"Slide to Unlock" of a different kind - *Beta Release Available*

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Summary:
A method of executing the device lock/unlock features of Windows Mobile by using the gestures available in FTouchFlo v1.4.1.
Here's a sample video of it in action courtesy of kidnamedAlbert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjPxHroy9VU

Current Status:
I've got the basics working on my device right now, and it works quite well. Beta version is now available, where I offer a choice of install methods. Since many users already have FTouchFlo and some version of the "true" HTC Cube application with my TFloCubeCtrl, then all that is needed for this is an update to version 1.2.0 of TFloControl, and an adjustment to the FTouchFlo config file. I also have a stand-alone cab installer for just FTouchFlo and the "slide 2 lock/unlock" capability. Note: there's no cube involved in this one!

Where is it?!

*NEW* CAB installer for TFloControl + FTouchFlo + config for "Slide to Lock/Unlock" with a left-right gesture now available here: http://rapidshare.com/files/128559842/TFloControl_v1.2.0___FTouchFlo_v1.4.1.cab
Be sure to check the install/usage notes in Post #4


If you've already got FTouchFlo v1.4.1 installed, and an HTC Cube using TFloCubeCtrl, then you can just download the new TFloControl.exe and FTouchFlo.config files from the attachments, and follow the directions in Post #4


What's Next?

Currently, configuration of TFloCubeCtrl is through command-line params fed by FTouchFlo. I think this could be made better, and possibly there should be a configuration app ... since all of my FTouchFlo gestures just map to calling TFloCubeCtrl anymore, which nowadays does so much more than just control the HTC Cube!
I'm currently talking with efrost about the possibility of turning TFloCubeCtrl and it's functionality into a plug-in for the newer FTouchSL application.
I wonder what other sorts of features I could build into it as additional parameters. So far I have:

Lock

{no params} - execute the device lock
home - return to the Today screen and then lock
suspend - lock, and then suspend the device


Unlock

{no params} - unlock the device
<milliseconds> - amount of delay between the simulating the left softkey, and clicking the unlock button. I added this in case different devices needed different amounts of lag time based on processor speed. 50ms seems to work quite well on my Kaiser.




Donations:
If you like what I've done, then please ... feel free to donate to me. It definitely helps in keeping me motivated to add new features and answer questions. However, if you find this function useful, you should also consider a donation to efrost ... because without FTouchFlo v1.4.1, this little project would not exist.

Props:

efrost - for making FTouchFlo!
Matt Armstrong - creator of DeviceLock, where I first saw that the unlock process could be automated
wacky.banana - for pointing out the "bug" that clued me in that unlock was possible via FTouchFlo
kidnamedAlbert - for making a video of it in action

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Background
While working on a project to bring full HTC Cube finger control to non-Touch devices, I developed an application to work hand-in-hand with efrost's FTouchFlo application. In addition to being able to control the HTC Cube, I also added a few system control functions that you could map to FTouchFlo gestures. One such system control function was the ability to engage the standard device lock, with additional options for returning the display to the home screen, and also for suspending the device. I soon realized that this was a slick was to lock your device, by just sliding your finger across the screen left-to-right. However, this then still left me with the rather lame way of unlocking the device, pressing the left softkey, and then clicking on a button on the screen. I became further annoyed when attempting to unlock the screen in bright sunlight, where it's next to impossible to find the button on the screen (at least for me!).

Where is this going?
One day, I had a small revelation. Someone had previously reported a "bug" with TFloCubeCtrl, whereby you could open up the cube, even when the device was locked. I subsequently added some code to ensure that all functions were disabled if it detected that the device was locked. But while it was reported as a bug ... the indication here was that TFloCubeCtrl would receive calls from FTouchFlo even when the device was locked. I suddenly realized that this meant that I could also add functionality to TFloCubeCtrl to unlock the device, by automating the unlock procedure.

So, does it work?
In fact ... it works just the way I had hoped. Now, with the device on, but locked with the standard WinMo device lock functionality, I can swipe my finger left-to-right, and the device becomes unlocked. You don't even see the unlock screen (on my Kaiser anyway), as it's dismissed so quickly due to the automated unlock.

And why should I care?
Well, I like it because it works well for me, and solves some of the annoyances I've had in the past. Specifically, I like the HTC Home screen ... as I'm used to it's layout, and it has everything there I need. So I like to be able to lock the device with a quick action, and have it revert to the home screen upon locking. And thanks to FTouchFlo, a left-right swipe anywhere on the screen will work (no trying to hit a specific icon). Then, to unlock, just the same swipe again is all it takes. It's a simple action, and can be done anywhere on the screen as long as it's a complete swipe across the screen ... so you don't even need to look at the screen to unlock the device. And best of all, it all works *with* the standard device lock functionality ... so even if you lock with a different method (device lock on today screen), you can still "slide to unlock". Incoming calls work the same as before ... and PIN code input should also still function normally (initial tests have shown this to be true!)

