The state of keyboard modding in FW 3.x

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1) Those are Apples and Oranges. As you can read up in the first post of this thread, iAcces is system modification that uses bitmapped keyboards. So those can be skinned by photoshopped png images and I provided a screenshot of my Aqwoah keyboard running under iAcces and implemented as a WinterBoard theme. IkeyEx is a completely different beast. It does enable you to skin the keyboard, but is primarily used to implement different keyboard layouts (e.g. Dvorak or 5-row keyboards). It only creates layout files and you can assign certain characters to the keys. At this point, it lets you alter the character style of the keys, but not their shape or color (this may become possible in future versions, but will be limited to different color gradients). iKeyEx will never be able to display keyboards that have gloss or glows or other fancy styles. It will always stay within the vector realm.

2) iKeyEx does not allow customization or skinning of keyboards. So that is out of the running. Only two options exist that enable bitmapped keyboards and I have described them in the first post: iTypeFastr and iAcces. Each with their own limitations. I would say that the closest to skinning we had under FW 2.x is probably iAcces. Unfortunately, there are not many keyboard skins that have been implemented for iAcces. I do provide a full Aqwoah keyboard skin for all keyboards for those using FW 2.x and I provide the same keyboards for iAcces, but they are not as global, since some keyboard configurations are not available in iAcces and the iPhone will put up its default keyboards.

armadillo, thanks so much for providing me with good info. I am thinking about upgrading to fw 3.0 and want to ensure that I get a "themed" keyboard that looks good. So far, I don't like iTypeFastr... it looks butt ugly. But, I like this theme from iAccess:

2 more questions (and I apologize for many questions):

1) Does iAccess work in jailbreak 3.0.1?

2) Is iAccess global in both 3.0 and 3.01?

.

[armadillo]

As I said, iAcces works in 3.0 and 3.0.1 fairly globally. Pretty much all apps that wok with QWERTY keyboards are skinned. There are some exceptions, like Cydia, which do not get skinned. So if a special keyboard is called (like the URL keyboard), you get Apple's original.

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As I said, iAcces works in 3.0 and 3.0.1 fairly globally. Pretty much all apps that wok with QWERTY keyboards are skinned. There are some exceptions, like Cydia, which do not get skinned. So if a special keyboard is called (like the URL keyboard), you get Apple's original.

Thanks, armadillo. You really know your stuff! I appreciate your quick responses to all my questions. I think I'll be upgrading to 3.0.1, for sure. Again, thanks alot buddy!

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[ronm3xico]

Armadillo, how would we go about implementing these vector based solutions for ikeyex?
I would be glad to give it a go if I got a push in the right direction.
Thanks,
-ronm3xic

[armadillo]

Okay, I have clarified the issues of vector modding in the first post. I probably left the impression that keyboard skins are feasible with iKeyEx, when in fact they are not (at least not presently). Please read the iKeyEx section in the first post again. You cannot change the appearance of keys. So far only the key label text can be styled.

[ronm3xico]

Well I would like to just change the colors, so labels would be fine for me. I will check out how to do it on the networkpx wiki, but if you have any words of wisdom, please lay em on me.

I figured out how the layout.plist works, but I'm not sure how to add the colors, the documentation isn't making it explicitly clear to me. If anyone can help, and wants keyboards, feel free to help me out.

[autobuck]

Hi,
I have successfully modified my keyboard layout by hand, but I am having trouble. I cannot insert the ampersand (&) character b/c it breaks the XML. I have tried \& and &amp ... still breaks.

Otherwise I have a 5-row keyboard with 12, 11, 11, and 9 keys above the spacebar row. It is laid out much like an ordinary keyboard and extremely usable. Once I get this ampersand thing sorted, I would be happy to distribute the files, preferably to somebody who could put it up on a repo.

[ronm3xico]

Hi,
I have successfully modified my keyboard layout by hand, but I am having trouble. I cannot insert the ampersand (&) character b/c it breaks the XML. I have tried & and &amp ... still breaks.

