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USB icon/text indicator

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Offline msl

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USB icon/text indicator
« on: 01 / September / 2013, 11:41:30 »
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A small improvement for the USB icon/text indicator.

Users often ask, why do I get no connection to the pc via USB. Almost always the reason is the activated remote control function. The patched function shows now a different icon/text for the activated/nonactivated remote control. I think, this is a little bit more intuitively.

Displaying text information:
USB:rc => remote control on
USB:com => remote control off

The icon has a text overlay (RC) when the remote control function is activated. Still I have no better idea for that.

msl
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #1 on: 01 / September / 2013, 12:00:42 »
This is a good idea.   I tried the patch though and I think it will need a little work.

If you are using colored icons rather than text, you get the colored icon when the remote is not enabled,  and the colored icon with the letters RC in red superimposed on top of it when the remote is enabled.

However,  the real issue here is that the USB remote icon is not enabled by default.  So a newbie with the remote accidentally enabled is not going to get the hint from the icon anyway.
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Offline msl

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #2 on: 18 / January / 2014, 15:51:37 »
Update:

The same patch for the newest trunk version. I have changed the default configuration for the USB info. Default is now 1 instead 0. That means the icon is displayed.

msl
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Offline reyalp

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #3 on: 19 / January / 2014, 18:35:54 »
Thanks for bringing this up again. A couple comments.

- Anyone with an existing config will use the old setting, so changing the default only affects new users.
- I think warning people when the remote is active is a very good idea, but most of the time when you are actually shooting, it would just be taking up screen space. Something like the bracket and overrides displays that only appears when remote is enabled might be more friendly. I'm not sure how to include this in the existing options though.
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #4 on: 19 / January / 2014, 19:10:30 »
Quote from: reyalp on 19 / January / 2014, 18:35:54
I think warning people when the remote is active is a very good idea, but most of the time when you are actually shooting, it would just be taking up screen space. Something like the bracket and overrides displays that only appears when remote is enabled might be more friendly. I'm not sure how to include this in the existing options though.
Unfortunately,  its kind of a tri-state thing.   You'd like to know if  the remote is enable or not, but if the icon is missing you don't  know if that's because the remote is disabled or the OSD setting is off.

Somehow, different colored icons might be better?  An unobstrusive thin grey rectangle with transparent center when the remote is disabled and the current colored icon when its enabled?  The text mode might do something similiar - right now the patch says USB:com or  USB:rc - which is not really intuitive anyway.
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Offline reyalp

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #5 on: 19 / January / 2014, 19:34:26 »
Quote from: waterwingz on 19 / January / 2014, 19:10:30
Unfortunately,  its kind of a tri-state thing.   You'd like to know if  the remote is enable or not, but if the icon is missing you don't  know if that's because the remote is disabled or the OSD setting is off.
What I'm thinking of is something like the "state displays" option. This is on by default and shows you if you are using an override, or displays nothing if you aren't.

If you go out of your way to turn it off, then it's up to you to keep track.

I'd be tempted to change the USB info to just work like that, probably using a new conf option to ensure everyone gets the new default. Alternately, you could add a second option to the the usb info setting ('always/remote enabled") but that seems like overkill.
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Offline msl

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #6 on: 20 / January / 2014, 04:23:37 »
Quote from: waterwingz on 19 / January / 2014, 19:10:30
An unobstrusive thin grey rectangle with transparent center when the remote is disabled and the current colored icon when its enabled?  The text mode might do something similiar - right now the patch says USB:com or  USB:rc - which is not really intuitive anyway.

I don't know if a gray rectangle is meaningful.  The proposed text display is for me very intuitive. I see immediately which status the USB port has.

msl
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #7 on: 20 / January / 2014, 09:18:47 »
Quote from: msl on 20 / January / 2014, 04:23:37
I don't know if a gray rectangle is meaningful. 
The idea is to have something unobtrusive when the USB remote is not enabled.  Rather than have nothing there (as it currently works),  I think that the grey box tells you it's "off" while not being too distracting.  If you don't know what the grey box means then you probably also don't know about the USB remote and so won't care?

This may come down to personal taste and preference.  Its not important enough for me to argue about - just brainstorming ideas here. :)

Quote
The proposed text display is for me very intuitive. I see immediately which status the USB port has.
It took me a few seconds to figure out that USB:rc means "remote connected" and USB:comm means "USB available for ptp communications".  REMOTE:ON & REMOTE:OFF might be better?   Especially if the patch I'm working on to allow the battery temperature sensor input to be the remote trigger gets accepted.
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Offline srsa_4c

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #8 on: 20 / January / 2014, 16:18:56 »
Next idea  :haha

How about including an information line (localized) below the CHDK startup splash, or making a warning show up for a few moments after startup or upon entering ALT mode the 1st time?
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: USB icon/text indicator
« Reply #9 on: 20 / January / 2014, 16:45:31 »
Quote from: srsa_4c on 20 / January / 2014, 16:18:56
How about including an information line (localized) below the CHDK startup splash, or making a warning show up for a few moments after startup or upon entering ALT mode the 1st time?
Or even better - add a warning to the somewhat annoying popup <ALT> Help Screen if then USB remote is enabled.
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