new keyboard in action

[+Andrew Davie]

Here's a short clip of the new keyboard/input system that I've been working on. It's close to complete.

In the video I'm entering a (bogus) password for my WiFi network.  If I enter the correct password, it connects, of course.

Numbers, letters, symbols are switchable keyboards. You select a row on the keyboard and then a letter in the row.

I did it this way because I could use the existing menu system.  It works for me and as you can see I could enter a password/text relatively quickly.

 

[Prizrak]

I think it's a better implementation of a keyboard than what we already use. Is it not possible for the Atari to have a keyboard where each key would be highlighted and selected/pressed? Guessing limitations with player/missle/ball type stuff. I don't know anything about 2600 programming but understand some of the limitations. We probably couldn't do as super advanced keyboard without something like CDFJ or the like huh.

[+Andrew Davie]

1 minute ago, Prizrak said:

I think it's a better implementation of a keyboard than what we already use. Is it not possible for the Atari to have a keyboard where each key would be highlighted and selected/pressed? Guessing limitations with player/missle/ball type stuff. I don't know anything about 2600 programming but understand some of the limitations. We probably couldn't do as super advanced keyboard without something like CDFJ or the like huh.

 

Yes it would be possible.

My first priority was to implement a keyboard that did not require rewrite of the '2600-side code.

This is one way of doing that.

Another way is to use the paging option of the existing menu system, and modify the line you're on, so it has something like...

 

A S D [F] G H J K L

The letter selected being shown.

It would still flash between each left/right movement, as the whole menu needs to be rebuilt.

But it's possible.

 

For now, I can at least connect to my other WiFi (with lowercase/symbols in the password), and this version removes that barrier that people have been running into.

 

[Prizrak]

True, see your point. Maybe we'll implement it like the PlusCart menu in time. We're already doing things with the cart that I didn't think were possible.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[+Al_Nafuur]

@Andrew Davie just tested the firmware you send me, the keyboard is a improvement to the existing keyboard. All options are always on one screen. You have to click twice (or three times) for a letter, but it's less scrolling around and searching. For people who don't know the ASCII table by heart and don't love scrolling around it will be a great relief.

 

I wouldn't call it the final version, but we should switch to this keyboard in the next release, because it includes lowercase and is clearer than the current keyboard.

 

 

[+Andrew Davie]

Code is now checked-in to dev

Time to give it a bit of a playtest/run!

 

[Omegamatrix]

@Andrew Davie Having just tried the existing menu on the PlusCart I like that you are improving the keyboard. If I am understanding it correctly you are doing a phased approach, and first priority is to get lowercase added for Wifi setup.

 

The highlight marking ytu are talking about would definitely work i.e.:

A B C [D] E F G

 

As an alternative, consider just using the playfield to highlight characters with a bar above and below:

 

In either case I'm looking forward to the new keyboard and sure it will speed up things.