TouchLauncher

[ahsirg]

Hello!
I decided to create a post about my new launcher here. Maybe someone will find it useful.

TouchLauncher is a new launcher for Palm OS 5. It sports a beautiful user interface and combines basic launcher features with new ideas. TouchLauncher can be used to run applications on your device with your fingers, as well as perform other basic tasks with them.


Features:

- Scroll with your finger. Change pages of applications in TL with your fingers! Tap an empty space on a page and drag it left or right to switch to the next page!
- Support for iconsets. Iconsets can be created on the desktop and then used in TouchLauncher (a basic iFone iconset is supplied)
- Rearrange applications! Yes, you can use the Drag-and-Drop function to take an application icon and put it wherever you like it. It will stay there!
- Categorize applications! Press Home or Space on your Treo to quickly change the current category. Or Menu-Y to edit application categories.
- Rename applications! Give each application a unique name! (For example, rename "World Clock" to "Clock")
- Basic functions (Beam/Send/Delete/Information). Just take an icon with your finger and drag it to the appropriate icon in the bottom bar!
- Add WebLinks and Contact Links (TouchBook required). Add a web link to TL and quickly access your favorite webpage using Blazer. Add a contact link and quickly open your friend's business card in TouchBook!
And more cool stuff!

Here are some screenshots:
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/mambo/tl/tl1.jpg
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/mambo/tl/tl2.jpg
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/mambo/tl/tl3.jpg
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/mambo/tl/tl6.jpg
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/mambo/tl/tl9.jpg

To get more information, read the FAQ, try the demo you can visit
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/mambo/content/view/28/30/

Kindest Regards,
Ryhor Burakou

[vovka1965]

I am really interested, but is there any way you could make this a full screen, 320x480?

[ahsirg]

Sorry, but 320x480 is not planned in the near future.

[JavaJiveJump]

That's a big downside to your Launcher. Basically, this Launcher is for Palm cell phones then.

My DIA is hidden 90% of the time. I wouldn't want to always see it on my 480 display.

I am looking for a launcher since I gave up on YiShow. For now I just use the built-in Applications... at least it supports 320x480, even if that is all it does... I would stick with that than be confined to 320x320.

Good job though for the cell phone Palms!! :)

[ahsirg]

Yes, maybe I made a mistake not doing 320x480 in the first place. Hope at least the Treo users will be happy

[_Em]

I told you ahsirg ;)

Well, I'm still using my custom version of iPi; I like the features you've added to TouchLauncher, but just like everyone else, without the 480 display, it's significantly hobbled for me compared to other launchers (like iPi).

[scottl]

Just wait, maybe someday Palm will make Treo screens even smaller so Treo users can feel the pain us "big screeners" do :)

[vovka1965]

I told you ahsirg ;)

Well, I'm still using my custom version of iPi; I like the features you've added to TouchLauncher, but just like everyone else, without the 480 display, it's significantly hobbled for me compared to other launchers (like iPi).
yes, I am using IPI too, but it is somewhat limited. I would love to see tabs, like in Touch Launcher...
Hey, maybe you can revive the IPI project in parallel???

[ahsirg]

Hey, maybe you can revive the IPI project in parallel???
No. that is not possible.
Anyways. I thought yesterday that I'd try my best to create a 320x480 TL version. But it could be quite long so dont expect it tomorrow :)

[johnnaryry]

Sorry, but 320x480 is not planned in the near future.

That's a deal breaker for me then! I currently use LauncherX, which makes excellent use of my TX's screen real-estate...

:cool: --ryan

[cyberdude]

I am also an inveterate LX user, but TL really looks nice! If you do end up going to 320x480, I would seriously consider it!

[ahsirg]

I decided to sleep less and do a hires+ version. Maybe someone could betatest it, please contact me on ICQ/MSN/GOogleTalk and I will be sending you my creations. I am online from ~8AM to 8PM (GMT+2)

[scottl]

My TX is a mess from testing too many programs at once! But I can't wait to see this released - or at least catch a later public beta. Best of luck, the launcher looks pretty sharp in your snapshots above.

[Adam Helberg]

I tried it on my iQue 3600 and get the Error message: Error 33: Unsupported bitmap format.

Back to the built-in launcher with Hi-Launcher.

Adam

[_Em]

Grisha's still working on it, although unsupported bitmap is a bit of an odd error. There should be a new version coming out soon.

[JavaJiveJump]

I decided to sleep less and do a hires+ version. Maybe someone could betatest it, please contact me on ICQ/MSN/GOogleTalk and I will be sending you my creations. I am online from ~8AM to 8PM (GMT+2)
woot!!

I hope you got my IM/E-mail.

