pen tap macro. Such as:

ffscript=Saved Routes;Name of script
Appname-=QueRoutes;activates QueRoutes
pen=131,31,1;taps the Saved Routes icon
end

[Last Mrk]

After experimenting with the Saved Rout script, I have found when the Saved Route button is in neither of the 2 positions.

When Routing, the upper right button is the Stop Navigation button.

[lostSoul001]

beaker, this is a great one - I did not see it posted in the scripts thread though, you should post it there and also include my favorite detour distance (2miles -- pen=27,159,0;)


Originally posted by beaker
Here is another script, but this time for a mile detour :-


1) Create a new memo
code:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ffscript=Detour 1 mile
;only when a route is active
Appname=QueRoutes
pen=37,234,0;
pen=82,25,0;
pen=27,144,0;
pen=10,234,0;
pen=127,61,0;
end
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2) Add the following line to the memo called "FatFinger Menu"

code:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M,Detour 1 mile

You can alter the detour amount by changing the line
"pen=27,144,0;" to read 27,127,0 for 1/2 a mile or 27,173,0 for a 5 miler.

Hope somebody finds it of use.

[NewQ]

Originally posted by paul6347
NewQ

Sorry about the delay in responding to your question. I can't get to check in here on the weekend. :(

The searching within 1/2 mile or 1 mile or any of the other choices to are available on your route option with FF can only be done if no other waypoint was selected before. My script would work after a soft reset. But once you choose another item on the find results, and select "Find Near Selected Item" this item will now be in the menu, and "Near Current Route" would no longer be the fifth selection. As long as your "Near Current Route" is clean, ie, no other waypoint in that drop down menu, this Scrip would work. Did that answer your question?
I think, for now anyway. I'll have to play with it somemore

[HamSamwich]

I have a request for the Wishlist: a method to "call" an existing script.

I have been using FastFinger for only a couple days now, and I'm building up a library of great scripts contibuted by users. Today I wanted to write a script that starts me off clean for a new trip:

1) Reset the QueTrip values to zero
2) Clear the QueTracks buffer
3) Setup to navigate On Roads, WAAS enabled, Backlight High, Fastest Time, Track Up Below 3 Miles
4) Blah, blah, blah

I realized I already have a lot of these pieces from current users, but to get it to go I would have to concatenate it all into a massive script.

It would be nice to simply call existing functions. And any updates to the piece don't require updating the script snippet in every place I used it.

That's probably a big job, and now it's turning into a programming language, but this app seems to be very popular and will need to be extended someday.

[BruinFan]

HamSamWich,

While I can appreciate the the desire to call an existing macro (I too think that would be useful), if that were available then that opens the door for recursion or infinite loops. Recursion is when a macro calls itself. An infinite loop occurs when there's no way to stop the recursion.

An infinite loop can also occur when macro1 calls macro2 that calls macro3 which in turn calls macro1 again. This is a loop that will never end.

Since these macros are being created by non-programmers, it would be a debugging nightmare for most novices if recursive calls were allowed. Joseph would never get sleep because he'd spend the rest of his life debugging macros for users.

You can, however, simulate this recursion by bringing up the appropriate fastfinger menu and tapping on the button within an existing macro.

[paul6347]

Or, since you have most of the scrips already, just "copy" and "paste" the usefull instructions of the macro. Just be sure to leave out ffscript part, and the "end".

[TheDutchMan]

Found the following website that describes and gives example of the RGB colors.

http://eies.njit.edu/~kevin/rgb.txt.html

Ben

[paul6347]

That's a nice find. You can also use Word or Excel. Choose Color, then custom. Move the triangle then the cross to the color you want and use those RGB values.

[jonasolof]

Attached is a freeware to get the color index directly on the iQue screen. Just slide the rulers and the index will show up together with the color.

[TheDutchMan]

JMckie,

I May have found a bug in the menu display. Have Options>Preferences>Icon Grid set to 3x5.

If I don’t have a semicolon after the last entry it will not show. I tried it with 14 and 15 entries.

