Demystifying true VGA mode:

[makuu]

I've read many posts about true Vga mode, SE_VGA, ozVGA. And it seems that lot of x50v users are not realizing what programs like SE_VGA or ozVGA are doing. So I'll try to make you understand the technique that is used to switch from one VGA mode to another.

First to be able to have vga mode you need to have some *.96.dll and *.96.gif copied to the \Windows directory of your device. There are 18 files to copy there. You can find those files at ozVGA download page in the VgaRes.zip file (If you are installing SE_VGA, these files will be installed under \Windows for you). These files are prerequisite to true VGA mode, if you don't have those file you won't be able to properly switch to true VGA mode.

Once you have those files under \Windows, you need a switcher to go to True VGA mode. SE_VGA was the first VGA switcher to be released. Then came ozVGA. But you can actually, design your own VGA switcher. That's what I did by writing a script using nScriptm (that was before ozVGA 0.53 release).

To switch to True VGA mode, you only have to modify two values in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\Display\GPE:
LogicalPixelsX and LogicalPixelsY, put 96 in Decimal.
To extend your Standard Vga theme for True Vga mode, you have to modify one value in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Today:
DPI, put 96 in Decimal.

Then soft reset, that's it, you will be then in true VGA mode. That is exactly what SE_VGA is doing.

If you want to switch back to standard vga mode change those 3 values back to 192 and soft reset.

The first time you will use True VGA mode, You will notice that for some applications you want to use the font is actually to small to be readable. You can resize the font for True VGA mode but next time when you will switch back to standard VGA mode, the font will be too big in this mode. The idea is to be able to save all the font settings you have in both mode and then re-use the proper settings each time you switch Vga mode. That is why I wrote some script for nScriptM to do that (at that time ozVGA was not available). I wrote two scripts one for saving the configurations of PI, SPB+, Today Pluggin, PiToday and Resco Explorer, and another script to switch mode using saved configuration data. If you want to have a look on my customized script, you can download it there.

I used a scripting language because I am not an expert in programming but if you are it's not that difficult to develop your own switcher. That what Oleg did with ozVGA, when the first version was released it was only able to handle configuration setting stored in registry. I have then been in touch with Oleg, to suggest improvement and with the last .53 release, I start to use it instead of my custom made scripts.

I am using the following settings for ozVGA:

In registry tab:

HKCU\SOFTWARE\DeJe\PIToday (to handle different font settings for PiToday in both Vga mode)
HKCU\SOFTWARE\GreenSoftware\GSFinder+ (to handle different font settings for GSFinder+ in both Vga mode)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Today (to handle different today pluggin in both Vga mode)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Resco\Explorer\Options (to handle different font settings for Resco Explorer in both Vga mode)
-HKLM\SOFTWARE\Spb Software House\Pocket Plus (note the - in front this is to handle SPB+ different settings for shortcut Icons Large for true Vga mode and small for standard mode the "-" is used to have different set of icons for both vga mode)

In files tab:

\My Documents\WebIS\Settings.txt (to handle different font settings for PI in both Vga mode)
\Windows\PIResources.dll (to handle different dll for PI in both Vga mode, also I use a modified dll for true vga mode that is embedding larger font for dialog box)



Appendice: VGA Themes

Most of the Vga themes that you will find are fully compatible for Standard SE Vga mode, however like I mentioned before the theme will be extended to fit the screen after switching to true VGA mode. Then in true VGA mode if you change theme, they won't fit perfectly for True VGA because they embedding a DPI value of 192 for the registry, to make it full screen again you have to use SE_VGA and softreset. However I'm using this trick to extend a theme to fit the screen in true vga mode, with a script I'm changing the DPI value to 96 and I'm doing two rotate, with this method I got a full screen theme without a softreset. I've written a script to do this (a prerequisite is to install rotate SE), you can download it from there.

[mahkoo]

Thanks for the informative post! :approve:

I've been wondering what the registry string was for Pocket Plus.

[OrdeS]

I've been messing with both Se_VGA and OzVga when i first got the axim.
After uninstalling both since I chose not to use true VGA, I noticed that my VGA themes are not displayed properly anymore (only the top left quarter of it is shown).
Reading your post I realised that the problem is in the third registry value for the DPI of today screen. Seems like whenever I apply a theme with the standard OS theme switcher utility the DPI value gets erased from my registry. I can add it manually and after a soft reset its all fine and the theme is shown completly.
I wonder what could have messed up my system like that. I suspect that if I soft rest and not mess with true VGA enablers it will be all fine but installing over 200 MB of software isnt fun.
Any clues how to make it revert to the defaul behaviour ?