Thank you for your personal sacrifice!

[ahsirg]

Hello! Thanks to everyone for the willingness to help, but probably no more testing would be needed. I will release a hires version in a couple of days or tomorrow
here is a screenshot
http://users.cosmostv.by/burakou/tlnew.jpg

[espc31]

Looks great can't wait to try it. And thanks for the generic message at the top much better than the "...not connected"
Word to all this developer does listen to customers! :D

[JavaJiveJump]

Cool! Will be keeping an eye out! :)

[ahsirg]

Ok here goes:
TouchLauncher v.1.1.1
-hires+ 320x480 support (Palm TX, LifeDrive, T5, T3)
-wallpaper support!
-bugfixes
-unread sms count
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/tl

[icefireicefire]

Is it supported on zodiac/landscape? Please?

Zodiac simulator: http://addictedtozodiac.com/downloads/SDK.zip

BTW, I just noticed a lot of people w/ palms are in Minsk, Belarus....such as you, PrayeR from Bike or Die, and a lot more...weird :).

[vovka1965]

Ahsirg,
The new TL looks really cool. However, is there a way to skin the very top row the one that has the category name, then time and battery icon? That looks kind of ugly compared to the rest of it. Palm native small-numbers font looks pretty awful..

[pruss]

If you use my free (BSD) PalmResize library (palmresize.sf.net), it should be easy to get it to work on the whole range of present and future hi-res+ devices (Sony, Palm, Tapwave, etc.) Sorry, can't resist a chance to plug PalmResize (which is heavily tested and versions of it are used in PalmBible+, Plucker, Filez and other apps).

[Bla8]

Wow! :D Well done, even the bottom bar fades a bit. Great job (will hopefully have my iTunes skin completed today so you can give it a try).

[espc31]

This update rocks! Great job.

[espc31]

Bla8,
you have an iphone type skin for pockettunes?

[Bla8]

Its an iTunes skin which is capable of displaying 3 Album Covers. Its undergoing heavy bug fixing cause there are so many of them. I have attached a Screenshot though of what it can do with an extended screen :) .

[ahsirg]

Hello! Thanks for replies.
1. icefireicefire, downloading the SDK now. If it's not hard and will not require a lot of converting, I will do a Zod version. And Palms rule Minsk :) lol kidding, there are even more PPCs and now ppl are getting iPhones and iTouches
2. vovka1965, maybe I'll redo the top bar a bit for the next version
3. pruss, thanks I'll check out your lib!
4. Bla8, cant wait for the skin!

[vovka1965]

I have a couple more comments on TL:

1. Just curious-- why use the red swirls in the wallpaper rather than completely black? On my TX screens, the swirls don't really come out that sharp..
2. I would like an easier way to switch between categories in addition to the home button tap. For example a menu item "Next category". Then, I could map it to any hardware button using Apt. I cannot map a "home button" tap to a hardware button.
3. Hidden categories would be nice.
4. I still miss something bout IPI -- somehow that one is more pleasing to the eye. The pTunes console was nice in IPI. Also, what I liked about the IPI was the screen layout -- a few essential buttons at the bottom and then the rest up the top. In the full screen version of TL, there just seems to be empty space below the icons.

[icefireicefire]

How about four fixed icons?

[JavaJiveJump]

Another iTunes sking for PocketTunes is by Church Punk called Photopro.
It is very stable and very pleasing to the eye. A lot of Ptunes features just a tap away instead of using menu options. No animated album covers like like Bla8, but it's my favorite pTunes skin right now)!

http://www.1src.com/freeware/fileinfo.php?id=1811

[vovka1965]

Another iTunes sking for PocketTunes is by Church Punk called Photopro.
It is very stable and very pleasing to the eye. A lot of Ptunes features just a tap away instead of using menu options. No animated album covers like like Bla8, but it's my favorite pTunes skin right now)!

http://www.1src.com/freeware/fileinfo.php?id=1811
How does this help with TouchLauncher, though? Is there some kind of console option that can be accessed with TL?

[JavaJiveJump]

I thought they were talking about iPhone looking skins for pTunes for some uniformity. The little iPod icon set to launch pTunes... which follows the same look if one uses an iPod skin for it. (just a thought)

See posts 24, 26-28 above.

[JavaJiveJump]

...4. I still miss something bout IPI -- somehow that one is more pleasing to the eye. The pTunes console was nice in IPI. Also, what I liked about the IPI was the screen layout -- a few essential buttons at the bottom and then the rest up the top. In the full screen version of TL, there just seems to be empty space below the icons.
I have to agree with vovka1965. The base icons like in IPI would be great, especially if they were customizable. Love IPI's animation. Also the pTunes console was pretty neat, especially the way it slid out from the right.