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Here are some thoughts I've come up with on possible features:

Specify an X,Y to simulate a mouse click after the Today screen is shown. (In order to ensure a particular tab is also displayed)
Specify a particular application to be displayed before locking, instead of the Today screen
Vibrate when the device is unlocked (DeviceLock offered this when "easy unlock" was enabled)
Specify a particular application to be displayed after unlocking

[Kona_Mtbkr]

General Usage Warnings -

This app requires FTouchFlo. As such, installing this will subject your device to known FTouchFlo "issues"

Once FTouchFlo is running, it cannot be stopped without a soft reset
While FTouchFlo is running, the Transcriber SIP and Screen Alignment utility cannot be used
Some programs that are "finger friendly" themselves do not work well with FTouchFlo, and should be added to the Exclusions list in FTouchFlo.config. Some common known apps are already in the list.

After a soft reset, you must manually start FTouchFlo before you can "Slide to Lock/Unlock". Alternatively, you can create a shortcut to FTouchFlo in your StartUp folder.


CAB Install Method -

Install the CAB file on your Windows Mobile device
Be sure to install to the Device (not a storage card)
Run FTouchFlo, found under Start->Programs
Perform a left-right slide gesture to lock the device
Perform the same left-right slide gesture again to unlock the device
Enjoy :)




File Install Method (Advanced Users Only) -

Use this method if you already have FTouchFlo installed, and/or if you have an HTC Cube install already on your device using TFloCubeCtrl

Copy TFloControl.exe into a \Program Files\TFloControl folder
Update your FTouchFlo.config file to reflect something similar to my sample
TFloControl is the new name for the app, replacing the old TFloCubeCtrl (it does more than control the cube!)

[wacky.banana]

Morning Kona. I see you have decided to go public on this, which is great!

A couple of points from me:

One of the things you are going to have to watch out for , as you develop this tool, is getting the tool to work in a consistent and predictable manner with the inbuilt WM6 pin lock facility.

Because I am security conscious, I have pin lock initialise itself half an hour after locking the device either with device lock or Slide-To-Unlock (S2U2). When using S2U2 I have found that if a call comes in after pin lock is engaged, trying to answer the call can cause unpredictable results ranging from the call being successfully answered, to S2U2 to being presented with the pin lock keyboard to unlock the device before the call can be taken, to the call being dropped altogether.

This behaviour became such a pain that I dropped S2U2 altogether in order to get a consistent method of answering calls when the device is locked in this way, ie with device lock and pin lock in operation. I note this is an area you have not tested yet, hence me advising caution here.

Another point from me: I am assuming that your lock will not work unless a version of Ftouchflo is installed? If yes does that mean that people like me who have given up on Ftouchflo and the Cube will not be able to use your tool?

Final point; early days yet but have you thought of integrating your tool with the organic lock invented by someone on here?

Hope you find these points helpful. More than happy to undertake some testing for you if you let me know what is required, etc.

Cheers

WB

[domineus]

will this be a lot like the unlocking mechanism from wm 7 in which you have to slide a certain way so the device unlocks. A bit confused as far as function though. I am glad you are starting a new project...

[solomhamada]

I can not say how much i'm interested in such software, even though i dont pin lock my device, but i really like to lock it cause it many times make a call or opens and drains the battery without any need..
any way .. i'm waiting .. and i believe it's gonna be great

cheers

[Kona_Mtbkr]

WB,

Thanks for the input. So far ... here's what I can tell you:

One of the things you are going to have to watch out for , as you develop this tool, is getting the tool to work in a consistent and predictable manner with the inbuilt WM6 pin lock facility.

Because I am security conscious, I have pin lock initialise itself half an hour after locking the device either with device lock or Slide-To-Unlock (S2U2). When using S2U2 I have found that if a call comes in after pin lock is engaged, trying to answer the call can cause unpredictable results ranging from the call being successfully answered, to S2U2 to being presented with the pin lock keyboard to unlock the device before the call can be taken, to the call being dropped altogether.

This behavior became such a pain that I dropped S2U2 altogether in order to get a consistent method of answering calls when the device is locked in this way, ie with device lock and pin lock in operation. I note this is an area you have not tested yet, hence me advising caution here.

Since what I've done here is devise a way to use gestures as a way to interact with the standard built-in Windows Mobile locking mechanism, we should be OK here. My initial tests are indicating that everything functions predictably when PIN locking is enabled. My unlock gesture works when the PIN is not yet enabled. And once the PIN screen appears, the unlock gesture basically doesn't do much ... and you have to enter the PIN to access the phone. Incoming calls are unaffected, as the standard WinMo "Incoming Call" screen appears, and a SoftKey press will still answer without requiring an unlock. This is where people's desire for functionality is probably going to differ.

