Microsoft Theme Generator V2 - Image Size Needed?

rctoyguy · 04-07-05, 04:57 PM

I used this a while back to create a theme for my Axim (atually I am only interested in creating the background image) and it did really well. Now I am trying to do a new one, and I don't remember having the problem that I now am having.

I create the image I want for the background in Paint Shop Pro at 480x640 - it looks great.
Start Theme Generator, have it use that newly created image as the background - looks great - configure colors for text, toolbars, etc - looks great - Transfer to PDA, activate new "theme" - looks like crap.
I then went back to Theme Generator, and opened that theme - still looks good there, but i noticed the image is 240x287 instead of 480x640.

What's up with that? What size do I need to externally make the image? Also, how much room do I need to leave at the bottom for the info bar?

Thanks!

Gigi · 04-07-05, 04:59 PM

Theme Generator is not VGA compatible. You need the Spb Extended Theme Generator:

http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/prod...xtthemegen/?en

rctoyguy · 04-07-05, 05:06 PM

The Extended Theme Generator will not run on it's own will it? I need to install it over the top of Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 Theme Generator v2, correct?

Then I can use my personalized 480x640 image and it turn out looking right?

Thanks for the almost instant reply, by the way...

rctoyguy · 04-07-05, 05:20 PM

What the ???? I get to the point after the "Finish" button, and it says that (huge list of files) are not available or something about not having a green pixel in the upper right corner?

It really wants you to include Ext VGA in the name of the theme - OK, I can live with that I guess...

Also says tdwater.gif is missing -

I know this can't be this difficult. I have removed and reinstalled both theme generator "parts".

rctoyguy · 04-07-05, 06:16 PM

Alright - this will be my last post till I hear back from someone... Gotta give you time to actually respond, huh?

I am using an image called mine.jpg as the desktop background, and an image called blue.jpg as the start menu background. I created a new image called tdywater.gif (it wanted one in the folder with the other images) and did not check "VGA compatible" on the last page - I was able to successfully create a theme - but when it is viewed on my Axim, the entire screen is blue. (tdywater.gif is an all blue image - "save as" from blue.jpg)

Perhaps I should have redone mine.jpg as tdywater.gif? But I want that to be a full color image, not a .gif file.

I'll go sit over here and wait on someone that knows what they are doing (unlike me) to tell me what I am doing wrong.

Gildor · 04-07-05, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by rctoyguy

I am using an image called mine.jpg as the desktop background, and an image called blue.jpg as the start menu background. I created a new image called tdywater.gif (it wanted one in the folder with the other images) and did not check "VGA compatible" on the last page - I was able to successfully create a theme - but when it is viewed on my Axim, the entire screen is blue. (tdywater.gif is an all blue image - "save as" from blue.jpg)

Perhaps I should have redone mine.jpg as tdywater.gif? But I want that to be a full color image, not a .gif file.

Just some general comments on theme images which may help. However, I never used Theme Generator much so I can't be of much specific help there.

A standard PPC theme (as opposed to the 'extended' themes generated by third party applications like Dashboard and Pocket Plus) is comprised of three files which are housed in a .tsk file. This .tsk file is just a renamed cab file.

If you want to check it out yourself, just open a tsk file in Winzip or other zip utility. No need to rename it to .cab or anything.

0stwater.002 - This is the image used for the menu.
tdywater.001 - this is the today screen image
Both of these can be jpg or png or gif files. I don't know if bmp's will work or not, but they have to be named this (including the extension) in the tsk file in order for Windows to recognize it as valid theme. IIRC, Theme Generator requires the gif extension regardless of the type of file it is, although I don't remember for sure.

xxxx.000 - this is the file which contains all the other info about the theme (background color, font, etc.) xxxx can be just about any name I believe. It is a binary file, so you'll need a hex editor if you want to mess with it. Basically, the meat of the file is some indexes and associated values. These values are what you change to change the colors and other attributes of the theme. The trick is to know what index controls what attribute and what values correspond to what effects on the screen. I haven't seen a list, so you'd have to find one or figure it out yourself using trial and error. I don't recommend trying to manipulate this file as its much easier to just use a theme editor.

