Access app shortcuts on rooted NC

[zartemis]

Thanks to The Joker and KryptoNyte, I checked out:

Desktop Visualizer -- an app which allows you to configure custom icons for your home screen.

On the NookColor you can usually easily add applications and widgets to your homescreen, but adding 'shortcuts' and 'folders' usually doesn't work.

A 'shortcut' can just be a straight link to an application, but it can also be a customized frontend to the application. E.g. instead of just opening the Google Navigation program it can open the app preconfigured with a specific address. Or instead of just opening GMail, it will open Gmail to a specific label. Or in the the case of the ASTRO file manager, instead of opening it to the folder you were at the last time you opened it, it will open it to a specific folder you specify when you create the desktop shortcut. Dolphin browser includes shortcuts that can open specific bookmarks. Want a link direct to your favorite website on your homescreen? Or how about a favorite music playlist? It's all here.

When you download an app, that app can included preset shortcuts that will work with your launcher. Or should. Somehow the picker in the NC isn't working right. But Desktop visualizer gives you access to them.

Check it out. Launch Desktop visualizer and instead of 'Launch Application', pick 'Other'. See what custom shortcuts your apps have available.

If you use QuickBoot, they even have links direct to Reboot. Careful though -- it will put an icon on your desktop that if you touch it will cause a reboot without confirmation.

[SCION]

Nice write up!

[spm]

zartemis, thanks for your explanations.

Perhaps you can help me with my "idea".
I have softkeys as default launcher, with launcher pro with physical n, softkey with double tap in n and zeam in home in softkey.

I've put and icon in launcher pro to call zeam and in the screens of zeam I want have widgets/shorcuts/what_ever_other_thing to call my bookmarks browser, books ...

The problem is that in this "widgets" I want, for example, call ezpdf with one pdf file, alkido with one book, ezpdf with another pdf ... (open an app with a specific book/pdf/song ...)

Can you help me?

thanks for the ideas ...

[zartemis]

Originally Posted by spm

The problem is that in this "widgets" I want, for example, call ezpdf with one pdf file, alkido with one book, ezpdf with another pdf ... (open an app with a specific book/pdf/song ...)

Sure, that should work. Desktop Visualizer can create home screen icons for any home screen launcher you have, it doesn't matter how you launch the home screen program (n button, softkey home key, etc).

When you use Desktop Visualizer to create a home screen shortcut icon (Select Action, Other), the last thing you will be asked is to 'Select Target'. One of the options will be 'Zeam' (if you have it installed). Tap Zeam when you get to that step and it should go to the main page of the Zeam launcher. If you want it on another page, just launch Zeam and tap and hold to move it.

I don't believe ezpdf has pre-defined shortcuts, so to set up an ezpdf shortcut, do the following in Desktop Visualizer: Select Action, Other, Astro (then surf to the pdf file). You'll need to have ezpdf set as your default pdf launcher, but you may already have this done.

Aldiko does come with shortcuts (so it won't matter whether or not you have it set as your default book reader). For opening books with Aldiko, do the following in Desktop Visualizer: Select Action, Other, Aldiko, select your book. (Note: if Aldiko is a default, then you could also use Astro, but since Aldiko does have a preconfigured shortcut, use that -- that way if you uninstall Astro or change defaults the shortcut will still work. .... Although, if you later change your preferred reader and want to open the book with something else other than Aldiko you'll have to redo the shortcut -- your choice).

[spm]

thanks for your master-class ...
I've created the icon for Zeam (directly from the app's screen in LanuncherPro, pressing a time the icon, this goes to the main scrren of the launcher you are).
The shortcuts for Alkido are made as you say.
As ezPdf haven't shortcuts, I did the Astro way (by the moment, an alert ask what app want to open ... I've not select my pdf launcher yet ... I don't know how to do it ... yet)

thanks again

[nabour]

I am loving messin' with my rooted nookcolor but have many questions. Next on list is this: I have downloaded Aldiko and it contains one sample book. How do I load my sideloaded (and B*N) books onto it? For life of me I can't find an "install" component. Do they need to be on my SD card first? Which brings up another question -- rooting completely filled up my SD card -- can't format it because it is 'write protected". Should I just get a new card, b/c I can't move much more onto it. Help would be appreciated. Thx.

[spm]

You can format your sd card in your nook.
Go to settings device, unmount your sd and format it.

