iLiad Multiple Button support for iLiad stylus

jayk · 06-03-2007, 11:39 PM

Hey all,

Just wanted to post a note here, I know a lot of you are working on some more advanced apps, and thought you might be interested in this...

I just added support for multiple buttons to tslib/kdrive. This basically makes the eraser and button on fancier stylii functional as your second and third 'mouse' button.

I also wrote a plugin (taphold) that allows those with only the stock stylus to trigger a mouse-button 3 (aka right click) by pressing and holding the tip for a half-second. (this effectively converts all pressure input to be button 3 until you lift the stylus again)

So this basically means you can use multiple-button / right click in your apps and everyone can access them - assuming this tslib/kdrive combo is installed anyway.

My announcement on the iRex forums is here

The files are here.

Feedback welcome!

JayK

PS - This works fine locally... and I don't see any other ways to really improve things... Assuming it works for other folks - I'd be comfortable saying the new stylus code is solid and a general-purpose binary package can be created.

nekokami · 06-04-2007, 08:38 AM

Cool! I was actually wishing for this recently. I do have a stylus from another wacom tablet that has the eraser tip, and I was missing it on the iLiad.

scotty1024 · 06-04-2007, 08:57 AM

Good work JayK, the iLiad has needed this from the very beginning!

This will be very useful for applications such as Jarnal.

jayk · 06-05-2007, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty1024

Good work JayK, the iLiad has needed this from the very beginning!
This will be very useful for applications such as Jarnal.

Thanks!

I saw you posted on the abiword thread that you are using it. How's it working for you - Are you just using the button on your stylus or have you tried the taphold stuff too?

JayK

Adam B. · 06-05-2007, 07:12 PM

I've installed it as well (even created a "dangerous" installation package for those interested).

I used a friend's stylus from a Fujitsu Lifebook, right click works well. I don't think there are any current apps that take advantage of button three though. Great work.

scotty1024 · 06-06-2007, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayk

Thanks!

I saw you posted on the abiword thread that you are using it. How's it working for you - Are you just using the button on your stylus or have you tried the taphold stuff too?

JayK

Actually it appears to be a bit buggy.

After startup I've had problems with the stylus either not working at all or the calibration being back to factory original.

But when its working the right click and eraser are good stuff!

I've been using it the last two days on the bus with dillo and it makes dillo a bit more usable to be able to right click.

I hope you can fix the remaining bugs soon!

jayk · 06-06-2007, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty1024

Actually it appears to be a bit buggy.

After startup I've had problems with the stylus either not working at all or the calibration being back to factory original.

Hi Scotty,

Can you give me any more information? The multi-button support should not affect calibration in any way. Are you sure that it's not reverting to the original Xfbdev ? How do you solve it when this happens? Does it still happen with the taphold plugin disabled?

any info you can provide would be great...

JayK

scotty1024 · 06-06-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayk

Hi Scotty,

Can you give me any more information? The multi-button support should not affect calibration in any way. Are you sure that it's not reverting to the original Xfbdev ? How do you solve it when this happens? Does it still happen with the taphold plugin disabled?

any info you can provide would be great...

JayK

I turn on the iLiad and use the included Wonder Stylus to try and tap on an entry in Recent Documents, tap yields no action. Tap harder, nothing. Use up/down keys and dot key: works.

After viewing document I decide to fire up WiFi on the bus and dillo around. Wonder Stylus is working then but calibration is off. I switch to Penabled Stylus to get right clock and calibration is better (as always.) i know I'm running your code because I have no clock. If I'm running old X I have clock.

I don't know if you have any diagnostics to enable and grab for you.

jayk · 06-06-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty1024

...

i know I'm running your code because I have no clock. If I'm running old X I have clock.

I don't know if you have any diagnostics to enable and grab for you.

Thanks. That is definitely odd. I've not had a chance to fiddle with it over the past couple of days (work deadlines, whee) but I'll see if I can sort it out... Can you turn off the taphold and tell me if you experience the same thing?

Also - did you re-run the calibration? the binary package I have up there contains a pointercal file - it's possible yours got overwritten....

Anyway - I'll look into it and will let you know what I find. Thanks for the feedback. Definitely want to track that down.

JayK

Adam B. · 06-08-2007, 12:25 PM

FYI, I've been using my iLiad for the last 4 days with all the plugins enabled without a problem...

jayk · 06-08-2007, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam B.

