OESF Portables Forum

Model Specific Forums => Cosmo Communicator => Cosmo Communicator - Hardware => Topic started by: Steve Goodey on January 07, 2020, 06:12:59 am

Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: Steve Goodey on January 07, 2020, 06:12:59 am
Hello,

I'm looking into a Cosmo autorotate problem, could someone look in Android settings, Accessibility, and in the Interaction controls section see if there is an Auto-rotate screen setting?

On my Gemini there is, but not on the Cosmo. Thanks.

Steve.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: NormMonkey on January 07, 2020, 09:18:32 am
Quote from: Steve Goodey
I'm looking into a Cosmo autorotate problem, could someone look in Android settings, Accessibility, and in the Interaction controls section see if there is an Auto-rotate screen setting?

Not there for me:
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Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: novaldex on January 07, 2020, 09:11:19 am
Hi Steve,

sorry, no option for Auto-rotate in the location you've specified.

There is:
Dwell timing
Power button ends call
Touch & hold delay
Vibration
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: Steve Goodey on January 07, 2020, 09:19:46 am
Great, thanks guys, just what I wanted to see, it's not just mine.

I'll try a query to Planet Computers.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: Tom D on January 07, 2020, 12:56:07 pm
The Cosmo doesn't support auto-rotate. The intention is to force apps to Landscape so you can use it like a mini-laptop.

I use Rotation Control Pro, which lets me select rotation on an App-specific basis. I set apps that perform better (or at all) in Portrait to automatically open in Portrait. It's a little clunky but works for me.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: plutopants on January 08, 2020, 02:12:42 am
Quote from: Tom D
The Cosmo doesn't support auto-rotate. The intention is to force apps to Landscape so you can use it like a mini-laptop.

I use Rotation Control Pro, which lets me select rotation on an App-specific basis. I set apps that perform better (or at all) in Portrait to automatically open in Portrait. It's a little clunky but works for me.

I used Macdroid to create a drawer shortcut to a Macro using Force Screen Rotate for each of Portrait and Landscape mode. This works great for me Andi don't have to find 3 fingers any more.

I use Portrait mode a lot - Agenda and Airmail are Landscapers though.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: Vistaus on January 10, 2020, 06:41:27 pm
@plutopants So you got a LANDSCAAPE Cosmo to do portrait stuff because...?
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: spook on January 10, 2020, 09:16:02 pm
...because some Android Apps just hate landscape mode, and the only way to use them efficiently is to use portrait. Same for some sites. As soon as they see amobile device, they serve up a mobile version which is optimised for portrait screens.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: gymbo on January 10, 2020, 10:40:38 pm
Quote from: spook
...because some Android Apps just hate landscape mode, and the only way to use them efficiently is to use portrait. Same for some sites. As soon as they see amobile device, they serve up a mobile version which is optimised for portrait screens.
For websites that give you mobile versions (optimized for portrait) I get most "stable" "non-mobile" versions with the Opera browser with "desktop version " turned on in settings (and Vivaldi now starts to get there too...). So a lot of the time you might get around that "problem".

There are some apps that refuse to work in landscape, and a few more that works poorly, but unless it's the only app for that "function" we should try and find alternatives that DO work in landscape as well...
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: wapsi on January 31, 2020, 04:23:39 am
I posted this message into Gemini Planet's Facebook group as well but it might be good idea to post it here as well:

"I'm 100% sure the automatic screen rotation used to work with my Cosmo with the stock FW version (V15) installed: After I ticked "Force landscape" and "Force portrait" modes off from App bar's settings the automatic screen rotation worked when I rotated the device. After I upgraded the FW to V19 it stopped working. The only way to rotate the screen is manually trigger it from the App bar: "Force Rotate".
And I just verified the automatic screen rotation is working with the same settings in my Gemini PDA. So I assume this is a bug in Cosmo's latest firmware(s)?
Luckily I was able to create a workaround by using Tasker to force the screen oriantation to landscape or to portrait mode, depending the state of "orientation sensor". Now the screen is rotating automatically if I rotate the device. But still I think this is a bug in Cosmo's Android. I've reported this issue to PlanetCom, let's see what they'll respond..."

