New Input Method for AFKIM Feedback Thread

[Jeff Chen]

New Link:
http://pspupdates.qj.net/New-Input-M...g/49/aid/12433

Download Link:
http://dl.qj.net/W.I.P.-Input-Method...5481/catid/151

News:
Danzel, the author of AFKIM (Away From Keyboard Instant Messenger), has been working on a new OSK (On-Screen Keyboard) for easier & faster input in the typing massive program. After some discussion in the forums with our warm-hearted users, he finally worked out a decent solution for the OSK.

This solution was inspired by the input method in Gran Turismo 4. Basically, the input pad is divided into 9 blocks, and on each of the blocks, there are 4 directions, each mapped to a character, and can be selected with the face buttons on the right side of the PSP. The input routine of a character is simple: tilt the analog stick towards any of the 8 directions to select a block, and then hit a face button to input the letter you want.

Here are some more details of the input method:

Controls:

* Analog Stick: Move to select the square you want to enter from
* Triangle/Circle/Cross/Square: Enter the character you want to type on the select square
* R-Trigger: Hold for shift mode
* L-Trigger: Tap to change between letters and numbers input modes
* D-pad Up: Delete
* D-pad Down: Enter

When in numbers mode holding shift is complete special characters input mode.

To-Do:
D-pad Left/Right will be move cursor left/right, allowing for fixing mistakes easily etc.

Please leave the feedback here, thanks.

[Stonerboy]

holding the analog stick in the box while u select the letter does feel a bit unstable but other than that I really prefer this OSK over the old one.
Hope to see it in the next release :)

[Darthlukz]

well, it's the same system that was used in Killzone, so i think it's fairly kool

[Jeff Chen]

Ahh! I was wondering where the idea was from. I submitted this to Danzel but cannot remember where it was from :P GT4 is just similar, but not all like that at all ;-)

[KrackSlacker]

Ok, This is ALOT easier to use lol.. I mean, it took me forever to get used to the old one but.. This one took me 5 seconds to get used to =) Once Again- NICE JOB!.. I really hope you will add scrolling and this keyboard soon :) I use this alot.. would be a GREAT help ^^

[Rengoku]

I like it, definitely much more easier to pick up than the previous input method.

[AnonymousTipster]

I quite like this input method, and it's probably about as fast as my doccircle idea would be, so I'll stop with that one for the moment.
It's probably the fastest setup we can get whilst still being intuitive, so I think that this is a good solution.

[XperienZe]

I like it too! Takes some time to learn but definatly faster than the last method.
But how do i use the program? I can only write a couple of things, not use it to talk with friends? Or is this just a tryout of the new system?

Dont understand...

[Sturmeh]

Lol, i think you will find this method MUCH faster, also, we all know we all had that stupid keyboard pulled down halfway down the screen, to see how to type "E" again.

This keyboard will be always there, so there will be no obtrution...

LOL, way to go danzel.

Wifi Guru / Best OSK Designer...

[Koba]

very nice, i just tryed it out and its very easy to use. i'll be glad to see this in AFKIM.

[Lauw]

Huge improvement :) Much more friendly to your fingers :Jump:

[Bad Intentions]

This is awesome, but as a suggestion, in a future release can you make it so your AIM/MSN buddy lists are in seperate lists? Well anyways, keep it up, this is one of my most-used PSP apps. :)

[Maniaxe]

actualy i think itll be better if you can use the d-pad instead of the analog stick. other wise i really liked this

[Ppd264]

very nice, i just tryed it out and its very easy to use. i'll be glad to see this in AFKIM.

I agree very neat keyboard i prefer it over the p-sprint, the best thing possible if you were able to have an option menu to switch from different keyboards. awesome program btw i wish i can donate but i i dont own a credit card or anything like that

[Ppd264]

i prefer this kind of keyboard to be added on too, it's just my opinion

[NEvolution]

actualy i think itll be better if you can use the d-pad instead of the analog stick. other wise i really liked this

If you use the d-pad, there will only be four sides to choose.
Well...it is possible to choose a corner. But holding your position at a corner with the d-pad wouldn't be as good as doing it with the analog.

This is awesome, but as a suggestion, in a future release can you make it so your AIM/MSN buddy lists are in seperate lists?

It'd be nice if it were done with some sort of cursor/mouse. :)

[Koba]

actually, i would hate this program to have a cursor... shells are fine, but its still very difficult to use (face it, the analog nub's handling sucks...) i like this keyboard layout just fine the way it is. the program is fine also (just needs a gui for removing accounts)

[NEvolution]

Well, like Bad Intentions said above, some method of switching userlists of different IM's would be nice. But I guess until the essentials are down pat, those can be left for later.

