[priytosh]

Hi Devs,

My name is Priytosh Tripathi.
I am currently pursuing Undergraduate in Computer Science and Engineeering from APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, India.
I want to implement ' Addition of some essential missing elements in User Experience in the Windows x86 varient ' of Kodi, under the GSoC 2018.

Your essential guidance will be a help. I'll be obliged. 

Regards,

[Razze]

Hey priytosh, nice to have you here

As this doesn't seem to be a idea we pitched, you need to clarify it with some more info.
Please be as verbose as you can be, what are you planning to do, how will it affect kodi, why is it a good thing to do, what will users see from your work or is it backend only?
How did you find out that there is stuff missing? Which elements are missing? Are you just addressing missing elements or are you adding new ones?

[priytosh]

Hey razze,

Thank you for your Valuable response. I have been using kodi for about a month now and have found a couple of small but essential element missing. As you have asked me to write about the proposed project. I will try my best to explain you the work as detailed as possible.
 

• I have a Windows Tablet running Windows 10 x64 on an Intel processor. I  hardly use the tablet along with the detachable keyboard. Now, while using the x86 native desktop application or the UWP Kodi App, I have found that most of the Screen does not have a back button. Now, by default kodi uses the Esc. key of the keyboard to navigate back. Hence, to navigate back on a Windows Tablet, we need to actually, switch over the app, Open the On-Screen Keyboard, make Kodi as Active application and then press esc. from the On screen Keyboard. Now again Half of the Screen is covered with the On-Screen keyboard and you cant see almost half of the Screen. Once you close the on-Screen keyboard, again the problem for back navigation arises. I have even tried this after enabling the Tablet and mouse support, but that does not solves the problem on majority of screen. Thus, a back button possibly on the top left area would make things really easy and simple.
  

 

• Another Important feature which can increase the user experience is, while using the Touch variant of the Application, the Keyboard is really small and not much responsive. The Keyboard covers only half of the screen by width, which makes the button smaller and difficult to use. I think we can make the typing easy by simply making the keyboard either 100% of the screen width or maybe by using the native windows keyboard for touch as used by all touch applications on Windows Store which is easy, fast and much better.
  

 

• This will have a positive effect on the kodi users and the application, as the back button and easy to type keyboard are some of the basic feature which all touch screen application must have.
  

 

• The Project is actually good to do because, the touch screen PCs and Tablets based on windows are possibly the PCs hitting the most in the market so we can cover a large user base using this.
  

 

• The user will see a simple back navigation button which can take them to the previous screen and an easy to type keyboard or the use of easy and fast native keyboard. Plus we need not make much modifications to the Code.
  

 

• I think this is under the missing section because, I gave my Windows tablet to many people for watching some shows, and all have asked me the same question, 'Where is the back button?'.
  

I have written this proposal in an exploratory form, tell me if I should post this in a Project Proposal format. I'll be more than happy to do it. Please comment on  the description. I'll be obliged.

Regards,

[Razze]

Well regarding the back button. We do have two official skins. One is estuary, the one that is default and another mobile opimized skin, called estouchy. So look for estouchy if you want better control by fingers.

[priytosh]

The default skin has same issues, as I have told you. Plus, the one estouchy is better yet it is something which we need to know, install addon for and then use. Including the back button by default isn't the better way to make things easier. Please try Kodi on a touch screen device without using the hardware back button (as windows devices don't have one). 

What about the Keyboard layout and or using the default system Keyboard option. Won't that be great to use and deploy.? Please comment.

I am really thankful for your valuable feedback and response.

regards,

[priytosh]

Sorry!

I tried keyboard in the estouchy skin and it works awesome. Thank you for your feedback. 

i still want to be a Part of the Kodi Development Community and would like to contribute via, GSoC 18. Please suggest me a direction. I'll work in it. I know Java, python and JavaScript and have benn coding for almost 9 years now. Please help. I'll be obliged.

Regards,

[Razze]

Regarding Estouchy not being "standard". I think there was previous talk about it and it might actually be default for some devices, not sure if we can detect enough infos for that on windows. (Or nobody bothered to do that yet)

Well we do have some ideas here:
https://kodi.wiki/view/Google_Summer_of_...discussion

But if you can find something awesome that's not on the list, it might grant you higher chances to be choosen this year.

