FingerKeyboard2 is now available HEREhttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=501122! This version is obsolete!
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FingerKeyboard - Black edition v1.4 - full landscape support
After being on a hunt for a perfect Touch HD keyboard, I stumbled upon a custom made keyboard posted few days ago, by a nice guy named Exidler. It was the spitting image of iPhone keyboard (graphic wise) and after a few minutes of trying it out, I knew I finally found what I was looking for. With a bit of help from the author I decided to reskin and edit his keyboard so it would fit better into "black Touch HD" style theme. So, here it is! I also fixed a few bugs, turned off the typing sound, added some missing characters (such as € etc.) and made some changes in the layout.
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What is it?
- it's an iPhone style keyboard with great key layout and some very cool features that will make your everyday typing a great experience.
Who made it?
- Exidler made the original keyboard, and I made a new skin and a few changes in the layout and behavior. I also have to mention Berkut_G who worked hard on landscape mode.
How to install it?
- Make a folder in your Program Files (recommend you use device memory):
/Program files/FingerKeyb/ and extract the attached FingerKeyboard - Black edition v1.3 - with landscape.zip into it.
You should end up with:
"/Program files/FingerKeyb/Skins"
"Program files/FingerKeyb/Fingerkeyb_register.exe"
"Program files/FingerKeyb/fingerkeyb.dll"
After that run Fingerkeyb_register.exe and select Fingerkeyb.dll file with full path. Press "Register" and you're done. Your new keyboard will now be available under "Other input methods".
If you installed v1.1 or v1.2 then you will first need to UNREGISTER the old keyboard! If you have v1.3 then you don't need to do the unregister/register process - just take the latest zip file, find Skin.txt and copy it into Skins folder. You have to overwrite the old one, and make sure you do this while the keyboard is inactive (as long as it's not up on the screen, it's inactive. You can simply switch to stock keyboard while doing these copy+paste procedures to avoid fatal errors).
To UNREGISTER the keyboard (v1.1 / v1.2) follow this procedure:
1. Copy Fingerkeyb_register.exe to the phone, run it and unregister keyboard.
2. Softreset (reboot) the phone.
3. Delete the whole Fingerkeyb folder.
4. Repeat installation procedure as described under "How to install?" in this post.
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Information about landscape mode:
- the keyboard now supports landscape mode
- the landscape mode is English / Romanian. If you want Russian, then go to post #33, download skin_rus.txt and save it to your Skins folder as "skin.txt"
- it has fully functional English landscape keyboard + alternate language layout
- it has fully functional English + Romanian vertical keyboard
- now has a fully functional numeric keyboard!
- there may be some bugs and possibly some special symbols missing
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PROS AND CONS:
good:
- now supports landscape mode with dual language layout and numeric keypad!
- very precise for finger use
- excellent layout
- highly customizable (check Skins.txt)
- predefined smiley buttons
- english and romanian supported (other languages will be available as skin.txt files once we have everything sorted out)
- looks great and fits the TF3D visual style perfectly
bad:
- some people report problems when using this keyboard on alternative ROM's or in combination with rotation app's
- does not support T9 (sorry guys, but I don't use it anyway)
- some special characters may not be included (most of the everyday stuff is in there, however, and you can add in your own symbols if you need them)
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PROGRESS:
v1.5 - To be continued- time to start working on different language versions! If you want to make your localized language work, please edit the Skin.txt file. Do not edit the english part, as I'd like to keep this as default in all future keyboard versions. To edit the currently implemented Romanian language, find "LayoutBegin rom" string and edit below that, until you reach "LayoutEnd". There's 2 parts to be edited, one for vertical mode, one for landscape. Good luck and post the results!
v1.4 - current live version - includes numeric and alternate language layout for landscape mode. Also features new vertical numeric keypad. Thanks Berkut_g!
v1.3 - updated landscape graphics and layout, fixed bugs in landscape mode, vertical mode now 100% finnished.
v1.2 - updated vertical layout, now supports limited landscape mode, new .dll and register files.
v1.1 - vertical support for 2 languages + numeric keypad, turned off sounds, new graphics, new layout
v1.0 - exidler's original version with iPhone graphics
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VGA beta version available in post #158 (this thread, page 16)
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If you want to check original keyboard, start here (post 13):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=477054&page=2. You can also find some different languages here, so play around with those Skin.txt files, but be advised that many are not finished and most don't have landscape support. Experiment at your own risk.