[peeInMyPantz]

i prefer this kind of keyboard to be added on too, it's just my opinion

yeah.. y not just use F.O.S.K like the one used in psp notepad. it's intuitive. no need for learning curve

if every program introduce their own way to typing... psp users will be so confused!... an existing method based on qwerty will work great for someone who is used to typing on a keyboard

[dregin]

This is the best one I've seen to date, although I haven't used many apart from the original one from afkim. Less button presses per character is better and navigating around a qwerty keyboard wouldn't be the most fun, unless you mean laying out the different segments like the layout of a qwerty keyboard instead of "abcde" which I do think would be a better idea. I'm not used to looking through the alphabet for keypresses so a qwerty layout to the segments would be a bit easier I think.

[peeInMyPantz]

This is the best one I've seen to date, although I haven't used many apart from the original one from afkim. Less button presses per character is better and navigating around a qwerty keyboard wouldn't be the most fun, unless you mean laying out the different segments like the layout of a qwerty keyboard instead of "abcde" which I do think would be a better idea. I'm not used to looking through the alphabet for keypresses so a qwerty layout to the segments would be a bit easier I think.

i mean using the layout of a qwerty keyboard.. but it's made such that it only takes 2 or 3 presses to type an alphabet. i'm talking about F.O.S.K. (fast on-screen keyboard). you can try out psp notepad to see how it works. if u follow the standard way of using a qwerty keyboard for your computer, you should find it easy to adapt to F.O.S.K.

[danzel]

yeah.. y not just use F.O.S.K like the one used in psp notepad. it's intuitive. no need for learning curve

if every program introduce their own way to typing... psp users will be so confused!... an existing method based on qwerty will work great for someone who is used to typing on a keyboard

FOSK is written in LUA, I need a keyboard written in C.
Also in the original thread discussing ideas for the new keyboard one of the options was to port one of the existing LUA keyboards, but more people liked this new OSK idea.
I will be keeping both p-sprint and this new keyboard design in AFKIM, the user will be able to decide which one to use.
If in the future someone ports FOSK to C I would add it in as an option too.

[Flamingwolf]

a good idea for an OSK would be to ask the devs of PortableVNC, that keyboard was my fav keyboard, up untill the newest one for AFKIM, but for people that want an OSK, i sugjest that would be the way to go.

[dregin]

FOSK is written in LUA, I need a keyboard written in C.
Also in the original thread discussing ideas for the new keyboard one of the options was to port one of the existing LUA keyboards, but more people liked this new OSK idea.
I will be keeping both p-sprint and this new keyboard design in AFKIM, the user will be able to decide which one to use.
If in the future someone ports FOSK to C I would add it in as an option too.

Hmmmm, yeah just tried to work out a "qwerty" layout and it wouldn't work out at all well I don't think.

Anyways. Great app. Keep up the good work.

Any chance of an ssh client in the future? I've been thinkin of taking a swing at it for my 4th year project (if the proposal will even be accepted :P).

[yehjiayue]

i really like the new keyboard. its awesome!

[Jeff Chen]

The point of this OSK is to shorten the time you put on locating the right key. Yes, you can tell where it is in no time on a QWERTY keyboard, but if you want to get to "q" from "+" you will have to travel the whole width of the keyboard. That is time consuming and tiring for massive typing.

Our OSK only requires you to change the direction of the analog stick and press a button according to that key. That is the fastest and easiest way I can see now.

[danzel]

Any chance of an ssh client in the future? I've been thinkin of taking a swing at it for my 4th year project (if the proposal will even be accepted :P).

I would love to implement a ssh client, but I'm too time limited to get anywhere on it currently.
If its accepted as your project then keep in touch, I'll definately be able to help :)

[Sturmeh]

Any release dates danzel? or a insider beta... ( Starts spamming IRC PM... )

:Jump:

[danzel]

The new keyboard will come in the next full release of afkim, I'm currently implementing some new things to make it more awesome.
I'll release the source for the keyboard then (or perhaps before then) so other developers can use it. Before that I need to seperate it out properly into a portable lib. Currently it uses SDL for drawing, but this will be something that can be easily replaced depending on how you are doing your rendering.
If you have experience with the GU functions of the pspsdk and want to port the graphics loading/drawing to use them (or any other rendering lib, I'll do OSLib :)) then please drop me a PM.

There will be no confusing the new afkim with the current one when you see it ;)
I might throw up some pics or release a public beta once I get the keyboard integrated.
Next version will come in maybe a week or two, depends what features I decide to integrate into the next version.

@Jeff Chen - Got an idea for a name for the OSK? What about JaD OSK? (Jeff and Danzel :icon_wink)

[Sturmeh]

Nooo! JaDaLfnar ( Jeff and Danzel and "LordSturm" for no apparant reason. )

Which can be shortened to JaDaL! O_o...

Ill find u a 1337 name that isnt spelt with numbers... :P