Ben

[lostSoul001]

Super App-a lifesaver (maybe literally),

I do not think this has been brought up yet (maybe it has, but this thread is huge),

Would it be possible to make the launcher supress the turn preview window? The turn preview seems to be in always on top mode and disables functionality of the launcher as long as it is up.

Thanks!

[Last Mrk]

You can set the preferences so that the preview window doesn't show up at all, or you can just tap the screen with your finger and it will go away.

[Derodeo]

I've found that any application I specify in a menu won't run unless it is installed in the internal memory. Since most of my applications are installed on the SD card, this makes the application launcher part of FastFinger pretty limited. Is this the way it has to be or is it because I'm using ZLauncher to move applications to the card?

[jonasolof]

There was a post mentioning that an app could be launched from card by adding the asterisk *

In this case PowerRun was used.

[Yorglaa]

Originally posted by Last Mrk
You can set the preferences so that the preview window doesn't show up at all, or you can just tap the screen with your finger and it will go away.
where in the prefs ? I've never seen that...

[Patch]

You can set the preferences so that the preview window doesn't show up at all, or you can just tap the screen with your finger and it will go away.
Re Yorglaa Request-
where in the prefs ? I've never seen that...

Go to your map page, tap on drop down icon (2nd from left at bottom), select Preferences, tap on arrow next to Maps, select Guidance, and under Turn preview select Off :)

[JMckie]

If I don’t have a semicolon after the last entry it will not show. I tried it with 14 and 15 entries.

Try putting an "end" statement at the end. This happens when the last line is missing a carriage return. To avoid this and make the carriage return visible, put the do-nothing end statement.

Powerrun - to followup on Jonas' comment. Powerrun places a redirector file on main memory. You can see this in Filez. The name has an asterisk (sometimes two) after it.

Future direction:
Menus will have a title bar. It can contain the menu name, or display date and time. There might be a toolbar for accessing FF menu items.

Menus will no longer be configured in Memo Pad. It will be configured with dialogs. You would be able to sort menu entries, add a new item, set and preview the colors and font. When adding a menu, there will be dropdowns where you can select from a dropdown list of applications or macros. The menu title can also be edited.

Scripts will no longer be stored in Memo Pad. For efficiency (and to avoid cluttering up the MemoPad) they will be kept in a script database. An "ffscript" memo can be imported into the script database. Once imported, it can be deleted from memo. If you neeed to edit it, just export it back.

Smaller things:
customize #of icons per menu page.
three line labels on menu buttons
truncate if labels are too long for buttons
use icons in menu buttons
online help dialogs for scripting
ability to program menu shortcuts (e,g, "/O")
call subroutines
investigate the use of getpixel

I forgot to add: use with a TV remote control

[skes]

This is a great program, i've got my head round it and i've got it set up nicely, i had to alter a couple of scripts because maybe there are different clicks for different areas (US and UK) Anyway my question, can anyone tell me why when i click on a button it comes up Script not found even though the script is there, any ideas Thanks

skes

[TheDutchMan]

Skes,

Carefully check your spelling. I had the same problem.

Ben

[skes]

Thanks Ben.

I checked for ages but couldn't find anything, then just as i was giving up i saw that my script was called Faster Time and in the Fastfinger1 i had it as Faster Times, i'd added an S.

Thanks skes.

[BruinFan]

skes,

Don't feel bad about the misspelling. I've been in the programming profession for over 30 years now and the most common syntax error is misspelled variable names.

[Roofrat]

Originally posted by Derodeo
I've found that any application I specify in a menu won't run unless it is installed in the internal memory. Since most of my applications are installed on the SD card, this makes the application launcher part of FastFinger pretty limited. Is this the way it has to be or is it because I'm using ZLauncher to move applications to the card? Originally posted by jonasolof
There was a post mentioning that an app could be launched from card by adding the asterisk *

In this case PowerRun was used.
ZLauncher also uses an asterisk to designate shortcuts to applications that reside on the SD card, so it should work the same way, although it may depend on how you got the application to the card, i.e. by way of hotsync, or using ZLauncher to move to card and create shortcut.

