Android Question get / set brightness

[yaniv hanya]

why when I use this code

Dim ref As Reflector
    ref.Target = ref.GetActivity
    ref.Target = ref.RunMethod("getWindow")
    ref.Target = ref.RunMethod("getAttributes")
    Dim brightness As Float = ref.GetField("screenBrightness")

I get brightness = -1
how can I get the real value?

 

[MarkusR]

not the answer but

However if the screen brightness is set to automatic then the first value will be -1. You can explicitly set the brightness to 0.7 when your app starts.

see #2
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/setscreenbrightness-not-working.31606/

 

[yaniv hanya]

yes i saw this but how can i get it out from the automatic state?
I did not find it on the device settings

 

[MarkusR]

i found this page but it is related to android studio.
he choose the setting
Settings.System.SCREEN_BRIGHTNESS_MODE, Settings.System.SCREEN_BRIGHTNESS_MODE_AUTOMATIC
and then he read the value
Settings.System.SCREEN_BRIGHTNESS
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/33063718/getting-the-current-screen-brightness

 

[yaniv hanya]

It really looks like what I'm looking for.
Do you have any idea how I implement this in b4a?

 

[Erel]

You cannot get the brightness value if it is set to auto mode.

You can set the brightness with Phone.SetScreenBrightness.

 

[MarkusR]

It really looks like what I'm looking for.
Do you have any idea how I implement this in b4a?

first i would test it in android studio and if it works makeing a library for b4a then.

 

[Erel]

The code to set the brightness mode to normal is:

Sub SetBrightnessToNormalMode
   Dim jo As JavaObject
   jo.InitializeContext
   Dim System As JavaObject
   System.InitializeStatic("android.provider.Settings.System")
   System.RunMethod("putInt", Array( _
       jo.RunMethod("getContentResolver", Null), _
       System.GetField("SCREEN_BRIGHTNESS_MODE"), _
       System.GetField("SCREEN_BRIGHTNESS_MODE_MANUAL")))
End Sub

However this is not enough. You also need to request the special WRITE_SETTINGS permission.
You can see an example here: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/permission-write_settings.94311/#post-597465

 

[MarkusR]

You cannot get the brightness value if it is set to auto mode.

i made a test project, can't get the auto value as Erel said, only if set to manual

 

[yaniv hanya]

For some reason rp.CheckAndRequest("android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS") did not open the permission dialogue on my device
so i get this exception

Error occurred on line: 67 (Main)
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
at anywheresoftware.b4j.object.JavaObject.RunMethod(JavaObject.java:131)
at b4a.example.brightness.main._setbrightnessmode(main.java:452)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.runMethod(Shell.java:732)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEventImpl(Shell.java:348)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEvent(Shell.java:255)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.ShellBA.raiseEvent2(ShellBA.java:144)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA$2.run(BA.java:370)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.setActivityPaused(BA.java:442)
at b4a.example.brightness.main$ResumeMessage.run(main.java:306)
at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:836)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:103)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:203)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6251)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1063)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:924)
Caused by: java.lang.SecurityException: b4a.example.brightness was not granted this permission: android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS.
at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1683)
at android.database.DatabaseUtils.readExceptionFromParcel(DatabaseUtils.java:188)
at android.database.DatabaseUtils.readExceptionFromParcel(DatabaseUtils.java:140)
at android.content.ContentProviderProxy.call(ContentProviderNative.java:646)
at android.provider.Settings$NameValueCache.putStringForUser(Settings.java:1578)
at android.provider.Settings$System.putStringForUser(Settings.java:1958)
at android.provider.Settings$System.putIntForUser(Settings.java:2063)
at android.provider.Settings$System.putInt(Settings.java:2057)
... 19 more
** Activity (main) Resume **

I noticed it in more permissions i was requesting
Do you have any idea why?

while runnig I get this log

sending message to waiting queue (activity_permissionresult)
running waiting messages (1)

but nothing hapends

 

[MarkusR]

i also noticed.
i think because every user will agree all permissions (or u can not use most of all apps^^)
google hide this settings. but u can open the os permissions dialog via intent where the user can enable it manual.

 

[yaniv hanya]

in the runtime permissions erel made and in the firs test i made for it few weeks ago it did opend.
but since then they dont show.
this is probably why the BrightnessTest.zip you posted befor don't work for me because the permission is false
but why they do not open?

 

[Brandsum]

rp.CheckAndRequest("android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS")

I think you need to add this permission to your manifest. Then CheckAndRequest will pop a permission dialog.

 

[jimmyF]

Delete the app from the device and then re-install it.

 

[Erel]

For some reason rp.CheckAndRequest("android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS") did not open the permission dialogue on my device

See my previous answer:

However this is not enough. You also need to request the special WRITE_SETTINGS permission.
You can see an example here: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/permission-write_settings.94311/#post-597465

 

[MarkusR]

do you have any benefit from the sensor data itself?
it is possible to read this sensor in app game kit with GetRawLightLevel so it should also possible in b4a.

If an ambient light sensor exists, get the measurement of the surrounding light in lumels as a float.

 

[yaniv hanya]

Thanks friends
With the help of your help, I succeeded in solving the issue.
The dialogue has not yet opened to me, but I think it's a subject for new thread.