[TIMOB-10066] Android: Allow for transparent activities

GitHub Issue	n/a
Type	New Feature
Priority	High
Status	Closed
Resolution	Hold
Resolution Date	2012-12-11T18:40:41.000+0000
Affected Version/s	Release 2.1.0
Fix Version/s	2012 Sprint 25, 2012 Sprint 25 API
Components	Android
Labels	api
Reporter	Rick Blalock
Assignee	Karl Rowley
Created	2012-07-20T15:55:40.000+0000
Updated	2013-03-30T16:47:44.000+0000

Description

We need a way to have a transparent activity on top of another app. Here is some information: http://abtandroid.blogspot.com/2011/08/small-tutorial-on-creating-transparent.html http://www.coderzheaven.com/2011/07/20/how-to-create-a-transparent-activity-in-android/ An app that does something similar to what the customer wants to do: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.neiti.scribblesmart Here is the source: https://github.com/mneubrand/scribble-smart This possibly is a module request or is even possible just with the theme manifests. If so I'll need some guidance on the best way to tackle this.

Attachments

File	Date	Size
Archive.zip	2012-07-23T16:58:01.000+0000	750636
IMG_3009.MOV	2012-07-23T15:38:13.000+0000	1814938

Comments

Vishal Duggal 2012-08-06

Moving to sprint 17. Trading for some 2.1.2 requests
Neeraj Gupta 2012-08-09

De-prioritizing this feature based on the discussion with services team.

Karl Rowley 2012-11-01

Here's an example of a transparent activity.

   package com.alert;
   
   import android.app.Activity;
   import android.content.Intent;
   import android.os.Bundle;
   import android.util.Log;
   import android.view.Gravity;
   import android.view.View;
   import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
   import android.view.Window;
   import android.view.WindowManager;
   import android.widget.Button;
   
   public class ServicesDemo extends Activity implements OnClickListener {
     private static final String TAG = "ServicesDemo";
     Button buttonStart, buttonStop;
   
     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
       super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
       
       Window window = getWindow();
       
       window.setLayout(100, 100);
       window.setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCH_MODAL,
               WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCH_MODAL);
       window.setGravity(Gravity.LEFT);
       window.setContentView(R.layout.main)
       
     }
   
   @Override
   public void onClick(View v) {
   	// TODO Auto-generated method stub
   	
   }
    
   }

layout/main.xml:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
       android:id="@+id/FrameLayout1"
       android:layout_width="100dp"
       android:layout_height="100dp" >
   
       <Button
           android:id="@+id/button1"
           android:layout_width="match_parent"
           android:layout_height="match_parent"
           android:layout_gravity="top"
           android:text="Button" />
   
   </FrameLayout>

values/styles.xml:

   <resources>
   
       <style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Light" />
     <style name="Theme.Transparent" parent="android:Theme">
       <item name="android:windowIsTranslucent">true</item>
       <item name="android:windowBackground">@android:color/transparent</item>
       <item name="android:windowContentOverlay">@null</item>
       <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
       <item name="android:windowIsFloating">true</item>
       <item name="android:backgroundDimEnabled">false</item>
     </style>
   </resources>

AndroidManifest.xml:

   <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
       package="com.alert"
       android:versionCode="1"
       android:versionName="1.0" >
   
       <uses-sdk
           android:minSdkVersion="8"
           android:targetSdkVersion="15" />
       
       <application
           android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
           android:label="@string/app_name"
           android:theme="@style/Theme.Transparent" >
           <activity
               android:name=".ServicesDemo"
               android:label="@string/title_activity_main" >
               <intent-filter>
                   <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
   
                   <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
               </intent-filter>
           </activity>
          
       </application>
       
    
   
   </manifest>

Karl Rowley 2012-11-02

Here's a transparent activity that's started from a broadcast receiver (listening for changes to phone state):

   package com.phone;
   
   import android.app.Activity;
   import android.content.Intent;
   import android.os.Bundle;
   import android.util.Log;
   import android.view.Gravity;
   import android.view.View;
   import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
   import android.view.Window;
   import android.view.WindowManager;
   import android.widget.Button;
   
   public class ButtonActivity extends Activity implements OnClickListener {
     private static final String TAG = "ServicesDemo";
     Button buttonStart, buttonStop;
   
