Develop Bugs

Remapping soft keys

So I'm looking at remaping the soft keys (specifically the search) on the front of the phone. There appears to only be one "SEARCH" in the /system/usr/keylayout/vision-keypad.kl - key 217 (see code below) - that if changed has the following 2 effects:
1. Alters the functions of both the soft key on the front of the phone and the search key on the hardware keyboard. When I remap one, they both change to match your modification.
2. When changed, long press functionality of the soft key is lost. It will only accept a short press.
"SEARCH" can be successfully changed to "MENU", "BACK", and "CALL" (possibly others I have not tried) then pushed to the phone in recovery and function perfectly. However, when I map it to be the "POWER", the soft key does nothing on press, while the hardware search key on the slide-out works fine.
Has anyone found a way around this?
We remap the track pad to wake because we dont like using the top mounted power button, but it only does a half-ass job because when you want to shut the screen back off, you still have to reach for the power button. I think the track pad wake mod needs its own 'bacon bits'
Code:
# column 0
key 185 USER3 WAKE_DROPPED
key 100 ALT_RIGHT WAKE_DROPPED
key 217 SEARCH WAKE_DROPPED
key 28 ENTER WAKE_DROPPED
key 38 L WAKE_DROPPED
key 14 DEL WAKE_DROPPED
key 54 SHIFT_RIGHT WAKE_DROPPED

I think you're out of luck with regard to an easy fix. I just did a quick experiment with evtest and it looks like the softkeys on the screen are just areas of the touchscreen that the window manager treats specially and generates synthetic key events in response to touches on, instead of being actual mappable keys.

teferi said:
I think you're out of luck with regard to an easy fix. I just did a quick experiment with evtest and it looks like the softkeys on the screen are just areas of the touchscreen that the window manager treats specially and generates synthetic key events in response to touches on, instead of being actual mappable keys.
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Well the are mappable. I managed to make it be the menu button and the back button just fine. It just doesnt want to be the power button..

The same key can be used as a single quick press or a long press. It is considered two different keys though. So you would have to figure out what the long press equivalent of the search button would be and change that one.

The way this thread can stay in developmental, is show steps on how you are remapping the keys.
For others to gain knowledge or this thread is moving to Q&A

Mikey1022 said:
The way this thread can stay in developmental, is show steps on how you are remapping the keys.
For others to gain knowledge or this thread is moving to Q&A
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Click to collapse
Maybe I'm off here, but if I was making this post to show the steps, would that not fall under a "How To" or "Guide"? My goal here is development. Development –noun 1. the act or process of developing; growth; progress. Or in my case, I'm in the act/process of developing a remapped key file to make the search soft key into a power key, and to then share with the rest of the forum. My progress so far is that I've managed to map it to a menu key and a back key with no problems, and am reaching out to others for help as to why it is that when I change it to the power key, it doesn't accept my changes.
Its kinda a gray zone, in that if I were to successfully remap it to the power button and post the file here, it would, technically speaking, be less of a development thread than it is now - because it would be finished developing and instead, merely contain a file with instructions.
However, as requested, and for those who are interested:
The file you are looking for, is as mentioned in the OP, "vision-keypad.kl" and is located in /system/usr/keylayout. You can edit it with a text editor like Notepad++. The line that I am looking at, also refer to OP, is key 217.
I'm thinking now, after messing with it some more, that maybe because it is a soft key it cant be mapped to power, being that as soon as the screen shuts off it no longer functions... But then again there exists widgets that, upon press, turn off the screen and they function fine, so I see no reason this shouldn't. I'll keep you posted on what I find, and would appreciate any help in the mean time.

i'd love to be able to map a longpress menu and a longpress back action. Cyanogen 6.1 allows longpress back to be turned into force kill foreground process. So there is a way to capture longpress on those 4 keys, the question is, what does the system read that keypress as and how can it be mapped.

sundar2012 said:
i'd love to be able to map a longpress menu and a longpress back action. Cyanogen 6.1 allows longpress back to be turned into force kill foreground process. So there is a way to capture longpress on those 4 keys, the question is, what does the system read that keypress as and how can it be mapped.
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So it is doable! There are some .bin files in the /system/usr/keychar folder that correspond to the .kl files in the ../keylayout folder, but i havent been able to read them. Maybe thats it.. Gonna figure that out when I land tomorrow and get my computer set up

I changed the Search function key to Camera and it only works on a long press and I get no result on a short press. So maybe the function you are trying to rename the Search key to has to be specific to either way i.e. short or long press but not both.
So it will either work as a long press key for some functions or a short press key for others.

Read the window manager source (from AOSP or CM), determine what scancodes it synthesizes in response to touches or long-touches on the softkeys, edit keylayout accordingly.

Doesn't ButtonRemapper from Android App Dev section work on G2? :S

hey guys, i dont know if you all figured this out or not, I just got the g2, and to remap the key to power button you have to change it to "ENDCALL" not "POWER", after, reboot and voila! your search button now acts like a power button!!!!! Hope this helps!!!!!

