Hello all,
I've been using McDeb Theme Generator with further version of WM2003.
Since WM5, thoses themes are not working well.
Do you know a theme generator who handle WM5 ?
Thanks,
Martinlbb
SPB Extended Theme Generator
The McDeb version is a special branded version of ThemeMaker by KAMware. They have a WM5 version of the unbranded available;
http://www.kamware.com/
However, you can largely do it for free, as WM5 doesn't really have color theming and such. You do need a bit of working knowledge of modifying files and the pocketpc registry and such - but unless you change the theme all the time, that shouldn't be too big of an issue.
Here's a step-by-step:
1. Download this:
http://www.ida.net/users/oe1k/programs/ThemeBuilder/ThemeBuilder2003.zip
( that site also has instructions - ignore them )
2. Download the attachment. Inside it is a picture - it is a template. The green area is what you can *normally* see of the entire picture when in portrait (vertical) mode. The red area is what you can *normally* see of the entire picture when in landscape (horizontal) mode. Yellow is both. You may wonder why you shouldn't just cut off the bottom - well, reason is that you may be using an app like vijay555's to remove or reduce the soft key buttons, in which case you would probably want to see more of your theme there.
( Ignore the filename, but heed it at the same time. The Theme.inf file needs work, and the file should probably include a template for VGA devices, etc. So please don't distribute - a much better job at it can be done, I just tossed it together in a hurry. )
3. Make a picture that's 320x320 and fits into the template under 2 nicely - e.g. so that you'll see what you want to see when in portrait/landscape mode. You can't have two different pictures by normal theming, so place your picture wisely
4. Save this picture. You can save it as BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF, anything. However, I would very much recommend that you save to GIF - and use the best 'dithering' option available to you in your graphics application. The reason for this is that the your LCD is only 16bit, and some say that the Today Screen only shows 12bit, or even 8bit. Can't be bothered to figure that out, myself. But what's important to understand is that if you save a nice smooth gradiented image as the today screen image, and then display it, you will see a horrible 'posterization' effect. So instead, use GIF, dither, and it will look perfectly smooth as long as you didn't use too many colors in the picture
5. rename this picture to "tdywater.gif" (even if it is a PNG, BMP, JPG!)
6. Now you may want a different picture for your Start Menu background (desaturated, darker, lighter, completely different - whatever). If you do, follow steps 3-5 again, but instead rename the picture to "stwater.gif". If you don't want to use a different picture, then just copy "tdywater.gif" to "stwater.gif"
7. The download you did under step 2 - it contains a new "Theme.inf" file that leaves all colors in your registry intact. Just overwrite the original. You can edit this file, change some values around, etc. For help with the colors in the registry, see: http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=WindowsMobile5Colors
8. Now run "build.bat" from the download under 1. This will make a ".tsk" file called "Theme.tsk".
9. Rename "Theme.tsk" to whatever you want your Theme to show up as in the Today screen themes dialog.
10. Copy the new .tsk file to your PPC's \Windows\ folder, and your theme should now be available
--------------------------------------------------
Q. I made a theme, loaded it, and now my system colors are all greyscales!
A. Modify the BaseHue value either in the registry, or in the "Theme.inf" file directly - examples for all colors of the rainbow are included, just uncomment the correct one, or set your own value.
Q. I made a theme with a nice BaseHue value, but other colors are still wrong.
A. Modify the appropriate values in the registry or, again, set them in the "Theme.inf" file.
Q. This is a lot of work?
A. Buy ThemeMaker
A2. I hope to stick this in a wiki at some point, and toss up a piece of javascript that will spit out the contents of a "Theme.inf" for you.
Just to note - I also tried the SPB one. It's a bit bloaty, unless you use SPB products, and it actually failed to create several themes on my machine. It's certainly more userfriendly than my steps above - but not as lean / flexible. YMMV
Thansk ZeBoxx for yours informations.
I have a dozen of french railway themes to upgrade (Mobile 2003 to WM5).
