[Beta4][17-Dec] Navigation Panel for Xperia

[zenkinz]

17-12-2008 Beta Release 4 (version 1.0.BETA-4)

• Fix some stability problems with regards to Navigation windows manipulation
• Fix localised folder path support for non-english rom
• Added support for Garmin Que (Garmin Mobile XT predecessor), on top of existing TomTom & Garmin MXT.

14-12-2008 First Beta Release (version 1.0.BETA Attachment 137081

• First Beta Release
• Support following configurable settings (see screenshot)
  • Navigation Application - Currently Garmin Mobile XT & TomTom Navigation are supported)
  • Screen Orientation - support portrait (default) and landscape
  • Volume - Enable (default) or disable the option to set the system volume to maximum level automatically
  • Bluetooth Mode - Enable or disable (default) the option to turn on bluetooth radio automatically
  • Display Brightness - Enable or disable (default) the option to turn display to maximum brightness automatically
  ** You need to set the navigation software in the panel configuration UI for it to work **
  

sshot000.jpg

To Do List

• Improve the UI with animated icon, to replace text status
• Revamp panel UI as a navigation dashboard, instead of Garmin or TomTom navigation screen. Garmin/TomTom will be activated/displayed on demand.

I have posted something related to the topic in another thread, but thought I would now create a thread separately to discuss this topic, given that there's some progress being made over the weekends. Of course, this panel was developed as a prototype, based on a personal need, as well as for me to examine what panel SDK has to offer. so it may not necessary be suitable/useful for others (different spin for different people!). But I do welcome feedbacks/ideas, if it helps to bring the panel development to a new height After I owned the Xperia, and read about the concept behind the panel, I thought it was a very innovative idea. The point about panel, in my own interpretation, is that different people has different primary usage of the pda phone, and for each individual, the primary usage also changes based on a certain event or time of the day. For e.g, when I'm in the office/meeting, I uses the phone PIM software to ensure that I don't miss the next meeting. Once I'm taking my break, or having some personal entertainment time, I would be either watching a movie or listening to mp3. Each panel indicates the primary "theme" of the moment, and so I thought I could create something similiar when I'm in my car. So there comes the idea of Navigation panel, since I always switch on my Garmin Mobile XT, while making sure that the volume is set to the maximum while my car's handsfree carkit is connected to my pda phone. The prototype has shaped very well over the long weekend. 1. Garmin Mobile XT is the background application for the panel (could extend to other navigation applications such as TomTom or Mapking) 2. Automatically set the volume to maximum, turn on bluetooth (so that I can connect to my car's handsfree carkit), rotate the screen to landscape mode 3. Toggling panel (i.e. pressing of the panel button) will quit the Garmin application automatically. Quitting Garmin (i.e. pressing the 'X' button in the UI) will switch back to the panel list page (finally found the way to call the panel manager, but would be checking with nelsh to see if there's a better way to manage this) 4. Will automatically revert back to the original volume level, bluetooth mode and orientation once the panel is unloaded. 5. Could have turn on the display brightness to maximum and disable pin-lock, but at this point, I have not done anything since I don't need them yet grin.gif here's the video clip of the prototype in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19LV6r80iOU

[jahd5000]

nice... could be useful...
, awesome to see ppl dev-ing panels

[Prinzessin Horst]

Cool...

[schurl85]

would be nice if you could make a tomtom panel as well or make the panel configureable

[Calvin H]

Awesome idea!

Would be willing to test if you need testers.

Nice to see panels being developed..

[tarnaman]

why does it turn on and off bluetooth?

[zenkinz]

Originally Posted by schurl85 would be nice if you could make a tomtom panel as well or make the panel configureable

yes, that's the plan, but it means I have to start working on the configuration UI, which I have not done so yet. However, I do need the executable path of Tomtom, and the window name of Tomtom, so if you can provision these information, I can work on it later.

Originally Posted by Calvin H Awesome idea! Would be willing to test if you need testers. Nice to see panels being developed..

I hope I can release the alpha version this weekend for limited testing. The current panel is alittle flakey, so that's what I'm hoping to resolve in the next few days.

Originally Posted by tarnaman why does it turn on and off bluetooth?

Probably more for my own requirements. I don't need to use bluetooth unless I'm in my car (so that the phone can connect to my BT car kit) In anycase, it doesn't turn off once the panel exits, it merely reset back to the last bluetooth mode prior to the navigation panel activation.

[artesea]

Would be looking at TomTom as well. If you could disable all notifications (maybe allow incoming calls) from poping up, and then return them back to the previous state on exit that would be REALLY useful.

[nap007]

well I'm just suggesting here, but perhaps it will be better if panels are for things that DON'T NEED to be able for multitasking ---> that is multi'panels', like TF3D and others UIs out there; because IMO it is useless if an important application had to be stopped just because we need to see our real today screen regardless what application is that.

[schurl85]

so tomtom normaly installs here on german rom:

\programme\navigator\tomtom navigator.exe

window name should be "Tomtom Navigator"