[makuu]

I've been messing with both Se_VGA and OzVga when i first got the axim.
After uninstalling both since I chose not to use true VGA, I noticed that my VGA themes are not displayed properly anymore (only the top left quarter of it is shown).
Reading your post I realised that the problem is in the third registry value for the DPI of today screen. Seems like whenever I apply a theme with the standard OS theme switcher utility the DPI value gets erased from my registry. I can add it manually and after a soft reset its all fine and the theme is shown completly.
I wonder what could have messed up my system like that. I suspect that if I soft rest and not mess with true VGA enablers it will be all fine but installing over 200 MB of software isnt fun.
Any clues how to make it revert to the defaul behaviour ?

There is nothing wrong with your system. The DPI value is embedded within the theme, every time you will change theme the system will read and get the DPI value from your theme. So when you change theme and if when you check the registry the DPI value is not 192 (decimal), it means that the theme you are using is not a standard VGA theme for SE.

[OrdeS]

There is nothing wrong with your system. The DPI value is embedded within the theme, every time you will change theme the system will read and get the DPI value from your theme. So when you change theme and if when you check the registry the DPI value is not 192 (decimal), it means that the theme you are using is not a standard VGA theme for SE.

I'd think the same only if the same doesnt happen with the default system theme thats on the ROM.

[makuu]

I'd think the same only if the same doesnt happen with the default system theme thats on the ROM.

That is weird, when you are using the default theme, what is your DPI value in the registry?

[OrdeS]

That is weird, when you are using the default theme, what is your DPI value in the registry?

When using the windows defualt theme the DPI does set to 192.
When using the Dell WM2003SE the DPI value is lost and I do get the problem described. I'm pretty sure that is a VGA theme. I also have other VGA themes (Juni's) and they all have the same problem.

[Gildor]

When using the windows defualt theme the DPI does set to 192.
When using the Dell WM2003SE the DPI value is lost and I do get the problem described. I'm pretty sure that is a VGA theme. I also have other VGA themes (Juni's) and they all have the same problem.

Hmmm, I seem to have the opposite problem. After restoring (using sprite backup) my system after the new ROM update, all my standard themes are shown as 4 images (2x2). My VGA themes display fine. Before the update both VGA and standard themes displayed OK. Now I thought I just restored my My Documents and PIM data and nothing else.

I checked the registry and the aforementioned values are 192 as they should be since I am not messing with true VGA.

Anything else I can check? The only thing I can see to do is now is another hard reset and making sure the themes display properly before I restore anything else.

[Loibisch]

Just wanted to note that I found this post very informative, thanks for the time :)

[professor-d]

Thanks for the post.

I've been experimenting with real VGA using oz_vga. I also purchased tweaks2k2.net. I've read, or think I've read, that tweaks2k2 will somehow allow you to apply true VGA to only selected programs, say TextMaker. But I don't seem to be able to make that happen. It's either all VGA or no VGA.

So... can I run in "normal VGA" most of the time, but whenever I invoke TextMaker or Excel they're automatically in true VGA? If not, what exactly does the Brute Force VGA hack do for me?

[makuu]

Thanks for the post.

I've been experimenting with real VGA using oz_vga. I also purchased tweaks2k2.net. I've read, or think I've read, that tweaks2k2 will somehow allow you to apply true VGA to only selected programs, say TextMaker. But I don't seem to be able to make that happen. It's either all VGA or no VGA.

So... can I run in "normal VGA" most of the time, but whenever I invoke TextMaker or Excel they're automatically in true VGA? If not, what exactly does the Brute Force VGA hack do for me?

Brute Force VGA can force an old QVGA application to VGA, but it will actually work for only few applications. You can use it for tube, netfront and TomTom 3 for example, but most of the time options and dialog box won't be of an easy use. Brute Force was the first solution for WM2003 SE users to convert their applications in a vga display. The true VGA trick came after and is really a better solution.

[Hendrixus]

I've read many posts about true Vga mode, SE_VGA, ozVGA. And it seems that lot of x50v users are not realizing what programs like SE_VGA or ozVGA are doing. So I'll try to make you understand the technique that is used to switch from one VGA mode to another.

First to be able to have vga mode you need to have some *.96.dll and *.96.gif copied to the \Windows directory of your device. There are 18 files to copy there. You can find those files at ozVGA download page in the VgaRes.zip file (If you are installing SE_VGA, these files will be installed under \Windows for you). These files are prerequisite to true VGA mode, if you don't have those file you won't be able to properly switch to true VGA mode.

