Difference Between Experience Keyboard and Scene Keyboard

Ok - I’ve been using Intuiface for years. Surprisingly, I can still get confused by some basic things. So I’m going to post this publicly because I think others may have the same challenge.

Let’s talk about the keyboard. Here’s my questions:

  • What is the difference between the keyboard in the Experience properties vs the keyboard in the Scene properties?

  • Why are there built-in triggers to move the Experience keyboard, but no triggers to move the scene keyboard?

  • Why does the keyboard seem to operate so unpredictably when different text inputs of the same scene require the keyboard in different places? I’ve built many Xp’s, and I often see the keyboard pop up in the wrong location, at the wrong size, etc, but then run the xp again, and it’s working just fine.

  • Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but wouldn’t it be nice if each text input had it’s own keyboard and properties? That way multiple people could input data on the same screen at the same time? Or at minimum, put keyboard properties in the text input item? That way whenever that input item goes into edit mode, the keyboard follows the size/position of that text input? And if another text input is touched, the keyboard follows the size/position set by that one?

Maybe there’s some OS limitations behind my requested features. But the keyboard is like a printer. In order to make it work, you need to double check everything, sing to it softly, and tell it that it’s safe for it to play nicely :slight_smile:

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Hi @AlexB,

Let me try to clarify this with this experience sample: TextInput-Properties.zip (7.6 MB)

You’ll see 3 scenes showing what happens if:

  • You only define keyboard properties at the XP level
  • You define both properties at the XP level & the scene level => the scene wins
  • You define properties at the XP level, scene level and the text input level (ex: numpad style) => the scene + text input wins.

In the 3rd scene, it also shows how to move the keyboard (there’s only one!) when a text input gets focused.

Note this is valid for Intuiface Player running on a platform without an OS-keyboard, such as Windows. This will be different on iPad or Android for example.

Regarding " I’ve built many Xp’s, and I often see the keyboard pop up in the wrong location, at the wrong size, etc, but then run the xp again, and it’s working just fine.", you know I won’t believe it until I see it myself :smiley: :wink: so if you have an XP where this happens, please share it with our support team.

Let me know if that helps!

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Thank you, very informative. Can you help expand on this example. I have been trying to bind the location of the key board with the X&Y of a movable group. Every time I get a composer error. Using your Task Board xp, If you go to update the text of one of the items in the group, have the keyboard move to that item’s X&Y.

Thanks again.

Hi Brian @Hootie,

You should submit this issue to our support team and share your XP with them, they’ll have a look at it.

I just found a work around. Added trigger to text input get focus that updates global variables for X & Y. Passed that to the keyboard location. Works ok.

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