     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
       super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
   
       
       Window window = getWindow();
       
       window.setLayout(100, 100);
       window.setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCH_MODAL,
               WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_NOT_TOUCH_MODAL);
       window.setGravity(Gravity.LEFT);
       window.setContentView(R.layout.main);
       
     }
   
   @Override
   public void onClick(View v) {
   	// TODO Auto-generated method stub
   	
   }
    
   }

   package com.phone;
   
   import android.app.Activity;
   import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
   import android.content.Context;
   import android.content.Intent;
   import android.util.Log;
   
   public class IncomingReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
   
   	
       @Override
       public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
    
         
               Log.i("com.phone", "onReceive");
               try {
               	
               
               	Intent activityIntent = new Intent(context, ButtonActivity.class);
               	activityIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
               	context.startActivity(activityIntent);
               	Log.i("com.phone", "Started activity");
               }
               catch (Exception exp) {
               	Log.i("com.phone", "Caught exception trying to start activity " + exp.toString());
               }
   
       }
   
   
   }

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
       android:id="@+id/FrameLayout1"
       android:layout_width="100dp"
       android:layout_height="100dp" >
   
       <Button
           android:id="@+id/button1"
           android:layout_width="match_parent"
           android:layout_height="match_parent"
           android:layout_gravity="top"
           android:text="Button" />
   
   </FrameLayout>

   <resources>
   
       <style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Light" />
     <style name="Theme.Transparent" parent="android:Theme">
       <item name="android:windowIsTranslucent">true</item>
       <item name="android:windowBackground">@android:color/transparent</item>
       <item name="android:windowContentOverlay">@null</item>
       <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
       <item name="android:windowIsFloating">true</item>
       <item name="android:backgroundDimEnabled">false</item>
     </style>
   </resources>

AndroidManifest.xml

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
         package="com.phone"
         android:versionCode="1"
         android:versionName="1.0">
       <application  android:label="@string/app_name"
           android:theme="@style/Theme.Transparent">
   
   		<receiver android:name=".IncomingReceiver" android:enabled="true">
   		    <intent-filter>
   				<action android:name="android.intent.action.PHONE_STATE"></action>
   			</intent-filter>
   		</receiver>
   		
   		<activity
               android:name=".ButtonActivity"
               android:launchMode="singleTask" 
               android:label="@string/title_activity_main" >
   		                    <intent-filter>
                       <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
                   </intent-filter>
           </activity>
   
       </application>
       <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="3" />
   
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE"></uses-permission>
   </manifest>

Karl Rowley 2012-11-05

A Javascript version of the transparent activity would look something like the following. A problem here is that the activity in the background does not show through -- I am not sure how to bypass the splash screen here so that the existing activity shows.

   var win = Titanium.UI.createWindow({
           id: "propertyWindow",
           title: "My New Window",
           modal: true,
           width:100,
           height: 100,
           top: 100,
           left: 0, 
           full: false,
           opacity: 0.5,
           topMost: true,
           visible: true,
           transparentBackground: true,
           transparency: true
       });
       
       var button = Titanium.UI.createButton({title: "Button"});
       button.height=100;
       button.width=100;
       button.left=0;
       button.top=100;
       win.add(button);
       
   win.width=100;
   win.height=100;
   win.left=0;
   win.top=100;
   win.open();

Ingo Muschenetz 2012-11-06

Module needs to be be 2.1.X compatible (and should also work on 3.0.0). Once we've figured out for sure this is a module item, be can move the ticket and remove the merge tags.
Ingo Muschenetz 2012-11-19

Should we resolve this ticket as "on hold" until the module is done?
Martin Guillon 2013-03-30

That's actually already possible. I already do it. You only need to use android theming system. Use a style like this And it will give you a transparent window

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