Quick Key suggestions

Post Reply
KI5GZK
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2020 6:27 pm

Quick Key suggestions

Post by KI5GZK » Tue Aug 23, 2022 4:07 am

Just some suggestions to make the quick keys a bit more functional.

Ability to assign a single key to toggle on/off type settings.
Ability to assign a single key that allows you to change a setting that has multiple options using the left right arrow keys.

Make the quick keys work with a long press instead of the SK2 + number button combination.
This would make the radio much easier to use when you only have one hand free.

Thank you for your consideration.

VK3KYY
Posts: 7475
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Quick Key suggestions

Post by VK3KYY » Tue Aug 23, 2022 10:08 pm

KI5GZK wrote:
Tue Aug 23, 2022 4:07 am
Just some suggestions to make the quick keys a bit more functional.

Ability to assign a single key to toggle on/off type settings.
Ability to assign a single key that allows you to change a setting that has multiple options using the left right arrow keys.

Make the quick keys work with a long press instead of the SK2 + number button combination.
This would make the radio much easier to use when you only have one hand free.

Thank you for your consideration.
It may be possible to change to use Long Press, however because some other parts of the firmware use Key_Down, this would conflict with those operations and everywhere that uses Key_Down would need to be modified and re-tested.

In terms of toggling settings.

The QuickKeys act as Macros, which effectively record then playback a single key press.

So unless the setting its self was a setting which toggled, then then QuickKeys can't toggle it

And, Only a small number of settings actually toggle, so I don't know which settings you are referreing to, and why you can't define 2 separate quick keys, one to turn the setting On and the other to turn it off.

I am guessing you are probably referring to the TS filtering ?? because I can't think of many other settings which people are constantly changing and need fast access to ????

KI5GZK
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2020 6:27 pm

Re: Quick Key suggestions

Post by KI5GZK » Wed Aug 24, 2022 4:04 am

I see your point about the toggle option. There aren't a lot of on/off settings so scratch that Idea.
Perhaps a better a better idea is to modify the current quick key behavior.

Currently when using a quick key, in addition to initially increasing or decreasing the setting in the predetermined way, you are also able to use the left or right arrow keys to increase or decrease the setting as you see fit, as long as the window is still open. If you eliminate the initial setting change, and just keep the ability to use the arrow keys, then you only need to assign a single quick key to the setting. This would avoid having to use two quick keys for one only setting.

In other words, using a quick key will just open the window without actually changing the setting unless you use the arrow keys to change it before it times out.

Hopefully my explanation makes sense.

VK3KYY
Posts: 7475
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Quick Key suggestions

Post by VK3KYY » Wed Aug 24, 2022 5:43 am

KI5GZK wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 4:04 am
I see your point about the toggle option. There aren't a lot of on/off settings so scratch that Idea.
Perhaps a better a better idea is to modify the current quick key behavior.

Currently when using a quick key, in addition to initially increasing or decreasing the setting in the predetermined way, you are also able to use the left or right arrow keys to increase or decrease the setting as you see fit, as long as the window is still open. If you eliminate the initial setting change, and just keep the ability to use the arrow keys, then you only need to assign a single quick key to the setting. This would avoid having to use two quick keys for one only setting.

In other words, using a quick key will just open the window without actually changing the setting unless you use the arrow keys to change it before it times out.

Hopefully my explanation makes sense.
When a quick key is run, it does not open the menu in question, it only displays a popup showing what setting has changed.
Originally I don't think we even displayed the popup, i think it just actioned the command.

I for most operations people don't want to have the menu remain open, as they would then need to close it, which takes multiple key presses, of Red button, depending on the depth in the menu.


I do think however, Long press of a number would probably be beneficial

KI5GZK
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2020 6:27 pm

Re: Quick Key suggestions

Post by KI5GZK » Fri Aug 26, 2022 4:49 am

VK3KYY wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 5:43 am
When a quick key is run, it does not open the menu in question, it only displays a popup showing what setting has changed.
Originally I don't think we even displayed the popup, i think it just actioned the command.
Yes, but during the time that the popup is displayed you are also able to use the left and right arrow keys to adjust the setting.

What I am suggesting is that when you activate the quick key, the popup will appear and allow you to decrease and increase the setting using the left and right arrow buttons, and then close automatically after a short delay. This way you only need assign one quick key to a setting instead of two.

For example:

You program a quick key to change the screen brightness. You activate the quick key by long pressing the number button you assigned to it. The popup appears displaying the current brightness level. You can then adjust the brightness using the left and right arrow buttons. Once you stop pressing the buttons, after a short delay, the popup automatically closes and saves the setting. If you don't press either arrow button after the popup appears, it automatically closes after a short delay without making any changes.
VK3KYY wrote:
Wed Aug 24, 2022 5:43 am
I for most operations people don't want to have the menu remain open, as they would then need to close it, which takes multiple key presses, of Red button, depending on the depth in the menu.
Yes, as i described above there would only be a popup that closes automatically after a short delay.
Since there is already a quick key option that takes you to the actual setting in the menus, there is no need to duplicate it.

VK3KYY
Posts: 7475
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Quick Key suggestions

Post by VK3KYY » Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:01 am

You program a quick key to change the screen brightness. You activate the quick key by long pressing the number button you assigned to it. The popup appears displaying the current brightness level. You can then adjust the brightness using the left and right arrow buttons. Once you stop pressing the buttons, after a short delay, the popup automatically closes and saves the setting. If you don't press either arrow button after the popup appears, it automatically closes after a short delay without making any changes.

You can already program the QuickKeys to open to a menu item and not change it, hence allowing you to change it and the press Green to accept that change

UI's don't generaly rely on people being quick enough to start pressing buttons within a specific length of time, or automatically assuming that you have finished changing the settings because you have not pressed a key within a specific period of time.
Each operator will also have their own idea of how long the the menu should hold while it waits for you to finish pressing the buttons whatever number of times you want to press them.

Althought such a system may work for you, it won't work for the majority of operators.

KI5GZK
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2020 6:27 pm

Re: Quick Key suggestions

Post by KI5GZK » Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:28 am

Well, I hope that we both can agree the the current implementation of the QuickKey function still has room for improvement. ;)
I just wanted share my thoughts.

Thank you for listening.

VK3KYY
Posts: 7475
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Quick Key suggestions

Post by VK3KYY » Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:37 am

I think Long Press would definitly be a better UI, but at the moment I don't think any of the dev's has time to investigate how practical it would be to change the firmware to use that instead of SK2 + Number key

Post Reply