And here are the screenshots how I implemented this in Tasker: https://imgur.com/a/MrcMDub (https://imgur.com/a/MrcMDub)
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: Steve Goodey on February 01, 2020, 06:20:34 am
Thanks for this info.

Your screenshots seem to make Tasker look a bit complicated. Do you find it quite easy to use?

Steve.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: steeph on February 01, 2020, 06:37:27 pm
Quote from: Steve Goodey
Your screenshots seem to make Tasker look a bit complicated. Do you find it quite easy to use?
I didn't think so before I tried to copy these settings and couldn't make it work. I've never used Tasker before and it's not as self explaining to me as I expected.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: Noppe on February 02, 2020, 04:49:14 am
I can see how those Tasker screenshots might be a bit confusing for those who haven't used Tasker a lot.  Here's a step-by-step for installing waspi's rules:

Starting on the Tasker homescreen, with the PROFILES tab selected:Now just repeat all these steps (with the obvious changes of course) for "Orientation Right Side" > "SetOrientationPortrait", and for "Not Orientation Left Side" + "Not Orientation Right Side" > "SetOrientationLandscape".  The last one is a little trickier, because first you have to select "Invert" when you create the profile (to get the "Not") and then after you have created the SetOrientationLandscape task, press and hold on "Not Orientation Left Side" (on the same line on the screen where it now says "SetOrientationLandscape", not the title line above that, and select "Add" to add the second second state, "Not Orientation Right Side" (again remember to select "Invert" here).

Tasker is a bit daunting when you first start to use it.  It kind of has to be, because it's incredibly powerful.  Given its broad range of abilities, the UI actually is very well designed, and once you get used to it, you'll find it quite easy to get it do the things you need.  It's just a bit scary at first.  When I write out all these steps, it sounds a lot more complex than it really is.  It's really pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it.

Hope this helps!
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: steeph on February 02, 2020, 05:58:23 am
Thank you very much. This seems helpful. Unfortunately it's not doing anything for me. It's working with the play button in Tasker. but not automatically.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: Noppe on February 02, 2020, 08:11:34 am
Quote from: steeph
Thank you very much. This seems helpful. Unfortunately it's not doing anything for me. It's working with the play button in Tasker. but not automatically.

In the Tasker main screen, are the appropriate profiles turning green when you rotate the Cosmo around?  One of them (and only one of them) should always be green, and which one will depend on the orientation.  If they're not turning green, then there's something wrong with Tasker detecting the orientation of the device.
Title: Auto-rotate.
Post by: szopin on February 05, 2020, 06:57:23 am
Quote from: wapsi
I posted this message into Gemini Planet's Facebook group as well but it might be good idea to post it here as well:

"I'm 100% sure the automatic screen rotation used to work with my Cosmo with the stock FW version (V15) installed: After I ticked "Force landscape" and "Force portrait" modes off from App bar's settings the automatic screen rotation worked when I rotated the device. After I upgraded the FW to V19 it stopped working. The only way to rotate the screen is manually trigger it from the App bar: "Force Rotate".
And I just verified the automatic screen rotation is working with the same settings in my Gemini PDA. So I assume this is a bug in Cosmo's latest firmware(s)?
Luckily I was able to create a workaround by using Tasker to force the screen oriantation to landscape or to portrait mode, depending the state of "orientation sensor". Now the screen is rotating automatically if I rotate the device. But still I think this is a bug in Cosmo's Android. I've reported this issue to PlanetCom, let's see what they'll respond..."

And here are the screenshots how I implemented this in Tasker: https://imgur.com/a/MrcMDub (https://imgur.com/a/MrcMDub)
Cannot confirm, before updating from V15 today tried, and the only difference with the AppBar modes off was updater app launching in portrait, opera/chrome/firefox would not autorotate on v15 and v16, don't think this is a regression, just unlucky decision from start it seems