Another point from me: I am assuming that your lock will not work unless a version of Ftouchflo is installed? If yes does that mean that people like me who have given up on Ftouchflo and the Cube will not be able to use your tool?

Yes ... and no. FTouchFlo is currently required, as this project is intentionally a solution to work with FTouchFlo. However, the cube is not a requirement ... it doesn't even have to be installed.

Final point; early days yet but have you thought of integrating your tool with the organic lock invented by someone on here?

I have downloaded Organic Lock, and will test it out. My initial thoughts ... are that it should integrate quite well with what I've done here, since it's designed to work with the built-in WinMo device locking. I'll post my results when I get to test it out.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

will this be a lot like the unlocking mechanism from wm 7 in which you have to slide a certain way so the device unlocks. A bit confused as far as function though. I am glad you are starting a new project...

Perhaps ... I honestly haven't seen what WM7 is offering. In a nutshell, what I've done here will allow you to use any of FTouchFlo's gestures to lock/unlock your device using the built-in WM6 device lock. Current FTouchFlo gestures are up-down, down-up, left-right, and right-left. You basically sweep your finger across the entire length of the screen in one continuous motion. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I get it to recognize my gestures about 95% of the time these days.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

I can not say how much i'm interested in such software, even though i dont pin lock my device, but i really like to lock it cause it many times make a call or opens and drains the battery without any need..
any way .. i'm waiting .. and i believe it's gonna be great

cheers

I currently don't really use the PIN lock feature myself ... but your scenario of the phone accidentally waking up and doing things unintentionally is a big reason I started using the device lock to lock my phone. But when I got annoyed with the unlock procedure, I wrote the "slide to unlock" part, which is really useful (to me). This is really more of a convenience feature that a real security measure. But it makes the device lock/unlock very easy to use. I just put it on my wife's phone, because her phone kept calling people while it was in her purse!

[Kona_Mtbkr]

I just had a thought ... and tested it out. You can actually "Slide to Answer" as well, when a phone call comes in.

As is true with unlock, the softkey method still works ... however, if the device is currently locked, and a phone call comes in ... if you perform the unlock gesture, TFloCubeCtrl will try to initiate the unlock by pressing the left softkey, which in turn answers the call! It's really a side-effect in this case ... but it works! Interesting ... but it would probably be more useful if I could disable the on-screen buttons, and require either a hardware keypress, or the slide gesture.

[wacky.banana]

..... It takes a bit of getting used to, but I get it to recognize my gestures about 95% of the time these days.

Hey Kona,

Thanks for the comprehensive response to my points. The tool looks more promising every time I hear from you. :)

To the point about 95% accuracy this isn't too bad and, from my experience, probably on a par with S2U2. When I was playing with TouchFlo in the early days I found you could increase the consistency of the gestures by changing the sensitivity response or whatever it was called.

When are you expecting to have a beta version of the tool out for testing then?

Cheers

WB

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Hey Kona,

Thanks for the comprehensive response to my points. The tool looks more promising every time I hear from you. :)

To the point about 95% accuracy this isn't too bad and, from my experience, probably on a par with S2U2. When I was playing with TouchFlo in the early days I found you could increase the consistency of the gestures by changing the sensitivity response or whatever it was called.

When are you expecting to have a beta version of the tool out for testing then?

Cheers

WB

Yes ... changing the sensitivity settings was key for really making FTouchFlo useful. It's a balancing act between the pressure sensitivity, and the gesture delay ... which controls how long FTouchFlo waits before deciding that you're not actually doing a gesture, so it forwards the input on to the OS. It makes it a bit trickier to try to use scrollbars or to do other dragging operations (like selecting multiple items) when FTouchFlo is in use. Not sure if FTouchSL has improved on any of these items.

As for release ... we'll see how the weekend goes. It'll be easier for me to post the new app, and a sample config for those who already have FTouchFlo and an HTC Cube install with TFloCubeCtrl. But I know that isn't going to cut it ... so I'll put a "fresh install" cab together as well.

[wacky.banana]

Kona,

Good idea putting an all-in-1 cab together for an easy install otherwise all you will get is a thousand questions on how to install the app and what other linked apps are required. :) Probably a major distraction if what you really want to know is how the user experience is progresing.

Re the sensitivity compromise, have you had a chat with Efrost as to where his latest version of Ftouchflo is now at, from a technical perspective?

This thread is now on my auto notify list, ready for your next move. :)

All the best.

WB

[kidnamedAlbert]

im completely interested but does this have a transparent background on the home screen like the original windows unlock screen?

if so, this if EXACTLY what im looking for.
a lock on wakeup feature would be great too.
thanks,

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Kona,
Re the sensitivity compromise, have you had a chat with Efrost as to where his latest version of Ftouchflo is now at, from a technical perspective?


