[Android Apps and Games] edakimling:
Feedback on version 3.0

I had the chance to play around with the new version yesterday. I am quite impressed. Below is some constructive criticism and feedback. I hope the criticism is taken as that; a feedback to make the app better. I am extremely thankful for this app and the continuous soliciting of feedback and features. The dev would not have to do any more development to justify the cost.

Environment: Transformer Prime (TF201), running Jelly Bean 'Baked' ROM 2.0

- The gesture notifications, whether android standard or White/Blue icon no longer show. They used to show on previous version on the same ROM

- The launchpads work real nice.

- Like the re-organization of the app settings (tabs). Really slick

- I find on the TF201, for it to work well, I have to use the atmel-maxtouch detection

- Border calibration can be a pain. It has happened to me multiple times that through a combination of reset to default and other actions (don't remember the sequence) I have made the size of the reportable screen much much smaller. I then could not click clear for the Border calibration, because it was out of the boundary. I realize one would do this step rarely; however it just seems it is too easy for it to happen. Furthermore, it then becomes hard to turn the service off (again the toggle is outside of the boundary). If the GMD gestures service is not turned off, it is affecting all apps and I cannot longer go to app drawer, use the nav buttons on the bottom bar, etc. I mention this issue because it could be one of those things which prevents less technologically inclined users to adopt this app, and I want this app to be more successful (and to have the dev become rich :) )

- Trigger Zones. Ahhh...this is a mixed bag. On one hand I understand the reason for having them; I just think the current implementation is hard to use. I'll explain:

- first off (and it has been mentioned before), the list of trigger zones is long and difficult to wrap your head around it the first few times (ex: what is the difference between 'left bottom corner' and 'bottom left 1/3'? This would not be obvious to most users. Again, this is just to make it more 'user friendly'. Perhaps having this part be more 'visual' would help. This all depends where the dev wants to take the app - if he wants to make it accessible to more users, I feel this portion need more visual work. If dev feels like this app will never take off and he does it mainly for himself and some of us 'power users', then it is fine the way it is

- The whole concept of creating a custom gesture, and assigning it to trigger from certain trigger zone AND combining this with the list of trigger zones in the other tab...will be confusing to many. I get it now, but did not get it for first hour. The workings of this combination only dawned on me after playing with the app extensively and trying this out and trying to understand what the dev envisioned (I just had a different picture in my head the way it is working). Perhaps a visual walkthrough in the help section would help with this. I actually volunteer to do this (with screen captures), once this feature stabilizes.

- Workings of the trigger zones. Like I said, it is a mixed blessing. I find that for it to work properly at all (and so I don't have to swipe three or four times to have the gesture be recognized), I have to increase the border to around 20 pixels or so. Less pixels for the border and I have to swipe much slower and press a little harder. The problem putting the border at 20 pixels or more starts to be that since this border will consume the gesture and not pass it to the other apps, you are effectively limiting the area the app can receive input. There are apps, like Solid Explorer, which have smaller icons on the right side, making it much harder for the press to be passed to the app. I literally have to press on the 'edge' of the icon. Same goes for the nav bar of the OS, on the bottom. If I enable the trigger zones for 'bottom left 1/3), I have trouble pressing those three nav icons. On the default launcher, if top right border or top right 1/3 or right top 1/3 zones are enabled with border 20 pixels or more, it becomes harder to press the icon to go to the app launcher...

I understand that the trigger zones were introduced to allow users to use single or double finger gestures. I think it is an incredibly useful idea. I am just raising difficulties of using it. Again, I state this to see if there is a way to improve this. I am not knowledgeable enough to know if it can be improved on the android platform. And I understand the dev tries to avoid some methodologies like overlays to maintain speed (which for this kind of app is crucial or it becomes worthless). If there's nothing that can be done, that's alright. If it can be improved, wonderful.

- Is it possible to introduce an action that would open the app drawer?

That's all my feedback for now. I love this app, love where it is going and hope to in some small way make it better.

Cheers to you all