BlackBerry Passport splash screen

Hi,

I got a failed submission due to the following:

-- On the BlackBerry Passport the splash screen and the app permission page apply in wrong orientation.

The game is default oriented to landscape left, on the Q-series it auto stays in portrait as it doesn't support rotation, which is perfect and I'd hoped the Passport would follow the same rules, is this the expected behaviour, and is there a recommended work around? I'm thinking of making it auto rotate, and then force to landscape left if the resolution is not square or the device has a keyboard.

Does that sound like the best way to go?

Thanks,

Jon

 

Hi Jon,

My app got denied on this yesterday

"..
Please fix the following issue(s) and resubmit your application as a new release.
On the BlackBerry Passport, the splash screen appears in wrong orientation. It’s rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise."

Hmm! this is really either Unity bug or QNX bug, I don't have any control of the orientation lock in splash screen.. not to mention I am using the free Unity version so I don't get to insert splash screen at all...

Anyway, if you find something please let me know, I will do the same.

Thanks,
Udi

 

Thanks! that makes sense. But to be honest this is really something that requires better support from Blackberry / Unity... are we to expect any news..?

 

Hi,

Alex, I can confirm from what I've read the passport does support rotation, I think the issue is it's not rotating the splash screen to the project settings, I would say it's because internally there is some kind of check for square screens which ignores rotation to allow for the Q-Series devices.

My solution...though not yet tested...is to leave the game in rotate left / right, then once I get to my menu screen override the to auto rotate if the screen resolution is square, it's a shame we can't have a start up script prior to the splash screen to sort it out!

Alex, do you know if any of the BlackBerry support team have access to Passports, maybe we could work with one of them to come up with a smooth solution.

Once I get a build uploaded I'll let you know how it goes.

Jon

 

I opted to the easier solution, un-checking the Passport in the supported device list for my app

I really think BB need to address this, there will be less apps available for this device.

Thanks,
Udi

 

I'm still waiting for Blackberry to release there 10.3 version to public, load of errors in there previous ones especially to do with shaders. Not seen Unity update any Blackberry stuff for the last few point releases. Seems nothing new being reported or no bugs. So maybe with new release of there system we maybe able to get some updates out.

 

I have reported a few bugs, but not got a response on them yet. I'll check out the manifest, maybe there is some info on the blackberry support forums.

 

Hi, I have some Passport devices, and I also see this issue on a game I just submitted (my first Unity game, yay). If you have any ideas for fixes, I could try them.

 

Can I change the rotation setting to portrait and set the screen splash screen picture to squre to fix this problem?

I'm uploading the fixed bar file and increase a bundle file for Passport specially in BB developer vender portal, I don't know whether this way is right now, because I haven't BB Passport Device yet.

(after a few minutes later)
Oh, it's can't be supported to upload to kind of bundle file by this way.
Failed...

 

@yuchting: Can you please elaborate as to what failed? Which step of the upload process did you get to and what was the error/failed message you received exactly? Creating a release with a locked portrait mode (and submitting that release) to target the Passport specifically should be supported...

 

My game (The Battle of Cloud Haven) was just denied this morning for the same reason, as feared.

So I popped back home at lunch and made a new signed build, configured only for portrait. I tried it on the Passport (I have devices) and while the splash screen was still stretched a bit, it was indeed in the correct orientation.

Then I went back into the vendor portal and moved my product and release (the one I uploaded previously) back into draft. I removed the square screen devices (Passport, Q10, Q5) from the file bundle I uploaded previously, and added the new portrait-only file bundle, which I specified for the square screen devices. Then I resubmitted that release.

That should work for now. Eventually, Unity and BlackBerry need to get together and resolve this issue for whichever device/OS combinations this affects (currently, Passport running 10.3).

@yuchting try what I described and if you're still having issues, ask here.

 

@mlepage: Well put, it's what I was trying to convey but you did it better

I've passed this feedback along to our BlackBerry World team as well. In my opinion, though it is a square screen, we do support orientation changes. And if a developer wants to have a "landscape" oriented game on the Passport, it should be allowed. There are cases (where the keyboard is concerned) that this layout may actually be beneficial. In any case, I'll do my best to push that forward. In the meantime, following the steps as @mlepage indicated is the current recommendation.