So it makes sense that your background screen is blue, because your tdywater.001 file was the blue.jpg file you started with and that is the today screen image. You need to tell TG that mine.jpg is your today screen image and blue.jpg is your menu image. If TG wants gif files only, you should be able to just rename mine.jpg to mine.gif without having to make the actual file type conversion and it should work in TG. Again, since I don't use TG, you'll have to confirm that.

Pocket McDeb's website has a nice page explaining the different image sizes required for different PPC screen resolutions. Check it out here.

HTH!

rctoyguy · 04-08-05, 12:00 AM

Words can not begin to describe how frustrated I am with this.

NOW what happens is this:
Renamed mine.jpg to tdywater.gif
Go through the creation process - no problems... Open theme in editor to be sure it looks right before I go to the trouble of transferring it to the Axim.
Only able to see top left "corner" of background image - look at "Modify this image", it shows the image as 240x287 (explains why I only see part of it)

I've tried everything I can think to try - in my limited knowledge, it looks like the spbExtendedThemeGenerator install didn't "take" - but - I do have the extra page after the "Finish" button.

I would be glad to e-mail the images I am working with to someone if you would be willing to run it through your theme editor to see if you get the same results, or if I am doing something wrong, or if there is a problem with my install.

rctoyguy · 04-08-05, 11:49 AM

*EDIT* - I think I have figured it out... I need to check VGA Compatible, then uncheck "Create an extended theme" - this seems to work. If I leave the extended theme thing checked, it yells at me about wanting the certain named files...

the resulting image still looks pretty bad. I am going to remake that image as a bmp or something from the start, instead of using a .jpg to see if that helps...

Wish me luck!

Gildor · 04-08-05, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by rctoyguy

*EDIT* - I think I have figured it out... I need to check VGA Compatible, then uncheck "Create an extended theme" - this seems to work. If I leave the extended theme thing checked, it yells at me about wanting the certain named files...

the resulting image still looks pretty bad. I am going to remake that image as a bmp or something from the start, instead of using a .jpg to see if that helps...

Wish me luck!

The actual full size image for a VGA theme is 640 x 588. This covers both landscape and portrait modes although various portions of the image will not show up depending on which mode you are in. You might try resizing your image to this size.

Also, I'd recommend you give Thememaker McDeb a try. It has some nice features like showing you what part of the image will show up in the theme and allowing you to stretch or crop your image as you see fit to create your theme. The trial version puts a big watermark on the finished theme, but otherwise has full functionality. It might help you troubleshoot.

rctoyguy · 04-08-05, 12:31 PM

Still not good.

Capture 2 is using the theme I created

Capture 3 is using the image from the Axim (My Pictures - set as background)

I could tinker with the image to make it fit like I want, slide it down a little, but the problem with that method is that it reverts the start menu to using the same image, and white text in the start menu can't be read over the white background of this image.

I guess as a last ditch effort, I could redo the image with something other than white as the top 2/3 of the image, but I would like to know what the heck I am doing wrong anyway.

04-08-05, 05:44 PM

Post your picture. I want to try it in Thememaker SE.

rctoyguy · 04-08-05, 05:56 PM

Here it is

I have tried so many different sizes of that thing that it is nuts. This one is 480x640.

04-08-05, 06:02 PM

Do you have one that is 640 by 640? If this is the one you have been using then that is your proble. It has to be at least 640 by 588 or it will get stretched and look lik your pic above.

rctoyguy · 04-08-05, 06:09 PM

Thy this one

It is 640x800, I think. I just threw it together. If we can figure out what I need to be doing, I'll go back and make one like I really want.

rctoyguy · 04-08-05, 06:12 PM

Thanks for your help with this, by the way.

I just tried that last image and got the same result that I have been getting. Be interesting to see what you get.