SkinUI Tips, links & more

[scottl]

I think now is a good time to spark interest in SkinUI (http://www.palmpowerups.com/news.php) that Dmitry has so kindly converted to Freeware! :D Many Thanks, Mr G!

Let's share our SkinUI experiences here. Screenshots, favorite skin(s), links, tips... Whatever you've got to offer.

- Dmitry lists this (http://www.palmpowerups.com/readarticle.php?article_id=2) as a starting point for Skins - see link on that page also.
- We have a nice collection of skins here (http://www.1src.com/freeware/index.php?cid=56) at 1src also.
- Here's (http://www.3gxsoft.com/skins/skins.php) another great collection of PalmRevolt skins to import to SUI.

TIP #1 for SkinUI newbies: I have about 3 pages of Skins on my TX and this could take up a lot of RAM. As your collection grows, go to Skins, then Skin, Move to store them on your SD card. The active skin will be copied to internal memory.

Tip #2: While searching for Skins, go ahead and grab the PalmRevolt skins you like because SkinUI can import them to its own format. This opens the door for a lot more tips, but mayeb that calls for another thread...

Tip #3: SkinUI can add sound effects to your Palm interaction. I've only found a couple sound packs for SkinUI, but haven't tried to hard because all I want to hear from mine is music and alarms.

Tip #4: If an app has it's own GUI mods or graphical interface I like to completely unload SUI by adding the app under "Apps" in SUI. You can also disable only certain components on a global or per-app basis when you run into conflicts.

Tip #5: DIG IN! As with any app, go through all buttons and menus to see how much you can do with this awesome app. ie. Try the "Fields" options to greatly change the look of input fields (go to a PIM app to see the obvious change).

OK, 5 tips is a good start.

ps. Slight slowdown? Sure, but I can deal with it - especially since you can lessen the GUI mods. I exclude many apps in SUI altogether. Oh, don't forget to enable after reset and add SUI to your CleanStart or UnCache profiles!

Who's next?

pps. How could I have forgotten this... Do a forum search for more! Here's (http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113338&highlight=skinui) a biggie.

[gtbaum]

What does this mean:

This skin does not support the "v9" skin standard, and thus will not provde some of the features that "v9" sins can provide

Edit: helps to check the site

v9 skins contain additional resources to support one-handed-havigation
feature's highlighting on the devices that have the abovementioned
feature/ Those are T|E2, Treo 650, LifeDrive.

[rossarnie]

Scottl. thanks for the great tips!
Where must skins be stored to be imported? Can they be on the card? If so, in what folder?

[scottl]

Skins on the card will be stored in PALM\Programs\skinUI

[Ou_Boet]

I've noticed several members here posting screen shots that show the very bottom status bar with a new look. How do you get to a skin this area? I've installed SkinUI and must say I like it (had my doubts which is why after 2 years of owning a TX this was the first time I've loaded a skin), but I'd really like to skin my status bar, especially if I could find a match with my LauncherX skin.

Any advice?

OB

[BrentDC]

MySkin/MyKbd is what skins the Statusbar and DIA...

[FerdFerd]

MySkin/MyKbd is what skins the Statusbar and DIA...And there is a reasonably extensive collection of skins to use with mySkin/myKbd here at 1src in the freeware section. What LX skin are you interested in matching? If it's one of Velo's, he has a number of matching DIA and status bar skins in his web site, here (http://velo.hopto.org/).

[rossarnie]

Skins on the card will be stored in PALM\Programs\skinUI
Thanks for your prompt reply!

[Ou_Boet]

MySkin/MyKbd is what skins the Statusbar and DIA...

Great, I'll have to d/l these and give thema try over the w/e. I was hoping to match my LuminX LaucherX skin with something, but I might give a few of velo's LX skins a whirl.

OB

[icefireicefire]

SkinUI crashes the zodiac on launch with a Fatal Exception: 0C and then XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX (vary). Causes a reset loop, and also happens after hard reset.
Can someone help?

[OLD_HATCH]

If theres something you dont like about a perticular skin. skinUI lets u edit skins from whithin the program. No other apps needed and can be accomplished on your palm device.


You can do a quick colorize of a skin or you can go in and edit specific font colors etc.

This one feature makes it great.

[technical1]

icefire, nice to see you on this thread! Do you recall which app you tried to go into when the resets started?

Does hard reset not bring you back to a situation where your zodiac is 'empty'?