Also, when I had by status bar, there is an additional white space on the bottom of the screen. It would be nice if TL stretched out to take advantage of the extra space.

[espc31]

Can someone convert these icons from mrbears there are 117 from ahsirg's website but I would like all of these from ispazio website in one database. I have been trying for about a week and have failed miserably. wen I download them all they are in .png and will not go to the palm as such unless I am doing something wrong.

http://www.spaziocellulare.com/ispazio/en/ispazio-iphone-icons-set-10

thanks.

[ahsirg]

espc31, download from my website an icon creation kit and tutorial and follow it to create an iconset, when done, email it to me and I'll post it on the site

Thanks to everyone for suggestions!

[espc31]

There lies my problem it only works in the windows environment. I am using a PPc mac G4. I have tried doing it using Virtual PC but it still seems to lock up on me. all those icons take several lines of code. Any ideas?

[ahsirg]

you can do everything that in the tutorial except for running the file for compilation and send the icons and res.rcp to me and I'll compile it

[_Em]

The only other option I can see is you posting the icons somewhere where someone else can download them and add them to an iconset.

Either that, or for someone to make a web-based set creator :)

[ahsirg]

web-based set creator
I dont think there is a web-based Palm OS resource database creator and It'll probably be pretty hard to make pilrc for the web. But that's just my opinion :-)

[joeags]

I'm using a TX. A couple things I noticed.

When arrowing down in 320x480 mode, I can't access the fourth line. I can arrow up and down between the top 3 lines.

When you click the home button within tl, it toggles between "all" and "unfiled" only. Would prefer it to be my most used folders.

Finally, when I have a folder with 16 icons, if press right from the bottom right icon, it flips to a new page with no icons on it.

Sorry if these are known or only occurring on my VERY clogged TX!!!

[ahsirg]

Thanks for your message joeags!
Issues 1 and 3 really were there, thanks for the heads-up. Please download v.1.1.3 from my website to fix them
About the second one, i checked and it seems to work fine, dunno

[joeags]

Great, can confirm 1 & 3 are fixed. Thanks! I will probably reformat the tx this weekend and will confirm on number 2.

Thanks for your message joeags!
Issues 1 and 3 really were there, thanks for the heads-up. Please download v.1.1.3 from my website to fix them
About the second one, i checked and it seems to work fine, dunno

[JavaJiveJump]

Hey ahsirg, what's on the "To Do" list for your launcher? :)

Maybe...

1) Flip between categories
2) Customize icon background visible (opaue)/transparent
3) Toggle to always force hide of the status bar

Just throwing them out there... um... again. :o)

[_Em]

Hmm...
1) Using 5-way navigation, you could make the drop down list the first navigable element on the screen (before the first button)
2) having a "transparency" slider for the background would be neat :D
3) shouldn't be too hard; you could incorporate Alex's hide statbar code and link it to something on the titlebar.

[vovka1965]

I would like to add to my wish list:
A permanent bottom row of icons for every category, like IPI.
Ptunes sliding launcher -- like IPI

[icefireicefire]

I would like Landscape/Zodiac support :D

[ahsirg]

I will officially state that the Zod will not be supported as well as a Landscape mode. Well, the last one might be supported later, but definetely not the Zodiac
Also there wont be a bottom row of icons, but pTunes control will be there in some next release.
And guys, TL is not iPi. It has a different mission and it will not get you an iPhone on the Palm, so sorry if I'm dissapointing anyone :(

[Bla8]

I agree its best to sell something original, rather than copy something else. That's one reason why I did not sell my iTunes skin.

[espc31]

I agree as well TL is a launcher (interface enhancement for Palm OS)not an iPhone copy.

Foot note: finally learned how to make my an iconset(yeah) I was able to edit on my mac and only needed virtual PC (XP) to compile. I am just about done converting the rest of mrbears (Thanks all credit to mrbears) icons to one complete set. and will upload them somewhere...

[JavaJiveJump]

how did you create the iconset?

[espc31]

I used ahsirg TL icon set tutorial

[ahsirg]

espc31, cant wait to see the icons!
If you want they can be uploaded to my website in the TL icons section.

[davidr173]

hi all,

i've tested TL and i have a few suggestions/bugs:

- navigating with D-pad sometimes hangs.
- navigating from first to last tab (i.e. "to the left") in all view results in selected empty icon sometimes, if you have "5-way moves to next page" selected.
- frustrating sliding experience, because too often icons change places when dragging. possible suggestion: the second icon in bottom bar should toggle "switch icon mode/drag only mode" - otherwise this status icon is pretty useless ;-)
- option to hide status messages (the blue bubbles)
- launching apps with keypad doesn't work on palm centro

otherwise: very GREAT work, grisha. keep on!

one question: in nexave-forum one user complains about battery drain while using TL. any clue what could be? do you have anything working in background when centro is switched off?

best wishes,
david

[MikeB]

Is it just me, or is this app very slow? The responsiveness is very slow on my TX compared to launcherx, so I had to switch back. I really like the look and feel but can't make the tradeoff in responsiveness.