[priytosh]

Hey Razze,

Thank you for your valuable response and guidance. I want to pitch another idea to you. I think we must include Video calling feature to Kodi.

I have searched on the official and unofficial forums about this topic and found that till date only skype addon is available to kodi users which too is limited to Windows platform only. Furthermore we need a Microsoft account or a Skype ID to call another Skype user (who too must have a Skype account).

Video calling is one of the Prime feature of any smart TV and kodi is widely used for making any TV into a Smart TV, so we must definitely bring in the Video calling feature into Kodi.

I think the Video calling feature must be included in the core Application and used across all platforms.

If you think this is a feasible and good idea to work upon , do respond to it , I'll tell you my current idea of how to implement this.

Hoping for a positive response. Thank you for all your help. I am obliged.

Regards,

[priytosh]

Regarding Estouchy not being "standard". I think there was previous talk about it and it might actually be default for some devices, not sure if we can detect enough infos for that on windows. (Or nobody bothered to do that yet)

Well we do have some ideas here:
https://kodi.wiki/view/Google_Summer_of_...discussion

But if you can find something awesome that's not on the list, it might grant you higher chances to be choosen this year.

 Hey Razze,

I thought maybe quoting you would bring up your attention towards a new Idea I have pitched. I hope you are in good of health and life , as you don't delay this long in your replies.
If you get some free moments, please review the post just above this. I'll get some directions with my approach and vision. Thank you for your kind help.

Regards,

[ronie]

please ignore if it has been mentioned before, but a 'longpress' == back on touchscreens.

[priytosh]

Hey Razze,

Thank you for your valuable response and guidance. I want to pitch another idea to you. I think we must include Video calling feature to Kodi.

I have searched on the official and unofficial forums about this topic and found that till date only skype addon is available to kodi users which too is limited to Windows platform only. Furthermore we need a Microsoft account or a Skype ID to call another Skype user (who too must have a Skype account).

Video calling is one of the Prime feature of any smart TV and kodi is widely used for making any TV into a Smart TV, so we must definitely bring in the Video calling feature into Kodi.

I think the Video calling feature must be included in the core Application and used across all platforms.

If you think this is a feasible and good idea to work upon , do respond to it , I'll tell you my current idea of how to implement this.

Hoping for a positive response. Thank you for all your help. I am obliged.

Regards,

 My point was keeping things simple, how would someone know the secret long press thing. Its not a common practice. Plus, the answer which Razee gave was actually nice. The default touch screen theme is the perfect solution.

Anyways, thank you for your kind consideration into the matter. Can you comment on the above post. I'll be obliged.

Regards,

[Razze]

Hey Razze,

Thank you for your valuable response and guidance. I want to pitch another idea to you. I think we must include Video calling feature to Kodi.

I have searched on the official and unofficial forums about this topic and found that till date only skype addon is available to kodi users which too is limited to Windows platform only. Furthermore we need a Microsoft account or a Skype ID to call another Skype user (who too must have a Skype account).

Video calling is one of the Prime feature of any smart TV and kodi is widely used for making any TV into a Smart TV, so we must definitely bring in the Video calling feature into Kodi.

I think the Video calling feature must be included in the core Application and used across all platforms.

If you think this is a feasible and good idea to work upon , do respond to it , I'll tell you my current idea of how to implement this.

Hoping for a positive response. Thank you for all your help. I am obliged.

Regards,

 Well, kind of checks out, would indeed be a premium feature. But you seem to want to do this without a third party involved?
I'm not personally very into video calling, from my tv. Also I fear that the module might need continuous development after gsoc, when you might or might no longer be around.

[priytosh]

Hey Razze,

Thank you for your valuable response and guidance. I want to pitch another idea to you. I think we must include Video calling feature to Kodi.

I have searched on the official and unofficial forums about this topic and found that till date only skype addon is available to kodi users which too is limited to Windows platform only. Furthermore we need a Microsoft account or a Skype ID to call another Skype user (who too must have a Skype account).

Video calling is one of the Prime feature of any smart TV and kodi is widely used for making any TV into a Smart TV, so we must definitely bring in the Video calling feature into Kodi.