Well, I have contacted him through PM here ... and asked about the plugin architecture for FTouchSL, to see if he'd let me rebuild my TFloCtrl app as a plugin. He seemed to be receptive to the idea ... but I haven't heard much from him since. I'm pretty sure the free version of FTouchFlo isn't going to progress past v1.4.1 ... as all efforts are now on FTouchSL. It's only like $15, so I'll probably buy a copy at some point. efrost deserves our support! Of course, I was hoping he'd give me a license for developing my plugins against, and then I could buy a copy for my wife!

I need to get a bit more insight into his plugin architecture too, however. I'm not completely sure that everything that I've done so far with TFloCtrl will work in his plugin architecture. We'll have to see.

[Daremo_23]

sounds lije it will be awesome...when developed of course. i am really into being able to lock my device easily and be something i can unlock without much thought or having to look at the keyboard whilst i enter an alpha-numeric code. kinda biometrics like without the fingerprint scanner. thanks for the info and i am waiting for more news.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

im completely interested but does this have a transparent background on the home screen like the original windows unlock screen?

Yes, in fact, TFloCtrl has no background ... or window at all. It's more of a windowless process, that sets the display to the Today screen, locks the device, and exits. You're left at the Today screen with a locked device. Hmm, that gives me an idea for a feature, bridging between another app I'm working on. An option to also simulate a click on the Today screen, to ensure a particular tab is selected upon locking.

if so, this if EXACTLY what im looking for.
a lock on wakeup feature would be great too.
thanks,

Well, to put in a lock on wakeup feature would require a whole separate application. At that point, I'd almost be rebuilding armstrong's DeviceLock. You should take a look at this, as I was running it for a while for just that feature. It should work just fine with my app, because he is also using the normal built-in lock functionality. He also had an "easy unlock" feature that only required the softkey press ... but it was too "easy" for me. The swipe gesture is much less likely to occur accidentally, but still can be completed without even looking at the screen! That's the biggest benefit in my mind.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

sounds lije it will be awesome...when developed of course. i am really into being able to lock my device easily and be something i can unlock without much thought or having to look at the keyboard whilst i enter an alpha-numeric code. kinda biometrics like without the fingerprint scanner. thanks for the info and i am waiting for more news.

"biometrics without the scanning" ... that's a pretty good way to describe it :)

I think it nice, because it offers the protection from accidental button/screen presses of the device lock, but with easier unlocking ... as you said, not having to look at the screen. But in addition, I'm also hoping it'll pair well with Organic Lock, to offer the additional security that people like WB are looking for.

And as far as "developed" goes ... it's already working on my device! I'm just thinking about what features to include for a Beta 1 release ... and also I need to invest the time to put together the installation ... or else the thread will fill with "how to install?" postings. I learned my lesson last time with the TFloCubeCtrl thread. :)

[Ufufu]

Just an idea, stolen from the Android platform.
You could make the unlock gesture user-customizable. Maybe there could be an interface in the settings for users to "draw" their unlock gesture and practice on it. Then, if someone wants security without a password, he can use a complex gesture.

edit: That was a horrible explanation, haha, you'll get the point from this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arXolJrLVEg

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Just an idea, stolen from the Android platform.
You could make the unlock gesture user-customizable. Maybe there could be an interface in the settings for users to "draw" their unlock gesture and practice on it. Then, if someone wants security without a password, he can use a complex gesture.

edit: That was a horrible explanation, haha, you'll get the point from this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arXolJrLVEg

Actually ... I followed what you were saying from your description! This is similar to WB's suggestion of looking into OrganicLock. It already does something similar to this. I haven't gotten a chance to check it out just yet. My understanding so far, is that it kicks in as soon as the standard device lock is disabled. If that's the case ... then TFloCtrl will work with it, in that you would do a slide gesture to unlock the standard device lock and bring the screen to normal brightness. Then you would have to perform the OrganicLock function to further access the device. I need to run some tests to confirm.

I know that sounds like an extra step is in there ... but that's how it would work *with* the normal device lock. There are risks in implementing your own device locking ... and it's proved tricky in the past for others to account for all scenarios.

It is theoretically possible to implement an OrganicLock type of unlock, that could accept a pattern and then trigger the automatic unlock of the standard device lock like what I've done so far does ... but it would require tighter integration between FTouchFlo and my app, or foregoing FTouchFlo, and implementing it's touch interface into my app altogether. That would be a huge time/effort investment ... that's not likely to happen.

