Update 5

Vortex App – Major UI Redesign for Animations and StaticColor, and Minor Updates for Other Activities

In our latest update, we have implemented a comprehensive UI redesign for the Animations and StaticColor sections, along with minor visual and functional improvements across other activities in Vortex App. These changes are aimed at enhancing user experience, improving performance, and delivering a more modern, interactive interface.

Key Updates in This Release:

• Dependency Enhancements:
  We integrated several new libraries to power our advanced UI features:

  • Added com.github.skydoves:colorpickerview:2.3.0 for a more dynamic and user-friendly color selection experience.

  • Upgraded our Material components with com.google.android.material:material:1.12.0.

  • Implemented com.github.bumptech.glide:glide:4.16.0 to improve image loading and display.

• Animations UI Redesign:

  • A new RecyclerView has been introduced to display all animation buttons in a more engaging layout.

  • We added an AggressiveSnapHelper to the RecyclerView to ensure that items snap perfectly into place, creating a fluid and responsive scrolling experience.

  • The AnimationButtonAdapter and AnimationItem classes have been created for better control over each RecyclerView item, replacing our previous button logic in the Animations activity.

  • A new animation effect for the RecyclerView has been implemented, providing a polished, dynamic transition as users interact with the list.

• StaticColor UI Improvements:

  • The predefinedColors functionality has been replaced with the new colorPickerView, allowing users to select colors more intuitively.

  • The StaticColor activity now displays the selected color values in RGB, offering precise feedback on the chosen hue.

• Enhanced Device Management and Navigation:

  • A new Forget method has been added to BLEService to improve device removal functionality.

  • The logic in PreferenceManager for deviceCharFlag has been modified, ensuring that updates occur only within the assignIconBasedOnCharacteristic() method.

  • The deviceName logic in PreferenceManager is now updated exclusively in the showRenameDialog() function and when a new device is discovered, providing more consistent name management.

  • The application now relies more on PreferenceManager than on ConnectedDeviceManager, streamlining our data handling processes.

  • Across all activities, a backButton and titleText have been added to maintain consistency and improve navigation.

  • In ActivityMain, the disconnectButton has been removed to simplify the interface.

  • A popupMenu and a burgerMenuIcon have been added to SelectDeviceActivity, with the refresh device list function now available under the popupMenu.

  • Click animations have been implemented on all buttons, adding a subtle but engaging feedback effect upon interaction.

  • The loadDiscoveredDevices() function now clears the deviceList before loading new devices, ensuring a cleaner UI update.

• New Visual Assets and Styles:

  • We added new icons including ic_burger_menu, ic_go_back, on_click_button_effect, replaced_rounded_button (to display an animation on click), and test_button_background_carousel.

  • A new popup menu style has been defined in styles.xml, along with a burger_menu_popup layout, ensuring a cohesive look throughout the app.

Together, these updates not only modernize the user interface for Animations and StaticColor but also enhance the overall user experience across Vortex App. The improvements in layout, navigation, and visual feedback are designed to make the app more intuitive, responsive, and visually appealing.

You can visually verify these changes on our GitHub under the commit titled "Major UI redesign for Animations and StaticColor, and minor updates for all other activities."