Peter's "pro" tips for Pro1

[peter.s.fidelman 54]

Hi,

I'm making this thread to store some of the tricks I've found when using the Pro1.  I'll edit the first post with additions and corrections as they come up.

To force Portrait when keyboard is stored and Landscape when keyboard is deployed

In "Slider Settings" make sure that "Landscape Orientation Lock" is on.

Install "Lock Screen Rotation": <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.ale32thebest.lockscreenrotation> and select "Landscape Mode".

Contrary to what you may expect, this works!  Apps are now forcibly confined to portrait/landscape mode depending on keyboard state.  I have never seen an app that can escape this restriction, but note that apps that really wanted to be laid out the "other" way may not work well.

(If anyone finds a free/open-source alternative to this rotation app which works, please contact me.)

To use Shift to type punctuation such as !@#

Install FinQwerty, <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.onse.qwerty.finnish> and select the layout "FinQwerty F(x)Tec Pro1, U.S. for physical US QWERTY".  Obviously this exact advice is just for U.S. phones; if you have another model you will need to select a different layout.

Now you can use either Shift or YellowArrow for most punctuation.  You only need YellowArrow for the keys where Shift already does something else: on my phone these keys are /?~

Useful built-in key shortcuts

• Shift-Arrows :: select
• Ctrl-Arrows :: jump a word at a time
• Alt-Arrows :: jump to top/bottom of page or start/end of line
• YellowArrow-Arrows :: PgUp/PgDn/Home/End (if you have FinQwerty)
• Ctrl-Bksp :: delete previous word
• Alt-Del or Alt-Bksp :: delete line
• Double-tap the switcher button:: previous app (this takes effect if you disable the "home button" swipe gestures).

Suggested shortcuts for Key/Button Mapper

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.github.sds100.keymapper>

It is possible to define key combinations to trigger a shortcut.  So you can use the f(x)Tec "F" key as a sort of "modifier" key to get more shortcuts.  Here are the binds I've set up.

• F-L :: power button
• F-Tab :: app switcher (Arrows to select, F-Tab to switch to selected app, Del to kill selected app)
• F-Space :: volume menu
• F-Ctrl :: power menu
• F-Up/Dn :: brightness

[ahunter 108]

Rotation Control

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.crape.rotationcontrol 

I have been using the Rotation Control App for many years now on multiple tablets and QWERTY phones.  Allows for upsidedown portrait and landscape modes. Will force portrait only apps to landscape, sometimes hiding screen elements and buttons, some apps are just not meant to be landscape.

Has notification widgets that can quickly switch rotation back, works perfectly on the Pro1. I also have the "Landscape Orientation Lock" ON, even though I am sure Rotation Control would handle it solo.

 

[ahunter 108]

 

NON ROOT - "External Keyboard Helper"

Use "External Keyboard Helper" to adjust or disable key delays, I have not used any mapping functions but it definitely has got rid of my repeating key presses issue.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apedroid.hwkeyboardhelper&hl=en_AU

I have downloaded this app and changed only the following settings, no root required.

1. >Choose keyboard layout >SELECTED [No remapping] (F(x)tec keyboard seems to function correctly with Fn keys)

2. >Advanced Settings >Key repeating >Key repeat delay > SELECTED No key repeating

3. No key repeating thus far, will keep this status up to date. 2 days and no issues at all.

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-Android-based-Tablets-and/Tab-4-bluetooth-keyboard-repeating-letters/td-p/3939493

 

[EskeRahn 5,471]

Nice.

On the keyboard, I would extend the list a bit of other non-obvious things (in no particular order here)

• Alt+Tab and Alt+Sh+Tab : Task switching
• Logo-key : Home
• Alt+Sym : Reawakens keyboard-light like close&open (FinQwerty only)
• Ctrl-Space : Rotate between installed keyboard-layouts (e.g. US and a national one)
• Alt pressed and released : Launches Emoji (Does NOT work with SwiftKey installed 😖)
• Esc : Back (If FinQwerty installed ONLY Back if the app does not use the Esc key - e.g Termux does)
• Fn+Esc : Back (Even if app understands Esc, FinQwerty)
• Ctrl+Fn+{key} : Returns the same  as Shift+Fn+{key} as easier to press with one finger (FinQwerty only) e.g. for £ symbol with 3.

And there might easily be other I forgot....

