Official iPad Thread

[Entropy]

I'd like to display an image, PDF or zoomable Web page on half the screen while translating using HWR on the other half. (This would require limiting the size of the keyboard, but I'd be happy to use the Pleco keyboard if it could be set to a stricter mode--it seems more forgiving of bad HW than the Apple one, which is both a plus and a minus for me.)

It would be especially nice if Pleco could move photos from the iPhone to the iPad for translating. (I bought the iPad planning to do this manually, but moving the pictures would be useful.) BTW, it wouldn't bug me if this kind of thing used WiFi instead of BT, as long as they would work the same way over BT eventually.

Of course this should be a paid add-on.

 

[mikelove]

I'd like to display an image, PDF or zoomable Web page on half the screen while translating using HWR on the other half. (This would require limiting the size of the keyboard, but I'd be happy to use the Pleco keyboard if it could be set to a stricter mode--it seems more forgiving of bad HW than the Apple one, which is both a plus and a minus for me.)

Seems like we might be better off building this on the OCR module - use that to do one recognition run, then you can go through and manually edit the text to make sure it matches; would help to justify offering OCR on iPad as well as on iPhone.

It would be especially nice if Pleco could move photos from the iPhone to the iPad for translating. (I bought the iPad planning to do this manually, but moving the pictures would be useful.) BTW, it wouldn't bug me if this kind of thing used WiFi instead of BT, as long as they would work the same way over BT eventually.

Maybe, but I'd really rather just wait until Apple's official fix (if one appears) for the Bluetooth communication problem is ready - that way we can use the same API for everything instead of having to build some complicated temporary thing on TCP/IP and switch to their system later.

 

[Entropy]

I'd like to display an image, PDF or zoomable Web page on half the screen while translating using HWR on the other half.

Seems like we might be better off building this on the OCR module - use that to do one recognition run, then you can go through and manually edit the text to make sure it matches; would help to justify offering OCR on iPad as well as on iPhone.

Sure, that would work. I was assuming that OCR would be on both platforms, since you certainly should be able to do OCR on a sufficiently sharp photograph and it's pretty easy to get pictures onto the iPad.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

 

[mikelove]

It should be eventually, but we've been focusing our efforts for the first release on the live OCR mode, and the still-image OCR interface isn't yet refined enough to sell OCR on a device that can only use that type of OCR.

 

[talimedicatus]

Hey, first off kudos Mike for the great app, I use it every day !

I had a question about a flashcard option on which I was not able to get info in other sections of the forum. In the fill-in-the-blanks mode with headword prompting is it possible to get rid of the character suggestions ? That is, upon entering your answer is it possible not to see what the handwriting software recognizes/recommends to you ? It makes this type of flashcard exercise too easy.

If this feature is unavailable a possible way of adding it is allowing the user to type the character and only after when the user thinks he finished drawing it he should have the option of revealing the suggestions so that this alleged character can be transferred into the "blank".

Thanks!

 

[gandq]

Hi Mike,

haven't posted in a long time, but that's mostly because I'm happily using Pleco without much to report about other than that it is still by far the most useful piece of software that I've ever owned. I even bought a second license recently to show my appreciation.

Yet I had to notice that it doesn't play that well with an external keyboard. I thought this would probably be fixed by an update successively but so far nothing has happened. I know you're busy working on the awsome OCR feature, but fixing external keyboard compability would nevertheless be much appreciated.

I haven't searched the forums, but I guess you know most of the bugs already:

- keyboard connected: input field not active on pleco launch, leading to incomplete searches
- opening the software keyboard in connection with an external keyboard (for example to use HWR) will lead to some interface bugs
- arrow keys have no effect
...

For now I can live with these bugs, but I would love to see improved support in the future.

While I'm at it: it would be nice to be able to edit text margins in the reader. Since the reader is my most used feature, having to do three taps to get to my last opened document after relaunching pleco is also a bit annoying, wish there'd be just one button for that. Support for more file formats would also be nice, DropBox suport a dream.