 

Just to follow up, doing the multiple file bundle solution fixed my issue and got my game approved. It's called The Battle of Cloud Haven.

Here's a 45 second demo video: http://goo.gl/hKOxce

And here's a store link with screenshots: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/59940904/

It was envisioned to be much more, maybe some day I'll update it with more content. Until then, enjoy, it's free.

 

@WaterlooErik It's also worth noting that if Unity configured the runtime, they could get the capacitive touch events from the keyboard, and make them available for Unity developers to use. Maybe for mobile controls, or at least mouse look. Or totally inventive uses.

 

Guys do we support Blackberry Passport yet, yes or no?, I got rejected due to some screen sizeing issues.
Not sure what to do as the screen size is different to the Z10/30 models and these have passed nicely.
I assume I need to move buttons to different place as again very strick Blackberry QA, one small overlap and rejection..

 

@WaterlooErik It's my fault , I signed game bar file with different version BB SDK, so it's said 'PackageID' is different with former one which was Ready for Sale.
Finally, I re-signed it and uploaded different file which has been set portrait to BB Vendor Port and been approved.


But next time( next version), We've got a cale(sizeing) issue, @MrEsquire had said, but we've solved finally:
https://www.facebook.com/AncientContinent/posts/1478950215703287

(a few hours later...)
It was denied again:

On the BlackBerry Passport, the app permission and slash screen appear in wrong orientation, it is rotated 90 degrees encounter clockwise.

I removed the Passport supported and re-submitted for approval, so sad...

 

I have managed to get a hold of the Blackberry Passport here in UK.
It is very different device to the older Blackberries, therefore I know there is more sizing issues.
But now the physical device is with me I can do some proper tests, but again I wait for some official word for Unity developers as it does not seem there is mention of Blackberry passport support within Unity 5 beta.
I had to manually adjust the setting within Unity, as for the splash screen, I will need to update my application for Passport support before I can test.

 

Can confirm the Splash screen issue still exists on Passport, to fix this make sure your image is rotated to landscape 90degress right.

 

Well no it doesnt,al least for my latest game. I got release rejected because splash screen on Passport wrong dispayed.Game is made with default Landscape Left orientation and with Unity 4.6.3. I think best is to put black screen for splash so they don't know orientation while loading the game

 

I got this rejection about 5 times already - each time I kept uploading new build with splash screen image rotated and finally they where happy with it, with the latest build I don't really see specific setting for Passport, I assume its a backend change?

 

I guess(I simply remove Passport device for this release). Do you remember how did you rotate image? 90° clockwise or? thx

 

Yes my game is landscape by default, and as the Passport is a square device, no matter if the game is run on landscape or portrait the result would be the same. The splash screen behavior should mimic this -> but it is not (maybe fixed in latest patch). Try 90 degrees and submit again.

 

By the way, when I did mine, I did 2 builds, one for Z-series and one for Q-series and Passport, for them I built in portrait, it was fairly painless and got around the Splash screen rejection.

 

Alex, is it possible to have a setting so we can say, if the display is square, I want the orientation to be portrait only for in game and splash, if it's not then use Landscape, it's just for both my releases they support Keyboard play, so they have to be portrait, but for the Z10, it's better in landscape for the wider display and portrait wouldn't work on the Z10 for either of my releases.

What do you think?

 

Spash is not a big problem,I would say,but I am not sure should I game that is " default landscape left" orientation (like running scrollable platformer for example), build ie archive .bar file in portrait mode for Q(Square) devices?

 

Very interesting find, I personally think the two splash screens would solve many issues, one for landscape and portrait - then would we even need the Square Image anymore? Each user should add two splash screens and work on all devices. In terms of the image sizes/scaling, I have a physical passport device and kept changing image in Photoshop until I was happy with the look. So did not notice this bug as assumed it was normal behavior.

When you say you seen no mismatch, is this version 4.6.3p1 of Unity you are using?

So with this new information - can we expect some code rewrite, new feature in a patch version near future, I'm sure you wish to solve this one once and for all as most of us do.