Once you have those files under \Windows, you need a switcher to go to True VGA mode. SE_VGA was the first VGA switcher to be released. Then came ozVGA. But you can actually, design your own VGA switcher. That's what I did by writing a script using nScriptm (that was before ozVGA 0.53 release).

To switch to True VGA mode, you only have to modify two values in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\Display\GPE:
LogicalPixelsX and LogicalPixelsY, put 96 in Decimal.
To extend your Standard Vga theme for True Vga mode, you have to modify one value in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Today:
DPI, put 96 in Decimal.

Then soft reset, that's it, you will be then in true VGA mode. That is exactly what SE_VGA is doing.

If you want to switch back to standard vga mode change those 3 values back to 192 and soft reset.

The first time you will use True VGA mode, You will notice that for some applications you want to use the font is actually to small to be readable. You can resize the font for True VGA mode but next time when you will switch back to standard VGA mode, the font will be too big in this mode. The idea is to be able to save all the font settings you have in both mode and then re-use the proper settings each time you switch Vga mode. That is why I wrote some script for nScriptM to do that (at that time ozVGA was not available). I wrote two scripts one for saving the configurations of PI, SPB+, Today Pluggin, PiToday and Resco Explorer, and another script to switch mode using saved configuration data. If you want to have a look on my customized script, you can download it there.

I used a scripting language because I am not an expert in programming but if you are it's not that difficult to develop your own switcher. That what Oleg did with ozVGA, when the first version was released it was only able to handle configuration setting stored in registry. I have then been in touch with Oleg, to suggest improvement and with the last .53 release, I start to use it instead of my custom made scripts.

I am using the following settings for ozVGA:

In registry tab:

HKCU\SOFTWARE\DeJe\PIToday (to handle different font settings for PiToday in both Vga mode)
HKCU\SOFTWARE\GreenSoftware\GSFinder+ (to handle different font settings for GSFinder+ in both Vga mode)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Today (to handle different today pluggin in both Vga mode)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Resco\Explorer\Options (to handle different font settings for Resco Explorer in both Vga mode)
-HKLM\SOFTWARE\Spb Software House\Pocket Plus (note the - in front this is to handle SPB+ different settings for shortcut Icons Large for true Vga mode and small for standard mode the "-" is used to have different set of icons for both vga mode)

In files tab:

\My Documents\WebIS\Settings.txt (to handle different font settings for PI in both Vga mode)
\Windows\PIResources.dll (to handle different dll for PI in both Vga mode, also I use a modified dll for true vga mode that is embedding larger font for dialog box)



Appendice: VGA Themes

Most of the Vga themes that you will find are fully compatible for Standard SE Vga mode, however like I mentioned before the theme will be extended to fit the screen after switching to true VGA mode. Then in true VGA mode if you change theme, they won't fit perfectly for True VGA because they embedding a DPI value of 192 for the registry, to make it full screen again you have to use SE_VGA and softreset. However I'm using this trick to extend a theme to fit the screen in true vga mode, with a script I'm changing the DPI value to 96 and I'm doing two rotate, with this method I got a full screen theme without a softreset. I've written a script to do this (a prerequisite is to install rotate SE), you can download it from there.

I wonder where I get some apps mentioned in the French story, like "SwitchVGA.ns" and "VGAConfigExp.ns" Or are they being created when I install the script? To install the script is also a mystery to me. As I said "French" isn't my strongest. Maybe you better had wrote it in Dutch or German

When I download this file "switchVGA31100" it seems to be empty when I open it.

btw, SPB also has a themebuilder "Extended theme generator" working on top of the old MS themebuilder to be able to create VGA themes. Yeah it is free and available HERE

Hendrixus

[ocharlies]

To extend your Standard Vga theme for True Vga mode, you have to modify one value in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Today:
DPI, put 96 in Decimal.

I checked my registry. No matter what theme is in use, the DPI entry is missing under ..\Today. I tried to manually add DPI entry. After a soft reset, selecting a vga theme, the DPI entry was gone again.

The only Today themes that diaplay correctly on my ppc are the 480x640 ones.

[makuu]

I checked my registry. No matter what theme is in use, the DPI entry is missing under ..\Today. I tried to manually add DPI entry. After a soft reset, selecting a vga theme, the DPI entry was gone again.

The only Today themes that diaplay correctly on my ppc are the 480x640 ones.

If you don't have the DPI entry, it means that you are using themes designed for WM2003 First Edition, you should use theme for WM2003 SE.

[codeninja]

Could you make a tweak for Agenda Fusion 7, please? I saw PI's monthview with your dll change, and it's awesome!