PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Support questions for Neutron Player only.
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halcyon1234
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Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:59 pm

PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by halcyon1234 » Fri Dec 28, 2012 6:38 pm

Is there a way to enable keyboard shortcuts for the Playbook version?

Use case:
I have a portable BT keyboard. I want to hook the PB up to car sound system, and mount the BT KB on the steering wheel. Then I can use-without-looking arrow keys for next/back, space to pause/restart, etc. Since the PB is touchscreen only, trying to control it by touch without looking is impossible.

dmitrykos
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Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by dmitrykos » Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:14 pm

With current PlayBook API it is actually possible to implement support for media buttons located on keyboard which would control Neutron playback:
- play/stop
- prev/next
- volume up/down
- fast forward/backward

Do you have such mediabuttons available on your keyboard? Or just some generic keys only?

halcyon1234
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:59 pm

Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by halcyon1234 » Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:19 pm

(sorry about the delay, but Happy New Year)

Generic keys only (customizable if possible). Odd, though, the keyboard SEEMS to have media keys via FN+F6 (etc), but they don't do anything. I press the play/pause key on the main screen with a song loaded, but it doesn't start playing. (Can't discount that the keyboard is sending the wrong media key, though-- have no way of checking).

halcyon1234
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:59 pm

Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by halcyon1234 » Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:23 am

halcyon1234 wrote:(sorry about the delay, but Happy New Year)

Generic keys only (customizable if possible). Odd, though, the keyboard SEEMS to have media keys via FN+F6 (etc), but they don't do anything. I press the play/pause key on the main screen with a song loaded, but it doesn't start playing. (Can't discount that the keyboard is sending the wrong media key, though-- have no way of checking).
BTW: Just re-read your message, saw that you said "possible to support", not "NMP currently supports". Sorry 'bout the mis-read. But yeah, if NMP could support both media buttons AND customizable regular keys... woo hoo!

dmitrykos
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Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by dmitrykos » Thu Jan 10, 2013 8:41 am

In BB10 OS current version of Neutron already supports media keys of BT keyboard (tested) because these keys are mapped to new media keys API. But in PlayBook OS media keys/buttons API is absent but it is possible to listen to keyboard keys events. Let's see if Neutron starts reacting to media keys on BT keyboard after next update, the corresponding code was implemented.

halcyon1234
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:59 pm

Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by halcyon1234 » Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:52 pm

dmitrykos wrote:In BB10 OS current version of Neutron already supports media keys of BT keyboard (tested) because these keys are mapped to new media keys API. But in PlayBook OS media keys/buttons API is absent but it is possible to listen to keyboard keys events. Let's see if Neutron starts reacting to media keys on BT keyboard after next update, the corresponding code was implemented.
Cool! I'll keep an eye out for the update. Thanks!

halcyon1234
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:59 pm

Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by halcyon1234 » Mon Feb 04, 2013 12:44 am

Updated last night 1.68. It doesn't seem to do anything with the keyboard. Was this the update, or is it still in the development queue?

dmitrykos
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Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by dmitrykos » Mon Feb 04, 2013 9:53 am

While adding response to keyboard I found out that PlayBook native developement kit (NDK) for 2.1 (latest) does not have declaration for media keys of keyboard. Those declarations are only present in BB10 NDK. Thus, I assume there is no way to support media keys in PlayBook OS 2.1 and the only way out is to wait until BB makes release of BB10 OS to PlayBook.

halcyon1234
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:59 pm

Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by halcyon1234 » Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:02 am

Ah, thanks for trying. Here's hoping for the best with BB10. I hope the new kit supports it. The lack of a non-touchscreen mp3 interface is literally the only thing keeping me from retiring my Palm Pilot. =)

Hope you can get this working. For me, it'd elevate Neutron from the best portable MP3 app to the bestest one. =)

dmitrykos
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Posts: 1914
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Re: PB Keyboard Shortcuts

Post by dmitrykos » Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:12 am

In BB10 hardware buttons are already working with Neutron, so once PB gets update to BB10 (it will) hardware buttons (on device) will start functioning. Also I tested Bluetooth keyboard and its all media buttons worked too with BB10 device and Neutron.

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