To get key Capitalised first letter, word predictions et cetera, try SwiftKey, that works with physical keyboards without displaying a virtual keyboard.

[TheOnlyRick 17]

On 2/8/2020 at 9:06 AM, EskeRahn said:

To get key Capitalised first letter, word predictions et cetera, try SwiftKey, that works with physical keyboards without displaying a virtual keyboard.

Nice shortcuts.  With SwiftKey enabled, is there a way to use the launcher shortcuts (A-Z and 0-9)?

 

Thanks.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

Just now, TheOnlyRick said:

Nice shortcuts.  With SwiftKey enabled, is there a way to use the launcher shortcuts (A-Z and 0-9)?

 

Thanks.

Unfortunately it seems like swiftkey messes with that. I know no usable workaround, sorry.

[TheOnlyRick 17]

@EskeRahn     Unrelated topic, but do you know the app 'Ampere'?  Best app I know to help you avoid/choose a charger that does fast charge.  (Depending whether you want a hot/fast charge or a slow charge/cool 😎 battery.)

[EskeRahn 5,471]

13 minutes ago, TheOnlyRick said:

@EskeRahn     Unrelated topic, but do you know the app 'Ampere'?  Best app I know to help you avoid/choose a charger that does fast charge.  (Depending whether you want a hot/fast charge or a slow charge/cool 😎 battery.)

No, never seen it. I use 3C battery monitor (or rather the extension 3C Toolbox) to see what enters into the battery and a USB Volt+meter to check what the charger supplies. (and sometimes a 220V Watt-meter to see what the charger pulls)

[PC_ 61]

On 2/8/2020 at 6:36 AM, ahunter said:

Rotation Control

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.crape.rotationcontrol 

I have been using the Rotation Control App for many years now on multiple tablets and QWERTY phones.  Allows for upsidedown portrait and landscape modes. Will force portrait only apps to landscape, sometimes hiding screen elements and buttons, some apps are just not meant to be landscape.

Has notification widgets that can quickly switch rotation back, works perfectly on the Pro1. I also have the "Landscape Orientation Lock" ON, even though I am sure Rotation Control would handle it solo.

Great recommendation. Liking this a lot.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

On 2/8/2020 at 7:36 AM, ahunter said:

Rotation Control

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.crape.rotationcontrol 

I have been using the Rotation Control App for many years now on multiple tablets and QWERTY phones.  Allows for upsidedown portrait and landscape modes. Will force portrait only apps to landscape, sometimes hiding screen elements and buttons, some apps are just not meant to be landscape.

Has notification widgets that can quickly switch rotation back, works perfectly on the Pro1. I also have the "Landscape Orientation Lock" ON, even though I am sure Rotation Control would handle it solo.

I'm yet to find one that works....

Some (like this) can do fore reverse portrait, but none of the many I tried can do real autorotate only 3/4 autorotate excluding reverse portrait

[ahunter 108]

14 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

I'm yet to find one that works....

Some (like this) can do fore reverse portrait, but none of the many I tried can do real autorotate only 3/4 autorotate excluding reverse portrait

This one is working perfectly for me.

Rotation Control Settings

1. Activate Guard Mode.

2. Activate Auto Rotate.

 

Android Settings

3. Adjust Slider Settings. Activate both settings.

 

Behaviour

Keyboard slider controls screen orientation.

Rotation Control forces apps into landscape or portrait mode, depending on which way the keyboard slider has set the orientation.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

38 minutes ago, ahunter said:

This one is working perfectly for me.

Yes, but can you get it to do reverse portrait with autorotate?

That is interesting for people preferring holding the device in the right hand portrait, as this would get the buttons and fingerprint reader on the finger side...
(Either for one hand operation by right-handed people or two handed operation for left-handed people)

[ahunter 108]

57 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

Yes, but can you get it to do reverse portrait with autorotate?

That is interesting for people preferring holding the device in the right hand portrait, as this would get the buttons and fingerprint reader on the finger side...
(Either for one hand operation by right-handed people or two handed operation for left-handed people)

Download it and try. While slider, rotation lock is on it won't. but the screen will definitely do reverse portrait.

180 portrait or 180 landscape lock. 

Auto rotate does cart wheels.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

3 minutes ago, ahunter said:

Download it and try. While slider, rotation lock is on it won't. but the screen will definitely do reverse portrait.

180 portrait or 180 landscape lock. 

Auto rotate does cart wheels.

