Android HTC Flyer - Capturing stylus with MotionEvents

Question

I'm developing an app which is designed to capture writing on the canvas. The app is designed for use with HTC Flyer (Android 2.3.3).

This device already has Scribbler installed, so I have disabled "Auto launch Scribbler mode" but left "Pen history for each app" checked.

In my tests, I have found the app can detect my fingers on the touchscreen but not the stylus. I pressed a combination of buttons on stylus to no avail.

I have based the code on TouchPaint from Android Developers: http://developer.android.com/resources/samples/ApiDemos/src/com/example/android/apis/graphics/TouchPaint.html

I did not import the package as described in the above code

com.example.android.apis.graphics;

In my Eclipse IDE, it reported the following as a problem suggesting I should remove the Override attribute.

@Override
public boolean onHoverEvent(MotionEvent event) {
    return onTouchOrHoverEvent(event, false /*isTouch*/);
}

So I did.

I have added the following to the manifest.

<uses-configuration android:reqTouchScreen="stylus"/>
<uses-configuration android:reqTouchScreen="finger"/>

The app can detect my finger movements on the touchscreen but never my stylus. Why?

I also noted that in Android Developers guide the MotionEvents refers to getToolType but I cannot see it in my "Intellisense" in Eclipse.

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/MotionEvent.html#getToolType%28int%29

The method getToolType is not available in my Android code. I thought I could use this method to check the type of the touch input e.g a finger or a stylus.

I also added a onTouchListener for the PaintView (based on TouchPaint code).

this.setOnTouchListener(new View.OnTouchListener() {

    @Override
    public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {
        return touchSurface(v, event);
    }
});

touchSurface code

private boolean touchSurface(View v, MotionEvent event) {
            boolean complete = true;
            int pAction = event.getAction();
            int pActionIndex = event.getActionIndex();

            Log.i("SignName", "touchSurface event fired.");
            Log.i("SignName", "Pointer Action: " + pAction + ", pActionIndex: " + pActionIndex);

            return complete;
        }

When I use my finger, the above event is fired. When I use a stylus, it's not fired. Why?

I wonder if this problem is isolated to the HTC Flyer, it's because it has a Scribbler app which overrides my app settings or my code is wrong.

Can you please help me?

(Update: 27th April 2012) I found what the problem was. It was the dedicated stylus HTC Flyer that caused the confusion.

I thought if this stylus didn't work, then any other stylus won't work too. However, I did try a different stylus and it worked.

Thanks for your help, though.

Build and examine some of the HTC examples which use the pen. — Chris Stratton, Apr 27 '12 at 03:35

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 27 '12 at 01:07

1

first off, you should update your Flyer to Honeycomb (Android 3.2), also this example is specific to ICS (Android 4), but you can run this example by using a compatibility library and making some minor changes to code, more information will be available at http://htcdev.com

answered Apr 27 '12 at 01:07

dljava

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14

Thanks for your help. I found what the problem was. It was the dedicated Stylus that came with the Flyer. – jova85 Apr 27 '12 at 10:33

Android HTC Flyer - Capturing stylus with MotionEvents

1 Answers1