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Screenshots:
Keyboard layouts in different versions. Also attaching an example of what a pressed button looks like and latest landscape looks.
[ L A N G U A G E P A C K S ]
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MORE LANGUAGE PACKS CAN BE FOUND ON OTHER PAGES OF THIS THREAD. Since there's so many versions floating around, I'll leave it up to users to go through the thread and choose what they want to use.
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At the moment, the default keyboard in post #1 has English and Romanian support. It's up to you guys to create localized versions for other languages.
If you want to make a localized language version, please edit the Skin.txt file. Do not edit the english part, as I'd like to keep this as default in all future keyboard versions. To edit the currently implemented Romanian language, find "LayoutBegin rom" string and edit below that, until you reach "LayoutEnd". There's 2 parts to be edited, one for vertical mode, one for landscape.
Once you're finished, please test your keyboard with new skin.txt and if everything works, post the new skin.txt in this thread with with following name format:
XXXX_skin.txt
xxxx = French, German, Russian, Danish etc.
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How to install new language packs?
To install alternate language packs, download the appropriate xxxx_skin.txt file, rename it to "Skin.txt" and copy to your phone's /Program Files/Fingerkeyb/Skins folder, overwriting the old skin.txt. Make sure you do this while the Fingerkeyboard is inactive (as long as it's not up on the screen it's inactive, you can simply switch to stock keyboard while doing these copy+paste procedures to avoid fatal errors).
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I can't guarantee that these files are 100% tested and stable, because they're user made. If you encounter problems, revert back to official skin.txt from the first post, or play around with these skin.txt files.
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About GERMAN language pack: This pack contains some changed graphics (as far as I can understand, the colors are changed to black & green, instead of black & red). If you like the default colors, then only use Skin.txt file from that .zip.
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check again now it has landscape mode
LE : for link :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=3278519&postcount=41
Yeah, I just saw We posted practically at the same time! Waiting to hear from Exidler about the landscape mode, hopefully will have it up here later today for those that need it... I'll also look into making a few more skin versions.
I'd like to invite others to make their own skins and post them here, as well!
I can't find the library dll file ???
Fixed missing .dll file, download the new zip from post #1!
I am willing to give a try to this nice keyboard, but when I load "register.exe" from RESCO explorer I cannot point the file "Fingerkeyb.dll". I have also searched the HD for this file without results...
...where am I supposed to find Fingerkeyb.dll ?
thank you
I somehow managed to forgot the .dll in the first zip i posted It's fixed now, so just download the attached zip in first post and you'll find the .dll in there! Sorry Not really good with these thing
i'm working now on the landscape version of skin.txt
i'm not that good at photoshop so i'll leave that to others.
when i'll have a version of landscape layout working i'll post it .
Portrait mode is nice, not so sure about Landscape at the moment it needs stretching ala the HTC QWERTY keyboard
good work though guys
Landscape mode soon!
Like I said, landscape mode is not supported at the moment, but people are working on it, and I hope that today or tomorrow we'll have an updated version with landscape support!
works great!
thanks a lot!
is there a way to have the SMS editor pick up the contacts automatically when using this keyboard?
With the default keyboard it works, while with fingerkeyboard contacts are not coming up!
thank you
peppepep, I'm not sure, to be honest I was wondering that myself. But, of all alternate keyboards I tried so far, none of them have this option enabled.
Anyone have any ideas about solving this?
Altough I'm a slave of habbits, it's worth noting that the fastest way of sending SMS is to go to Contacts first, select a name and then press the "new SMS" icon. This way you have to press only 4-5 buttons, while going to SMS tab first, selecting new SMS and then typing a name into "To:" filend usually takes at least 10 clicks.