[vovka1965]

Is it just me, or is this app very slow? The responsiveness is very slow on my TX compared to launcherx, so I had to switch back. I really like the look and feel but can't make the tradeoff in responsiveness.
I also found it slow on my TX.. Perhaps it is the animation...

[scottl]

It was too slow for me. Disabling animation helped, but I also couldn't get the number of icons I like to have per screen. Nice app for those that lead a less cluttered life though ;)

[vovka1965]

So, this program is quietly being updated? We are up to 1.1.6, but where is Ahsirg?

[ahsirg]

Yes it is updated to 1.1.6.
Dynamic calendar icon is available in this version

[vovka1965]

Yes it is updated to 1.1.6.
Dynamic calendar icon is available in this version
SO, how would that work? If we add a built-in Calendar application to display list, its icon will show the true date? But what if I use Agendus or DateBk6-- can I force its icon to also display the true date??

[ahsirg]

Only calendar-pdat for now, all others will be supported sometime later

[JavaJiveJump]

A dynamic calendar icon is AMAZING! Thanks! I will update soon!

[JavaJiveJump]

your OTA Download lists version 1.15. is the correct version available here. I just want to update my current Touchlauncher.

Thanks...

[ahsirg]

Sorry, thanks for noticing. I will fix it now.

[danielmaradona]

Guys, compare with Propel and Initiate, how does touchlauncher fare.

Thanks

[JavaJiveJump]

Thanks ahsirg.

Danielmaradona... never heard of Propel and Initiate. Hmmm....

[Treo Musketeer]

I8/Propel has much more functionality than TouchLauncher, but even with I8's new customizable icons and wallpapers, TouchLauncher looks cooler. I keep both on my device and toggle between them.

[Ernest01]

New version of TouchLauncher has been placed on the web-site.

http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/dp/

Version history:
1.2
- contact photos from TouchBook
- ability to choose wallpaper from internal memory (Centro, Treo, TX, T5, LD only)
- bugfixes

Ernest

[pixelpainter]

Anyone know what's going on with

http://ahsirg.kvplab.com

It doesn't work

[Treo Musketeer]

Just keep checking it. Ahsirg has had problems with the web server company. They "upgraded" and now his site is down more often than its up.

[pixelpainter]

Is there any other place for icons?

[Treo Musketeer]

I just tried his site and its back up again. Hurry!

[ahsirg]

I think I am the boy who cried wolf now :)
but hopefully it will be fine and site will not go down again so no need to hurry.
If it will, I will mirror files to my blog over at http://ahsirg.blogspot.com

[fluffalo]

How do I put web links on my homescreen with touchlauncher?

[JavaJiveJump]

Hit the Very top of the screen for menu ---

Items --> Manage --> Add (button) --> Web (button)
configure URL accordingly.

There ya go!

[fluffalo]

Hey thanks, i knew it would be something fairly obvious!
neat little interface BTW.

[asnider123]

I am really getting into Touchlauncher since I bought it earlier today. I have downloaded all the icon files on ahsirg's website, fun fun fun!! The only prob is that it's eating up all my treo 650 RAM. I am considering uninstalling and reinstalling, this time with the icon prc's on my SD card. Will this work? I assume my reg # will work on a reinstall(?)

Incidently, I also installed Touchbook, but it's not reading my contact list, most of which is on my SimCard. How do I solve this problem? Thanks

Thanks again

Alan in Oklahoma
Happy New Year

[rossarnie]

It's a very nice program, but for me, the native icons look terrible in TouchLauncher, and the process of replacing them is much too slow and difficult.

[Treo Musketeer]

I agree on the process being cumbersome and time consuming to replace icons.

[asnider123]

Time consuming, perhaps, but I think it's a lot of fun! Make your Treo like nobody else's. Cool program!

[ahsirg]

TL has been updated to version 2 which brings a new icon selection grid mode, keyboard filters, google and device searching and some UI and speed tweaks.
http://ahsirg.kvplab.com/tl

Unfortunately, customizations made in v.1 will be lost (except for wallpapers). Update to v2 from v1 is free

[JavaJiveJump]

You know you're awesome!

I now have two launchers I really love. TL and TealOS!

Do you think you might add better Landscape support in the future?

Thank you!