I thinks it should be quick to upgrade with your method.
Thanks,
Martinlbb
I found a better method (I have to check If it's work as I want).
I just rename the .tsk file in .cab file and work with a cab editor.
Martinlbb
yeah, .tsk files are basically just .cab files - the first download is just a collection of files that includes the cab building executables
hi
im making a cool phone skin for my jasjar...
the only thing is that ive mapped and replaced all the pictures (tabs or buttons whatever you wanna call it ) but cant seem to find and replace the voice call button..
when you hard reset youll notice that the dialer has a different skin than the one if you allow ext rom cabs ( the VTxxx.cab) to be installed..
there is something in that cab that not only signs on the intelli dialer but also adds the voice call button and the native dialer pad skin (note here ..that the colored button skin of the dialer pad is ALREADY present in the rom by default) but these are activated only after the installation of VTxxx.cab from ext rom
i was wondering
1) does any one know how to find /replace the voice call button
2)how can i enable intellidialer without the vtxx.cab ... through reg settings???
thanks
does anyone have any idea of getting the intellidialer to work without the cab from ext rom????
thanks
hi,
I'm working on the same problem. I haven't found out how to get rid of the video button though.
The blue skin at the beginning (when you input your pin) is the default phone skin from wm5. The one you see after the VT Plugin CAB is installed is the custom skin. The VT Plugin CAB seems to mostly just set those Registry Keys. Here is also where the Intellipad extension is activated.
You can activate or deactivate custom skins in the registry HKLM/Security/Phone
Just install the VT Plugin CAB from ExtendedRom and check out those Registry Keys that are set.
I was able to replace all buttons except the video button. All except the video button are in the ROM from the beginning. I decoded and dumped the ROM and deleted the carrierlogo.gif and replaced the buttons (most buttons could probably be remapped in the registry settings above also). Now when the VT Plugin CAB from T-Mobile is installed I have a new skin except for the video button (it's still the pink button from T-Mobile). If I find something out I'll let you know.
I'm assuming the video button is hard-coded in one of the phcan*.dll files. I will replace my t-mobile phcan*.dll files with the files from the qtek ROM and see if there's a difference.
BTW: how does your "cool phone skin" look?
ok, I can confirm that the video call button for intelli pad is hard-coded in the phcan*.dlls. I have now replaced the t-mobile dlls with those in the qtek rom and now I have the qtek (green) video button.
I also found that the transparency color settings must be in those dlls also. I had edited the qtek buttons after noticing that those pink corners were being shown when the t-mobile phcan dlls were there. Now with the qtek dlls the video button has proper transparency, but the edited buttons didn't. So if you use the dlls from qtek you will have to use the same pink color as a transparency color if you want the buttons to show properly.
Now I just need to find out how to edit the Today plugin from t-mobile (the t-mobile icon). When that's accomplished then I will have accomplished complete "unbranding" of my MDA Pro ;-)
hi
how could one edit the phcan**.dll... i tried opening it with resedit but that didnt work..
tia
here are the few pics..
more...
You like Motorola don´t you
Edit the T-Mobile Today Plug in
Try this url. It is in German but you can get the message.
http://maisfeld.de/mda/index.php?action=artikel&cat=4&id=71&artlang=de tit works i tried it substituted the tzones bmp for a normal IE one.
change this reg setting and you can rename the T-Mobile plug in as well.
HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Today/Items/"t-mobile"
use a reg editor to rename the "tmobile" to anything you want
Edit the T-Mobile Today Plug in
Try this url. It is in German but you can get the message.
http://maisfeld.de/mda/index.php?action=artikel&cat=4&id=71&artlang=de tit works i tried it substituted the tzones bmp for a normal IE one.
change this reg setting and you can rename the T-Mobile plug in as well.
HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Today/Items/"t-mobile"
use a reg editor to rename the "tmobile" to anything you want
OK I was working in the customization of the HTCHomeplug.
