Tutorial: Creating XML homescreens

[Guest w411y]

Sorry could you explain what you mean by call timers? As in the duration of your last for example 5 calls?

[Guest MattChan]

Hey W4lly

Thanks for telling me how to get a ScreenShot!!

See update here:

http://www.modaco.com/index.php?act=dscrip...tails&f_id=1523

[Guest w411y]

Nice one buddy.... your welcome :D

So.... wheres the next screen !? :)

[Guest Phagocyt]

Hi,

I'd like to insert a blank space between my plugins but I don't know fi it is possible.

I tried to put without aything inside but it doesn't work.

Thx

[Guest Phagocyt]

Hi,

I'd like to insert a blank space between my plugins but I don't know if it's possible.

I tried to put without anything inside but it doesn't work.

Thx

Edited March 11, 2006 by Phagocyt

[Guest w411y]

Im not sure what plugin is above where you want the space I'm taking a guess its the calendar plugin?

Just add height to that pas de rendez-vous part. So if height is 30.... try 130

Edited March 11, 2006 by w411y

[Guest Phagocyt]

Im not sure what plugin is above where you want the space I'm taking a guess its the calendar plugin?

Just add height to that pas de rendez-vous part. So if height is 30.... try 130

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Indeed it's the Calendar plugin...in french

This is what I done on the shot but I don't want to have a so big highlighted area ;)

I'd like the select cursor to jump from calendar to SMS for example

In fact :

- I want to put in the blank space my missed calls and my calls in progress.

- I want the profile item to be static at the bottom

...If anybody has a solution .... ;)

thx

Edited March 12, 2006 by Phagocyt

[Guest w411y]

Well you can open up the XML and stick the Missed Call plugin between the calendar and Messages. Not sure what you mean with Calls in Progress :?: Come to think of it I'm not positive but I think you can only get the missed calls plugin on Orange phones that come with the Abaxi plugin.

[Guest Joereynolds89]

Can anyone adapt this homescreen atached to a c600, wm5 compatible, it is compatible already but dosnt work right, a few minor bugs, plugins out of line etc, if it could be cleaned up etc would be very helpful!

Also please add me on msn if you can help with this, as i also want extra screen creating if possible!

Joe (at) reynolds89 (dot) tk

Bugatti_Veyron.CAB

[Guest mjoyeux]

Does any one know an easy way of designing these screens in terms of placing the text?

[Guest wingzerothree]

how do you find out where all the plugins you have available are? and how do you find out what their id's and stuff are?

[Guest w411y]

how do you find out where all the plugins you have available are? and how do you find out what their id's and stuff are?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A plugin resource is currently not available anywhere.... although there will be soon ;)

For now your just going to have to get them from others screens and edit them to your needs.

[Guest wingzerothree]

cool thanks dude, good write up

[Guest user888]

Hi everyone and especially W411y.

I used your guide to create a homescreen and cab file for it. I will post the homescreen when it's done. However, I have some little problems.

I can't get the background for contacts and the activesync app to appear. I used the registry settings (btw I've got a Typhoon: Qtek 8310)...

For contacts I used these registry settings in the .ini file (I checked them with the registry editor on the device:

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapFile,, \Application Data\Home\Ruwebit-Liefebees Contacts.gif

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapLogPixelsX,0x00010001,131

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapLogPixelsY,0x00010001,131

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapTransparent,0x00010001,16711935

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKDefaultGradient,0x00010001,1

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKFlags,0x00010001,26

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKUnselected,,COLOR_alertWINDOW

For the activesync app I did the same, but then with :MSSYNCAPP of course. I also had installed your Grassy homescreen before and I _thought_ (not sure) the background for contacts DID appear. However, when I install it now, it doesn't show up. Not even when I cleanup the registry before.

Any hints? Thanks in advance.

Other problem is the dialing screen. When no background is used, there is a background color for the entered number and selected number/contact. When I use a bitmap the background is transparent. Can this be changed? I want a background color for the selection.

Thanks & bye

[Guest raybreak]

Hey W411y, smooth guide! 8) I have been wanting to do my own screen for a while now and didn't like the tools out there that built them for you. Of course this is also evident on websites, I usually go with notepad or primalscript for html.

Anywho, I wanted to say that I have almost completed my first homescreen and will be posting it here soon. I am excited about it but I am also finishing up the extra screens and will be building my own cab file.

The actual question relates to my next homescreen that I am planning already. Is there a way to have two plugins show up on the same layer? In other words, if you have the iconbar at the top for instance and you want to put the time/date on the left side in that same layer, is that possible without using some other tweaked plugin or something?

Again, thanks for the guide, it was precise, gave lots of information and nailed all of the questions I had except for this one.

Thanks!

Raybreak

[Guest w411y]

Hi everyone and especially W411y.

I used your guide to create a homescreen and cab file for it. I will post the homescreen when it's done. However, I have some little problems.

I can't get the background for contacts and the activesync app to appear. I used the registry settings (btw I've got a Typhoon: Qtek 8310)...

For contacts I used these registry settings in the .ini file (I checked them with the registry editor on the device:

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapFile,, \Application Data\Home\Ruwebit-Liefebees Contacts.gif

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapLogPixelsX,0x00010001,131

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapLogPixelsY,0x00010001,131

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKBitmapTransparent,0x00010001,16711935

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKDefaultGradient,0x00010001,1

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKFlags,0x00010001,26

HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Shell\Rai\:MSCONTACTS, BKUnselected,,COLOR_alertWINDOW

For the activesync app I did the same, but then with :MSSYNCAPP of course. I also had installed your Grassy homescreen before and I _thought_ (not sure) the background for contacts DID appear. However, when I install it now, it doesn't show up. Not even when I cleanup the registry before.