[skes]

eeeee reminds me of when i wasa young un, spending hours typing in all them lists from computer mags for my old Amstrad 464 i think it was, and spending even longer looking for typo's,
then were the days......NOT

[Chan Eil Fhios]

Originally posted by JMckie
Try putting an "end" statement at the end. This happens when the last line is missing a carriage return. To avoid this and make the carriage return visible, put the do-nothing end statement.

Powerrun - to followup on Jonas' comment. Powerrun places a redirector file on main memory. You can see this in Filez. The name has an asterisk (sometimes two) after it.

Future direction:
Menus will have a title bar. It can contain the menu name, or display date and time. There might be a toolbar for accessing FF menu items.

Menus will no longer be configured in Memo Pad. It will be configured with dialogs. You would be able to sort menu entries, add a new item, set and preview the colors and font. When adding a menu, there will be dropdowns where you can select from a dropdown list of applications or macros. The menu title can also be edited.

Scripts will no longer be stored in Memo Pad. For efficiency (and to avoid cluttering up the MemoPad) they will be kept in a script database. An "ffscript" memo can be imported into the script database. Once imported, it can be deleted from memo. If you neeed to edit it, just export it back.

Smaller things:
customize #of icons per menu page.
three line labels on menu buttons
truncate if labels are too long for buttons
use icons in menu buttons
online help dialogs for scripting
ability to program menu shortcuts (e,g, "/O")
call subroutines
investigate the use of getpixel

I forgot to add: use with a TV remote control

I don't know if this is possible in OS5, but one really neat feature would be to record a macro. That is, press some button that would cause the program to start recording system events until a stop button is pressed. The resulting script could then be fine tuned with comments and so forth.

Also, although I can't think of a case where I'd need it off the top of my head, a click and drag could come in handy in some situations.

Finally, what a phenomenal application. Thank you very much for writing it.

[TheDutchMan]

I am setting up FF on my Que and testing the scripts that I have copied from the Script Thread. I ran across a script that returned to the launcher to get to the desired application. The problem is, the layout of the icons on the launcher screens is different on most of our units and will change when we add/delete application(s). This causes problems when someone else tries to use the script.

IMHO it would be helpful when a script use the launcher to get to an application the script specifically indicates that this is what is happening. If possible the use of the launcher to start an application in a script should be avoided and Appname= used instead.

Thanks, Ben

[JMckie]

Originally posted by Chan Eil Fhios
I don't know if this is possible in OS5, but one really neat feature would be to record a macro. That is, press some button that would cause the program to start recording system events until a stop button is pressed. The resulting script could then be fine tuned with comments and so forth.

Also, although I can't think of a case where I'd need it off the top of my head, a click and drag could come in handy in some situations.

Finally, what a phenomenal application. Thank you very much for writing it.

I hvve been looking all over for examples on the web about this. I can detect and record pen taps that happen in the graffiti area, but haven't found how to do it everywhere on the screen.

[jonasolof]

For a start, check MacroPlay Pro at Palmgear.

[aagps]

I don't know if this suggestion is difficult or not. At any rate, it is not critical, and I feel lucky to have v1.04 as it is. But...

I was thinking it would be nice to have Icons (pictures) rather than only text. It seems like it might be difficult given the reconfiguration of size of button. But one could do alot if a bitmap overlay (underlay) could be specified per menu. If someone wanted to customize their screen, they would arrange their own pictographs onto a bitmap then call it from the menu.

Just a thought,

[Chan Eil Fhios]

Originally posted by JMckie
I hvve been looking all over for examples on the web about this. I can detect and record pen taps that happen in the graffiti area, but haven't found how to do it everywhere on the screen.

I don't know if this is the type of stuff you need to accomplish this, but this might be of some help.

http://yahm.palmoid.com/yahmv.htm

If I find anything else that looks promising, I'll pass it along.

[JMckie]

Originally posted by jonasolof
For a start, check MacroPlay Pro at Palmgear.

Jonas, I checked this out and it didn't work for me. It seems to start the app OK but it did not playback any of the pen taps. Maybe it doesn't work on the iQue?

Perhaps you can try on your T3?
Macroplay Pro for OS5 (http://palmsource.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=&siteid=7&catid=0&area=software.developer&searchtitle=Applications%20by%20Johnny%20Ixe&searchterm=&step=1&orderby=modificationdate&direction=asc&userid=303502636&prodid=50562)

Chan Eil Fhios, thanks for the link. I'm scared away by hacks because mainly because I don't know what they are. I have a feeling the macro recording capability will require one. Let me know if you find more, though.