What is HTCHomeplug? If you own a HTC X7500 Advantage (the HTC make of Athena or Ameo) then in the Today screen you got a plugin that shows some icons like Battery, Rotation, Comm Manager, Screen Light, Quick GPS and TVOut. What I discovered is who to deal with this plugin in order to change the icons and applications associated there.
I used PHM Registry to edit entries at the PPC registry, but you can use the editor of your like.
First is access using the registry editor to this entry:
/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/HTC/HTCHomeplug
There is the configuration of the plugin. There we will find two entries pointing to the first two icons (Battery and Rotation) that seems to be configured in a different way that the rest of the icons. Those are the two DWORD entries:
PowerIconSlot with value of 0 (this means the first position in the plugin)
RotateIconSlot with value of 1 (this means the second position)
The rest of the positions in the HTCHomeplug appears like KEY entries with names from 2 to 5 meaning positions 3 to 6 in the plugin bar.
Inside each key (2 to 5) we find 3 values (or entries):
1- iconindex DWORD type of Decimal which contains 103 in the case of entry KEY 2
2- LaunchApPath STRING contains the path to the executable file associated to the icon
3- ResPath STRING contais the path to the resource file which contais the icon image poited by iconindex entry. This path points to a DLL or EXE file containing the icon image.
So... since we want to add a icon/application we need to create the entry KEY 6 and we must create both STRING entries and DWORD one inside the KEY 6.
To add Tomtom Navigator in the HTCHomeplug (as an example) I added:
iconindex = 101
LaunchApPath = \Program files\Navigator\Tomtom Navigator.exe
ResPath = \Program files\Navigator\Tomtom Navigator.exe
So I'm using the icon storaged in the Tomtom Navigator executable file itself and my Tomtom is in the path I show in the entry. Off course this could not match your installation.
How I found the iconindex information that points to the icon in the Tomtom's EXE file??? Easy I used a program called RViewer (for PPC) develop by Vicott Wong. The program can by found in Google or in the web page shown in the About screen.... http://mobile-sg.com
Running that program and browsing the EXE file (or a DLL) we can see the index for each resource and if it's an image the image is display in the screen, so I found the 101 is the index for the Tomtom icon inside de EXE file.
Once the entries in the Registry are done the rest is easy. Just go into Start - Configuration - Personal - Today and int the Elements Tab. There unmark the HTCHomeplug and exit the configuration going into the Today screen to check that the plugin is not in the screen. Then we back to the Today configuration and select again the HTCHomeplug to mark it. Once we are back into the Today screen we will see the new icon.
(OK in the previous paragraph I'm translating the menu options and clicks from my spanish release of WM5 into english one so the names could not match... what you need to do is configure Today screen to remove the plugin and to configure again to insert the plugin, that way the plugin is reseted and the new icons loaded).
I did several tests and looks like the HTCHomeplug only supports 7 icons (0 to 6) but since many of the original icons are not use on daily bases we can setup up to 5 programs in that plugin leaving the Battery and Rotary icons in its place.
I hope this is useful... and I beg your pardon for my poor english.
Regards,
mahjong
P.S.: I posted this first at todopocketpc.com in spanish. If you know that language maybe you prefer read it in my mother language. For sure will be much better written.
mahjong said:
OK I was working in the customization of the HTCHomeplug.
What is HTCHomeplug? If you own a HTC X7500 Advantage (the HTC make of Athena or Ameo) then in the Today screen you got a plugin that shows some icons like Battery, Rotation, Comm Manager, Screen Light, Quick GPS and TVOut. What I discovered is who to deal with this plugin in order to change the icons and applications associated there.
I used PHM Registry to edit entries at the PPC registry, but you can use the editor of your like.
First is access using the registry editor to this entry:
/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/HTC/HTCHomeplug
There is the configuration of the plugin. There we will find two entries pointing to the first two icons (Battery and Rotation) that seems to be configured in a different way that the rest of the icons. Those are the two DWORD entries:
PowerIconSlot with value of 0 (this means the first position in the plugin)
RotateIconSlot with value of 1 (this means the second position)
The rest of the positions in the HTCHomeplug appears like KEY entries with names from 2 to 5 meaning positions 3 to 6 in the plugin bar.