Keep up your great work!

Cheers,


jo.

 

[mikelove]

I haven't searched the forums, but I guess you know most of the bugs already:

- keyboard connected: input field not active on pleco launch, leading to incomplete searches
- opening the software keyboard in connection with an external keyboard (for example to use HWR) will lead to some interface bugs
- arrow keys have no effect

The interface bugs should already be fixed for 2.2, I think. Wasn't aware of this keyboard-connected-on-launch bug - we'll investigate that, though it may be complicated enough that it has to wait for 2.2.x. As far as the arrow keys not working, that's all on Apple - there's no way for programs to do much of anything with those yet, the only things that know how to use them are Apple's own text input controls.

While I'm at it: it would be nice to be able to edit text margins in the reader. Since the reader is my most used feature, having to do three taps to get to my last opened document after relaunching pleco is also a bit annoying, wish there'd be just one button for that. Support for more file formats would also be nice, DropBox suport a dream.

An option to at least default to the reader tab on launch has been long-requested... still not sure when it'll make it in but it's got a couple of asterisks next to it on the Grand To-Do List anyway. Editing margins is also on the to-do list (especially for iPad)... with file formats, which ones would you like to see supported?

 

[mikelove]

- keyboard connected: input field not active on pleco launch, leading to incomplete searches

Can't seem to reproduce this one - could you elaborate on it a bit? If the problem is that when Pleco is set to open input on launch, if that input comes up in HWR or Rad mode instead of Key the keyboard doesn't work, there's unfortunately not much we can do about that yet, though you can set it to always reopen in Key mode in Settings / Panels.

 

[jackharrison]

Hi,

I have pleco on my iPhone and iPad. I have different flashcard programmes running on both systems. Does anyone know how I can sync the programmes so that they are on both tools?

Sorry if I am being stupid but haven't worked out a quick solution.

Cheers,

Jack
Battling through the Chinese in Taiwan

 

[mikelove]

I have pleco on my iPhone and iPad. I have different flashcard programmes running on both systems. Does anyone know how I can sync the programmes so that they are on both tools?

That's not easily done in Pleco yet, but should hopefully come in the 2.3 update (next big one after the one we're getting ready to release) - the runaway success of the iPad took us by surprise, and since flashcard database sync is a very big / complicated feature it's taken a while for us to work it into our development schedule.

At the moment, your best bet for sharing Pleco flashcards between the two devices would be:

1) Backup and Restore - back up your flashcard database from one device and "restore" it on the other, leaving them both with the identical database. (only works if you aren't regularly creating / manipulating cards on both)

2) Use the Search Cards screen to locate cards that have recently been created (or modified, or reviewed), then use the "Export Cards" command at the bottom of the Batch Commands screen (tap on the "Edit" button at the top rigth corner of the list of search results, then tap "Batch") to export those cards to an XML file and copy over / import that file in on the other device.

 

[gandq]

- keyboard connected: input field not active on pleco launch, leading to incomplete searches

Can't seem to reproduce this one - could you elaborate on it a bit? If the problem is that when Pleco is set to open input on launch, if that input comes up in HWR or Rad mode instead of Key the keyboard doesn't work, there's unfortunately not much we can do about that yet, though you can set it to always reopen in Key mode in Settings / Panels.

Hi Mike,

sorry it took me a while to reply.

What I meant here is that when opening Pleco and just starting to type, the search results are a bit weird. I seem to get single-char results, definitely a difference to the results I get for the same search when the input field is selected first before typing. (open to input is inactive, since I use the reader a lot and it would basically add one more to the three taps that I already need to get there.)

A pity that Apple won't let programmers use the arrow keys (yet). Hope they change their minds.

I might vote for an "open to last read document in reader on launch" - feature, but that might be annoying when i actually want to use the dictionary search. Well, I guess that won't be a problem anymore, anyway, when the iPad finally gets multitasking.

Cheers,


jo.