[jonasolof]

OK I'll test it later

[Derodeo]

Yes indeed, a simple "*" was all I needed. I've used ZLauncher for a long time but it never occured to me the * on names were anything more than a visual indicator the program was stored on the expansion card. Especially since it doesn't come into play when configuring other button launcher programs.

Thank you very much.

[Chan Eil Fhios]

Originally posted by JMckie
Chan Eil Fhios, thanks for the link. I'm scared away by hacks because mainly because I don't know what they are. I have a feeling the macro recording capability will require one. Let me know if you find more, though.

No problem, JMckie. Sadly, you probably will have to use a hack.

The last time I looked at this was for OS3, so I don't know how much of this still applies, but the basic concept is modelled after the old Macintosh Toolbox API. The problem was how to update API calls that were stored in a ROM chip. The solution was to use a lookup table that allowed you to replace the function address with an updated function's address.

People outside Apple then started taking advantage of that to insert their own code. By grabbing the address for the built in function and replacing it with their own they could run their own code. By keeping the original address, you could then call the native API at whatever point made the most sense within your code. Of course, then you'd get multiple extensions doing the same thing so this stuff would get chained...that's when you started having problems:-). Probably more than you wanted to know, but there it is.

[jonasolof]

Originally posted by JMckie
Jonas, I checked this out and it didn't work for me. It seems to start the app OK but it did not playback any of the pen taps. Maybe it doesn't work on the iQue?

Perhaps you can try on your T3?
Macroplay Pro for OS5 (http://palmsource.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=&siteid=7&catid=0&area=software.developer&searchtitle=Applications%20by%20Johnny%20Ixe&searchterm=&step=1&orderby=modificationdate&direction=asc&userid=303502636&prodid=50562)



Macroplay Pro demo works fine on the TT3. You can set the speed. Pretty amazing to see it rush through a great number of steps.

Did you make a shortcut to start the macro? Just tried it on the iQue, it works there also:)

I used acreage as the app. Recording is stopped by pressing the power button. When I did this, Acreage froze. After a soft reset, things were OK again. Went into Macroplay again and assigned a shortcut, took /5 to avoid using buttons. Have played the macro several time now, works fine.

It's obvious that many scripts could be replaced by macros. It should be possible to use FF scripts to launch the macros from the FF screen buttons, but the limited number of nonbutton shortcuts available is a problem, only /1 to /0.

A multitap script like the one used to select topo or CS maps seems ideal for macro execution. Also the one to look for fuel along the route. I still have to figure out if you could do things with macroplpay that you couldn't do with FF scripts though. One advantage is that the screen doesn't have to be in a specific state (I believe).

[Q-Eye]

I tried this program on the iQue as well and had the same (non) results as JMckie. In the README, it said that tapping the macro name would execute it. It did as far as launching the app (calculator in my case) but did not do any pen strokes that I had recorded in the macro.

I tried an additional macro wherein I did both pen strokes and a button press. No pen strokes, but about the same amount of elapsed time later, the button press WAS executed.

I did not make any shortcuts for the macro, just followed the directions in the readme and tapped the newly created macro name.

[jonasolof]

Well, I didn't read the README that carefully.

In order to tap the name, you have to access Macroplay first. I just tried what you did, tap the name, and it actually executes the macro multistep on the iQue so there must be something else.

With the /5 shortcut, I can launch the macro from within any application where I can write on the VG area, eg the address book.

BTW, pressing Esc stops the execution.

Using the keyboard to write /5 doesn't execute the macro, it has to be a stylus stroke to invoke command mode.

Got to quit. Good Night.

[JMckie]

I am running "MacroPlay Pro 11 Demo", according to the about box.
On the iQue I tried 3 macros, none of them worked.

In AddressBook I tried to select an entry.
In DateBook I tapped to switch to month-view.
In Calc I tapped on some numbers.

I tried a non-pen related macro.
In addressbook, I entered a lookup string. This one worked.