Need to Map Back button to one of the soft key
Rceently I bought HTC Desire Z (no warranty), and I am facing the problem with 4 bottom buttons of the touch screen (menu, back, home and search). So I am planning to do hardware map for one of the softkeys to BACK button.
Could you please provide me step-by-step installation of all the softwares and the procedure I need to do for updating "vision-keypad.kl" file. Appreciate your help.
My one more doubt is that what is the difference between "WAKE_DROPPED" & "WAKE". I have seen these keywords in ".kl" file in GITHUB.
Please give me reply ASAP. I am frustrated with the way the mobile is working. Just imagine how it will be if back button stop working and you are in the middle of some application. I restarted my mobile some dozens of times.

Possible to add a full size menu button to ICS?

Is it possible to add a full size menu button much like the search button was added. I tried ICS on an older phone and the menu button seemed to work in even the native apps. I hate the look of the dot one that comes up in stock ics and with the mod to make it appear all the time. Ideal for me would be to make the button layout identical to my droid incredible. So home, menu, back, and search. Hold home down for the app switch. Hold menu for keyboard. Hold search for voice search. This has to be possible somehow since its all software keys now.

[Q] switch back and menu buttons

Hi there guys, I'd like to know if there's any way to switch the back and menu buttons on the arc??
and I don't mean physically but logically, as in making the back button work as if it were the menu...
Thanks

Just curious, but why?

phoenix_rizzen said:
Just curious, but why?
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It's not really for me, a friend of mine has one and doesn't like the button sequence... She's used to the way that it was on her Xperia X10...

rmourar said:
It's not really for me, a friend of mine has one and doesn't like the button sequence... She's used to the way that it was on her Xperia X10...
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Click to collapse
That's fair enough. Was just curious, as out of all the button layouts I've seen on phones, the "Back, Home, Menu" layout is the only one that makes sense (to me).
"Back" buttons in apps always point to the left, and are near the left side of the screen, so it makes sense to put the "Back" button on the left.
The "Menu" button acts like the right-mouse button in desktop OSes, bringing up context menus, so it makes sense to put the "Menu" button on the right.
Which just leaves the middle for the "Home" button.
Maybe if you explain it like that to her, it'll "click" and she won't need them moved.

i had same issue, when i switched from x10 to arc s, but probably after 2 weeks i got used to it, and now if i take any x10 in my hands that looks weird to me

phoenix_rizzen said:
That's fair enough. Was just curious, as out of all the button layouts I've seen on phones, the "Back, Home, Menu" layout is the only one that makes sense (to me).
"Back" buttons in apps always point to the left, and are near the left side of the screen, so it makes sense to put the "Back" button on the left.
The "Menu" button acts like the right-mouse button in desktop OSes, bringing up context menus, so it makes sense to put the "Menu" button on the right.
Which just leaves the middle for the "Home" button.
Maybe if you explain it like that to her, it'll "click" and she won't need them moved.
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Click to collapse
So, you have NO solution, just an annoying opinion, and in fact, you're telling her she's stupid. MMMMMkay. I'm sure you didn't intend to be like that, but that's how you come across. Tragic.

[Q] possible to remap hard keys?

Hi,
I use the menu key a whole lot more than multi task. How hard would it be to remap the multi task key to act like a menu key? Is it even possible?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

If the apps is according to the new ICS look, Holo I think the theme is called, then the menu button is on the top right of the screen.
Seems to me it would be a hassle to press a button on the bottom right and then move youre finger to the top right to actually use the menu.
On apps not yet fitted for ICS I can understand what u mean, however this problem should hopefully be almost gone within not too long.

Would love to remap the useless.most recent programs button to act as a google search button, much like a long press on menu on my s2 does...

There are several threads about this. Here is one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1480130
I just got my One X, so haven't tried anything myself.
But being able switch songs with the volume buttons while locked is what I'm looking for.
A must when you're outside in heavy rain or snow.

soft keys layout change

does any one know how to change the key layout of the android sofy keys, i mean in a normal android or a nexus product, the soft keys goes in the order as ( First is the back button, then middle is home and last in the right is recent tasks button).
but in samsung s3 and note 2, when soft keys are enabled. The soft key layout is reversed. I mean the back button soft key which is supposed to be in the left is in the right , and the recent tasks button which is supposed to be in the right is in the left. Any one knows how to change the soft key layout?
anything to do with tht build.prop or the sys/usr/keylayout file?

slavehunter105 said:
does any one know how to change the key layout of the android sofy keys, i mean in a normal android or a nexus product, the soft keys goes in the order as ( First is the back button, then middle is home and last in the right is recent tasks button).
but in samsung s3 and note 2, when soft keys are enabled. The soft key layout is reversed. I mean the back button soft key which is supposed to be in the left is in the right , and the recent tasks button which is supposed to be in the right is in the left. Any one knows how to change the soft key layout?
anything to do with tht build.prop or the sys/usr/keylayout file?
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I feel you mate.
Yes you are right go to sytem/usr/keylayout/generic.kl and swap 139 with 158 and reboot.
You need to use something like solid explorer that gives you root acces.
Have fun, W

wmfreak said:
I feel you mate.
Yes you are right go to sytem/usr/keylayout/generic.kl and swap 139 with 158 and reboot.
You need to use something like solid explorer that gives you root acces.
Have fun, W
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Click to collapse
I believe the 139 is for the menu button right? and 158 for back button ? but thr is no menu button on the soft keys right? its just a home button, back and recent tasks button. whats the number for the recent tasks button.

ill give it a try....thanks a ton man..

How do you enable them? I am on cm nightlies latest
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