Issues with skins created for the VG/DIA

[iboar]

This seems like a good place to start a thread, and hopefully dialog, about issues concerning skins created for the VG/DIA.

Note that I'm using Velo's instructions (http://members01.chello.se/olin/apskins/DIA_creation_guideT3.txt) to create VG skins. (These are very good instructions!)

[list=1]
Buttons in Status Bar stay highlighted after being selected.

Also noticed this issue sometimes occurs in ZLauncher concerning the bottom (function) bar.

Modified bitmaps abmp19640-1-d144.bmp through abmp19663-1-d144.bmp are not displaying in the VG skins. (These are mostly application icons to things like Calc, etc.) Instead, the standard, ugly Palm icons continue to display.

I am able to get three application icons to work, as follows:

--abmp19630-1-d144.bmp (Home/Launcher button)
--abmp19631-1-d144.bmp (Menu button)
--abmp19632-1-d144.bmp (Find button)

[/list=1]

Any other issues?

[iboar]

Velo informs me that the bitmaps related to application icons (abmp19640-1-d144.bmp through abmp19663-1-d144.bmp) in the VG skin will be overwritten by the applications' icons. So don't waste your time updating these bitmaps for the VG skin. Instead you'll have to use software like RIcon Changer (or Festus440's upcoming ZL Iconset Factory) to update them separately.

[keelinlee]

Is too complicated for me :( I willing to pay for good quality DIA skin

[MythoFactory]

could it be something to do with the compression of the bitmaps? when I wrote my .rcp, I only compressed the bitmaps that were compressed in the original skin, and I had no problem with "sticky" bitmaps.... just my 2p.

[Festus440]

Vidge asked me to play around with this.
Perhaps one of the Palm Gurus knows the answer.

When I tried to compile the DIA skins, they would crash the T3 simulator. After looking at the original files I discovered that in the double density bitmaps, byte #12 (after the dummy bitmap) which describes the “pixel format” was 0 in the original skin, but PilRc was putting in 3. (BTW, from what I read, 0 doesn’t even seem to be a valid number for this byte.)

I also looked at the DIA-Alubreeze10.prc skin and some of these bytes are 0 in some bitmaps, and in others it was 3. And that skin also crashes in the simulator when I use certain icons.

So….. I wrote a little compiler that uses PilRc and then goes back into the skin and changes all of the pixel format bytes to 0 like in the original. All I can say is that it seems to work fine in the simulator, and no crashes.

No idea if this is related to the other issues.

If someone wants to play with this thing, just send me an email.

[iboar]

Festus440,

Thanks for checking into this.

Were you addressing issue one or two? Sorry, showing my ignorance here.

Also, is your compiler something you could post or let someone test with their skins?

[Festus440]

iboar,
I don't think there's a workaround for issue 2.
I don't notice issue 1 in the simulator, and I'm compressing everything.

Dumb question but I just joined the board. Is there a place to post it here? Otherwise, I'll put it on my web site in the morning.

F440

[Vidge]

Festus - No place for for uploads yet :(

iboar - I did not notice issue 1 on the skin I made using a test version of Festus' skin maker program

[iboar]

I think Festus's skin maker will be the way to go. He said it will be at least this weekend before he can work on it.

I especially like the idea of having to run only one exe file. With the Velo method, which is very good, you have to run two commands in a DOS window within the abmps folder, copy all the new *.bin files to the Bins folder, then run one more command in a DOS window within the Bins folder. I placed the first two commands in one batch file and the last command in another batch file, but that's still three steps compared to one! I can't wait to see the finished product! :cool:

Thanks, Festus!

[Vidge]

I agree Festus' skin maker will be the way to go. He does such wonderful work. That's why I started emailing him about it as soon as I got my T3 :D

Got a question - I made a skin (horrible looking - BTW :() and I'm using Photshop Elements. I'm not new at skinning, having done several for the NR series when it was first released, but I'm no graphic artist. I'm having trouble applying the Palm color palette AFTER I have created my skin. In particular, it changes the transparency color. Is there a way to use the Palm color palette when I create the skin?

TIA

[FIA WRC]

I've been using Festus skin apps for a while now and I'm too waiting to see his finished product. I use Paintshop Pro 8 and Adobe Elements 2 to do alot of the graphic work. A nice program called Pixel Toolbox can be found on the net using Yahoo search. It's a free program. Allows you to make any image into any size and color icon you need. Been using this with Festus' programs to make many Wassup and ZLauncher skins. Can't wait to start working on the T3! I already have the icons done. Hope this site has a place to upload are skins and backgrounds to soon. Now if someone could figure out how to change the background in the "Today" page in Calendar.:)

[Vidge]

Well, I finally figured out how to load the Palm color palette into the swatches area. Now I can get going.

FIA WRC - take a look here (http://www.palmonecity.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=607)

I think this is what you want.

[FIA WRC]

Originally posted by Vidge
Well, I finally figured out how to load the Palm color palette into the swatches area. Now I can get going.

FIA WRC - take a look here (http://www.palmonecity.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=607)

I think this is what you want.

Thanks for the tip Vidge

[G-San]

"Now if someone could figure out how to change the background in the "Today" page in Calendar."

Well someone did, check this out:

http://www.pdassi.de/product.php?prod_id=13152

It's a german site, so for those not grocking what they say here: the program provided (T3AgendaBG) allows you to change the background at will with a bitmap of your choice. There are instruction on how to make such a background. The program is just to choose and activate it. Works great for me.

[Vidge]

I have a question. A couple of people (out of almost 300 downloads) have mentioned that they are getting a brownish-looking skin when they load mine (http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&sid=6945B678-1BBD-4741-AC90FB86FFDCF815&catid=0&area=software.newproducts1day&searchtitle=Today%27s%20New%20Software%20Titles&searchterm=&step=1&orderby=modificationdate&direction=asc&userid=0&prodid=52433) into their T3. I have no idea what might be causing this. The only thing that comes to mind is that there are a couple of different T3 screens out there - yellowish ones and white ones. I'm wondering if some colors are not suitable for the yellowish screens (mine is white, BTW)

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[iboar]

When I had my NX60, I was disappointed the first time I created a ZL theme and loaded it. I had worked so hard to get the colors just right, had taken the precaution of loading the palm.act color table into Fireworks MX, but the colors were off! I soon learned how Sony Clies can have incorrect color. So it's possible (if not probable) that your theory is correct.