FYI, I've been using my iLiad for the last 4 days with all the plugins enabled without a problem...

Thanks. I'm having trouble replicating the problem as well. Scotty - are you still having this issue? non-functioning stylus at first boot-up?

Thanks,

Jay

scotty1024 · 06-08-2007, 09:57 PM

Upgrading to 2.10 solved the problem.

I haven't reinstalled your software not knowing if it was 2.10 compatible yet.

jayk · 06-11-2007, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty1024

Upgrading to 2.10 solved the problem.

I haven't reinstalled your software not knowing if it was 2.10 compatible yet.

Real quick - I have managed to replicate the problem. It does appear to be inside the x server, as other tslib based programes (namely the ts_print / etc) all get immediate response from the tablet. I've not had a chance to dig into it too deeply yet, but I thought I'd send a note and let you know I have at least looked at it. I'll keep you posted.

JayK

scotty1024 · 06-12-2007, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayk

Real quick - I have managed to replicate the problem.

Glad to hear it. I'm at Apple's WWDC this week so I'm a bit distracted.

jayk · 06-13-2007, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayk

Real quick - I have managed to replicate the problem. It does appear to be inside the x server, as other tslib based programes (namely the ts_print / etc) all get immediate response from the tablet. I've not had a chance to dig into it too deeply yet, but I thought I'd send a note and let you know I have at least looked at it. I'll keep you posted.

FYI - I've tracked this problem down and corrected it in my local sources. Looks like the tablet sometimes produces some trash when you first power the iLiad up. In some cases this trash could be interpreted as the first couple of events in the tslib code (if the bytes that normally indicate sync matched up with what the code expects the sync bytes to look like)

Long story short is that we were getting coordinates that made no sense at all... and the X server was dutifully ignoring them. Once some real events came through, it would sync up and start working again.

I've solved this problem by putting the device query in to the initialization routine. Even though we don't need / care about the tablet size, etc.... it does clear out the cruft and eats the garbage data before the x server has to deal with it.

I have not packaged it up yet, but I will do so, probably tomorrow, and put it online.

JayK

06-03-2007, 11:39 PM	#1
jayk Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 201 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: Iliad	Multiple Button support for iLiad stylus Hey all, Just wanted to post a note here, I know a lot of you are working on some more advanced apps, and thought you might be interested in this... I just added support for multiple buttons to tslib/kdrive. This basically makes the eraser and button on fancier stylii functional as your second and third 'mouse' button. I also wrote a plugin (taphold) that allows those with only the stock stylus to trigger a mouse-button 3 (aka right click) by pressing and holding the tip for a half-second. (this effectively converts all pressure input to be button 3 until you lift the stylus again) So this basically means you can use multiple-button / right click in your apps and everyone can access them - assuming this tslib/kdrive combo is installed anyway. My announcement on the iRex forums is here The files are here. Feedback welcome! JayK PS - This works fine locally... and I don't see any other ways to really improve things... Assuming it works for other folks - I'd be comfortable saying the new stylus code is solid and a general-purpose binary package can be created.

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06-04-2007, 08:38 AM	#2
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Cool! I was actually wishing for this recently. I do have a stylus from another wacom tablet that has the eraser tip, and I was missing it on the iLiad.

06-04-2007, 08:57 AM	#3
scotty1024 Banned Posts: 1,300 Karma: 1479 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Peoples Republic of Washington Device: Reader / iPhone / Librie / Kindle	Good work JayK, the iLiad has needed this from the very beginning! This will be very useful for applications such as Jarnal.

06-05-2007, 07:12 PM	#5
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	I've installed it as well (even created a "dangerous" installation package for those interested). I used a friend's stylus from a Fujitsu Lifebook, right click works well. I don't think there are any current apps that take advantage of button three though. Great work.

06-08-2007, 12:25 PM	#10
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	FYI, I've been using my iLiad for the last 4 days with all the plugins enabled without a problem...

06-08-2007, 09:57 PM	#12
scotty1024 Banned Posts: 1,300 Karma: 1479 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Peoples Republic of Washington Device: Reader / iPhone / Librie / Kindle	Upgrading to 2.10 solved the problem. I haven't reinstalled your software not knowing if it was 2.10 compatible yet.

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