Android - GUI control via PC

[langbaba]

Hi,
I see that the screen shot function works perfectly on Android (now even has an auto refresh option!)

How hard would it be to ad the functionality to actually control the phone GUI via the PC (mouse & keyboard)?

Used to have software for windows mobile called MyMobiler that could do this.

If you could add this functionality, your software would be at least 300% better than even MyMobiler (which was quite good to say the least)!!!

[FJ]

This option is technically only possible on rooted phones. And cause i think there are not many users with rooted phones i think i'll leave it.

[langbaba]

That just sucks

Thanx for the reply though ...

[smart2smart]

+ 1 to the tribe of rooted phones requiring this !

[smart2smart]

Hi, its been some time, would like to know if there has been any changes in Gingerbread that support this easily ?

THanks,
Vikram.

[smart2smart]

The monkeyrunner api built into Android allows for screen touches to be past to a device via the adb. This works on a non rooted device which I myself have tested.

What it would mean to do screen control would be to build a UI that captures the X, Y coordinate pressed and pass that information to the Monkeyrunner. Sounds possible ?

Cheers,
Vikram.

[FJ]

Interesting, i did not know this and i will check details

[smart2smart]

Hey, have you had a chance to check ? Any luck ?

Cheers,
Vikram.

[AlienDroid]

I've Rooted my phone and would really like this feature as I had it on my old SE P910 many years ago!

[FJ]

Its already implemented in the current beta

I have tested it sucessfully on my X10 and Galaxy S2 (both non-rooted). Two known glitches:
- some apps does not react as expected to the Click (= touch) events. f.e. the dialer-app of the S2 and the Album-chooser in the galery-app
- its not possible to type special characters, this is caused throught a bug in the monkey-process in the phone and cannot be fixed

Please test and let me know if it works on your device

[smart2smart]

Hi,

Great to hear you have implemented it, I have downloaded the build and trying to get it to work. Have tried on two different devices, LG optimus one and Samsung Galaxy SLCD.

Unfortunately have not got it to work, not sure what I am doing wrong. The options are coming up on the windows side, however the keyboard options is not available on the device.

I even tried deleting the client installed on the device and reinstalling, still not luck. Also the android component does not seem to have changed. Is that the way it is suppose to be or was a new file missed in the packaging.

Out of curiosity, why have you chosen to implement the touch as a separate keyboard input option ? Monkeyrunner could work otherwise as well. Wouldn't it make more sense to integrate directly with the Phone keypad option ?

Just some additional details, The Phone keypad sometimes give a "Framebufferdata missing (xxxx Bytes received) on automatic refresh on the LG device, however it seems stable on the Samsung.

Hoping to soon know what I was doing wrong. Keen to test and report back.

Cheers,
Vikram.

[smart2smart]

Monkeyrunner has limitations on the text inputs as you have encountered. However wanted to let you know there is an alternative approach for text. Have a look at

http://developer.android.com/reference/ ... Event.html

this allows for far more options however the keys would need to be mapped.

Cheers,
Vikram.

[FJ_as_Guest]

Unfortunately have not got it to work, not sure what I am doing wrong. The options are coming up on the windows side, however the keyboard options is not available on the device.

You should not mix up the new features. The feature "Text input" is already 2 month old, it needs a updated MyPhoneExplorer client and it works with all models on all connection modes (also WiFi and Bluetooth), its similar t the app "WiFi Keyboard" from Market. You have to click on "Control phone", its the screenshot-window which i did extend for this new functionality with monkey-runner

The thing with monkey-runner runs throught ADB directly, on the phone there is the monkey-executable preinstalled. Cause of this it has basicly nothing to do with MyPhoneExplorer Client.

Monkeyrunner has limitations on the text inputs as you have encountered. However wanted to let you know there is an alternative approach for text. Have a look at
http://developer.android.com/reference/ ... Event.html
this allows for far more options however the keys would need to be mapped.

This does not help cause i have to use the monkey-executable on phone. A app connot inject events system-wide on non-rooted phones but executables with system-permissions (as monkey) can.

So please download the beta again (i added some logstrings), go to Menu-Extras-Control phone, do some clicks into the screenshot and then post the logfile here.

[smart2smart]

Something is wrong in my setup, I will try on another computer as well.

I have downloaded the new version. I don't have this option.

Menu-Extras-Control phone

Under Menu - Extras I have only the following

Start Multi-sync
Phone Keypad
Textinput
Image wizard
Info SMS
Current list
Create backup
Restore backup
About


If I click about it says Version 1.8.1 - nightly 25/07/2011 1:55:53 AM

Under phone Keypad
It opens up the screen with following two buttons

Refresh Saves As

Refresh automatically check box and scale dropdown.


Regards,
Vikram.

[smart2smart]

Hey its working !!

Let me test for sometime and post the log file for you ! Still don't know what I was doing wrong earlier.

Cheers,
Vikram.

[smart2smart]

Hi,

Been testing, there is some issue which I am not able to figure out. It does not work sometimes. Let me clarify, when I select Extra- Phone Keypad

It open up the device screen, half the time it just does the display and does not allow any input.

At times the input will work flawlessly for the full session, but if I close the window and open it again, it may / may not work.

I suspect some issue with the initialization because once it initializes it works for the full session.

Tried installing / uninstalling the client in the device, it does not seem to matter.

I have tried so far on 2 LG optimus One Device / 1 Samsung Ace / 1 Samsung tab on two different computers, both running Windows XP with all the required drivers.

So far, its working on the two LGs and the Ace couple of times, not yet got it to work on the Tab, also the Tab window is rotated 90 degrees.


Have attached three log files as well.

Additionally have tried with samsung Galaxy SL, does not work. When I plug in the LG immediately, it works. Been starting the process multiple times in the hope it will work but no luck with this device.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/cqmx6vmyis0d50n/Debug.zip

Cheers,
Vikram.

[FJ_as_Guest]

As i saw in the logfile the initiation works basicly but sometimes the Port gets closed, i have no idea why this happens. Maybe the internal logcat of android will help:
- run MyPhoneExplorer in Debugmode (Start-Run-myphoneexplorer debug-OK)
- connect to the phone, ensure that the client did not run before (even if this feature has nothing to do with the client)
- try to control the phone, if it does not work then open the datafolder of MyPhoneExplorer (Start-Run-%appdata%\MyPhoneExplorer-OK)
- you should see there 2 files: AndroidDebug.txt and Debug.txt
- zip the files and email the files to me or upload it to mediafire

PS.: Tried today with HTC Desire - worked 100%

Thanks

[smart2smart]

In debug mode, the samsung S device worked the first time without any issues at all !

Am attaching the debug.txt, the other file you mentioned was not available in the folder. This is debug4.txt

Also now after it worked in debug mode, it is working without any problem in the normal mode as well. Am attaching that debug.txt file as well. This is debug5.txt

http://www.mediafire.com/file/qstinxx8w ... Debug4.zip

Hope that helps ! Atleast it is working without any issue in that setting. I'll try the samsung tab in the morning and post back, don't have that device with me right now.

Cheers,
Vikram.

[FJ_as_Guest]

Am attaching the debug.txt, the other file you mentioned was not available in the folder. This is debug4.txt

The logfiles are only interesting for me if it did NOT work and i need also the file AndroidDebug.txt. I saw in the logfile that you did not connect to the client (this is needed that MyPhoneExplorer starts receiving the Androids Logcat). So click on File-Connect before you try to control the phone

[smart2smart]

I have attached the both the files for my connection with the Samsung Tab that did not work.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/x8acyicq8 ... dDebug.zip

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Vikram.