I think the Video calling feature must be included in the core Application and used across all platforms.

If you think this is a feasible and good idea to work upon , do respond to it , I'll tell you my current idea of how to implement this.

Hoping for a positive response. Thank you for all your help. I am obliged.

Regards,

 Well, kind of checks out, would indeed be a premium feature. But you seem to want to do this without a third party involved?
I'm not personally very into video calling, from my tv. Also I fear that the module might need continuous development after gsoc, when you might or might no longer be around.  

I would suggest this to be implemented using WebRTC. Its open source, easy to implement, quick, reliable and is really light weight integrated into browser. Its does not involves third parties and uses codecs already maintained and updated by some reliable communities. WebRTC would be the best fit for Kodi because we can have this feature across all devices at an instant and it would be supported to even raspberry-pi zero w.

Yes, it may require development but not much, it would be just like all other modules in this ever changing technology, but this can't bind us for not including such features in the Project. We are a big working community, and once done we'll be doing this.
Please suggest me if I can proceed with this Idea and contribute.

[Razze]

Hey Razze,

Thank you for your valuable response and guidance. I want to pitch another idea to you. I think we must include Video calling feature to Kodi.

I have searched on the official and unofficial forums about this topic and found that till date only skype addon is available to kodi users which too is limited to Windows platform only. Furthermore we need a Microsoft account or a Skype ID to call another Skype user (who too must have a Skype account).

Video calling is one of the Prime feature of any smart TV and kodi is widely used for making any TV into a Smart TV, so we must definitely bring in the Video calling feature into Kodi.

I think the Video calling feature must be included in the core Application and used across all platforms.

If you think this is a feasible and good idea to work upon , do respond to it , I'll tell you my current idea of how to implement this.

Hoping for a positive response. Thank you for all your help. I am obliged.

Regards,

 Well, kind of checks out, would indeed be a premium feature. But you seem to want to do this without a third party involved?
I'm not personally very into video calling, from my tv. Also I fear that the module might need continuous development after gsoc, when you might or might no longer be around.   

I would suggest this to be implemented using WebRTC. Its open source, easy to implement, quick, reliable and is really light weight integrated into browser. Its does not involves third parties and uses codecs already maintained and updated by some reliable communities. WebRTC would be the best fit for Kodi because we can have this feature across all devices at an instant and it would be supported to even raspberry-pi zero w.

Yes, it may require development but not much, it would be just like all other modules in this ever changing technology, but this can't bind us for not including such features in the Project. We are a big working community, and once done we'll be doing this.
Please suggest me if I can proceed with this Idea and contribute. 

 That sounds like you would need to port a browser engine to kodi first. Which is probably a whole gsoc work in it's own, or even more.
Is that your plan?

[priytosh]

 Well, kind of checks out, would indeed be a premium feature. But you seem to want to do this without a third party involved?
I'm not personally very into video calling, from my tv. Also I fear that the module might need continuous development after gsoc, when you might or might no longer be around.   

I would suggest this to be implemented using WebRTC. Its open source, easy to implement, quick, reliable and is really light weight integrated into browser. Its does not involves third parties and uses codecs already maintained and updated by some reliable communities. WebRTC would be the best fit for Kodi because we can have this feature across all devices at an instant and it would be supported to even raspberry-pi zero w.

Yes, it may require development but not much, it would be just like all other modules in this ever changing technology, but this can't bind us for not including such features in the Project. We are a big working community, and once done we'll be doing this.
Please suggest me if I can proceed with this Idea and contribute.  

 That sounds like you would need to port a browser engine to kodi first. Which is probably a whole gsoc work in it's own, or even more.
Is that your plan? 

 I thought of making it that way, only after that I realized that Kodi supported browser is just basic and does not have much support for Plugins and Scripts. So lets make things even elementary, firstly we need to add a full fledged browser to Kodi for enhanced feature. Browser will open Window to a lot of possibilities.

The other way is to port another open source project like 'Jitsi' to kodi and make Video calling an internal feature. This way it would be easier to build a Video calling Service but would still not be as versatile as designing a browser.

I hope you would find me a good way to start up with any of this.