Otherwise I have a 5-row keyboard with 12, 11, 11, and 9 keys above the spacebar row. It is laid out much like an ordinary keyboard and extremely usable. Once I get this ampersand thing sorted, I would be happy to distribute the files, preferably to somebody who could put it up on a repo.

Do you know how to modify the colors?

[autobuck]

Do you know how to modify the colors?

Not yet, but we'll see. I've basically figured out the file format now; I'm working on figuring out some more advanced placement stuff, and how to insert control characters. Color is on the to-do list as well. When I get it sorted I'll probably post the full layout.plist file with comments explaining what does what so nobody else will have to go through this reverse-engineering hell we're all slogging through!

[armadillo]

@autobuck: Please keep me posted on your efforts. As to the ampersand issue, you need to use & (don't forget the semicolon at the end).

[autobuck]

@autobuck: Please keep me posted on your efforts. As to the ampersand issue, you need to use & (don't forget the semicolon at the end).

I already hit "thanks," but I have to say it too: you are the hero of the moment! I was leaving the semicolon off. Now I can include pointy brackets, too. In a few more tries I'll be "done" ... with version 1, without altering the numbers page or adding colors and fancy stuff like that. Big thanks, my man.

[armadillo]

These are the reserved characters and their translations:

(&): &
(>): >
(<): &lt;
('): &apos;
("): &quot;

[bandit_kaine]

armadillo, the keyboard layouts of iAcess and iTypeFastR are both stored in the ini folders in 4 files:

kb_define_base.dat
kb_define_base.ini
kb_define_base_landscape.dat
kb_define_base_landscape.ini

iAcess uses "standard" keyboard layout, and iTypeFastR uses their own, if you put those 4 files from the iAcess ini folder into the itypefastr, the itypefastr keyboard layout will now be "standard" (iaccess layout, in itypefastr app).

[armadillo]

Thanks, this is very useful info. I will update the first post.

I just looked at the files and it would seem that iAcces only has 3 files that correspond to the ones you listed. iAcces does not have the "kb_define_base_landscape.dat" file (just the .ini). Have you tested this and does the landscape keyboard look default without that file?

[Cornflake]

1. iAccess:It is also possible to skin iAcces in WinterBoard, enabling the use of various WinterBoard themes. This is one example of the iAcces keyboard that was skinned through WinterBoard:

How does one going about using WinterBoard for this? I followed all the instructions here Theme Keyboard on 3.0!!! except instead of copying my custom bitmaps, I enabled a keyboard in WinterBoard, but I see no difference. Are there any guides on getting WinterBoard to skin iAccess? Because manually copying bitmaps is a pain!

*EDIT* When I go to switch the options to OFF under iAcess they reset whenever I exit the application. And I copied the bitmap files from the keyboard theme I'd like to use (although didn't rename them) and still a no-go when enabling the keyboard through Winterboard. I've already spent an hour trying to get this to work and I'm a bit frustrated now.

[armadillo]

Changing images in iAcces through WinterBoard is no different that for any other app. You just have to create a theme with the proper bundle info and the relative directory structure with the modified files. If you do not know how to do this, use another app skin like a dialer to see how the structure looks.

[SVD85]

Is there any way to activate the transparent keyboard used in some applications for all of the apps? I am a noob when it comes to development but my question is how to programs like irealquicksms use a transparent keyboard? ... is there a way to edit all of the other programs to do the same?

[TrOpAzR]

I am wondering if someone could build a better, faster, slimmer and English app to replace iAcess.

Maybe we could use the existing framework of iAcess, but build in a dictionary for auto-correct since that seems to be the only real drawback of iAcess.

Any thoughts?

[zaid73]

I have iPhone 3G, OS 3.0 jailbroken with illumine theme, using ifunbox I can see that there is also a black keyboard theme inside illumine but its not working also. So I am wondering if its not working only with me or with others also?

[armadillo]

Go back to post #1 of this thread.