ETS2 Button Box [Android, iOS & WPhone - Win, Mac & Linux]

[Oscoz]

mizifih;

Some misunderstanding maybe. You are right, those buttons mostly used can be left on the G27, I was only trying to say keep the others in just one screen only.

Now my findings so far:

1) - Yor remote is not compatible with server V3.xxx which is a beta anyway. Structure now is different. No way I could run it with that version.

2) - Ipad (IOS8) is not working with server v2.xxx anymore. Works fine with the Beta. Regular keybord included works OK.

3) - In windows phone your screen for some reason have the lowest buttons row half covered. Buttons (J) (K) and (L) are half covered by the bottom line where is the keyboard, mouse and other icons.

4) - Besides I could test with windows phone only, I noticed the key ENTER does not work properly. It seems like when pressed any key, it send a code once. It do not senses a key continuously pressed, like the ENTER when filling the gas tank. Anyway this is not your app, it doesn't work either with any original keybord.

Suggestions:

a) Try to develop for the new format for Server v3.xxx
b) The first part of your app (colored ones) is nice since the functions are described by the button name. This is the way to easily use it without having to remember the keys.
c) You are using the defaults keys from ETS2, and if somebody changes it then it will not work anymore. So either you place a caution note alerting this or (more difficult) a way to reassign the buttons in case they are labelled with the function it should perform. Example: "Job info and Stats" will work for default key but not if that key is changed by the user inisde the game.

Well; I would like to use the Ipad (mini) near the G27 but as mentioned IOS8 seems not friendly with Server v2.xx
but steel at least the keybords are working well. The only thing is the bundled keyboard with that server don't have the F keys on the same screen so you have to open a new remote just to have that F keys. A distraction not so good when playing.

Keep up your good job.

Oscoz

[mizifih]

Oscoz,

Thank you very much! It was even better that you tested on a different mobile OS. I only have Android, so I'll really need to count you you guys to test it out. I thought that people wasn't updating to v3, since it's beta and all, I was planning to design another "branch" for v3. But I I'll drop v2 instead. The v3 has way more functions when it comes to designing. And as you said, people with iPads wont be excluded. I tested it on my Transformer 300 (10.1'' display) and Oh boy, it's like a control panel right there in front of you! Really awesome.

About your findings

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1) yeah, they work completely different.

2) Good to know v3 is stable enough, I'll migrate the whole thing, maybe start tonight.

3) Well, I beliebe this is a Windows Phone thing. Let's see if designing it for v3 solve this problem. Anyways, I have not set a size, so the rows and columns are supposed to fit themselves proportionally, but maybe WP version of the App requires some size specifics, I don't know. I'll check that while designing for v3.

4) I noticed that too over this weekend, I thought it was something with my settings, but it's not, apparently. I also noted that some keys doesn't work when there is a message, like the engine button, it doesn't work when you are at the gas station, when it asks you to turn off the engine so you can fill your tank, the E button doesn't work at all. and You can hold a key, actually, I was playing iRacing and it occurred to me to test the holding, there's an function there accessed when you hold ESC, I used the remote to test that and it worked. Anyways, I can set a hold down and a release command, as I did with the E button (by mistake, it was supposed to be ENTER), if ETS2 don't work properly with holding buttons. Anyways, let's see how v3 will work. Hopefully better.

About your suggestions

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a) I'll definitely do that.

b) Yeah, right!? I'll add colors for all groups and individual keys.

c) Yeah, I am using the default keys, and it's impossible for the player to set the custom remote with custom keys, unless he goes inside the XML (v2 use XML, v3 use a different set of files) and reprogram the keys, it's simple and all, but practicality goes down the hill. However, the player can set the custom remote keys as secondary keys inside ETS2. I think that's the only solution for this problem. I used the default keys because I believe it's the way it goes for most people. I know this is inconvenient, but there's really nothing I can do about that.

I'll definitely try to improve this thing. It's so practical to use. I'll also test if ENTER and E not working on gas stations is something related to the keys itself, in this particular situation, or all the keys. That done, I'll modify the OP and alert users that they must set those keys for both, Engine and ENTER, and use something different inside the custom remote, so it doesn't conflict with any of the default key. Or set both at the wheel if really there's no solution for those keys inside gas stations (also when getting jobs, sleeping... all things that pop up that alert).

[Oscoz]

Ok.
I'll wait for the news, then we check it again.

By the way according the Blog they suppose to release some tool to easily create a remote on v 3.xx in a kind of graphic way if I am not wrong. Did you know what they are talking about?

Cheers

Oscoz

P.S. - I think you should leave the Engine start for G27 and just work with the enter key.

- Situations for Enter with just one strike (Parking for sleeping, Repair station as example)
- Situation where Enter must be hold down (Fill the gas tank)

[mizifih]

I read about their graphical tool somewhere in the forums but I never actually went after it. Since it was easy to code the XML for v2. v3 is a bery different beast thow, it uses LUA, a scripting language, that is pretty much like programming, with variables and functions, and that probably add way more functionality to the buttons. Powerful stuff, right!?

The way it works now, on v2, you have functions to press (press and release a button); keyDown (hold a key pressed); keyUp (release a key that is pressed). BUT, there's also a switch function, that I can maybe use it as a press/release thing. But it's all v2 functions, let's see what the future hold for v3.

I'll take your suggestion into this new build.

PS: you are Brazilian like me, right?