Few Suggestions
Hi,
Excellent keyboard for the HTC..man that old keyboard sucks...
just found two things which could be incorporated:
1. a missing '=' key...useful in excel...i know few more are missing but '=' is important of all
2. there is a caps lock ...but it allows u to type only one character in caps at a time...cant i have a lock so that i can enter multiple letters in caps...
i hope these buttons can be mapped...
thnx
sriramkrishnan06 said:
Hi,
Excellent keyboard for the HTC..man that old keyboard sucks...
just found two things which could be incorporated:
1. a missing '=' key...useful in excel...i know few more are missing but '=' is important of all
2. there is a caps lock ...but it allows u to type only one character in caps at a time...cant i have a lock so that i can enter multiple letters in caps...
i hope these buttons can be mapped...
thnx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree about the = key, dunno how I missed it in the first post. What about other missing characters?
Ideas on other predefined multicharacter keys are also welcomed (such as the .com on the main English keyboard). Just keep in mind that the key should not have more then 3 letters + dot, because it won't fit into graphics correctly.
Please post your suggestions so I can update all in one turn. There's plenty of room on the caps keyboard.
About Caps lock - also good point. I'm affraid that's out of my knowledge range, but I'm sure exilder will take a look at it.
for = key you can create that yourself
for caps , i don't know author must give his input on this one
Works great thanks.
Caps lock works. Tap and hold the shift key and release when the caps are displayed.
r
Andrew
Here the black version fot italian people!
1) Works with touchresponse
2) A lot of smiley
3) You can switch into the keyboards!
Rozenthal said:
I agree about the = key, dunno how I missed it in the first post. What about other missing characters?
Ideas on other predefined multicharacter keys are also welcomed (such as the .com on the main English keyboard). Just keep in mind that the key should not have more then 3 letters + dot, because it won't fit into graphics correctly.
Please post your suggestions so I can update all in one turn. There's plenty of room on the caps keyboard.
About Caps lock - also good point. I'm affraid that's out of my knowledge range, but I'm sure exilder will take a look at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanx for the quick response...the keys that can be incorporated:
1. =
2. < and >
3. { and }
4. [ and ]
5. (thats ':''D' without the ')
6. .net
7. www.
others can add more if they want
I agree I can as well add those to the keyboard...but since u are the moderator of this thread, I'd like everybody to have access to the same keyboard (I know Iam lazy)
some changes:
1. your numeric keyboard has space written on spacebar...just for consistency sake
2. Both A and J (caps) have '\' on top...instead we can leave J (caps) with '/' as is the case for 'j'
Hi,
How can i change QWERTY hardware keyboard to AZERTY (not layout in rom),k hardware changing ?
is there a way ? i need this to..
Hi,
After installing a dutch ROM, your machine only recognises "QWERTY".
It is easy to switch to "AZERTY" :
Physical keyboard (=hardware keyboard) : you need to install the cab-file.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5496980&postcount=938
Virtual Keyboard (= keyboard on touchscreen) :
When keyboard deployed, click the arrow next to the tiny keyboard onscreen. It will show you some options. From the dropdown menu, select the second from top item (which should be "Nederlands" in your case) and choose "Frans" instead. Unfortunately, by doing this, you will loose the auto-correction function for the Dutch language.
If somebody has a BETTER solution, I will be glad to read.
Have you tried the rhodium key controller. It is available here on xda. you can change any key to any function.
alvoryx said:
is there a way ? i need this to..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you install the cab file?
My girlfriend has a galaxy pro with azerty keyboard but after I flashed it the keyboard acts like a qwerty...will this cab file work fir me?
Since I flashed LPY (rooted), my Apple BT keyboard with a AZERTY layout is no longer recognized as such (with Samsung keyboard input selected, worked fine on GB), I get Qs instead of As...of course Azerty is selected in the keyboard menu, as well as French in Language.
Has anyone concerned found a way to fix this? Would it be worth flashing the latest UK roms?
Thanks
PS: had to use it so found an app on the market...
Are you rooted?
