ANDROID: Load view for activity asynchronously

ANDROID: Load view for activity asynchronously

I have a custom view class that I want to set for my activity. However
it's initiation is very long (Most of the code, such as loading bitmaps is
placed in constructor). Therefore, I want to show the user a preloader
before setting the View.
I've tried setting the loading screen first and launching the view on a
different thread using asynctask and handlers, though without any luck.
The first gives me can't create handler inside thread that has not called
looper.prepare() and the other one just executes code line by line.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong, any ideas how to divide the loading
process, e.g.: 1. set loading screen. 2. load view class on the background
(instantiate). 3. set the view class in place of the loading screen.
Thanks
UPDATE
public MainMenuView(Context context) {
super(context);
System.gc();
this.context = context;
sh = new SharedHelper(context);
am = context.getAssets();
sp = new SoundHelper(context,
SoundHelper.CLICK,
SoundHelper.MAIN_MELODY
);
screenWH = Helper.getScreenDimensions(context);
bg = new Background(screenWH, am);
scaleAmount = bg.scaleAmount();
scaleAmount = scaleAmount * 0.9f;
strings = Helper.getStrings((int)sh.getOption(Option.LANGUAGE), new
DBHelper(context));
mainTitle = Helper.scaleBMP(Helper.assetImage(am, "Main/title.png"),
scaleAmount);
mainTitleM.postTranslate(bg.getMargins()[0], -10);
/**
* Load cloud-like buttons
* */
float top = 0.03f * screenWH[1];
float left = bg.getMargins()[0] + mainTitle.getWidth();
MainButton repeat = new MainButton("Main/Buttons/repeat_on.png",
"Main/Buttons/repeat.png", am, scaleAmount);
repeat.setPosition(left, top);
repeat.setType(Helper.REPEAT);
btns.add(repeat);
left += 0.3f * repeat.getBMP().getWidth();
top += repeat.getBMP().getHeight();
MainButton test = new MainButton("Main/Buttons/test_on.png",
"Main/Buttons/test.png", am, scaleAmount);
test.setPosition(left, top);
test.setType(Helper.TEST);
btns.add(test);
left -= 0.7f * test.getBMP().getWidth();
top += 0.5f * test.getBMP().getHeight();
MainButton learn = new MainButton("Main/Buttons/learn_on.png",
"Main/Buttons/learn.png", am, scaleAmount);
learn.setPosition(left, top);
learn.setType(Helper.LEARN);
btns.add(learn);
/**
* Main control buttons
* */
left = 5;
top = bg.getTopMargin();
buttonClass parent = new buttonClass("Buttons/parents control.png",
am, scaleAmount, Helper.PARENTS);
parent.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(parent);
top += parent.getBMP().getHeight() + 2;
buttonClass facebook = new buttonClass("Buttons/facebook.png", am,
scaleAmount, Helper.FACEBOOK);
facebook.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(facebook);
top += facebook.getBMP().getHeight() + 2;
buttonClass share = new buttonClass("Buttons/share.png", am,
scaleAmount, Helper.SHARE);
share.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(share);
top += share.getBMP().getHeight() + 2;
buttonClass pay = new buttonClass("Buttons/pay.png", am, scaleAmount,
Helper.PAY);
pay.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(pay);
/**
* Sprites
* */
float widthsix = 0;
float widthasix = 0;
float highest = 0;
for(int i=1; i<=11; i++){
mainSprite spr = new mainSprite(i, context, scaleAmount);
if(i <= 6){
widthsix += spr.getBMP().getWidth();
}
else{
widthasix += spr.getBMP().getWidth();
}
if(i == 9){
highest = spr.getBMP().getHeight();
}
sprites.add(spr);
}
float[] margins = bg.getMargins();
left = margins[0] + (margins[2] - margins[0] - widthsix) / 2;
float leftA = margins[0] + (margins[2] - margins[0] - widthasix) / 2;
top = screenWH[1] - highest;
float angle = 0;
float offset = 0.05f * screenWH[1];
float angle_step = 30.0f;
int i = 1;
float topA = 0;
for(mainSprite s : sprites){