Inside each key (2 to 5) we find 3 values (or entries):
1- iconindex DWORD type of Decimal which contains 103 in the case of entry KEY 2
2- LaunchApPath STRING contains the path to the executable file associated to the icon
3- ResPath STRING contais the path to the resource file which contais the icon image poited by iconindex entry. This path points to a DLL or EXE file containing the icon image.
So... since we want to add a icon/application we need to create the entry KEY 6 and we must create both STRING entries and DWORD one inside the KEY 6.
To add Tomtom Navigator in the HTCHomeplug (as an example) I added:
iconindex = 101
LaunchApPath = \Program files\Navigator\Tomtom Navigator.exe
ResPath = \Program files\Navigator\Tomtom Navigator.exe
So I'm using the icon storaged in the Tomtom Navigator executable file itself and my Tomtom is in the path I show in the entry. Off course this could not match your installation.
How I found the iconindex information that points to the icon in the Tomtom's EXE file??? Easy I used a program called RViewer (for PPC) develop by Vicott Wong. The program can by found in Google or in the web page shown in the About screen.... http://mobile-sg.com
Running that program and browsing the EXE file (or a DLL) we can see the index for each resource and if it's an image the image is display in the screen, so I found the 101 is the index for the Tomtom icon inside de EXE file.
Once the entries in the Registry are done the rest is easy. Just go into Start - Configuration - Personal - Today and int the Elements Tab. There unmark the HTCHomeplug and exit the configuration going into the Today screen to check that the plugin is not in the screen. Then we back to the Today configuration and select again the HTCHomeplug to mark it. Once we are back into the Today screen we will see the new icon.
(OK in the previous paragraph I'm translating the menu options and clicks from my spanish release of WM5 into english one so the names could not match... what you need to do is configure Today screen to remove the plugin and to configure again to insert the plugin, that way the plugin is reseted and the new icons loaded).
I did several tests and looks like the HTCHomeplug only supports 7 icons (0 to 6) but since many of the original icons are not use on daily bases we can setup up to 5 programs in that plugin leaving the Battery and Rotary icons in its place.
I hope this is useful... and I beg your pardon for my poor english.
Regards,
mahjong
P.S.: I posted this first at todopocketpc.com in spanish. If you know that language maybe you prefer read it in my mother language. For sure will be much better written.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent post and thanks for your efforts and sharing! I'll be trying this out later. Just what I was looking for.
I'll report my experiences later.
Excellent! I will try this!
When using TrueVGA, does anybody know a way of making the icons work? I see only 1/4th of an icon, and it's even the wrong icon. The only icon is the one for the Light Settings...
Anybody know the iconindex for Opera so i can have the Opera icon instead of Web&Walk icon!
Mahjong tells you how to find it...
mahjong said:
How I found the iconindex information that points to the icon in the Tomtom's EXE file??? Easy I used a program called RViewer (for PPC) develop by Vicott Wong. The program can by found in Google or in the web page shown in the About screen.... http://mobile-sg.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Joy I'm afraid...
I'm afraid that it hasn't worked for me on the Ameo. Maybe it's due to how T-Mob have configured/altered things with their customisation of their ROM.
I reverted to using the TrayApplet in the same regedit folder that the HTCHompeplug resides in, but to no avail.
Quote "Just go into Start - Configuration - Personal - Today and int the Elements Tab. There unmark the HTCHomeplug and exit the configuration going into the Today screen to check that the plugin is not in the screen. Then we back to the Today configuration and select again the HTCHomeplug to mark it. Once we are back into the Today screen we will see the new icon.
(OK in the previous paragraph I'm translating the menu options and clicks from my spanish release of WM5 into english one so the names could not match... what you need to do is configure Today screen to remove the plugin and to configure again to insert the plugin, that way the plugin is reseted and the new icons loaded). " End Quote.