 

[mikelove]

What I meant here is that when opening Pleco and just starting to type, the search results are a bit weird. I seem to get single-char results, definitely a difference to the results I get for the same search when the input field is selected first before typing. (open to input is inactive, since I use the reader a lot and it would basically add one more to the three taps that I already need to get there.)

Still not quite clear on this - how can your typing do anything at all before you've opened up input? Do you just launch Pleco and start typing and it shows you search results? Do the characters you type appear anywhere?

I might vote for an "open to last read document in reader on launch" - feature, but that might be annoying when i actually want to use the dictionary search. Well, I guess that won't be a problem anymore, anyway, when the iPad finally gets multitasking.

Indeed, though just remembering / returning to the last tab (as we're adding an option for in 2.2) should save 2 of those 3 taps to return to the reader while also keeping it fairly easy to get back to the dictionary.

 

[gandq]

Still not quite clear on this - how can your typing do anything at all before you've opened up input? Do you just launch Pleco and start typing and it shows you search results? Do the characters you type appear anywhere?

Hi Mike,

yes, I just start to type and get some weird search results, without the characters appearing anywhere.

Would be great if I could just fire up Pleco and start searching right away, without having to select the input field first.

Cheers,

jo.

 

[mikelove]

yes, I just start to type and get some weird search results, without the characters appearing anywhere.

Would be great if I could just fire up Pleco and start searching right away, without having to select the input field first.

No way to do that, unfortunately, since we can't pick up keyboard input at all except when the input is already open - it seems very likely that Apple will add full keyboard-handling support in a future iOS release, they just haven't seen fit to do so yet.

I'm not able to reproduce your weird-results problem, though - if I open up Pleco on an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard connected and open-input-on-launch turned off, nothing at all happens when keys are pressed. Is there any chance that input might be open but in another mode like HWR?

 

[radioman]

Did a quick search and did not find this listed so I'll post it here.
Think I found a bug with regard to file sharing.

First, the feature is great. The problem is that when the iPad is in landscape and you find a device, then render a list of files to transfer, the files are shown wrong. I will say my list is long, maybe several dozen files, so not sure if a short list would have the problem.

The target device was an iPhone 3Gs.

 

[mikelove]

First, the feature is great. The problem is that when the iPad is in landscape and you find a device, then render a list of files to transfer, the files are shown wrong. I will say my list is long, maybe several dozen files, so not sure if a short list would have the problem.

By "wrong" you mean that it's shown in portrait orientation instead, right? I'm seeing that here too - should be easy to fix in 2.2.1, thanks!

 

[radioman]

Yeah I think that was the problem - but it was not as clean as just showing in the wrong direction. It came up as a blank screen because it was rendered incorrectly. then I pivoted the iPad to landscaped and then portrait and it redisplayed itself partially.

Anyway, sounds like you have a line on it. I guess the fix for now is just transfer using portrait.

 

[numble]

So iPad 2 cameras probably not good enough for OCR, right?

 

[mikelove]

So iPad 2 cameras probably not good enough for OCR, right?

Without an external macro lens, probably not. But honestly, the ergonomics of live OCR on an iPad would be pretty awful anyway - given that still-image OCR works beautifully on a large screen, the best way to get OCR on an iPad is probably to use an external camera and transfer photos using the iPad camera connection kit.

 

[DotComCTO]

Without an external macro lens, probably not. But honestly, the ergonomics of live OCR on an iPad would be pretty awful anyway - given that still-image OCR works beautifully on a large screen, the best way to get OCR on an iPad is probably to use an external camera and transfer photos using the iPad camera connection kit.

Except that this approach doesn't work while I'm in class trying to recall a particular character and/or meaning. Mike, I know you don't have an iPad 2 yet, but is the OCR camera code tied to the iOS platform/model, or does the code look to see if a camera is present? I'm betting it's the former, but hoping for the latter. I will be picking up an iPad 2 on Friday and wondered whether the rear camera would work at all.

Thanks!

Gary (嘉利)