What's your secret Jonas?

[Q-Eye]

Joseph, here's a little more empirical data.

If I create a macro, any pen taps WITHIN the VG area or below seem to be recorded and played back correctly. Anything ABOVE the VG area is not played back.

Did a macro for calc. Numbers and operators to not get played back. Tapping the number side of VG to make a decimal point DOES get played back as does hitting the "home" icon.

It appears that the macro program has the timing correct as if it were playing back all taps, they just don't get executed unless they were VG or lower.

Don't know what it all means, but that's what I have discovered so far.

Phil

[axco]

Originally posted by NewQ
I still have the file I d/l'd - here it is. (I hope it's ok to do this)

Hi Rick,
I installed snap, took a screen shoot (at least I heard 2 beeps), synchronized but cannot find the screen shoot on my computer. What am I missing here? I synchronized my Garmin 3600 with Outlook. The txt file tells me the screen shoot is written to my expansion card in a directory /palm/programs/Snap/ how do an access this directory? Should it be on my hard drive (it's not)?
Thanks, Axel
:confused:

[JMckie]

Originally posted by Q-Eye

It appears that the macro program has the timing correct as if it were playing back all taps, they just don't get executed unless they were VG or lower.

Don't know what it all means, but that's what I have discovered so far.


Good detective work Phil.

This kind of ties in with what I discovered earlier today that in OS5, a program " can detect and record pen taps that happen in the graffiti area, but haven't found how to do it everywhere on the screen."

Which is too bad. I think know the technique that MacroPlay is using, but without access to the screen above the grafitti area it is not much use.

[HamSamwich]

Originally posted by axco
Hi Rick,
I installed snap, took a screen shoot (at least I heard 2 beeps), synchronized but cannot find the screen shoot on my computer. What am I missing here? I synchronized my Garmin 3600 with Outlook. The txt file tells me the screen shoot is written to my expansion card in a directory /palm/programs/Snap/ how do an access this directory? Should it be on my hard drive (it's not)?
Thanks, Axel
:confused:

Use something like FilePC2PDA to transfer files from your SD card to your PC (available at: http://www.pdassi.de/13639).

I use it with Snap and it works great.

[Q-Eye]

Originally posted by HamSamwich
Use something like FilePC2PDA to transfer files from your SD card to your PC (available at: http://www.pdassi.de/13639).

I use it with Snap and it works great.
Or use any card reader and get it that way.

[axco]

Originally posted by HamSamwich
Use something like FilePC2PDA to transfer files from your SD card to your PC (available at: http://www.pdassi.de/13639).

I use it with Snap and it works great.

I installed FilePC2PDA and it works great. Thanks for your help

[jonasolof]

Originally posted by JMckie
Good detective work Phil.

This kind of ties in with what I discovered earlier today that in OS5, a program " can detect and record pen taps that happen in the graffiti area, but haven't found how to do it everywhere on the screen."

Which is too bad. I think know the technique that MacroPlay is using, but without access to the screen above the grafitti area it is not much use.

That limitation is not obvious from the MacroPlay FAQ at http://xvisionnow.tripod.com/macrofaq.html
or the read me file. I.a. the latter says:

/you can/ turn on/off the sound in the prefs app.

I tried changing the time for power on, plus beam receive on/off in Prefs and that works on the TT3. All these imply taps above the VG rea.

However, on the iQue, it doesn't work. I tried to make a macro that goes to Find/fuel/near route and that doesn't work.

The major drawback -even when it works - is that you can't see the macro script so you can't look for inconsistencies. Using complex macros isn't that straightforward.

[JMckie]

Jonas, so the problem exists only on the iQue then?

There is still a way this application can be used. I believe it is recording the pen taps but it is unable to playback (above the VG area) on the iQue. Someone could write a program that looks into MacroPlay's database and extract the pen positions therein. A little utility that creates a memo file with the pen statements already written.

This would require some reverse-engineering of Macroplay's PDB. This should be quite doable by inputting simple macros. One with a single pen tap at the upper left corner. Then another macro with a single pen tap at the lower right corner. The records should be identical except for a couple of bytes. In this way we can determine where the position information is stored.

