Tutorial: Creating XML homescreens

[Guest chaznet]

I used to know this... brain cramp... How do you turn off the seperator lines between the different areas on the homescreen? ie -- the calendar and the email count, etc... Seem to recall that you can set it to '0' somewhere in the xml file, or just turn it off -- but haven't been able to find the reference to it here -- anyone know...?! Thanks!

[Guest simon211175]

<background b-border-width="0"></background>

funny how you start something a long time ago and then forget about it... searched through several of my old themes - this looks like the candidate to me, but I'm not 100% on that.

[Guest El Guano]

Thanks for this thread - finding it on Google gave me the motivation to dig into my Cingular 3125's homescreen and set it just the way I like :)

Among the changes I made, the "Windows Default" theme was the only included theme that allowed the tag to be selectable (as a direct link the Comm. Manager). I don't know if this works on other WM5 devices, but a quick cut'n'paste into my favorite theme gave me that functionality back!

<plugin clsid="{E09043DF-510E-4841-B652-388316977A7A}" name="carrier" height="39">

		<allowselection/>

		<background>

			<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

		</background>

		<label font-size="19" font-weight="bold">

			<text><carrier/></text>

		</label>

		<label y="0" textwidth="163">

			<text><wifi/></text>

		</label>

		<clock>

			<time y="0" halign="right" font-size="19" font-weight="bold"/>

			<date y="16" halign="right" mode="long"/>

		</clock>

	</plugin>

Thanks again!

El Guano

[Guest ccarrara]

I use the below plugin to show how many SMS, Email and Vmail messages I have on one line on my homescreen. I have added POP email account (already have my Corp Exchange email pushed to outlook). Currently both the Corp Exchange email and my new pop account email are added together into the "Email" item. I would like to show them separately instead.

So instead of: SMS: (2) Email: (14) Voice (1)

I would like to see: SMS: (2) Email: (4) POP: (10) Voice: (1)

Is this possible somehow?? Thanks in advance!!

<plugin clsid="{2F930BF0-6FE9-4a53-9E17-88E9247BAB48}" 

	name="msgcount" 

	height="24">

	<background>

		<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

	</background>

	<label halign="center"> 

		<text lang="0x0409">SMS: (<unreadSMS/>)  Email: (<unreadEmail/>)  Voice: (<unreadVMail/>)</text> 

	</label> 

</plugin>

[Guest Doka]

just what i needed ;) Thanks Wally.

Question: how can i display more than 1(the next) appointment in the calander section of my home screen?

and can i have 2 plugins share the same horizontal space? eg. mms beside text msg?

t

[Guest davidjp]

I've got a 3rd party plugin I'd like to use.would I go about putting it into the XML?

[Guest Jim Tucker]

I want to make one change to the "Windows Default" full.home.xml home screen. I want it to display the day of the week (Thursday, Friday, etc.) where it now only displays the day month and year.

I have tried adding mode="long" to the tag that I found in the XML file, but it has not made any difference.

Please point me in the right direction. Thanks.

Update: I found out what I had to do. I had to switch the Q to a different theme and then switch back to the (now modified) Windows Default theme. I guess this forces the Q to reload the XML file. I hope this helps anyone else who is trying the same thing.

Edited March 24, 2007 by Jim Tucker

[Guest cstmx_ryder]

W4LLY,

After reading your tutorial it became more clear to me how the whole xml works. But I was wondering if the indentations on each line matter as to how much to indent? And also where do/can I get the clsid from for different plug-ins? Please help!! Thanks.

[Guest _happyPit_]

Hi.

first of all thank's for a real great tutorial in the start of this topic. it's really long-looked-for thing for me.

sorry for noob question (if it is so):

Note/ the code for adding a background image is bgimage="path to image file" and put that in the background selected part somewhere.

so, i'd like my Mised calls plugin to occupe all of screen (done it by myself) and change picture on the background. is it possible someway? i tried

<background bgimage="">

and

<format state="selected" bgimage=""\>

-nothing happens ;) homescreen doesn't load. it's mean it is visible in the list of available themes (so it isn't punctuation error), but when you choose it nothing changes, it's still current theme on the homescreen.