That was the point, I did and it does NOT work here.... See above

[ahunter 108]

Works perfectly on my tablets. Looks like the slider lock rotation is utilising the homescreen rotation feature in the below pic. Stock ROM  has that feature disabled, when you try search in settings. Either way for forcing apps portrait and landscape in the conventional keyboard open and closed it does the job.

[ahunter 108]

Asus TX201LA tablet, Lenovo Tab 3 and Morotola Photon Q all doing cart wheels. Is it Android 9 or is is a setting the slider is using the homescreen rotation setting?

[EskeRahn 5,471]

17 minutes ago, ahunter said:

Asus TX201LA tablet, Lenovo Tab 3 and Morotola Photon Q all doing cart wheels. Is it Android 9 or is is a setting the slider is using the homescreen rotation setting?

OH!  Sorry, I thought you got your Pro1 and had it running there...

If I explicitly select the Reverse-portrait, that works fine. And it also respects the slider setting forcing landscape.

But If I to get its auto-rotate to work, it does not.

It stays in reverse portrait when I select that first, and then autorotate, and rotates fine from reverse portrait, but will not go back to reverse portrait no matter what I try,..

I would want the tool to respect all four directions when rotating the device (and respect the slider setting for landscape when open)

(And I do not like the high permissions all tools needs to do it, but I guess that is an Android bug erhm feature that Google hates reverse portrait 🙃🙃🙃)

But for many the forced reverse-portrait would be usable, though a bit odd for calls.

[ahunter 108]

12 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

OH!  Sorry, I thought you got your Pro1 and had it running there...

If I explicitly select the Reverse-portrait, that works fine. And it also respects the slider setting forcing landscape.

But If I to get its auto-rotate to work, it does not.

It stays in reverse portrait when I select that first, and then autorotate, and rotates fine from reverse portrait, but will not go back to reverse portrait no matter what I try,..

I would want the tool to respect all four directions when rotating the device (and respect the slider setting for landscape when open)

(And I do not like the high permissions all tools needs to do it, but I guess that is an Android bug erhm feature that Google hates reverse portrait 🙃🙃🙃)

But for many the forced reverse-portrait would be usable, though a bit odd for calls.

Yes do have my pro 1 and it is running. Perfect for apps in conventional portrait and landscape. Just strange it works properly on all my other Android devices. I think that the slider rotate setting is a modified version of the above mention setting. hence not available when searching settings.

[ahunter 108]

ok utilising 'everywhere launcher' side menus. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appindustry.everywherelauncher you can set all the orientations you like and force them. Quick,  and easy way to get the function you are looking for. NO ROOT required.

I will experiment with Tasker with this function to see if it can be automated.

[ahunter 108]

[ahunter 108]

Ummm... actually no need for tasker.

1. Set rotation toggle for Auto/180. (one button allows for both portrait modes) 

2. Respects slider and automatically reverts to reverse portrait.

3. DAMN IT... now I have to set the fingers on my left hand to the finger print sensor.

Edited February 13, 2020 by ahunter

[Slion 1,201]

On 2/8/2020 at 10:06 AM, EskeRahn said:

Fn+Esc : Back

With FinQwerty 1.5.4 and Qwerty US international layout that actually goes to Launcher/Home screen, so same as the FxTec key for me.

Alt+arrows does back and previous which is consistent with what you often get on laptop's keyboards.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Slion

[EskeRahn 5,471]

3 hours ago, Slion said:

With FinQwerty 1.5.4 and Qwerty US international layout that actually goes to Launcher/Home screen, so same as the FxTec key for me.

Alt+arrows does back and previous which is consistent with what you often get on laptop's keyboards.

Indeed, that have been changed to home. But tried Alt+Arrows with a lot of layouts including the four us intl, and can NOT get that to doing Back?

I tag @Anssi Hannula here, to hear if this has accidentally been removed or moved to somewhere I can not guess,...

[Slion 1,201]

48 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

But tried Alt+Arrows with a lot of layouts including the four us intl, and can NOT get that to doing Back?

Interesting, I only tried it in Chrome and I assumed it worked system wide, it's possibly not the case then and just a Chrome feature.

Looking into FinQwerty mapping it only modifies DPAD using Fn. So that Alt behaviour is very likely Chrome specific ATM.

[3zet 100]

That's sad, I remember for Symbian was app called MagicKey which was allowing change key mapping for different applications, so there was no need to change layouts manually.