If so, you should restore all & skinui as well, but do NOT check off the pref checkbox "On after reset"; then you can recover more easily if sui causes the crash, by limiting which aspects of the UI that sui affects.

If hard reset doesn't leave you with a clean device, which sounds all too familiar, then your rom sounds like it could be compromised.

I this is the case, I would then recommend you allow zodiac to keep on looping until it runs out of power & leave it in power depleted state for 48-72hrs at least & see if whatever was stuck in memory died along w/the power levels (someone recommended this to me when I had endless loop on my TX as seen in Apt thread - or you could open it & disconnect the battery - which would probably void your warranty & see if the problem died w/the power levels. Bad routines, or code processing can get stuck in memory; that is why we have resets.

If that does not help, then you need to send it to Chris Short for repair. He is simply the best in terms of tech smarts on h/w & customer service. My TX is back (yippeee!!!) due to his dedication to solving things.

If you wind up getting another device, even another zodiac, just avoid any headache & restore fm SD backups, a couple/few apps at a time. Why? Think of doing a direct restore of your windows based pc onto a pc w/different h/w configuration.

It will blow up on you for a number of reasons, lack of driver support for new h/w, same for presence of device drivers from old h/w not present in new pc. You'd be lucky if you got windoze to boot. Well guess what?, much to my difficulty, I learned that this is true of Palm-based devices.

Palm can use diff chip manufacturers, diff rom manufacturers, etc. software updates, etc. My restore only worked when I restored 3 apps & their data at a time & avoided restoring ANY system files. THis is why some have lost wifi fm their tx'es, they restored support files fm old device onto new one. Not pretty.

If you don't have backup on SD cards, then rename your Palm Desktop directory on your pc & reinstall desktop s/w & re-install all apps from originals (you can sneak data in fm your c:\program_files\ Palm(one)\username\ directory\backup\files i.e. calendar pDat files etc.

Then get into the habit of backing up regularly to SD, b/c palm hotysnc doesn't b/u all files & you can't prevent it fm restoring system files. I use Resco Backup & it has saved me a lot of times.

[icefireicefire]

icefire, nice to see you on this thread! Do you recall which app you tried to go into when the resets started?

Does hard reset not bring you back to a situation where your zodiac is 'empty'?

If so, you should restore all & skinui as well, but do NOT check off the pref checkbox "On after reset"; then you can recover more easily if sui causes the crash, by limiting which aspects of the UI that sui affects.

If hard reset doesn't leave you with a clean device, which sounds all too familiar, then your rom sounds like it could be compromised.

I this is the case, I would then recommend you allow zodiac to keep on looping until it runs out of power & leave it in power depleted state for 48-72hrs at least & see if whatever was stuck in memory died along w/the power levels (someone recommended this to me when I had endless loop on my TX as seen in Apt thread - or you could open it & disconnect the battery - which would probably void your warranty & see if the problem died w/the power levels. Bad routines, or code processing can get stuck in memory; that is why we have resets.

If that does not help, then you need to send it to Chris Short for repair. He is simply the best in terms of tech smarts on h/w & customer service. My TX is back (yippeee!!!) due to his dedication to solving things.

If you wind up getting another device, even another zodiac, just avoid any headache & restore fm SD backups, a couple/few apps at a time. Why? Think of doing a direct restore of your windows based pc onto a pc w/different h/w configuration.

It will blow up on you for a number of reasons, lack of driver support for new h/w, same for presence of device drivers from old h/w not present in new pc. You'd be lucky if you got windoze to boot. Well guess what?, much to my difficulty, I learned that this is true of Palm-based devices.

Palm can use diff chip manufacturers, diff rom manufacturers, etc. software updates, etc. My restore only worked when I restored 3 apps & their data at a time & avoided restoring ANY system files. THis is why some have lost wifi fm their tx'es, they restored support files fm old device onto new one. Not pretty.

If you don't have backup on SD cards, then rename your Palm Desktop directory on your pc & reinstall desktop s/w & re-install all apps from originals (you can sneak data in fm your c:\program_files\ Palm(one)\username\ directory\backup\files i.e. calendar pDat files etc.

Then get into the habit of backing up regularly to SD, b/c palm hotysnc doesn't b/u all files & you can't prevent it fm restoring system files. I use Resco Backup & it has saved me a lot of times.
Wow, that was long. Actually, SkinUI crashes when i launch IT, not other programs. It starts searching for skins, finds them, then before it displays the next message, it crashes. This is a fatal exception: 0c, which is a standard ARM thing (I think). This happens even after a hard reset, and everything is erased. No SD cards, nothing in ram. It also seems not to be device specific, because at least 2 other users (tapland.com) can't use it either...