Or, I can get lucky and stumble upon some documentation of this recording technique.

[joseph-c1]

Can someone give me the pen coordinates for the triangle symbol in QueMap? If there is an easy way for me to find them, It escapes me.
Joe C

[JMckie]

Originally posted by joseph-c1
Can someone give me the pen coordinates for the triangle symbol in QueMap? If there is an easy way for me to find them, It escapes me.
Joe C

pen=64,220,1

Here's a tip. While in the app, use an aid to remember where to tap. (I use the rubber antenna plug - finally a use for it!)

Then go to FF, and use plot mode to display pen tap coordinates. Tap where you placed the plug. GO back to launcher mode when done.

[joseph-c1]

I can't figure out how to get into plot mode.
Joe C

[JMckie]

It's in a menu item. Tap on the menu icon on the iQue toolbar at the bottom.

[joseph-c1]

Thanks, I got 67,222, where do you get the ",1" from?
Joe C

[TheDutchMan]

joseph-c1,

Have you read the doc supplied with the app in post 1 and 2 of this thread.

[Last Mrk]

Originally posted by JMckie
I use the rubber antenna plug - finally a use for it!

I use a fine tip (non permanent) yellow highlighter. The mark wipes right off without leaving any trace.

[GPS_Dave McK]

Is their a cmd= for the Palm Shortcuts option.
I want to be able to use a datestamp for my backup file names.
I have a shortcut "ds" for Datestamp.

[joseph-c1]

Joseph, great program. Thank you for all the work that you put in to this and for sharing this with us. You should work for Garmin.
Joe C

[HamSamwich]

Originally posted by GPS_Dave McK
Is their a cmd= for the Palm Shortcuts option.
I want to be able to use a datestamp for my backup file names.
I have a shortcut "ds" for Datestamp.

Use:

cmd=0106
key=ds

I use this method in Cachemate to bring up the Nearest Cache Search (cmd=0106, key=e) from wherever I am in the app.

[JMckie]

I described that in the scripts thread today:

I discovered a very useful trick today - how to use Command keystrokes in menus. When you look at a menu, sometimes there is a shortcut character assigned to it. For example "Beam" is usually the "/B" which is the grafitti upstroke followed by a B. Here is the FF code to do it:


;menu shortcut /b
cmd=106
key=b


However, I believe what GPS_Dave wants is the ribbon character in grafitti. That one is internal to grafitti and not supported by the API, AFAIK.

[HamSamwich]

Does the 'menu' command only work when it is on the first line of a script?

Whenever I place the 'menu' command anywhere in a script other than the first line it seems to be ignored. Am I not making a connection here?

I want to call a menu 2-choice menu at the end of a lengthy script to allow navigating back to FastFinger or going right to the Map.

If this worked, I think it would also allow the user to perform rudimentary input during a script by making choices as the script proceeds by calling the next script based on the outcome of the previous one. (i.e "Goto Map?" "Back to FastFinger").

Also, can I call FastFinger on itself? In other words, can I have a script like this:

ffscript=Test
menu=3; call a menu with a couple choices
pen=80,140,1; click on choice in FastFinger menu
end

It doesn't work for me. If it did, I could also string together a series of small scripts automatically.

[coolguy982]

Hi,
First of all, let me say that FF is a great tool!!

I'm currently developing my own small app using Garmin's SDK for the iQue. In it, I will need to make different tracks active at different times and switch between my app and QueMap at certain times. Both of these tasks can be achieved by using FF. Do you provide any sort of API that would allow me to make the same function calls that an FF script would make?

I saw on another thread that you were thinking about an API that allows various scripts to be run. This would work for me, but a more detailed API that allows me to make specific calls (i.e. appname, cmd, wait, etc.) would allow my app to be much cleaner since I wouldn't have to store any script files.

Thanks a lot!
Scott

[JMckie]

HamSamwich,

That's a clever way of obtaning user input. Currently the script will stop executing after switching menus. I can fix that in the next release - it sounds like a useful idea.

coolguy, I can provide an API wherein you can pass an string like this: "pen=x,y,1\rpen=a,b,1\rkey=foo" In this way you can request the execution of a single command or a series of commands.