No HTC Plugin on the Ameo Today settings menu either, but visible in HLKM...software etc...as the HTCHomeplug.
I can get some of my choice of programs in the TrayApplet, but not the associated icons!!??!!
Same as before when I tried. Anyone else with an Ameo who has had success in getting it to work with the right icons?
Hi,
Thanks for the tip, it's really useful! I wanted to customize the plugin but didn't have the patience to go through all the registry.
Twp questions though:
- I made a shortcut for the calculator (calc.exe) but the icon is too big (both res. index 0 or 100 in calc.exe). Is there a way to scale it down, or a smaller calculator icon in another file? What's the "main" icon library for Windows Mobile (the equivalent of shell32.dll under Windows)
- I tried to make a shortcut to the phone application, but I can't find the exe file (the Start menu shortcut doesn't point to an exe file, but to :MSCProg?......). And I can't find the icon either...
Please help.
Regards,
Silviu
Hi silviu.h.
Which Athena device do you have, Advantage, Dopod or Ameo?
Hi, I have the HTC Advantage (not Ameo, not Dopod), and the vanilla french ROM.
silviu.h said:
Hi, I have the HTC Advantage (not Ameo, not Dopod), and the vanilla french ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. That would explain why to a large extent it works on your device.
P.S. try \Windows\HTCICON.dll (I think that is the equivalent to shell32.dll)
Let us know how you get on.
Thank you for your answer.
The hack from mahjong works OK, except for the quirks I have already posted above (the Calc.exe icon is too big and I can't find the main icon store). htcicon.dll doesn't exist
However it's OK for Tomtom.
I'll keep you posted on my findings (I'm not giving up, I just have to go to bed )
See you,
Silviu
mackaby007 said:
No HTC Plugin on the Ameo Today settings menu either, but visible in HLKM...software etc...as the HTCHomeplug.
I can get some of my choice of programs in the TrayApplet, but not the associated icons!!??!!
Same as before when I tried. Anyone else with an Ameo who has had success in getting it to work with the right icons?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that was the reason for adding this to my note: "If you own a HTC X7500 Advantage (the HTC make of Athena or Ameo) then in the Today screen you got a plugin..."
Only for HTC users I'm afraid.
Best Regards,
mahjong
mahjong said:
Yeah that was the reason for adding this to my note: "If you own a HTC X7500 Advantage (the HTC make of Athena or Ameo) then in the Today screen you got a plugin..."
Only for HTC users I'm afraid.
Best Regards,
mahjong
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you can simply enable it on the T-Mobile Ameo using the following Reg-Keys:
- Navigate to: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Today\Items
- Create a new Key named: HTC-Homeplug (or whatever you like)
- Navigate into that key
- Create the following items under that key:
String: DLL
Value: htchomeplug.dll
DWORD: Enabled
Value: 0 (or 1 if you want to enable it directly)
DWORD: Flags
Value: 0
DWORD: Options
Value: 0
DWORD: Order
Value: 0
DWORD: Type
Value: 5
After doing the above go to your today-screen settings and the Homeplug plugin is there...
Cheers
I seem to have BOTH HTCHomeplug and Trayapplet on my Ameo
It seems that there is a today item [email protected] or something I can turn on/off that doesnt appear to do anything, I beleive this is turning on/off the HTCHomeplug.
Because Trayapp is already on, and overwriting the HTChomeplug you only see its icons, therefor the homeplug is hidden.
I will experiment with turning off trayapp then turning on the @home today item and see what happens, but it looks like a lot of the confusion for Ameo users is the fact both are installed.
I did a hard reset, and didnt fiddle with the home/tray stuff, so this is how the rom set it up!
HKLM/software/htc/HTCHomeplug
HKLM/software/htc/TrayApplet
Both have keys of (and ONLY of),
PowerIconSlot=0
RotateIconSlot=1
In them.