Thanks for the suggestions though ... keep 'em coming, because even if I think a particular thought or feature is outside of reasonable effort, it might trigger another idea by myself or others. In other words . .. brainstorming is good :)

[Ufufu]

Ah, I did read that your implementation used fTouchFlo, but I forgot about it afterwards... Sorry! You are right, it would require you to code gesture recognition too. Would be interesting though, I will read up more on OrganicLock (thought it was some sort of fake fingerprint scanner from the name, like for example a program that associates each user with his thumb "keypress" on the screen, that would be nice too)

[marcelvanblankers]

How is development going. i would really love this on my kaiser, functionality above all.. plz let us know how its going.

greetings

[marcelvanblankers]

How is development going. i would really love this on my kaiser, functionality above all.. plz let us know how its going.

greetings


not a lot of interest for this superb idea?
i don't get it,
like to hear more about this program.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

A beta release cab installer should be coming this week. I've got about 3 different projects I'm splitting time between right now ... and that's not including my "normal" day job!

Plus, this past weekend was Independence Day for the US ... so I did more eating BBQ rather than building cab installers :)

I wasn't sure what kind of interest there would be ... I think some people are kind of over the whole "Slide to Unlock" concept. Still, this functionality is useful to me ... so I thought I'd put it out there.

[kidnamedAlbert]

A beta release cab installer should be coming this week. I've got about 3 different projects I'm splitting time between right now ... and that's not including my "normal" day job!

Plus, this past weekend was Independence Day for the US ... so I did more eating BBQ rather than building cab installers :)

I wasn't sure what kind of interest there would be ... I think some people are kind of over the whole "Slide to Unlock" concept. Still, this functionality is useful to me ... so I thought I'd put it out there.
i have slide to lock done with ftouchsl.
but i cant see how to get a gesture to work while the screen is locked..

[marcelvanblankers]

i have slide to lock done with ftouchsl.
but i cant see how to get a gesture to work while the screen is locked..

Take your time kona, just wanted to let u know there is interest (by me anyways)
thnx in advance

[yesod7]

You should check out csdevctrl, another screen-locking program offered by chrisstavrou. It is very good, and looks to be getting even better. My problem, before using this prog, was in-call locking: during a call on bluetooth, my phone buttons would still be operational, for purposes of putting the call on hold, adjusting the volume, etc. Csdevctrl solved that, and offers many options I had not thought of.

I, too, am interested in your program's possibilities, as well!:):):)

[Grondinm]

i can't wait to see this work....i assume it will require me to install a few things since i have HTC touch flow...or will it work with this as well...i have been looking for something like this for a while now...

[Kona_Mtbkr]

i have slide to lock done with ftouchsl.
but i cant see how to get a gesture to work while the screen is locked..

Yes ... efrost added "lock device" as one of his system plug-in options. However, the true *magic* is to get the device to unlock with the same (or different) gesture. :)

I have to have further talks with efrost to determine if what I've done is going to be possible with FTouchSL and his plug-in architecture. Although I think my current approach might still apply ... I'd rather implement it as a plug-in with FTouchSL. More on that probably once I release the cab with the original FTouchFlo, and get back in touch with efrost.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Check the first post. I worked hard and lost more sleep to get this out ... hopefully it works well for others as it does for me.

I've still got plans to add more features, and make the config a bit easier.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Good news! As predicted, Organic Lock is behaving the way I thought that it would based on the descriptions I read. And therefore, it is working well with my "Slide to Unlock" as well.

I'll post more later ... but for now, know that it works ... although I had to change the speed to the highest setting for it to respond like I thought it should, only the static picture mode seems useful to me, and I had to add it as an FTouchFlo exclusion, or else you were able to get around it by using FTouchFlo to trigger other things.

[wacky.banana]

Check the first post. I worked hard and lost more sleep to get this out ... hopefully it works well for others as it does for me.

I've still got plans to add more features, and make the config a bit easier.

Hey Kona,

About to download and test. Anyway the real point of this post is go get some sleep. If you are tired you will make mistakes and get cheesed off with the project! :)

I will report back once tested.

Good job, well done!

WB

[motisu]

Hi Kona,

Long ago, I stopped using Ftouchflo and Tflocubectrl because I started using S2U2 and Sclpc++ instead of the biotouch cube. (I wanted the 4th face and if you remember, we couldn't get it to work on my Blue Angel). Way back then, I had a problem that every time my BA would go into standby, the time to backlight off would change to 10sec on wakeup. I would reset it to 3min and after sleep, it would be back at 10sec :confused:. Turns out that it must have been related to ftouchflo/Tflocubectrl, because after installing this new version, the 10sec problem is back. I uninstalled and the problem went away. Could you please have a look and see if the problem is in your ctrl prgram or in the ftouchflo program?

