Help How do you open an app that's prelaunched?

Gjb · Oct 19, 2017

I'm trying to create a task that performs actions within an app I've already ran.

I've tried using the TouchTask plugin to simply tap the toolbar to reopen it but to no avail.

Lauching the app and getting to the point where I want the main actions of my task to take place is too compicated so I'm trying to do this to cut down the amount of work

Thanks for any help!

Thom · Oct 19, 2017

I don't understand your "that I've already ran".

Is this an app that you launched with a Launch App? Did you leave Always Start New Copy unchecked ?

If so can't you just issue a second Launch App for the same app?

Does the app save some state information that is reloaded the next time it is launched (like the location a web browser is accessing)? If it does then position on a second launch is under its control.

... Thom

Gjb · Oct 19, 2017

Thom said:
I don't understand your "that I've already ran".

Hey Thom, apologies for not being clear. What I mean to say is I've ran the application, in this case a game, played it up to where I want it to be. Then I want my task to "reopen" that minimised application as its first action and then perform more actions.

Although, I've just thought perhaps the tap action itself is broken. I carried out a test of the TouchTask plugin buy Launcing Googlemail with my first action and then getting it to tap to a different inbox with a second. Whilst my new task does successfully run Gmail it does not successfully perform the tap action.

So perhaps the tap action itself is broken for me and I need to debug that somehow.

The plugin does successfully detect where it is I'm tapping on the screen and gets the coordinates when I'm creating the action though so I'm not sure where to go from here.

I'm on Andriod 7.1.1 unrooted and shouldn't need to be rooted according the TouchTask page:

"***THIS IS A TASKER PLUGIN. IT REQUIRES TASKER***
TouchTask allows you to perform gestures automatically without root"

sumotori · Oct 19, 2017

First, you can try the tap action separately to see if it works. Perhaps on something simpler. That will be easy to find out.

Also, as Thom suggests, what happens if you launch the app without selecting "start a new copy"?

Another idea is to not minimise your app in the first place, if that is an option. So you could run your task in a multitude of ways, a floating button, a notification, a quick settings tile, a UI specific element that appears or even a shake event on the phone etc. Not sure if something like that would work for you?

Gjb · Oct 20, 2017

I've followed your advice and just tried to get it to tap on an app on my home page but it looks to me like the tap action from TouchTask doesn't work on my device full-stop.

So I'm going to try to learn how to root my device (https://tinyurl.com/y97nwrlo) so I can use the AutoInput plugin's root functionality to press buttons instead.

I've identified that my Bluetooth controller uses "Button B" via a flash alert so I'm hoping to use that instead now.

Thanks for helping

sumotori · Oct 20, 2017

You should not need root to simulate a button press, unless a specific app doesn't accommodate for the service.

Before you root your device, you have to try some things.

It sounds to me as if, you have not properly enabled the accessibility service for TouchTask. Start from there...

Gjb · Oct 20, 2017

sumotori said:
It sounds to me as if, you have not properly enabled the accessibility service for TouchTask. Start from there...

I'd thought that myself earlier - It's definitely enabled, I believe it gave me an assert on initial boot and I set it then, double checking it again, it is enabled.

What other things would you recommend?

Additionally how can I tell if an "app doesn't accommodate" and how is it that you yourself would simulate a button press when not rooted?

sumotori · Oct 20, 2017

Apologies, by button press I meant taping on the screen, not physical buttons. And this would be with either TouchTask or AutoInput (but without root).

I suggest that you uninstall TouchTask and then re-install it. How does AutoInput respond for the same task? (It has a free trial so you can check if not bought it already).

Can you please post a description (long-click task > Export > Description to clipboard) of your task with the tap (either or both TouchTask and AutoInput).
Maybe do this with a simple task.

Gjb · Oct 20, 2017

No worries, I appreciate the help

I'll do that later on today (UK time) after work and post some reproduction steps for my issue with screenshots etc hopefully that'll help solve it.

Gjb · Oct 21, 2017

So, after some more testing I discovered that no matter where I tapped on my screen with the game running - TouchTask always gave me 960,600 as it position. However, auto input gave me something totally different!

I've gotten it working now with auto input and have attached a video.

Just got to sort my timings out.

Thinking maybe I need a timer of my own so I can see how many clicks I've got up to 20 skips (actualclicks), then multiply my noOfTimes value by skip/actualclicks when setting it .

Also need to work out the speed after 20, going to try half my wait first

Firstly got to figure out if a can display so kind of counter that increases by 1 after each click action, anyone know?

EDIT: got my counter, will post again if I finish it

thanks again!

sumotori · Oct 21, 2017

Okay, seems then that it's either some setting or TouchTask itself. You could simply just modify the coordinates manually, or use AutoInput.

If you have the AutoInput action in a for loop with a wait action for the desired time, you can also save a variable with increasing counter. Then have a scene display over the app with one text element, with text as: %Clicks

Your task would look like this:

Set Clicks to 0
Show scene
Begin for loop
AutoInput tap
Set Clicks to Clicks+1 (do maths)
Update scene element Text
Wait 1 second
End for

Help How do you open an app that's prelaunched?

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