BTW, i use resco backup, but do NOT Hotsync, because it's too much of a hassle. Does Skinui doesn't need a hotsync to install because it works on my treo...

Should i test on my friends Zodiac?

EDIT: even weirder, 2.0.3.2 works! But it needs a key, maybe dmitry can make one for me (wishful thinking)

EDIT2: 2.0.4.2 works too. Now for 2.0.5.0

EDIT3: 2.0.5.0 works! Now to test the 2.1.0.0 beta.

EDIT4: 2.1.0.0 broke it. Same errors.
@dmitrygr: Possibility for a key for zodiac users (on 2.0.5.0) since it wasn't freeware?

[icefireicefire]

If dmitry is feeling nice (:)), here is my SkinUI id: s3-Z2euu1To

Thanks for this great (now freeware) app!

[technical1]

icefire, if you have such probs, then it does seem that skinui doesn't work well w/the zodiac- maybe Dmitry can jump in here....

[icefireicefire]

No, version 2.0.5.0 works GREAT, and the only new fixes were for treos, so thats not a big deal.

I just need to register 2.0.5.0, because it isn't freeware, it was still shareware.

[FerdFerd]

Great, I'll have to d/l these and give thema try over the w/e. I was hoping to match my LuminX LaucherX skin with something, but I might give a few of velo's LX skins a whirl.

OBAt the risk of shameless self promotion, take a look at the status bar skin I made to to go with LuminX for Launcher X. It complements other skins too, but I made it because I wanted something to go with LuminX. It's in the freeware section, here (http://www.1src.com/freeware/fileinfo.php?id=1734).

[cyberdude]

At the risk of shameless self promotion, take a look at the status bar skin I made to to go with LuminX for Launcher X. It complements other skins too, but I made it because I wanted something to go with LuminX. It's in the freeware section, here (http://www.1src.com/freeware/fileinfo.php?id=1734).
It's not shameless. I've been using it ever since you released it and love it. Many people have asked where I got it from (when I review apps on TamsPalm I use my own screenshots) and I always direct them back here and give credit where credit is due! Thanks again! :)

[thenrik]

Hi:

Will SkinUI work with LauncherX?

[cyberdude]

Hi:

Will SkinUI work with LauncherX?
Absolutely! I use both. there is one caveat though, I found that there is a screen redraw issue in LX (the code is not written quite well enough Dmitry said). What happens is that a temporary bar shows up covering the upper left part of the titlebar in LX. This is partially due to the fact that LX skins itself and partially due to the redraw issue. If you tap the rescan icon, it goes away, or it eventually disappears by itself.

I think that this minor problem is worth having SkinUI on my device. When I was beta testing SkinUI, I pointed this out to Dmitry, but as indicated above the problem seems to be in LX.

[FerdFerd]

It's not shameless. I've been using it ever since you released it and love it. Many people have asked where I got it from (when I review apps on TamsPalm I use my own screenshots) and I always direct them back here and give credit where credit is due! Thanks again! :)Thanks for the compliment.

Your post reminds me that I also had my status bar skin on PalmGear, but it disappeared during the massacre that merged PalmGear with PocketGear. After it disappeared, I once tried to put it at FreewarePalm, but I never received any acknowledgement and it isn't there. Not sure what to do about that. I haven't tried very hard to understand their rules, but I might have to host the archive myself, which I am not equipped to do easily.

[cyberdude]

Thanks for the compliment.

Your post reminds me that I also had my status bar skin on PalmGear, but it disappeared during the massacre that merged PalmGear with PocketGear. After it disappeared, I once tried to put it at FreewarePalm, but I never received any acknowledgement and it isn't there. Not sure what to do about that. I haven't tried very hard to understand their rules, but I might have to host the archive myself, which I am not equipped to do easily.
Would you like me to host it? It would be barebones hosting (in that there would be no stats like on 1src, but I am running a http server and host all those images you see in my posts)

[FerdFerd]

Would you like me to host it?Sent you a PM.

[JavaJiveJump]

Great idea for this thread!! Thanks.

I'm wondering how I can make a sound pack (preferably with a Star Trek theme). Right now I am using Vista V2 (soft) for my Current sounds.

Secondly, has anyone seen the keyboard on deluxeware's Weather.prc app? It's nice and big and clear. I would love to have that keyboard as the main.

