Lomius

Does anyone know an easier method to create TRUE VGA Landscape themes. These theme generators such as MCDEB, KAMWARE, SPB Extended Theme Generator, and a couple others I forgot, Claim to create VGA Landscape themes. But they do not. When I go back to my .TSK files the themes have been resized usually to 320x240 Theme sizes and when used in conjuction with SEVGA they tile themselves. (I am not talking about choosing QVGA when selecting SEVGA, that is just pixel doubling, I am talking a TRUE VGA). I.E. If I go to the Today theme selector in SEVGA I want to "HotSwap" with a TRUE VGA theme and not just use a 320x240 theme Doubled to fit my screen. I am not explaining this well but look at these pictures.

Don't get me wrong. I KNOW how to create TRUE VGA themes using Themebuilder2003. But it is extremely difficult. You have to actually make your own THEME.INF file and type in Hex to make the theme look like you want it to then you have to create a cab file and rename it and on and on... I am wondering if anyone out there has found an easier way or if there is some new TRUE VGA theme generator that is being made.

As I said I have used all the above generators in "Supposedly" VGA theme creation mode and the results were the same. Look at the pictures... The ONLY one in TRUE VGA mode are the ones I created the long hard way actually typing in hex and creating a cab file...

SPB ThemeGenerator V2 in VGA Extended Mode
http://us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/41e1a...tIIVCBix8QZW8_

MCDEB in VGA Theme Mode
http://us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/41e1a...tIIVCB0jA82yvy

2 Theme Builder2003 TRUE VGA Themes I created. Difficult. Help me!

http://us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/41e1a...tIIVCBdaAOL6XS
http://us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/41e1a...tIIVCBNhi3t4xL

makuu

Usually I use my own script to resize the theme by Changing the DPI value in registry ( like mentioned here.

Otherwise if you want to create true VGA you can use a tool that has been developped by one of our PPCCool member (STEF), don't forget to use the patch that is also available in this thread. (this development was made to handle vga theme for 2003 FE and myVga hack but works fine for true VGA under 2003 SE).

You might want to try the SE Version and change the DPI value in the .inf parameter file.

Lomius

Wow. Thanks alot. I will try all these ways. Eventually when I get the hang of this a little better I am gonna try to make a website for TRUE VGA themes and such. I appreciate the info. I'll play around with this stuf..

Jukov

SPB Theme creator works just fine...
Just don't forget to post your themes

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PDAAddict

Hello

The themes created by McDeb are VGA themes, the registry may not be ajusted accordingly, but when I resize the theme with SE-VGA, everything is fine. it is not pixel doubling, it is real vga.

My guess is that the VGA themes are shrinked to fit a QVGA screen instead of the other way around.

__________________
Regards,

PDAAddict
Palm M125 -> Tungsten E -> Axim X50v

Lomius

Then why does it tile after I swap it? If it was true VGA like the themes I created then it should keep the same ratio. I know how to create QVGA and VGA themes. Maybe I used the "pixel doubling" wrong . But I am trying to find a "Quick" way now to create true VGA Landscape themes.

I tried many times with the programs I listed above. To include McDeb's but still I got the tile affect. I know about the proper dimensions to make your picture. And that part of it is "only landscape mode", and part is only "portrait mode" yet it is one pic. I know this and I create the 640 files. Yet when I used Unzip to inspect the 0tdywater and stwater files they were always scaled down with McDeb and even SBP Extender to the 320. The only one that kept my original JPEG sizes was Themebuiler2003 at 640.

Anyways I am going to keep trying. I am not explaining this well But I think you get the jist. I am going to try MAKUU's suggestions for now. Thanks for the input though.

kungfuafrican

Using SPB theme generator has worked fine for me, just using the normal wizard that runs after the MS Theme Generator is finished. The themes come out in true vga, don't ever tile, and look identical regardless of whether ozvga is running or not. It does, however, always give me an error when I try to create an "extended theme", and defaults to the normal battery/memory indicators instead of the ones I choose (because of the lack of a green dot in the upper corner to designate vga icons). The theme still gets generated though, and looks great. I made a vga "Shaun of the Dead" theme that's become a permanent part of my axim (I swear I really do have a life though).

Jukov

SPB themegenerator needs the originasl image to be 640x588 any other resolution will result in tiling

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kungfuafrican

Thanks Jukov, I forgot to mention that. Also, unlike MS Theme Generator, you have to give the images specific filenames, like "stwater.gif" for the start menu image and "tdywater.gif" for the today screen (even if the images aren't actually gif files). Otherwise, the extended theme portion of the generator won't work, and the theme will just be in qvga.

Jukov

Originally Posted by kungfuafrican

...(I swear I really do have a life though).

Who needs life when you have an Axim, dude!

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PDAAddict

Originally Posted by kungfuafrican

Using SPB theme generator has worked fine for me, just using the normal wizard that runs after the MS Theme Generator is finished. The themes come out in true vga, don't ever tile, and look identical regardless of whether ozvga is running or not. It does, however, always give me an error when I try to create an "extended theme", and defaults to the normal battery/memory indicators instead of the ones I choose (because of the lack of a green dot in the upper corner to designate vga icons). The theme still gets generated though, and looks great. I made a vga "Shaun of the Dead" theme that's become a permanent part of my axim (I swear I really do have a life though).

Do you select the VGA option in McDeb?

I just did two themes, one yesterday and one today. I made a copy of the tsk file, renamed the copy to .cab, and decompressed it. The image file is named tdywater.001. I opened it in Irfanview, and the file size is 640x588, a VGA image.

As was mentioned earlier, the registry contains a key that specify the size of the Theme. Maybe McDeb does not ajust this key, I don't know. When I fist install the theme, I do get the tiling effect, as if the theme was in QVGA. I simply run SE_VGA, specify that the theme is VGA. After the soft reset, everythting is perfect.

If there is a bug in McDeb, it is with the registry setting. I think I'll write them about this.

__________________
Regards,

PDAAddict
Palm M125 -> Tungsten E -> Axim X50v

Don't Panic!

I think we need a HiDPI forum for you "True" believers.

This is being moved to the Themes & Skins forum.

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Don't Panic!
Bobby
42
Soft-reset is our Friend :

grizgza

I use Wisbar Advance 2 and make True-VGA skins for that. Seems to be the easiest and most customizable way to skin a PPC. I guess you're not a Wisbar fan?

True-VGA Wisbar Skin here:
http://www.glowview.com/

Lomius

Thanks everyone. You have "somewhat" helped me out :P I am getting better results though. I am gonna make a TRUE VGA LANDSCAPE theme based Website soon. Ill let ya'll know.

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