With Gingerbread (2.3.6) charmaps for external national keyboards were compressed into a binary format. With ICS, they are in the same place, but as plain editable text files. If you are rooted, you can access them in /system/usr/keychars/. By editing the Generic.kcm file you can map whatever characters you require. They are in standard Unicode format, and the key definition looks like this:
key A {
label: 'A'
base: 'a'
shift, capslock: 'A'
alt: '\u0105'
shift+alt: '\u0104'
ctrl, meta: none
}
So in your case, remapping "a" as "q" and the other way round should be a breeze.
Yes, I'm rooted, I will look into this (thanks sent)!
do anybody knows what keys to press on the physical keyboard to be able to change the input language?
i have Hebrew keyboard as well and i couldn't find any way to change the the language input on physical keyboard.
This is a limitation of the Android OS - you cannot change the language of the physical keyboard that easily - I never found a way to do it, but theoretically it would involve access to the software or a configfile for the text prediction so that it suypplies cues from the physical keyboard to another predictor for another language
Long-press individual keys for alternate letters, and there may be an app for converting the physical keyboard, but it will almost invariably require root. I would also try finding other nationalities who accomplished this and learn from them. -Ara
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
as the mapping using the virtual keyboard of AnySoftKeyboard supports physical keyboard mapping i mange to make it work only when i change the virtual keyboard to Hebrew first and then slide the keyboard out.
this is very inconvenience cos every time i want to change the language i need to close the keyboard and switch to virtual one, change the language and star over.
maybe there is a way to add input option via the power button? like using jkay deluxe or something?
I can tell, how this problem is solved in case of russian layout, but not sure, if it works for hebrew.
Root, then use an app, called Keyboard swither from market.
After that, I installed the special verison of Russian keyboard, that had a layout, compatible with glide.
This version can be downloaded from here
the problem with keyboard switcher is that he just put an icon on desktop.
if i'm using sms app i need to close it to use the switcher, so its not the solution i need.
thanks for the help tough, we need to find a way to make a shortcut via combination of keys
to achieve this, maybe a script for int.d that can apply shortcut function on physical keyboard.
taiber2000 said:
the problem with keyboard switcher is that he just put an icon on desktop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops, sorry, i've named the wrong app, its called Keyboard manager (com.ne0fhykLabs.android.utility.kmLauncher).
How it works: it sets 3 types of keyboard for every device status - landscape, portrait, and the slide out one.
So, if you set the apropriate keyboard with a right layout and ability to swith languages via alt+space (like russian keyboard), you can use your HW keyboard with right char set (the software keyboard itself is hidden in this state).
braintweaker said:
Oops, sorry, i've named the wrong app, its called Keyboard manager (com.ne0fhykLabs.android.utility.kmLauncher).
How it works: it sets 3 types of keyboard for every device status - landscape, portrait, and the slide out one.
So, if you set the apropriate keyboard with a right layout and ability to swith languages via alt+space (like russian keyboard), you can use your HW keyboard with right char set (the software keyboard itself is hidden in this state).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks man, that work great keyboard manger and the anysoftkeyboard combination is the fix i needed. i think it work as well when i'll upgrade to ics later on
taiber2000 said:
i think it work as well when i'll upgrade to ics later on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, it does. I use it at ICS rom with no problems.
anysoftkeyboard doesnt work for arabic
Thank you for sharing this, this method is great! it works for me with bulgarian keyboard but it doesn't with arabic.
Is there anyway I can use the physical keyboard to type in arabic?
are you on ICS or JB? cos if you are with stcok GB you wont have the arabic fonts.
taiber2000 said:
are you on ICS or JB? cos if you are with stcok GB you wont have the arabic fonts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on ICS, I tried go keyboard with the same method it worked but its showing lots of non Arabic letters, probably Farsi or Urdu I guess, I'm still looking for another keyboard with physical support, I just looked at the language packs of AnySoftKeyboard, they say that they support physical keyboard mapping for Hebrew and Russian and probably other languages but not Arabic
If you know any other keyboards with multi-language physical support please share.
you should try it with anysoftkeyboard anyhow maybe it will work.
unfourtantly i don't know about other keybaord that support mapping of physical keybaord escpasly our right to left languages.