The keyboard mods I used in MySkins were never that clear or accurate. Thanks.

[FerdFerd]

Is there any advice for creating or modifying SkinUI skins? It appears that HP Skin Studio should work, but when I try to load a skin, I get a message that says that because of the format (maybe compressed - I can't look at the moment), importing isn't recommended. And then it does not allow the importation at all. So what are people using?

[JavaJiveJump]

Right now I've just been editing ones that I downloaded. The edit and preview features is pretty extensive right within SkinUI. (You just can't edit the current one that you're using).

At the risk of shameless self promotion, take a look at the status bar skin I made to to go with LuminX for Launcher X. It complements other skins too, but I made it because I wanted something to go with LuminX. It's in the freeware section, here (http://www.1src.com/freeware/fileinfo.php?id=1734).What about not only replacing the grafix for the Find function on the LD statbar, but also replacing it's function. I hardly use Find!

[FerdFerd]

I've figured that much out, and you're right, you can do a lot that way. But I want to move the arrows for drop down menus and scroll bars from one skin to another, not just modify color.

[OLD_HATCH]

download the skin again to your pc not from your palm. Whn skinui imports skins they get compressed to save space and thats where hpskinstudio runs into problems. just get them off the net and then import to skinui.


Thats what Ive been doing for months. :D

[FerdFerd]

What about not only replacing the grafix for the Find function on the LD statbar, but also replacing it's function. I hardly use Find!That's beyond my skills. Fiddling with bitmaps is one thing, programming the function is quite another. For me at least!

There are programs out there to do exactly what you are interested in, though, at least for the TX. Don't know about the Life Drive, though. I use mySkin/myKbd for this, as well as many other cool things.

[FerdFerd]

download the skin again to your pc not from your palm. Whn skinui imports skins they get compressed to save space and thats where hpskinstudio runs into problems. just get them off the net and then import to skinui.Hmmm. I did start with the Cobalt skin that comes in the SkinUI archive. HP Skin Studio choked on that.

[cyberdude]

Did you take a look at the skin editing specs Dmitry has on his website?

[FerdFerd]

Did you take a look at the skin editing specs Dmitry has on his website?I went back to look for those, but found nothing. There is the source for the Cobalt skin, but no explanation of how to modify it. Perhaps I missed it somewhere.

[OLD_HATCH]

Is there any advice for creating or modifying SkinUI skins? It appears that HP Skin Studio should work, but when I try to load a skin, I get a message that says that because of the format (maybe compressed - I can't look at the moment), importing isn't recommended. And then it does not allow the importation at all. So what are people using?



I tried this again and you are correct. HPskinstudio will only allow you to edit the palmrevolt versions. So if the skin you want to edit has a palmrevolt counterpart then no big you can use that. Unfortunately the palmrevolt versions dont have animations so you would loose that part of it. :(



Does anyone have any idea on how to extract bmp images from skinui only skins so that you can edit them?


I looked at and downloaded the skinmaker on dmitrys site but it is rather lengthy. To swap out bmps would take like a whole day! I just want to edit certain aspects.


Is there a way to get either HPSkin studio or PFCD to export the bmp's to be edited?


Is there a program that will uncompress the skins so that HPSkin Studio will be able to import them?

[DCBAKER]

No, version 2.0.5.0 works GREAT, and the only new fixes were for treos, so thats not a big deal.

I just need to register 2.0.5.0, because it isn't freeware, it was still shareware.
I've had the same problems with the Zodiac and the 2.2 version. I've even had problems with the 2.0.5.0 version (for which I paid). When the Zod crashes I usually have to do a warm reset and delete SkinUI. Then do a couple more warm resets to clear things out. Then copy SkinUI back from my SD card. Usually that works, but not always. I haven't been able to make a version newer than 2.0.5.0 work. You would think since that version was updated to address incompatibilities with the Zod the versions after it would also be able to work with the Zod. Oh well... Can't complain too much since it's free now.

[OLD_HATCH]

I went back to look for those, but found nothing. There is the source for the Cobalt skin, but no explanation of how to modify it. Perhaps I missed it somewhere.


If your using the skin that came with it just look in all the folders find the images you want to edit. Edit them with whatever program u want (paint phoshop etc) and save.

There is a rcp file that has alot of text in it, I think this is good to go. You could go in and edit the transparent color if need be.


After you edit the image you run the application (compiler or the like and som dos window should pop up followed by a creation of a new prc fine in the folder.