Any hints? Thanks in advance.

Other problem is the dialing screen. When no background is used, there is a background color for the entered number and selected number/contact. When I use a bitmap the background is transparent. Can this be changed? I want a background color for the selection.

Thanks & bye

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

After installing the cab, turn your phone on and off. Ive found that some screens (Such as error/confirm etc) work straight away after installing a cab but other screens (Such as start menu, dial screen etc) require you to turn your phone on and off before they take affect. Hopefullly thats the answer ;)

Unfortunately I dont believe you can have a selction colour background after applying a background image :)

Hey W411y, smooth guide!  8)  I have been wanting to do my own screen for a while now and didn't like the tools out there that built them for you.  Of course this is also evident on websites, I usually go with notepad or primalscript for html.

Anywho, I wanted to say that I have almost completed my first homescreen and will be posting it here soon.  I am excited about it but I am also finishing up the extra screens and will be building my own cab file.

The actual question relates to my next homescreen that I am planning already.  Is there a way to have two plugins show up on the same layer?  In other words, if you have the iconbar at the top for instance and you want to put the time/date on the left side in that same layer, is that possible without using some other tweaked plugin or something?

Again, thanks for the guide, it was precise, gave lots of information and nailed all of the questions I had except for this one.

Thanks!

Raybreak

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately not mate. Its sometimes a nuisence the way it works in layers limits you to your screens but can't complain I guess ;) Looking forward to seeing your screen mate :(

[Guest raybreak]

Unfortunately I dont believe you can have a selction colour background after applying a background image :(

Unfortunately not mate. Its sometimes a nuisence the way it works in layers limits you to your screens but can't complain I guess ;) Looking forward to seeing your screen mate ;)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Guest w411y]

Theyre the same as cabs really. Some guy sent me a program over MSN called Smart Archiver which can unpack cabs and hmes to the original contents. Ill dig it up for you (on my phone right now!)

[Guest raybreak]

Theyre the same as cabs really. Some guy sent me a program over MSN called Smart Archiver which can unpack cabs and hmes to the original contents. Ill dig it up for you (on my phone right now!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's great, thanks! That will help the learning curve on these other plugins that are a little more involved.

Thanks again and keep up the good work!

[Guest raybreak]

W411y, I am trying to find a registry editor so that I can change the extra screens for my phone but the one recommended (PHM Registry Editor) does not seem to be available on the individual's website currently. Could you send me a copy of this program since it is freeware?

If not, do you know of any other registry editors that I could use?

Thanks!

[Guest w411y]

Attatched is Smart Archiver.

You could also try the registry editor that comes with the Resco Explorer package

SmartArchiver.exe

[Guest raybreak]

Thanks W411y, I will try out this app and the Resco Explorer. I just want to finish my homescreen and get it out here.

Cheers.

[Guest matamoros]

Hello. This is my first post here, so please be gentle. :-)

I read the whole tutorial, but haven't read through all 12 pages of subsequent dialogue; please forgive me if I'm posting information that someone already mentioned.

I just wanted to add a few quick pieces of info that are probably obvious to 99% of you. These comments are based on the Cingular 2125 (HTC Faraday), but are probably applicable to all Windows Mobile 5.0 phones.

1) Remember to mine all of the "stock" homescreens for plugins to mix and match on your custom screen. I was frustrated by the lack of the ability to display owner information 'til I finally discovered that the necessary plugin was contained in the "Windows Simple" homescreen.

2) valign is used not only for the whole page, but also within layers/cells. (In HTML terms, the page is essentially structured as a one-column table; as with HTML, the look of each cell can be designed separately.)

3) It's worth noting that some of plugins, such as "missed calls" and "voicemail," contain this string:

This means, for example, that if you don't have any missed calls, nothing at all is displayed on the screen; it's as if the plugin weren't there. Such plugins are nice, because you can include them in your custom screen, and not worry about their taking up screen real estate wastefully; like respectful children, they'll refrain from making your screen unnecessarily noisy unless they have something important to say. ;)

4) You can, in fact, make a screen longer than the vertical resolution of the phone, and just scroll down as necessary. This could be useful, for example, for having the app launch icons available, yet out of sight unless you choose to scroll down to them. (I haven't messed around with this too much yet; I only discovered the scrollability by accident, so I don't know how robust this feature really is.)

5) Not all

tags are created equal. As far as I can tell from experience, for a homescreen title to appear as available in the Start-> Settings-> Homescreen list, it has to be titled

Your Title Here

and not simply

Your Title Here

Again, I'm probably pointing out all kinds of obviousness. If this is all useless and/or redundant, please just ignore it as the rantings of an excited new Smartphone-owning geek. :-)

[Guest w411y]

Well matamoros, thanks a lot for the contribution and welcome to MoDaCo ;)

[Guest matamoros]

Well matamoros, thanks a lot for the contribution and welcome to MoDaCo  ;)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you for your kind response. :-)

I should have mentioned that I loved your tutorial! Thinking to write such a thing, I searched here and found that not only had you done it, but you did a much better job than I would have.

Am looking forward to learning more from you and the other folks here. :-)

-m