To load books in alkido, you have to save them in a folder named books/import (I'm not sure if is books but import is sure).
When you open Alkido, you'll see the books ...

[SCION]

Originally Posted by nabour

I am loving messin' with my rooted nookcolor but have many questions. Next on list is this: I have downloaded Aldiko and it contains one sample book. How do I load my sideloaded (and B*N) books onto it? For life of me I can't find an "install" component. Do they need to be on my SD card first? Which brings up another question -- rooting completely filled up my SD card -- can't format it because it is 'write protected". Should I just get a new card, b/c I can't move much more onto it. Help would be appreciated. Thx.

I'm assuming you're talking about Aldiko 2.0 Premium.

Aldiko doesn't read B&N books, only ones with Adobe DRM (epubs purchased from other stores and library books). B&N use their own proprietary version of this. Only a NOOK or NOOK app will read them. Some free books from B&N don't have DRM. These will of course be read by Aldiko.

[zartemis]

Originally Posted by spm

As ezPdf haven't shortcuts, I did the Astro way (by the moment, an alert ask what app want to open ... I've not select my pdf launcher yet ... I don't know how to do it ... yet)

To make ezPDF Reader the default, just check the little box at the bottom of the 'Complete action using' screen before you pick 'ezPDF Reader' from the list. Now when you pick a pdf to open it will automatically launch ezPDF Reader and not ask you for a choice.

If you want to remove this default later (and have it start asking you again for a choice), then open NookColor Tools, tap 'All Settings', 'Manage applications', 'ezPDF Reader' and tap the 'Clear Defaults' button.

[spm]

Thanks for your help, zartemis

[nabour]

Thanks for the help, all.

I have been using FolderOrganizer, an application that allows me to create folders for various types of applications (games, readers, travel) and then move the folders onto my Zeam desktop.

Veddy cool - another "just what I was looking for."

And I agree with a prior post that I read somewhere on this forum -- this little nook gadget is waaaaayyyyyy to cool to simply use as a reading device!

[JoeSchmoo]

Originally Posted by nabour

I am loving messin' with my rooted nookcolor but have many questions. Next on list is this: I have downloaded Aldiko and it contains one sample book. How do I load my sideloaded (and B*N) books onto it? For life of me I can't find an "install" component. Do they need to be on my SD card first? Which brings up another question -- rooting completely filled up my SD card -- can't format it because it is 'write protected". Should I just get a new card, b/c I can't move much more onto it. Help would be appreciated. Thx.

On Aldiko Premium 2.0, from the main screen (Library), press the "menu (or options)" button on the status bar (next to the white upside down Nook N, then press the "Home" icon. This is a useful page (seemed kinda hidden to me at first!). At the bottom is the SD card icon. Press that to access all the folders on your SD card. Navigate to the folder with your books, press on the epub file name of your desired book, and you'll get two choices: "open," and "Import to Aldiko." Press the "Import to Aldiko" button to get the book into your Library and on your shelf.

Note: I believe (cursory check) that this will copy the book from whatever location on your SD card that you put the book and put another copy into the Aldiko book folder, so you could probably skip these steps by just putting the books into the Aldiko folder in the first place. I had made a folder called "!ebooks" on my SD card so that that folder would be at the top of the list in Nook Library-My Files view before I was using Aldiko. I put all my sideloaded books into that, and I was navigating to that folder and selecting a book that way to load it into reading with the Nook reader app. A bit of a contortion due to B&N's unfriendliness to side-loaded content.

Now, with Aldiko Premium, that's all a thing of the past --press the Aldiko icon on my desktop, select a book cover from the shelf, start reading.

[JoeSchmoo]

Duh, I was just playing around with Aldiko some more and noticed that you can access the "Home" icon from the shelf view. It's on the top left of the screen. So press that, press "SD Card," navigate to your books, press the book you want to import, and select Import to Aldiko.

[Lastblade]

I got Desktop Visualizer, but when I open up the app, it says "No supported Home, cannot find home application that can create shortcuts in this manner." Does that mean I have to install another desktop app?

[SCION]

Originally Posted by Lastblade

I got Desktop Visualizer, but when I open up the app, it says "No supported Home, cannot find home application that can create shortcuts in this manner." Does that mean I have to install another desktop app?

Do you have a homescreen replacement (launcher). ADW.Launcher, Zeam, or Launcher Pro?