[mizifih]

Original Post updated with v3. Enter key is working on gas stations.

See changelog

[Oscoz]

PS: you are Brazilian like me, right?

Yes I am.

Amazing how fast you are.
I just see your update. Will test it tonight and then I let you know.

Oscoz

[Oscoz]

Ok; Here we go.
I will post what I remember from yesteday night since when I was trying to post I couldn't reach the forum. Looks like it was down.
Anyway, the good news: It is working in both IOS and wph. Some minor things as per below:

a) The colors used on the first row are not the same in both IOS and wph. "RED" appears light pink in IOS and black on wph.
Suggestion: Use the code colors instead that seems working fine in both systems.

b) The "Enter" key single tap doesn't work in IOS and wph like to open the toll gate for example. "Enter hold" works fine at any situation (besides you must click again to deactivate - not a big deal).
Suggestion: Keep only the Enter Hold key. I changed the single Enter with Map since you already had it coded in .lua

c) Screen looks fine in IOS but same problem in wph. Worst in wph when changing to horizontal. Then half of the screen is gone and no scroll. It might be a problem with Windows devices. I had noticed some of the bundled remotes have two XML and sometimes two LUA dedicated to IOS and Win. Don't remember which ones, so need to dig out.
Suggestion: The only suggestion is to contact the developers and check what is the trick. I have screenshots but I don't want to pollute this forum. I will upload somewhere and send the link for download via MP to you.

d) There is a small error in the Button "Navigation" and "Job info". Both are doing the same thing. I corrected the .lua here. Looks like you are using the same f key. Test it and you will find out.

Now it is working a real challenging!!!
As the layout is a XML file what about to replace the "Boxes" by a icon. Example: Instead the Box called Hazard Lights, why not the symbol of Hazard Lights?
I am not sure how but should work in a way or other. You might get help from the developers.
This way all buttons will be symbols. Another example is the lights, hand brake, and so one. Hope you understand what I am meaning. That would be awesome. You just look to the symbol (icon) and press it.

Oscoz

[SiSL]

I see the future route advisor on android programmer here!

Great job mate

[mizifih]

Oscoz,

Thank you very much for your reply.

a) I'll modify so all colors are set with code, #D80003 for the Red being used by Pause and #004CFF for the Blue being used by "Adjustments" instead of it's name. On a note, when Unified remote doesn't identify a color, it automatically uses black instead the default gray color, so if you're seeing it black, something went wrong indeed.

b) This is the real challenge here... Tapping enter is working fine for me, but maybe it's a OS thing, I don't know. UR gives different key names for a single key depending on the OS. i'll look into that, maybe the solution is there, hopefully. The problem with Hold, is that it actually hold the key down, and only release it if you press the release button, so if no action is taken, the key will be kept down. I'll take a look at the documentation, I saw somewhere that I can set timing for some stuff, maybe I can set a timer and use three commands instead, like hold; wait 1 second; release, that would probably do the trick. I'll also make hold/release use the same place, it will be like if you press hold, it's name will change to release, and I'll get one more free slot to add a new button. Nice, right!?

c) Yeah, send me screens so I can get a better picture. About more then one xml and lua, that's right, you can have different sets, one for each OS, also, I can force orientation, something that I didn't do. But maybe I can have a different layout for tablets. The proportions are different on tablets, at least at mine. But maybe with your screenshots I can see the differences between our devices and find a better solution. I think that tablets can take even more advantage then phones, more buttons being added I mean. But the remote controller not getting the right size and adjustments necessaries to fit the screen is a bug in the App, not the remote itself, it's supposed to fit the screen, no matter the orientation. On my phone, when I place it vertically, the remote is pretty much unusable.

d) I'll fix the "Job info" button ASAP. It wasn't the only wrong key, I just checked. Copy and Paste didn't help me at all, seems like Advisor switch F keys were all wrong. It was just me not paying much attention... I'm on it


The custom Icons for every button is my dream! But for now I can only work with a set of icons that they have embedded on they'r software, so I can't really use anything. But yeah, when this options gets out, if it gets, I'll be all over it!

On a note here, I'm constantly talking with the developers, they're fairly accessible. They said that joystick/pad functions will be added soon, so analog buttons will be possible, I think, and in ETS2 we can use that to move the cursor or the view, ain't that something!? The future promise good things

Ultimately, we don't have to stick with one solution fits it all, I can create different layouts for the same button box, without having to code a different lua. I can actually have one lua, filled with functions for thousands of layouts. I'll just figure out the best way to distribute it, maybe one zip for every scenario. Or several zip files, one for each scenario... Oh, by scenario I mean OS/Device/Orientation combination.



SiSL,

Thank you

[NitroUK]

Hi Miz,

Wow your button remote has so many possibilities..

Just installed Unified Remote on the pc and my ipad 2 and it all works very well. Great Job.

Ive had a few ideas that i will try and explore i the next few days. Things like...What would be nice (if its possible) to have animated buttons i.e when you hit "Start Engine" the button colour changed to something like this idea : https://dribbble.com/shots/1068267-Ligh ... ebound-GIF

Ideally i would like to change all the square unified remote buttons to something like a real button / switch would look like in a truck... i.e : http://www.tachoblog.com/wp-content/upl ... hboard.jpg and that those buttons would change from a LED Red for off state to Green for On state when pressed...

Just an idea

Best wishes Glenn - NitroUK