Under HKLM/software/microsoft/today/items/[email protected]
DLL=hztdplug.dll
enabled=0
flags=0
options=0
order=1
type=5
Pyrofer said:
I seem to have BOTH HTCHomeplug and Trayapplet on my Ameo
It seems that there is a today item [email protected] or something I can turn on/off that doesnt appear to do anything, I beleive this is turning on/off the HTCHomeplug.
Because Trayapp is already on, and overwriting the HTChomeplug you only see its icons, therefor the homeplug is hidden.
I will experiment with turning off trayapp then turning on the @home today item and see what happens, but it looks like a lot of the confusion for Ameo users is the fact both are installed.
I did a hard reset, and didnt fiddle with the home/tray stuff, so this is how the rom set it up!
HKLM/software/htc/HTCHomeplug
HKLM/software/htc/TrayApplet
Both have keys of (and ONLY of),
PowerIconSlot=0
RotateIconSlot=1
In them.
Under HKLM/software/microsoft/today/items/[email protected]
DLL=hztdplug.dll
enabled=0
flags=0
options=0
order=1
type=5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T-Mobile plugin has nothing to do with the HTC-Homeplug. HTC-Homeplug provides the sam functionality as the TrayApp.
The [email protected] Today Plugin is only useful for T-Mobile customers as it provides functions for HomeZone users.
The dll name hztdplug.dll means HomeZoneTodayPlugin...
If you want to use the HTC-HomePLug plugin you have to create the registry key I've posted above.
Cheers
Ok, I dont want the homezone rubbish.
But im still stuck with both HTCHomeplug and Trayapp
How do I enable/disable the trayapp? That doesnt seem to have any today element to it. I cant get icons working at all in trayapp and wanted to try the HTCHomeplug as that looks a much more userfriendly app.
Pyrofer said:
How do I enable/disable the trayapp?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to HKLM\init
Delete the Launcher for TrayAp.exe. On mine it is Launch92...
Make a Softreset after you changed this setting and the TrayAp is gone.
Cheers
Thanks!
I now have the HTC Homeplug working, and the trayapp gone! W00t!
I like the bigger icons, and now I can edit them better im happy. Much nicer.
Anyone thought about coding a contol panel applet for this homescreen plugin??
Moskus said:
Excellent! I will try this!
When using TrueVGA, does anybody know a way of making the icons work? I see only 1/4th of an icon, and it's even the wrong icon. The only icon is the one for the Light Settings...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you use combination of Spb pocket plus and Commmgrpro, you don't need to deal with these problems of wrong size icons in the comm manager and home plug. Both of these need not be used at all.
I'm yet to find a replacement for Spb GPRS monitor though. SPb GPRS monitor also have problem displaying in true VGA. There are some but they do not show the kbps figure - only the downloaded volume.
Hi!
I'm somehow despaired - I tried to find a way to change the skin of the dialer (better said the numpad - I hope you know what I mean...). In my \Windows\ directory I foundy 2 .bmp showing the skin when pressed and in normal state; but I can't edit or overwrite them with the original files I found there too.
Is there any way to change this skin?
And my next question: Where can I change the colour of the "switches" in the CommManager? The ones in my rom are a ugly brown and I'd like the original green switches back...
Many thanks, Sty
I'm thinking you will have to get a program so that you can extract manila files onto your computer a .png, edit them on your computer, then replace them onto the existing ones that are on your phone with the edited ones.
try using Total Commander. it will allow you to overwrite the system files.
Ok, I'll try - and where do I find the "original" sliders?
Sty
Dialers
Do you mean like this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=477333
Styrakaar said:
Hi!
I'm somehow despaired - I tried to find a way to change the skin of the dialer (better said the numpad - I hope you know what I mean...). In my \Windows\ directory I foundy 2 .bmp showing the skin when pressed and in normal state; but I can't edit or overwrite them with the original files I found there too.
Is there any way to change this skin?
And my next question: Where can I change the colour of the "switches" in the CommManager? The ones in my rom are a ugly brown and I'd like the original green switches back...
Many thanks, Sty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse