Development of the PDApp

Recursion

As some of you may know, in the "question for devs" topic I posted earlier, I asked for permission to build an app, which is designed to be another layer over the operating system of a tablet, which will essentially turn the tablet into A PDA(and to clarify, I got that permission). So, this is the thread where I'll share development updates, and ask for help, as a few people, naming no names( @AnomalyDetected @Kouji_San @DaveyNY )Seemed quite interested in this. I'll try to release an update every weekday, And look for a super-big one on Mondays.

Recursion

I've decided that all the info stuff(like on the bar at the top of a phone) will be at the bottom right. I've also decided to make the power display a circular slider, and in the inside will be a picture of a power cell.

Rezca

Looking forward to seeing the progress :>

DaveyNY

Same here.

Recursion

Today I sorted out the main UI(switching the pages, showing battery power), and a bit of the inventory and adding pages(The ping manager is just a white square). You can cycle through your pages by pressing the left and right buttons at the top right and top left. you can also add an inventory by pressing the add button at the top right(only one extra inventory is supported at the moment).
list of things left to do:

1. finish inventory(I'm finding the table quite hard, so if anyone wants to help with that?)
2. finish ping manager
3. create encyclopedia
4. create photo tab
5. create a proper UI for adding new pages
6. create science tab?
7. support at least three of all the different pages
8. Add a page giving full credit to the Devs
9. If any good suggestions are made I will consider them(bad = WE NEED BIG GUNZ)

I've also done a little bit of concept art on the ping manager:
I'm thinking it will just have a map you can save various positions on.
Unfortunatley the APK file containing the PDApp is not allowed here, so you currently cannot download it.

Recursion

Nope, never mind about the file not being allowed, I put it into a zipped folder and now it's uploading while I am racing the upload progress bar to the end and I won. just download it, unzip it, and sideload it onto any android device.

AnomalyDetected

Wowzers this is gonna be good!

I'm excited to see this finished. Then when I get it, I'm making that case.

Recursion

AnomalyDetected wrote: »

Wowzers this is gonna be good!

I'm excited to see this finished. Then when I get it, I'm making that case.

I'm glad you think so. I've also decided, as an addition, to make what I call PDAconnect. It'll bassically connect 2 devices that have The PDApp via bluetooth.

jeod

I will watch the progress with much excitement and will not hesitate to download this app as soon as it comes out

Recursion

jeod wrote: »

I will watch the progress with much excitement and will not hesitate to download this app as soon as it comes out

You can download the in development app. Revised stuff left to do:

1. finish inventory(I'm finding the table quite hard, so if anyone wants to help with that?)
2. finish ping manager
3. create encyclopedia
4. create photo tab
5. create a proper UI for adding new pages
6. create science tab?
7. support at least three of all the different pages
8. Add a page giving full credit to the Devs
9. If any good suggestions are made I will consider them(bad = WE NEED BIG GUNZ)
10. Create PDA connect(Perhaps using the Unet);
11. Launch apps from inventory(Discover if this is even possible. do it)
12. Save/load state(use datapersistentpath. Check for any reinitializings)
13. Booting sequence
14. Emergency mode(Make it a thing. dispense with all frills)
15. See if I can make it the main operating system(Try to bypass basic security. Add PDA security. See if it can always be on top)

AnomalyDetected

Recursion wrote: »

jeod wrote: »

I will watch the progress with much excitement and will not hesitate to download this app as soon as it comes out

You can download the in development app. Revised stuff left to do:

1. finish inventory(I'm finding the table quite hard, so if anyone wants to help with that?)
2. finish ping manager
3. create encyclopedia
4. create photo tab
5. create a proper UI for adding new pages
6. create science tab?
7. support at least three of all the different pages
8. Add a page giving full credit to the Devs
9. If any good suggestions are made I will consider them(bad = WE NEED BIG GUNZ)
10. Create PDA connect(Perhaps using the Unet);

At first I thought this was just a theme, is this now a legit PDA interface of all the stuff?

Recursion

AnomalyDetected wrote: »

Recursion wrote: »

jeod wrote: »

I will watch the progress with much excitement and will not hesitate to download this app as soon as it comes out

You can download the in development app. Revised stuff left to do:

1. finish inventory(I'm finding the table quite hard, so if anyone wants to help with that?)
2. finish ping manager
3. create encyclopedia
4. create photo tab
5. create a proper UI for adding new pages
6. create science tab?
7. support at least three of all the different pages
8. Add a page giving full credit to the Devs
9. If any good suggestions are made I will consider them(bad = WE NEED BIG GUNZ)
10. Create PDA connect(Perhaps using the Unet);

At first I thought this was just a theme, is this now a legit PDA interface of all the stuff?

Yep. I'm Trying to make it another layer to the operating system, so that It will always be on top.

Recursion

Alright, Final roadmap here!

1. Finish up UI
   • Finish inventory
   • Finish pings tab
   • Create photos tab
   • create data bank tab
   • Finish main HUD
   • Make at least three pages of each page supported
   • Add deleting pages function
   • add creating pages function
   • Emergency mode
   • Launch apps from inventory
   • Create science tab
   • Add page giving credit to the devs
   • booting sequence
2. Create PDAconnect
   • Create PDAconnect page
   • create networking
   • Create chat system
3. Save/load functionality
   • Create save/load functionality
   • Check for reinitalizings
4. Polish
   • Implement good suggestions
   • Polish main HUD
   • Polish all pages
   • Polish PDAconnect
5. Release
   • See if it can always be on top of it all
   • See if security can be rerouted to it
6. Continued support
   • Keep taking suggestions
   • Keep improving
   • Create a subnautica mod that supports the app?
   • Try to get it official recignition.

jeod

*stamps the Jeod Stamp of Approval all over the entire screen*

AnomalyDetected

My dude this is awesome.

I hope you can get it out soon, but take all the time you need to work on it

Love it

Recursion

Also, I'm looking for any suggestions of what to send over the PDAconnect network, and just general good suggestions.

AnomalyDetected

Recursion wrote: »

Also, I'm looking for any suggestions of what to send over the PDAconnect network, and just general good suggestions.

Videos, Images and general Chat.

Recursion

The update today isn't that big, only creating a few pages. now, however there is a photos tab, and a data bank tab. The inventory tab has also had some improvements, most notably being the new way to toggle between apps, and the new input field at the bottom, which currently does nothing whatsoever. The photos tab is currently just a white square where the camera should be, but Hopefully it should get an update tomorrow. the data banks tab is also a bit blank, but I hope to improve it soon as well. Nothing else has been updated. And now, The exciting APK file for the latest version:
Just download and unzip it, and then sideload it onto any android device.

AnomalyDetected

Recursion wrote: »

The update today isn't that big, only creating a few pages. now, however there is a photos tab, and a data bank tab. The inventory tab has also had some improvements, most notably being the new way to toggle between apps, and the new input field at the bottom, which currently does nothing whatsoever. The photos tab is currently just a white square where the camera should be, but Hopefully it should get an update tomorrow. the data banks tab is also a bit blank, but I hope to improve it soon as well. Nothing else has been updated. And now, The exciting APK file for the latest version:
Just download and unzip it, and then sideload it onto any android device.

I have not tested it, but will it support android? And also, will it work on Bluestacks, the Android Emulator?

Recursion

AnomalyDetected wrote: »

Recursion wrote: »

The update today isn't that big, only creating a few pages. now, however there is a photos tab, and a data bank tab. The inventory tab has also had some improvements, most notably being the new way to toggle between apps, and the new input field at the bottom, which currently does nothing whatsoever. The photos tab is currently just a white square where the camera should be, but Hopefully it should get an update tomorrow. the data banks tab is also a bit blank, but I hope to improve it soon as well. Nothing else has been updated. And now, The exciting APK file for the latest version:
Just download and unzip it, and then sideload it onto any android device.

I have not tested it, but will it support android? And also, will it work on Bluestacks, the Android Emulator?

It's just an Android app. Android supports it, it doesn't support Android. And I'm assuming it will work on any decent android emulator that can install and then run apps. Hope that helps.

garath

So sad. Just switched from Android to iPhone. Now, you announce this app. *cries*

Google is announcing its new new phones in October. Maybe I'll switch back.

Recursion

garath wrote: »

So sad. Just switched from Android to iPhone. Now, you announce this app. *cries*

Google is announcing its new new phones in October. Maybe I'll switch back.

Never mind, I can release a file for apple as well. It's just one quick change of the settings.

AnomalyDetected

Recursion wrote: »

garath wrote: »

So sad. Just switched from Android to iPhone. Now, you announce this app. *cries*

Google is announcing its new new phones in October. Maybe I'll switch back.

Never mind, I can release a file for apple as well. It's just one quick change of the settings.

So will you do it on both then?

garath

Recursion wrote: »

garath wrote: »

So sad. Just switched from Android to iPhone. Now, you announce this app. *cries*

Google is announcing its new new phones in October. Maybe I'll switch back.

Never mind, I can release a file for apple as well. It's just one quick change of the settings.

That would be awesome. But, in my very limited and very novice experience, Apple is a pain. Don't you have to have a Mac to even compile and deploy to the Apple Store? Then, don't you have to hassle through an official Apple review with even the smallest of changes?

If were you, I wouldn't waste time on Apple until it is nearly done.

Just my opinion--and a quite uninformed one at that.

Thanks, though!

nesrak1

garath wrote: »

Recursion wrote: »

garath wrote: »

So sad. Just switched from Android to iPhone. Now, you announce this app. *cries*

Google is announcing its new new phones in October. Maybe I'll switch back.

Never mind, I can release a file for apple as well. It's just one quick change of the settings.

That would be awesome. But, in my very limited and very novice experience, Apple is a pain. Don't you have to have a Mac to even compile and deploy to the Apple Store? Then, don't you have to hassle through an official Apple review with even the smallest of changes?

If were you, I wouldn't waste time on Apple until it is nearly done.

Just my opinion--and a quite uninformed one at that.

Thanks, though!

Apple is a pain indeed...

I've been developing iPhone apps too (xamarin was a butt so I decided to go completely native on both platforms). iPhone app creation is also annoying and yes you do need a $100 apple developer license and a Mac to publish. The only way to actually release it for free is to either launch on a jailbroken iPhone or releasing the unity project and having others run the app in debug on their phones (which requires them to also have a Mac)

Recursion

OK. I'll just give a quick explanation of how it works with unity. Unity, being the worlds most powerful game engine, supports every platform out there, and Microsoft hololens. The way I compiled it for android was: I selected android as the operating system I wanted, and it compiled it to an android-compatible file. Therefore, I should just be able to select iphone as the operating system I want to use, and unity will compile it to an iphone compatible file. However this does mean I'll have one file foe android and one for iphone, but that shouldn't be a problem. And I'll look online to see if there's any way of creating an android and iphone compatible file.

In other news I had an idea for something in continued support: The data terminal app for computers. It could be a server for PDAconnect, and you could create data bank articles on it, which, if the owner of the PDA wanted, would get transferred to the PDA.

0x6A7232

Recursion wrote: »

OK. I'll just give a quick explanation of how it works with unity. Unity, being the worlds most powerful game engine, supports every platform out there, and Microsoft hololens. The way I compiled it for android was: I selected android as the operating system I wanted, and it compiled it to an android-compatible file. Therefore, I should just be able to select iphone as the operating system I want to use, and unity will compile it to an iphone compatible file. However this does mean I'll have one file foe android and one for iphone, but that shouldn't be a problem. And I'll look online to see if there's any way of creating an android and iphone compatible file.

In other news I had an idea for something in continued support: The data terminal app for computers. It could be a server for PDAconnect, and you could create data bank articles on it, which, if the owner of the PDA wanted, would get transferred to the PDA.

You can install an apk (Android app file) on Android by enabling the option to install from unknown sources. On iOS, it seems the only way you can do that is to jailbreak the device or use a Mac and enable developer mode (I'd have a hard time believing someone hasn't found a way around that though). To release on the respective apps stores:

For iOS apps, the Apple App Store charges fee of $99/year. Google Play has a one-time fee of $25. The cost of doing so on Windows is much cheaper than the others and is charged at around $12.

https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-to-publish-a-mobile-app

nesrak1

Recursion wrote: »

OK. I'll just give a quick explanation of how it works with unity. Unity, being the worlds most powerful game engine, supports every platform out there, and Microsoft hololens. The way I compiled it for android was: I selected android as the operating system I wanted, and it compiled it to an android-compatible file. Therefore, I should just be able to select iphone as the operating system I want to use, and unity will compile it to an iPhone compatible file.

Apple has their phones pretty locked down. You can't just install from a file, in fact, iPhones technically have no file system apart from pictures and music and some other things. Sure you can deploy to a connected iPhone, but you can't release binaries. There's an app file, but your phone has to be added to a list to use it.

0x6A7232

nesrak1 wrote: »

Recursion wrote: »

OK. I'll just give a quick explanation of how it works with unity. Unity, being the worlds most powerful game engine, supports every platform out there, and Microsoft hololens. The way I compiled it for android was: I selected android as the operating system I wanted, and it compiled it to an android-compatible file. Therefore, I should just be able to select iphone as the operating system I want to use, and unity will compile it to an iPhone compatible file.

Apple has their phones pretty locked down. You can't just install from a file, in fact, iPhones technically have no file system apart from pictures and music and some other things. Sure you can deploy to a connected iPhone, but you can't release binaries. There's an app file, but your phone has to be added to a list to use it.

They have a filesystem, you just can't access it without rooting. Source: I rooted my iPhone 4S (totally worth it, that was awesome, almost as much freedom as an Android phone).

iOS apps are .ipa it look like, and the filesystem on the phone is HFSX (HFS+ , case sensitive) - IIRC Android uses ext4 usually, or f2fs, or (older 2.3 era devices) YAFFS, or sometimes even ext3 IIRC (there's no singular filesystem Android is required to use). Regardless, the filesystem used by the OS isn't relevant to this discussion, just a bit of trivia.

nesrak1

0x6A7232 wrote: »

They have a filesystem, you just can't access it without rooting. Source: I rooted my iPhone 4S (totally worth it, that was awesome, almost as much freedom as an Android phone).

Ywp, Apps only have access to their own data. They can't "read from /sdcard/" or anything.

0x6A7232

nesrak1 wrote: »

0x6A7232 wrote: »

They have a filesystem, you just can't access it without rooting. Source: I rooted my iPhone 4S (totally worth it, that was awesome, almost as much freedom as an Android phone).

Ywp, Apps only have access to their own data. They can't "read from /sdcard/" or anything.

Yeah, sandboxed. IIRC Android does that too now? But with some workarounds, or something, not sure.