[Nook Touch Themes and Apps] nmyshkin:
*6-17-23 Updated to 2.2*

--removed dependency on ScreenShotEasy

--added small binary file to convert frame buffer contents to png image

If you are updating, you

must

uninstall the previous version and read below as the app function has changed starting with 2.0.

The Quick Tiles app is an implementation for the NST/G of a now ubiquitous feature of modern Android systems. In this version for the NST/G, the user may select and arrange up to eight "tiles" which are shortcuts to features such as WiFi, screen orientation, NoRefresh, FastMode, and others. You may also edit the selection and arrangement of the tiles via the panel itself (the "pencil"--see screenshot below). I've tried to keep the selection of options focused on the typical areas of display and connectivity, although I have included some mode functions as well, such as display refresh modes and USB host. I welcome suggestions for additional options, but would discourage trying to make a "launcher" application out of what should be shortcuts to basic functions.

General Requirements

1. Root. A number of tiles require root to access shell commands or something else generally off limits to typical user access. Root permission is required only once, however, since it's all one app. The quickest way to get this over with is a long-press on the WiFi tile. This tries to access the WiFi Settings section of the Settings app and so needs root access. Once you've approved that, anything else will be OK.

2. This is a Tasker-generated app. If you already have one of my other Tasker-generated apps, you don't need the two Google maps library files included in the zip and can delete them. If you do need them, copy the two files into the locations shown below:

/system/etc/permissions/com.google.android.maps.xml

/system/framework/com.google.android.maps.jar

Set permissions for both files to rw-r--r-- and reboot.

Without these files resident, the app will not install

.

3. Copy the binary file "fb2png" to /data/local, permissions rwx rx rx

4. Copy the folder "QTiles" (and its contents) from the zip to the root of your SD card.

5. Because it is used (by Tasker) as a plugin, RotationLocker is a dependency of the app. It must be installed whether you use that feature or not.

6. Copy the QuickTiles apk file to your SD card and install via a file manager or install via ADB.

Setup

This app includes all the functionality of many other small apps I have put together. As such, it needs many of the configuration measures and/or plugins for those apps (but not the actual apps themselves such as USB Audio, Screenshot, ES Remote Manager, RN Menu, WiFi Menu, etc.--any of these other apps may be uninstalled if you are using Quick Tiles). As supplied, the app is configured to show only the WiFi tile (option wifi1). This configuration information is stored in the file QTiles/qtiles.txt:

wifi1,blank,blank,blank

You can edit this file on the NST/G with a text editor or on your PC.

New in version 2.x

To enable Quick Tiles, tap on the icon after installation. You will eventually see a message that the app is enabled.

This means there is now a transparent overlay which covers the status bar from the right edge of the "menu" button to approximately the clock.

The stock "hot spot" for the WiFi/Glowlight dialog extends fully over the clock. I stopped my overlay before the clock to allow access to bookmarking in the stock reader. So if you've gotten used to tapping in the upper right corner for WiFi/Glowlight, you'll need to relearn the motion. What you gain (besides Quick Tiles) is the possibility of assigning some other function to "clock" using NTMM, although it won't work in the Reader. Meanwhile, Quick Tiles will work in the Reader as well as everywhere else, whether the status bar is visible or not. Also, enabling Quick Tiles means that if you reboot, the transparent overly will reappear (shortly) without any additional action on your part (i.e., you never need to tap on the app icon again). To open the panel, just tap on the status bar between the "menu" button and the clock. You can close the panel manually by swiping upward (a little clumsy) or tapping on the small arrow at bottom center.

There are potential hazards associated with blocking areas of the screen, even apparently "blank" areas of the status bar. During testing I found at least one app that used the "hot spot" area when in full-screen mode: QuickPic. Editing and other tools appear in that area and are blocked by the transparent overlay of QuickTiles. My solution was to add an "escape" of sorts. If you long-press on the "hot spot" you will shortly see a toast stating that the app is disabled for 1 minute. This allows access to potentially blocked spots some apps may use.