Other than this, the new lock / unlock feature is working very well.:)

[Kona_Mtbkr]

... Way back then, I had a problem that every time my BA would go into standby, the time to backlight off would change to 10sec on wakeup. I would reset it to 3min and after sleep, it would be back at 10sec :confused:.

Hey Moti, how are you!

Hmm ... that's very intriguing. I haven't heard of anyone reporting this before ... but then again, perhaps no one linked it with FTouchFlo+TFloCubeCtrl. Off the top of my head ... I can't think of any reason that TFloControl (or the old TFloCubeCtrl) would be causing this issue. Just the same, I'm trying to run some tests now to see if I can replicate your experience.

[fuller45]

pictures please?

[Kona_Mtbkr]

i can't wait to see this work....i assume it will require me to install a few things since i have HTC touch flow...or will it work with this as well...i have been looking for something like this for a while now...

That's an interesting question. So far ... I've just been extending the functionality of my original TFloCubeCtrl application, which was originally acting as an interface between FTouchFlo and Biotouch (essentially the HTC Cube). We needed something to bridge the gap on our non-Touch devices ... because the version of Touch.dll on an HTC Touch device handles this interaction with the biotouch app automatically.

Now, if you following any of that ... that leaves you in an interesting spot. I'm not sure what putting FTouchFlo on an HTC Touch (Elf) or Touch Dual would do.

Of course ... in re-reading your post, I'm starting to wonder if this is what you meant at all! Does your phrase "i have HTC touch flow" mean you have an Elf or other "HTC Touch" device?

[Kona_Mtbkr]

pictures please?

I've thought about this ... as I usually like to see screenshots of the app to decide if it's worth installing. The thing is, static screenshots aren't going to tell you much. I could post a screenshot of my HTC Home screen, and then of the screen after it's been locked ... but it'll just be the standard WinMo device lock! That's kind of the whole point ... it's not a separate lock application that I've built here, but just a more convenient way to lock/unlock without requiring you to see the screen at all.

I could make some video ... but that would require a camera and such. I'm focusing more on the app for now. If someone who has it installed wants to post a video, I'll link from one of the first posts.

[kidnamedAlbert]

can we get it to unlock a little faster?

[kidnamedAlbert]

oh i can make a video of it

[Kona_Mtbkr]

can we get it to unlock a little faster?

Well, how slow is it is the question. It runs pretty fast on my Kaiser ... I don't even ever see the gray "Tap Unlock or Press *" screen when I unlock. But I figure that this is really going to be device-dependent.

There's a small delay in my auto-unlock sequence, that it seemed needed to be there or else it would "miss" the second step of the unlock process. It's currently set to a 50ms delay, but it seems to work on my Kaiser with as little as 10ms delay. In the FTouchFlo.config file, it's the 50 that's at the end of the line:
"LeftRightAppCmdLine: spinRight lock-unlock home 50"

Try changing it to something smaller, such as 10 ... might help?

[kidnamedAlbert]

Well, how slow is it is the question. It runs pretty fast on my Kaiser ... I don't even ever see the gray "Tap Unlock or Press *" screen when I unlock. But I figure that this is really going to be device-dependent.

There's a small delay in my auto-unlock sequence, that it seemed needed to be there or else it would "miss" the second step of the unlock process. It's currently set to a 50ms delay, but it seems to work on my Kaiser with as little as 10ms delay. In the FTouchFlo.config file, it's the 50 that's at the end of the line:
"LeftRightAppCmdLine: spinRight lock-unlock home 50"

Try changing it to something smaller, such as 10 ... might help?
yeah worked like a charm, thanks.

oh and im uploading the video to youtube right now.
i think it might be frozen though :/

[motisu]

Hey Moti, how are you!

Hmm ... that's very intriguing. I haven't heard of anyone reporting this before ... but then again, perhaps no one linked it with FTouchFlo+TFloCubeCtrl. Off the top of my head ... I can't think of any reason that TFloControl (or the old TFloCubeCtrl) would be causing this issue. Just the same, I'm trying to run some tests now to see if I can replicate your experience.

Hi Kona, welcome back!! We've all missed you.:) I'm just fine. yourself?

I played around a bit more by installing just Ftouchflo by itself and the backlight timing change does not happen, using it to lauch SCLPC++ and other programs. As soon as I try Tflocontrol, it starts again, so the bug is definitely in the tflocontrol program. It may not actually be a bug, it may just be some weird interaction, but it only happens with your program.

[fuller45]

I've thought about this ... as I usually like to see screenshots of the app to decide if it's worth installing. The thing is, static screenshots aren't going to tell you much. I could post a screenshot of my HTC Home screen, and then of the screen after it's been locked ... but it'll just be the standard WinMo device lock! That's kind of the whole point ... it's not a separate lock application that I've built here, but just a more convenient way to lock/unlock without requiring you to see the screen at all.

