Trick #17: How to use the streaming floating icon

Posted on by Anthony STEPHAN

Printoid offers you an exclusive feature: the floating icon to start your video streaming(s) from any screen on your phone, as Facebook Messenger does with its chat bubbles.

ENABLE THE FLOATING ICON

The first time you open the streaming view in Printoid, the app will ask you if you want to enable the floating icon right now.

You can accept or refuse. Don’t worry, if ever you refuse it here, you will be able to activate it again from the app settings, within the “streaming” category:

Screenshot_20170530-124306

Of course, at least one camera should be defined in Printoid settings for the currently selected OctoPrint profile.

OVERLAY PERMISSION

Printoid needs the “appears in overlay” permissions from Android. If the permission is not granted, the app will automatically open the proper configuration screen before enabling the floating icon. Without this permission, Printoid can’t display the floating icon nor the streaming view over your other applications.

If the permission is not prompted, or has be revoked by another third party app, here is the method to activate it manually:

For Samsung devices, follow the steps below:

  • Go to the Android Settings
  • Open Application and then tap on Application manager
  • Click on More, then Apps that can appear on top
  • Find Printoid, then allow the app to appear on top

For Android smartphones other than Samsung devices

  • Go to Settings
  • Click on the magnifying glass found at the top right
  • Then enter the search term draw
  • Click on Draw over other apps
  • Nevertheless, there is an alternative route.  Tap on the Apps > (gear icon) then on Draw over other apps
  • Find Printoid, then allow the app to appear on top

USE THE FLOATING ICON

Once enabled and the permission granted, Printoid will show you a floating bubble including the app icon, over any other application. Here is, for example, the floating icon over Nova Launcher and over Google Play:

Screenshot_20170530-124324
Screenshot_20170530-124342

To use it, you simply have to:

  • Click on the icon to open the floating camera view
  • Click on the icon again to close the floating camera view
  • Drag-n-drop it to the wanted position on screen

Here is, for example, two floating camera view over Google Play (with two cameras defined in the current OctoPrint profile):

Screenshot_20170530-124413

REMOVE THE FLOATING ICON

If you want to remove the floating icon from your screen, there are two ways:

  • Disable the floating icon from the Printoid’s settings
  • Drag-n-drop the floating to the trash icon at the bottom of your screen (see the captures bellow)
Screenshot_20170530-124351
Screenshot_20170530-124357

AUTO START THE FLOATING ICON

You probably want to remove the floating icon from your screen, but you want to see it back again when your 3D printer is printing something. To do that, you don’t need to activate it again manually: you have another option in the Printoid’s settings. Simply enable it:

Screenshot_20170530-124306

EXTRA FEATURES

This floating icon is made to display the streaming view only. I don’t want to add another features like a button to do a snapshot (you already have a tile to do that) nor adding special actions like temperature / fan control.

The main app is here to control your printer. The floating icon is just a commodity to see what’s going on your plate without having to open the app.

The only extra feature available in the floating view is a stop button. Because if ever you see something wrong on your printing, you probably want to shut down the printing as fast as possible.

So, please, do not request me anymore extra features in the floating view 🙂

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