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When the Quick Tiles panel is open, a long-press on the pencil icon in the lower right will attempt to open the configuration file for editing. If you choose whatever text editor you have as the default for a .txt file, the next time you access this function the file will open immediately (ES Note Editor, a part of ES File Explorer, is a great simple text editor). Changes in the configuration are immediate, i.e., the next time you open the panel, you will see the new arrangement. YOU MUST SELECT A MULTIPLE OF FOUR TILES,

INCLUDING BLANKS

(i.e., either 4 or 8 tiles).

All the tile options are listed below, along with links for configuration information and download links for apps used as plugins. These are also the

names

to be used in the configuration qtile.txt file as well as the names of icon files in Qtiles/icons (if you hate my icons, you may design your own, as long as you adhere to the same size of transparent png). By their nature, some tiles require the panel to close before execution. Actions which display alerts or dialogs are examples. Others (such as WiFi) can operate either with auto-close of the panel or without. It's your choice. I find myself often wanting something else after starting WiFi, so I have that tile set for manual close. Where this is an option there are two identical icons such as wifi1 and wifi2. The option with the "1" will auto-close the panel in every case. If you choose the option with the "2", you can close the panel yourself with an upward swipe or the little arrow.

Note: where an app is required, you only need to install it if you are going to use that function. This does

not

include RotationLocker which is a dependency.

blank

Place-holder. It should be used to make a full count of four (one row) or eight (two rows), if you are using fewer than a full row. It could also be used for spacing.

clearscreen

Uses the Nook Clear Screen app as a plugin (download).

fastmode1/2

Toggle shortcut to FastMode2 (the original FastMode has a different package name and will not work). It behaves exactly the same way as tapping on the regular FastMode icon. You must have FastMode2.apk installed (download) as well as a kernel that supports this display mode.

ftp

Shortcut to the Remote Manager function of ES File Explorer. WiFi must be on for this to work. Termination of the Remote Manager is handled through the notification window. You must have some version of ES File Explorer installed (download).

glowlight

Duplicates the behavior of QuickNav button #5 (default) for the NSTG, calling up the GlowLight control panel.

glowtoggle

Toggles the light off/on with a tap. A long-press calls up the GlowLight control panel.

Note:

this option assumes you have not reassigned a long-press of the "n" button to anything but the Glowlight. Otherwise, a tap on the icon will call up whatever alternative you have selected.

input

Calls up the Android 2.1 keyboard selector. Keyboard apps should be placed in /system/app and permissions set to rw-r-r.

norefresh1/2

Toggle shortcut to NoRefresh (the package names for the two versions of the app are apparently the same so whichever you have should work). It behaves exactly the same way as tapping on the regular NoRefresh icon. Generally you don't need this, but those of us who use NoRefresh know that it sometimes just drops out! You must have either of the two NoRefresh apps installed (download) as well as a kernel that supports this display mode. Note: this assumes you have all the automatic/gesture options disabled. The contrast adjustment is OK, but the rest causes all kinds of trouble.

reboot

Calls up a dialog similar to the stock shut down dialog. If reboot is confirmed, executes a complete reboot from the "Read Forever" screen.

rotation

Toggle (default portrait) that uses the Rotation Locker app to change the screen orientation. Landscape mode is locked in by using a notification/background service. It is best not to exit landscape via the notification since that will probably confuse the toggle variable. Return to portrait should be done via the Quick Tile. Requires RotationLocker app (download).

screenshot

Uses /data/local/fb2png to take a screenshot and then displays a brief, smaller version of the screenshot as well as a notification. Images are saved to /sdcard/Pictures/Screenshots.

Create folders if they don't exist already

.

usbaudio

Toggle which starts/stops USB audio service and prompts for the appropriate connections before displaying on-sceen media volume controls. Requires a kernel supporting USB host, additional patches for audio, as well as phone.apk in system/app for media volume control.

usbhost

Toggle which starts/stops USB host service and prompts for the appropriate connections. Requires a kernel supporting USB host.

wifi1/2

Toggle which bypasses the B&N WiFi Quick Settings dialog. If WiFi is off, it turns it on. If it's on, it turns it off. A long-press on this tile turns on the WiFi radio and opens the WiFi Settings menu for occasions when you need to select and log on to an unfamiliar network.

Note that something like wifi1/2 in the list above actually represents two different options, wifi1 and wifi2