I could make some video ... but that would require a camera and such. I'm focusing more on the app for now. If someone who has it installed wants to post a video, I'll link from one of the first posts.

Gotchya, thanks

[kidnamedAlbert]

i uploaded the video to youtube
PS: i did not tap the screen hard it just sounds like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjPxHroy9VU

[xboxhaxorz]

screenshots would be great on main post

[kidnamedAlbert]

just look at the video
screenshots wont do any good.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

i uploaded the video to youtube
PS: i did not tap the screen hard it just sounds like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjPxHroy9VU

You're now "immortalized" on the first post :D Thanks for the video ... it's tricky to get them to look nice.

PS - I find it helps with getting the gesture to recognize if I start with my finger on the edge of the case, just off the screen ... then swipe with a constant motion all the way across the screen. I can get a hit almost every time that way (I noticed you "missed" a couple of times :P) I sort of got the idea from watching video of the HTC Elf, where they had this little graphic on the front just below the screen where they showed the user starting from when sliding their finger up the screen to open the cube. Maybe that's not really how it's done on the Elf, but it seems to work well for me!

[Kona_Mtbkr]

yeah worked like a charm, thanks.

So, does this mean that changing that delay value from 50ms to 10ms actually yielded a visible difference to you? I'm not doubting it ... just want to clarify because I don't really "see" much difference on my Kaiser, but I figured devices with slower processors or less memory might react differently ... which is why I made it configurable in the first place! Just want to confirm whether it made a difference ... and in the end, I'd like to see if I can just set it to something really small (like 5 or 10ms) by default and have it work for most everyone.

[kidnamedAlbert]

So, does this mean that changing that delay value from 50ms to 10ms actually yielded a visible difference to you? I'm not doubting it ... just want to clarify because I don't really "see" much difference on my Kaiser, but I figured devices with slower processors or less memory might react differently ... which is why I made it configurable in the first place! Just want to confirm whether it made a difference ... and in the end, I'd like to see if I can just set it to something really small (like 5 or 10ms) by default and have it work for most everyone.
yeah well i dont have a 400mhz processor like your kaiser so thats most likely it.
but yeah the video was at 50 still. as you can still see the grey unlock screen.
oh and i got the sliding down. i can get everytime now :D

[Kona_Mtbkr]

yeah well i dont have a 400mhz processor like your kaiser so thats most likely it.
but yeah the video was at 50 still. as you can still see the grey unlock screen.
oh and i got the sliding down. i can get everytime now :D

Sweet! Now ... for extra credit, you can make a video that includes OrganicLock as well, as I think there are some people that are interested in it. I suggest using a static image though ... makes more sense to me.

[kidnamedAlbert]

i dont know how to use organic lock.
i tried it and it didnt work.
a static image?

[Kona_Mtbkr]

i dont know how to use organic lock.
i tried it and it didnt work.
a static image?

I had to SR to get it to work right after install. It relies on a startup app to register a notification so that it can catch when you unlock your device from the standard device lock. After SR, you use the "Technic" app in Programs to configure the pattern you want to use. There are a few choices for "Unlocker" ... but the others make you specify a pattern without seeing the image on the screen. With the static image one ... it displays the image, and you can pick out points in the image to click on. After saving, you lock your device. When you try to unlock ... you'll see the image again, with a Letter in the upper-left of the screen. You click on the points in order again ... and then it'll unlock.

I also suggest turning Accuracy down towards the bottom of the scale, and Speed all the way up. At least for my Kaiser ... it makes it work pretty well. Watch for the letter to change so you know it recorded the "press". With the speed set lower, it didn't seem like it was recognizing my presses very well.

Anyways, no worries if it doesn't work for you ... someone else may have it running and like it, and they can post video.

[wacky.banana]

Kona,

Just loaded this up and......it works.....perfectly.

Need to setup some exclusions in Ftouchflo config and then we are good.

Excellent, well done.

WB

[kushed]

I love this. I've tried all kind of locking apps, this by far is the best because of its simplicity and seamlessness. Looking forward to more progress with OrganicLock.

[denjo]

absolute n perfect way to lock ur touch scen devices
works really fine on my kaiser,
allmost a screen saver, don need to minimize running
application, just swipe n locked displaying today screen
great job

[Timb320]

This is great. Works perfectly after installing Cab on Kiazer with WM6.1..

I do have a feature request that might be cool/easy to code.

I do use the PIN lock feature with WM due to my Co's Exchange Security requirements, I wonder if could code and option so that when you slide to unlock when using PIN option that it auto enters the PIN and unlocks the device, the PIN itself could be configured in the configureation file for the user edit. Further you could setup a timer to only auto unload via PIN 1) if setting specified in config file, 2) Only within say a user specified time, after which it would be time locked i.e. you would have to enter the PIN manually (as normal) after said time; Example I may configure it to allow auto PIN Unlock within say 8 hours (just an example of a 8 hour work day) from the time the device was locked, this way If I left my device at work after this period, it cannot be auto unlocked.. Of course I may opt to set it to say 2 hours - user configurable.