Someone correct me if Im wrong or missed a step.




Also there is no read me really. You have to know what you're doing.




Also does anyone know the max bmp size for all the images or are you limited to the size of the bmps already in the file?

[thenrik]

Hi:

I'd like to try FerdFerd's LuminX Status Bar Skin. Can I use SkinUI or do I have to install MySkin or Mykbrd? I guess I'm asking if there's a freeware solution to use the skin.

Thanks,

Tom

[FerdFerd]

I'd like to try FerdFerd's LuminX Status Bar Skin. Can I use SkinUI or do I have to install MySkin or Mykbrd? I guess I'm asking if there's a freeware solution to use the skin.You must use either mySkin or myKbd to install my status bar skin. They come with a fourteen day free trial, after which they retain many very useful features, which are therefore effectively freeware. But the only thing you would be able to do about skinning would be to restore the default. But if you are content with what you installed during the trial and leave it alone afterwards, it will remain.

I think the $10 spent for mySkin is more than a bargain, but that's me.

If there is a freeware solution, I don't know what it is.

[thenrik]

Hi:

I installed the trial version of MySkin and managed to get FerdFerd's command bar skin installed to go along with LuminX.

I guess I've been happy with the functionality of LauncherX and never considered making it look more attractive.

FerdFerd, Cyberdude any other LauncherX users out there . . . Do you have screen shots of how you've made your T/X shine or is the SkinUI/FerdFerd command bar combo about it?

FerdFerd, the command bar looks great!

Thanks,

Tom

[FerdFerd]

I'm still exploring SkinUI, but most of what I see when I use my TX is LauncherX with the LuminX skin. And my status bar, of course. :) I have merged the graffiti areas from Velo's Grayhide skin.

You might like to explore Alex Pruss's ShowBattery, which is freeware and to be found here at 1src in the freeware section. I recommend the version modified by Henk Jonas at Metaview Software. The link to download it is on this page (http://www.metaviewsoft.de/en/index.html).

There are several efforts at producing skins for ShowBattery here in the freeware section. Mine are here (http://www.1src.com/freeware/fileinfo.php?id=1656). Install ShowBattery first, and then merge your choice of skins with mySkin.

[cyberdude]

I use FerdFerd's statusbar with Velo's Blackhide skin for LX (although I have found that hiding the bottom LX gadgets bar makes it look nicer and it pops up when I drag something to it anyway). You can't really see how skinui interacts in my LX screen shots, since LX is not really skinned (skinnable apps like lx aren't affected as much by skinui). I have other screenies that show my skinning - some of which you see if you click the links in my sig on TamsPalm (some reviews I do by hard resetting my TX first so they aren't skinned). I also use myKbd, and love it - it was worth every penny! I made my own myKbd skin as well (based on the Atomik keyboard altered by PalmJob).

[thenrik]

Hi:

I ended up using Velo's Greyhide skin with No tabs, though I may switch and use some of his other No Tab skins for variety. I was always hitting this or that key in Launcher X and ending up in some other category.

I merged FerdFerd's show battery skin with FerdFerd's companion bar so my TX is looking much more spiffy.

Given that I need LauncherX or I wouldn't have any memory left at all, I'm not sure how much I'll continue to mess with the skins--it already looking much better. But if I do, I'll buy MySkin and will look into Atomik Keyboard as well as MyKbd.

You're hints and suggestions made a big difference to me.

Thanks,

Tom

[FerdFerd]

I merged FerdFerd's show battery skin with FerdFerd's companion bar I'd be curious to know which color battery skin you selected.

[thenrik]

Hi:

I selected the green one first but it was a little to bright so I ended up with the MacBlue, maybe a little too dim but it looks fine with your toolbar, a great improvement. I was always squinting at the icons before.

Thanks,

Tom

[cyberdude]

Hi:

I ended up using Velo's Greyhide skin with No tabs, though I may switch and use some of his other No Tab skins for variety. I was always hitting this or that key in Launcher X and ending up in some other category.

I merged FerdFerd's show battery skin with FerdFerd's companion bar so my TX is looking much more spiffy.

Given that I need LauncherX or I wouldn't have any memory left at all, I'm not sure how much I'll continue to mess with the skins--it already looking much better. But if I do, I'll buy MySkin and will look into Atomik Keyboard as well as MyKbd.

You're hints and suggestions made a big difference to me.

Thanks,

Tom
Your welcome. If you do end up getting mykbd I'll be happy to share my layout with you.