1. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    To save people digging through the posts, the current OTA link to download and install it directly to your Storm is: http://www.bigtincan.com/misc/FaceCall.jad



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    Below is the original post, more or less:
    =========================

    I suck at graphics and naming stuff

    In light of suggestions on the PhoneFace thread, I started a new thread.

    If anyone is interested in helping me to pursue this kind of idea let me know, hear the ideas and what not.

    So far I've been able to pull images from the adress book and sort of start to build an interface, but that's where I'm stuck at the moment.

    tnt118: I don't think you're stepping on toes, over bounds or hill and dale I welcome the suggestions, implementing them is another thing altogeather!
    Last edited by delta_foxtrot2; 02-01-09 at 07:03 AM.
    12-29-08 11:40 PM
  2. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    Also, I'm planning to figure out what contact methods are stored for each contact and only show/enabled those methods etc.
    12-29-08 11:44 PM
  3. tnt118's Avatar
    Here's a copy of my last post in the old thread...

    I might suggest starting a new thread if this is really going to take off? Just would hate to see the Phoneface thread hijacked too much.

    So here's a mock-up of what I think might be a workable concept:



    (Images all stolen from google image search)

    Having icons for the actions are good in that you have clickable areas (no need for submenus) but bad in that you are limited by screen space as to how many options you have. So, in a situation like this the question might be: are three options enough? Is call/sms/email always the only three you want? Could there/should there be an option for customization? On a per-contact basis?

    Anywho, I've probably already overstepped my bounds. Just tossing out ideas.
    Here's another quick mock-up, just for discussions sake of usability and design.



    The idea being that first you highlight the person, then click on the action for that person. Almost seems like it might be a little quicker than doing 6-7 flicks. Of course something like this would limit the total number of people available, unless you were to be able to flick to another screen of 9. I need to stop drinking before I regret any of my posts in the morning.
    12-29-08 11:51 PM
  4. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    Well we could always toy with the accelerometer, 1 shake for phone, 2 for mail, 3 for sms lol
    12-30-08 12:17 AM
  5. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    Well I have a very early version 1 up, bear in mind that I've only managed to make the pics line up etc, I plan to show the name for contacts with missing pics, atm they just show blank, and the only thing that happens when you click is it tells you the contact name

    However I suck at graphics and surprised how far I've managed to make it so far!

    FaceCall v 0.0.15

    The whole screen will keep filling up with contacts, I'd like to be able to see or track some how the person or people contacted the most and have them "float" to the top, rather than sorted by name, but that's for a later version.

    And there is a lot of wasted space when the screen rotates, I'm not really sure how to deal with that, as it's not a simple graphic, but multiple buttons/fields etc.
    Last edited by delta_foxtrot2; 12-30-08 at 07:16 AM.
    12-30-08 07:11 AM
  6. Flexia's Avatar
    So this will be like a picture contact book? You can just select the picture of the person you want and call them?
    12-30-08 07:27 AM
  7. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    or SMS, or email, or PIN or ....

    Yup, well unless others come up with other ideas not thought of so far and they can be incorporated too!
    12-30-08 07:41 AM
  8. jay26th's Avatar
    i would love it if you could just make a shortcut for a specifc contact(s) right in the main menu of the phone. I dislike the idea of having to run an app just to call my most frequent people.

    Kinda like in the attached picture. (check out my l33t photoshop skills!)
    12-30-08 08:05 AM
  9. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    Well there is a number of ways round "running" an app like you suggested, either it could sit in the background and you switch to it as neededor you trigger it from one of the convienence keys, another accelerometer "cute" thing, it listens for a shaking and pops to the front, the worlds your oyster why put things in such a simple context?

    And yes you could have an app auto dial a number from an app like that, but that would only clutter my home/main screens and I would like something a little more useful, rather than clutters up my screen.
    12-30-08 08:16 AM
  10. irie's Avatar
    This is a very good idea.
    12-30-08 09:28 AM
  11. dhendriksen's Avatar
    Delta Foxtrot, you rock. I love the creativity going into these.

    I have been thinking about downloading the CDK and toying with making some apps, is it difficult? I've got good computer skills with HTML and what not, but not much experience in programming. It seems you throw these together pretty quick, but I am sure that is just because you are insanely talented. I will try out the app and let you know what I think!

    Thanks for the work!
    12-30-08 09:40 AM
  12. jay26th's Avatar
    i dont consider it screen clutter. Remember that any icon on your home screen can be put in a folder, or in a folder's folder for that matter.

    I just think having to click and scroll around to open the app and then scroll and click around to find and dial a person is a waste of the end user's time. If it takes longer to use than the current address book is it really convenient?
    12-30-08 09:41 AM
  13. dibs ODDJOB's Avatar
    Delta, this is a petty good start. Can you tie in to the phones list of most used contacts since it tracks that for my call log?
    I would probably prefer larger icons thathave each option overlayed on them. The best would have the ability to choose
    How many icons are on the screen at one time.
    I would set this to my left convenience key and then select my action in one click. Two click calling or texting!
    Also it would be best if it closed out as soon as you selected to call or text so its not always running.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    12-30-08 09:46 AM
  14. dhendriksen's Avatar
    I don't fully understand how this works. I downloaded it, but couldn't get it to call anybody. It had boxes for all 1,100 of my contacts, but only about 8 or 9 have pictures associated with them. Is there a way to select which contacts appear, and have this be kind of a favorites speed dial thing? It would be great if I could select, say 9 contacts to appear in this program. Also, once I selected a contact all it did was tell me I selected them, it didn't give me the option to do anything. Am I doing something wrong?
    12-30-08 09:54 AM
  15. Flexia's Avatar
    I don't fully understand how this works. I downloaded it, but couldn't get it to call anybody. It had boxes for all 1,100 of my contacts, but only about 8 or 9 have pictures associated with them. Is there a way to select which contacts appear, and have this be kind of a favorites speed dial thing? It would be great if I could select, say 9 contacts to appear in this program. Also, once I selected a contact all it did was tell me I selected them, it didn't give me the option to do anything. Am I doing something wrong?
    Delta is working on it to just find the contacts that have pictures
    12-30-08 09:55 AM
  16. dibs ODDJOB's Avatar
    Ya program doesn't work yet. This is just delta letting us in on his development stage.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    12-30-08 10:03 AM
  17. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    It doesn't do anything yet, just getting the pics up is an achievement in and of itself for me, but I'm working on the doing bit.

    I'm not actually shrinking (or enlarging) the icons, that is the size the address book stores them, to make them larger without making them blury would require getting and storing a picture for the app itself, and while this isn't beyond the realm of possible, atm I'm just using what comes out of the address book.

    As for tying into the call log, the app could keep it's own track of who's called/messaged/whatever the most also, yes it would need to be trained, but at least this way it gives some flexability, since you could give certain contacts a higher weighing manually or something to that effect.
    12-30-08 10:08 AM
  18. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    I have been thinking about downloading the CDK and toying with making some apps, is it difficult? I've got good computer skills with HTML and what not, but not much experience in programming.
    It can be difficult, depends on your skill set, but it's a lot different than html, although ecma script (aka java script) is similar in some respects to java, it differs a lot more than it's similar, but there is plenty of sample code out there and I can give you some pointers if you want, the JDE (java development environment) is free, although you need to signup to the blackberry.com/developers site to get it.

    It seems you throw these together pretty quick, but I am sure that is just because you are insanely talented.
    Don't mistake talent for experience, you can have all the talent in the world, but it can be all for nothing without the experience that time teaches you along the way
    12-30-08 10:11 AM
  19. dhendriksen's Avatar
    Thanks for the reply, I might toy around with it. Is there some eBooks or something you might recommend? I pick stuff up really fast, and I am interested in this more as just a hobby/making apps for myself and the CB community - much like you're doing.

    At any rate, I am excited to see what this app turns into. For me the ideal would be to select 9 or so contacts, much like the simulated screenshot you posted earlier in the thread, and be able to email, sms, or call with one click. Launch the app, highlight a picture, then hit the appropriate button for email, sms, or call. It would also be great of the number of buttons and the function of those buttons were customizable per contact.

    Keep up the good work! Let me know if you have a paypal where we can donate as this gets off the ground!
    12-30-08 10:18 AM
  20. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    i don't consider it screen clutter. Remember that any icon on your home screen can be put in a folder, or in a folder's folder for that matter.

    I just think having to click and scroll around to open the app and then scroll and click around to find and dial a person is a waste of the end user's time. If it takes longer to use than the current address book is it really convenient?
    I'm not being facetious or anything but I'm trying to understand how that would be advantageous to an app that does the same or very similar?
    12-30-08 10:19 AM
  21. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    Thanks for the reply, I might toy around with it. Is there some eBooks or something you might recommend? I pick stuff up really fast, and I am interested in this more as just a hobby/making apps for myself and the CB community - much like you're doing.
    No idea, to be honest I've been coding in various languages for years, I've only had a BB since ummmm october/november and before that only did one or two little BB apps. I usually pick things up by example more than from book learning so I figure out something I want to try and code and then go about figuring out how to reuse code to do it (where possible)

    At any rate, I am excited to see what this app turns into. For me the ideal would be to select 9 or so contacts, much like the simulated screenshot you posted earlier in the thread, and be able to email, sms, or call with one click. Launch the app, highlight a picture, then hit the appropriate button for email, sms, or call. It would also be great of the number of buttons and the function of those buttons were customizable per contact.
    That was someone else's pic they pilfered from google images, but I'm aiming for something like that, but not only that being able to load the entire address book and let things sort themselves out as to what should be at the top of the list.

    Keep up the good work! Let me know if you have a paypal where we can donate as this gets off the ground!
    Actually this is of vested interest commercially for me, so I'd rather not go down the donation path, and before any one asks, I don't plan to charge for the app, but to re-use the code in a commercial app.
    12-30-08 10:24 AM
  22. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    v 0.0.17 is now up, again, this still doesn't initiate any calls or messages, but is a stepping stone to getting there.

    What this version should do is display all possible digital contact methods, ie phone numbers, email, PIN etc, can you please let me know if I've over looked some method.

    Although it just occurs to me that the street address details could be fed into a mapping application.

    Thoughts, suggestions, otherwise?
    12-30-08 11:28 AM
  23. delta_foxtrot2's Avatar
    v 0.0.18 is now up, still a stepping stone version, but the reason I'm releasing it is to show where I'm actually up to with this.

    Currently displays photos of contacts where possible, if you click on a contact it will throw up a dialog asking if you want to Call, Message, email or PIN.

    From there if there is only one contact method it will trigger another app with the contact info it pulled from the address book, if there is more then one contact menthod, home and work numbers, I plan to throw up another dialog prompting for which number to use.
    12-30-08 01:38 PM
  24. dhendriksen's Avatar
    v 0.0.18 is now up, still a stepping stone version, but the reason I'm releasing it is to show where I'm actually up to with this.

    Currently displays photos of contacts where possible, if you click on a contact it will throw up a dialog asking if you want to Call, Message, email or PIN.

    From there if there is only one contact method it will trigger another app with the contact info it pulled from the address book, if there is more then one contact menthod, home and work numbers, I plan to throw up another dialog prompting for which number to use.
    I'm loving the quick progression. For me, in order for this to be useable, I will need to be able to pick the people that appear as opposed to my 1,100 contacts in my address book.
    12-30-08 01:48 PM
  25. fiddler's Avatar
    Thanks. This is a great program, and you seem to be on the right path.

    For those who get version 0.0.17 instead of 0.0.18, just refresh the download page and the newest version will appear.
    12-30-08 02:12 PM
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