:)

[Kona_Mtbkr]

I do have a feature request that might be cool/easy to code.

I do use the PIN lock feature with WM due to my Co's Exchange Security requirements, I wonder if could code and option so that when you slide to unlock when using PIN option that it auto enters the PIN and unlocks the device, the PIN itself could be configured in the configureation file for the user edit. Further you could setup a timer to only auto unload via PIN 1) if setting specified in config file, 2) Only within say a user specified time, after which it would be time locked i.e. you would have to enter the PIN manually (as normal) after said time; Example I may configure it to allow auto PIN Unlock within say 8 hours (just an example of a 8 hour work day) from the time the device was locked, this way If I left my device at work after this period, it cannot be auto unlocked.. Of course I may opt to set it to say 2 hours - user configurable.

:)

Hmm ... an interesting request. At first, I was thinking why even use the PIN lock, if you're just going to defeat it with an auto-unlock. But then your mention of co security requirements makes sense. My next plan with this is to update the parameter-passing to it, so that I can add more, and be more flexible with them. I'll add your thoughts to the feature list ... thanks!

[kidnamedAlbert]

not get it to work with fltouchsl :(
it will lock and suspend screen but it wont unlock :(

[Kona_Mtbkr]

not get it to work with fltouchsl :(
it will lock and suspend screen but it wont unlock :(

I take it that you tried to map my TFloControl app to the gestures in FTouchSL configuration, as I have in FTouchFlo? I had a little bit of a concern that it might not work ... since it's a bit of a hole that I'm exploiting. One might argue that FTouchFlo should know that the device is locked, and therefore disallow all gestures. The original FTouchFlo did not, and that is why I was able to get my "slide to unlock" to work. However, I thought that they might have "fixed" that in FTouchSL, so that if you swipe when the device is locked, FTouchSL does not invoke the app linked to the gesture.

I might have to chat with efrost and see if there's anything we can do about that. Maybe a configuration option that will allow certain gestures even when the device is locked?

Of course, I haven't gotten around to testing this myself ... so it's all conjecture at this point. kidnamedAlbert, please let us all know if what I'm saying makes sense based on your testing.

[motisu]

I take it that you tried to map my TFloControl app to the gestures in FTouchSL configuration, as I have in FTouchFlo? I had a little bit of a concern that it might not work ... since it's a bit of a hole that I'm exploiting. One might argue that FTouchFlo should know that the device is locked, and therefore disallow all gestures. The original FTouchFlo did not, and that is why I was able to get my "slide to unlock" to work. However, I thought that they might have "fixed" that in FTouchSL, so that if you swipe when the device is locked, FTouchSL does not invoke the app linked to the gesture.

I might have to chat with efrost and see if there's anything we can do about that. Maybe a configuration option that will allow certain gestures even when the device is locked?

Of course, I haven't gotten around to testing this myself ... so it's all conjecture at this point. kidnamedAlbert, please let us all know if what I'm saying makes sense based on your testing.

Makes perfect sense:). I also tried it with Ftouchsl V2.5 and had the same results. lock works, unlock doesn't.

[Kona_Mtbkr]

Makes perfect sense:). I also tried it with Ftouchsl V2.5 and had the same results. lock works, unlock doesn't.

Thanks for the confirmation. Hmm ... that's a bit disappointing. I'll have to shoot an email to efrost and see if there's anything we can do about that to make it work with FTouchSL. I'll let you all know if I find anything out.

[kidnamedAlbert]

I take it that you tried to map my TFloControl app to the gestures in FTouchSL configuration, as I have in FTouchFlo? I had a little bit of a concern that it might not work ... since it's a bit of a hole that I'm exploiting. One might argue that FTouchFlo should know that the device is locked, and therefore disallow all gestures. The original FTouchFlo did not, and that is why I was able to get my "slide to unlock" to work. However, I thought that they might have "fixed" that in FTouchSL, so that if you swipe when the device is locked, FTouchSL does not invoke the app linked to the gesture.

I might have to chat with efrost and see if there's anything we can do about that. Maybe a configuration option that will allow certain gestures even when the device is locked?

Of course, I haven't gotten around to testing this myself ... so it's all conjecture at this point. kidnamedAlbert, please let us all know if what I'm saying makes sense based on your testing.
kay. ftouchsl does support lock device already included but ftouchflo(like you said) ignored the lock screen.
i found out that the lock screen is a .dll file but ftouchsl doesnt have the option to add a .dll to the exception list.
ill keep trying. thanks.