Good work Alex

 

Today I got a new rejection message:

Please fix the following issue(s) and resubmit your application as a new release.
The first screen appears in wrong orientation on the BlackBerry Classic

Using Unity 4.6.3p4 - maybe BB Classic broke as a result of some changes to way splash screen works.

 

Hi,

I'm the developer behind Draconus Icon Manager (https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/27669)

I would like to add support for BlackBerry in the tool, but I'm a bit confused what kind of splash screen files the tool would need to generate.

Unity only takes three splashes (portrait, landscape and square), but it doesn't specify the resolution for these files.

I found this documentation (https://developer.blackberry.com/html5/documentation/v2_2/rim_splash_element.html) but that didn't list specific sizes for the splash screens, either. So I'm a bit confused what to do.

If splash screen can be in any dimension, what kind of dimensions would you guys recommend? 1280x720 and 720x1280. What about the square? 1280x1280? Or 720x720? Or something else?

If any of you wants to try out the BlackBerry support for DIM, drop us a line at support@draconus.com.

Best regards,
Sampsa / Draconus Entertainment

 

Same problem here.

App got rejected because of the wrong orientation on the passport.
I'm using "Auto Rotation" with "Landscape Right" and "Landscape Left" checked.

I submitted the app with a portrait splashscreen and a splashscreen rotated 90° clockwise. Both bar files got rejected because of this issue...

 

Ok so this one is back in a way!
3 simple options, yet so much pain.
Landscape, I add a Landscape splash with company logo text
Portrait, I do the same but its Portrait text
Square, I do the same as Portrait

Real Result: Splash screen is portrait mode but text(image) upside down or inverted??

Unity 4.6.6p1

 

Okay let me talk to myself, after some messing about, I realised "Landscape" settings seem okay and do not effect the splash on the passport. The "Square" settings do not also effect the Splash on the passport. So keep Landscape as you would and keep Square as portrait.

The problem seems to me in the "Portrait Splash" for passport one needs to rotate a Portrait splash screen 270 degrees in photoshop etc and use this as Portrait Splash in Unity editor, this will then work correctly on the actual device and display it as Portrait.

Hope this makes sense, I'm sure this is some kind of Bug I been talking about for some time, not checked in Unity 5

 

You sound insane at first...with the talking to yourself ; ), but end with what I expected it to work like. Personally for me a "Force portrait for Square Displays" checkbox would make this all easier, you still have an option to allow it to auto rotate, but if you want a portrait solution for keyboard devices the tickbox would save the day!

 

The way I've had to overcome this, although ugly, is to force portrait mode. Then on launch, if it is a screen with mismatching height and width, force the display to landscape after launch.

It doesn't fix the portrait image being forced as the splash screen on the 1440x1440 Passport. But might help someone.

Either way the splash screen issues and gray screen issue in 5.1 or doing an APK to BAR will make you ineligible for BFB.

 

Did you managed to do any changes to this or the current Splash Screen setup will stay same?
A fix before BB 5.2 Support Ends

 

My app is rejected because of the wrong orientation on the passport:
"I'm testing your app on the BlackBerry Passport. The screen appear on the wrong orientation."
Any update about this issue before the end of BlackBerry 10 support?

 

Has been discussed 100 times on these forums, I have provides solutions so have others..

 

I build probably 2 or 3 BlackBerry packages a week. I wasn't kidding when I said it is the only reason I use Unity. Use the patch release it fixed many of my issues, enough that I'm no longer running around with a torch and pitchfork (although I am keeping the pitchfork sharpened)

Also my daily driver is a Passport.

To make this perfect you cannot set the build to Landscape although I personally prefer landscape apps on my passport as it let's me put the charging cable in a different direction. If you want to lock the rotation... I use a script to set the orientation based on the screen size. Set it to auto OR portrait.

If Screen.width == Screen.height just force the screen to portrait. Else leave auto rotation on or set landscape or whatever alternative you want.

http://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Screen-orientation.html

I've built around 100+ apps and games and until the recent change of events have been mentoring a bunch of new developers on Unity for Bbry, and it works for me on Passport every time. Hope it fixes it for you too.