float top_mod = top - s.getBMP().getHeight() +
(float)Math.sin(Math.toRadians(angle)) * offset - offset;
s.setPosition(left, top_mod);
left += s.getBMP().getWidth();
angle += angle_step;
if(i == 3){
topA = screenWH[1];
}
if(i == 6){
top = topA;
left = leftA;
angle_step = 36f;
angle = 0;
}
i++;
}
sp.playSound(SoundHelper.MAIN_MELODY);
addDialog();
/**
* start animation
* */
currentSpr = 8;
sprites.get(currentSpr).start();
handle.postDelayed(runAnimation, 5000);
}
public void loadMain(){
screenWH = Helper.getScreenDimensions(context);
bg = new Background(screenWH, am);
scaleAmount = bg.scaleAmount();
scaleAmount = scaleAmount * 0.9f;
strings = Helper.getStrings((int)sh.getOption(Option.LANGUAGE), new
DBHelper(context));
mainTitle = Helper.scaleBMP(Helper.assetImage(am, "Main/title.png"),
scaleAmount);
mainTitleM.postTranslate(bg.getMargins()[0], -10);
/**
* Load cloud-like buttons
* */
float top = 0.03f * screenWH[1];
float left = bg.getMargins()[0] + mainTitle.getWidth();
MainButton repeat = new MainButton("Main/Buttons/repeat_on.png",
"Main/Buttons/repeat.png", am, scaleAmount);
repeat.setPosition(left, top);
repeat.setType(Helper.REPEAT);
btns.add(repeat);
left += 0.3f * repeat.getBMP().getWidth();
top += repeat.getBMP().getHeight();
MainButton test = new MainButton("Main/Buttons/test_on.png",
"Main/Buttons/test.png", am, scaleAmount);
test.setPosition(left, top);
test.setType(Helper.TEST);
btns.add(test);
left -= 0.7f * test.getBMP().getWidth();
top += 0.5f * test.getBMP().getHeight();
MainButton learn = new MainButton("Main/Buttons/learn_on.png",
"Main/Buttons/learn.png", am, scaleAmount);
learn.setPosition(left, top);
learn.setType(Helper.LEARN);
btns.add(learn);
/**
* Main control buttons
* */
left = 5;
top = bg.getTopMargin();
buttonClass parent = new buttonClass("Buttons/parents control.png",
am, scaleAmount, Helper.PARENTS);
parent.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(parent);
top += parent.getBMP().getHeight() + 2;
buttonClass facebook = new buttonClass("Buttons/facebook.png", am,
scaleAmount, Helper.FACEBOOK);
facebook.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(facebook);
top += facebook.getBMP().getHeight() + 2;
buttonClass share = new buttonClass("Buttons/share.png", am,
scaleAmount, Helper.SHARE);
share.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(share);
top += share.getBMP().getHeight() + 2;
buttonClass pay = new buttonClass("Buttons/pay.png", am, scaleAmount,
Helper.PAY);
pay.setPosition(left, top);
btns.add(pay);
/**
* Sprites
* */
float widthsix = 0;
float widthasix = 0;
float highest = 0;
for(int i=1; i<=11; i++){
mainSprite spr = new mainSprite(i, context, scaleAmount);
if(i <= 6){
widthsix += spr.getBMP().getWidth();
}
else{
widthasix += spr.getBMP().getWidth();
}
if(i == 9){
highest = spr.getBMP().getHeight();
}
sprites.add(spr);
}
float[] margins = bg.getMargins();
left = margins[0] + (margins[2] - margins[0] - widthsix) / 2;
float leftA = margins[0] + (margins[2] - margins[0] - widthasix) / 2;
top = screenWH[1] - highest;
float angle = 0;
float offset = 0.05f * screenWH[1];
float angle_step = 30.0f;
int i = 1;
float topA = 0;
for(mainSprite s : sprites){
float top_mod = top - s.getBMP().getHeight() +
(float)Math.sin(Math.toRadians(angle)) * offset - offset;
s.setPosition(left, top_mod);
left += s.getBMP().getWidth();
angle += angle_step;
if(i == 3){
topA = screenWH[1];
}
if(i == 6){
top = topA;
left = leftA;
angle_step = 36f;
angle = 0;
}
i++;
}
sp.playSound(SoundHelper.MAIN_MELODY);
addDialog();
/**
* start animation
* */
currentSpr = 8;
sprites.get(currentSpr).start();
//handle.postDelayed(runAnimation, 5000);
}
I'm loading the view in the onCreate method of Activity
new Handler().post(new Runnable(){
@Override
public void run(){
setContentView(new CustomView(context));
}
});