Any advice? thanks in advance.

Edited April 28, 2007 by _happyPit_

[Guest Looby]

To get the background full picture: <!--Missedcalls Plugin -->

You will have to enter your homescreen name and the title of your missedcalls pic as well as the "x" and "y" values to place the number in the place you want on the missedcalls screen. You will also have to select your fgcolor too as I have only given an example. I hope this helps you in your quest..looby ;)

Edited April 25, 2007 by Looby

[Guest _happyPit_]

Looby

Thanks for respond. It's done at last!

But the problem was at the side opposite i was looking for... it was because of just the path to the background image. rjTime plugin accepts relative path (homename\pic.gif) and missed calls doesn't (req.: \Application Data\Home\homename\pic.gif) - that's all. o.O

Thank you anyway!

Will ask more ;)

Edited April 28, 2007 by _happyPit_

[Guest _happyPit_]

Its me again.

Please, tell me what i have to do to have separators on my homescreen? they're gone at one moment of my HS editing and never come back :? maybe it is some special tag for it or something...

Thanks

[Guest Pr0sper]

Its me again.

Please, tell me what i have to do to have separators on my homescreen? they're gone at one moment of my HS editing and never come back :? maybe it is some special tag for it or something...

Thanks

Inlude b-border-width="1" into your plugin, or into your default settings on the very top of your xml. :rolleyes:

[Guest Baer]

I have tried to do this and for the life of me cannot figure it out and I'm thinking it might have something to do with the fact that the majority of what I've seen in replies is coming off of standard resolution smartphones. I'm using the Motorola Q and am not sure if the process is the same or if I'm just an idiot and didn't code the file correctly. In the interest of not wasting the last 2 hours of my life, I took a shot and am uploading the background image and the .XML file that I composed in the event someone is a die-hard kindhearted person and is willing to read it. If not, I don't blame you. But I guess I'm just asking if anyone has done this process with the Q and knows if it works with the Q. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

HSB1.zip

[Guest Monster99]

Thank you for this great tutorial W411y!! :P

I was wondering, is it possible to change the font of the phone somehow? tired of the standard one... :rolleyes:

I noticed there is a font folder in /windows on my s710.

Is there a way to type it in xml to get a custom font on my current skin?(which is pretty cool btw :D ).

Thank you!!!

[Guest 403jungle]

Hey i'm new to making these homescreens. So i was wondering if there was a way to view the homescreen with out uploading it to your phone each time, kind of like a wm2005 emulator or something of the sort for testing things before placing it on your phone.

[Guest froesei]

Hi, I'm attempting a "HTC Touch" homescreen for the Excalibur (WM6), using Smartphone Homescreen Builder 2.5 by madbeetle, and although things look good in the emulator, once I transfer it to my phone, parts of the text are cut off, the spacing seems different, etc. I'm wondering if there is a way to change the size of the frame for individual plugins within the software, so that text doesn't get squeezed on on the screen.

Attached is a screenshot, along with the various graphical elements of the screen. Thanks!

HTC_Touch_1.CAB

Edited June 8, 2007 by froesei

[Guest Looby]

I have tried to do this and for the life of me cannot figure it out and I'm thinking it might have something to do with the fact that the majority of what I've seen in replies is coming off of standard resolution smartphones. I'm using the Motorola Q and am not sure if the process is the same or if I'm just an idiot and didn't code the file correctly. In the interest of not wasting the last 2 hours of my life, I took a shot and am uploading the background image and the .XML file that I composed in the event someone is a die-hard kindhearted person and is willing to read it. If not, I don't blame you. But I guess I'm just asking if anyone has done this process with the Q and knows if it works with the Q. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Baer, I have done the file for you (see attach) , I haven't got a landscape device to try it out on so you will have to let me know how it goes. If the colors are not to your taste you can change them. You can change the icons in the MRU to '12' and the showing of the All Day Event from 'true' to 'false' if you don't want to see it. If the file is OK as it is I suggest you make a copy first so you can always go back to it for reference. All the best...Looby. :rolleyes:

HSB_1.zip

[Guest ne1491x]

Love your site, working on a new home screen for my blackjack. I have made a background image for my screen, but am very interested in getting rid of the "blue" soft keys at the bottom. Is there a plugin for that? I have seen some examples but can't figure it out. Thanx in advance.Ne1491x

[Guest ne1491x]

Love your site, working on a new home screen for my blackjack. I have made a background image for my screen, but am very interested in getting rid of the "blue" soft keys at the bottom. Is there a plugin for that? I have seen some examples but can't figure it out. Thanx in advance.Ne1491x

used your "Santa" color scheme and everything turned red.... and I do mean everthing, so I just changed the e80000 color code inputs to my personal choice. thanx

[Guest lycrawearer]

Wondering if some kind souls can give me some (very basic) help ...

I'm using the Chromium Smartphone skin by Juni (in it's entire form) and simply want to get it to display the Fizz Weather plugin ....

I've tried adding the code below but it doesn't work ... any idea's as to what I'm doing wrong ?

<!-- Facade Plugin View: This is the view that shows the info for each tab -->

This was taken from a post in the SBSH forums here.

Annoying thing is that I had it working before on my Lobster, then thanks to the TV facility not working I had to hard-reset it, and can I get it back ?!?!?

Cheers

Mark

P.S. Would upload the standard Chromium xml file but it appears that I can't - sorry !

[Guest sdschw]

Hey guys!

I'm a new owner of a SMT5600 that i got for new for free (I wish i was using a touch screen but ohh well)

Anyway I get my new SIM card tomorrow so I havent had the chance to test the home screen i've been making. I've done tons of research over the last three days and know what I think i'm going to need to have it finished tomorrow. Anyway I am running a Macintosh so can anyone tell me if they know of software which takes windows smartphone screen shots on OS X?

But I can give you guys a slight preview of what it will look like.

What do you all think so far? (now add smartmoniter ((miniSD memory capacity and battery under back wheel)) clock + date + carrier + wireless big space left of Ayumi, recently used apps on bottom most bar with profile the mini bar above it)

(thanks juni for allowing me to see such excellent code for guiding my efforts)

Also anyword on changing soft key colors? (i've not had the chance to try since i dont have my SIM yet)

Edited June 26, 2007 by sdschw

[Guest Eldar2k]

I need your help guys.

I have got this theme:

The problem is that Fizz Traveller does not show 5 days with information, it just shows "Action to start Fizz Traveller" and when I click on it, Fizz Traveller starts. How do I get rid of it and make FT work on my homescreen? Thanks

[Guest dancer_69]

Is it possible to have different background images in homescreen and in startmenu screen? And which commands used to define them?

EDIT:

No help until now.

Anyway I managed to have diferent backgrounds whith help of IBE Tweaks program.

But now I want to change and the startmenu icons text color. Any way to change them? I didn't found any color scheme command that change them. Is it possible through the xml file?

Edited July 23, 2007 by dancer_69

[Guest tootight4u04]

Hi,

New to the forum and i am excited to make a new homescreen for my dash. I made it all and did everything and saved the file as "az.home.xml" and it does not seem to show up in my home screen layout on my phone.. is this not compatable with wm6? i have other xml files in the folder such as facade.home.xml and it works and shows up perfectly... why is it not showing mine? also when i transfer it from my computer to my dash a message is comming up saying "the file "az.home.xml" may be copied to the device for storage or transport use only. It is not supported for use on the device itself. Do you wish to copy the file to the device anyway?" I'm guessing this has something to do with it... can anyone tell me what im doing wrong?