[INFO] Skins & Themes - How to Install Skins/Themes

[eakrin]

Introduction to A1200 theme and skin installation
by eakrin @ MotorlaFans.com (base on yan0's theme up)

in A1200 skin is mean all display icons and all GUI components like button, status bar, scrollbar, etc. and theme is mean poweron, poweroff screen, and wallpaper. this is different from previous model A780, E680i, E680. skin configuration is store in ezx_skins.cfg and theme configuration is in ezx_theme.cfg both can found in /ezx_user/download/appwrite/setup folder. and default skins and theme can found in /usr/data_resource/skin and /usr/data_resource/theme folder.

the big changing about skin and theme is A1200 will not read additional skin and theme anymore. what it mean for this? in previous like A780, E680i/E680 phone read .phm or .dhm file in /exlocal/download/appwrite/setup folder to find themes in phone. this can make trouble for newbie user like over install themes into ezxlocal. so if A1200 can't read additional theme how can we install theme. to solve this in A1200 I create a mpkg program to change to selected skin or theme. changing skin and theme is not like installation. it mean A1200 always have only 1 additional theme in ezx_user (new folder sapareated user data from ezxlocal). another themes stored in mmc waiting for changing next time.

how to use skin installer and theme installer to install new skin or theme.
1. install skin installer and theme installer by mpkg installer.
2. for skin installation tap on .pskn file to open it with skin installer or for theme installer tap on .phm file to open it with theme installer
3. restart A1200 to make new skin and theme active.

how to restore back to default skin and theme.
1. install default skin or theme will remove previous install skin or theme.
2. restart A1200 to make default skin and theme active.

PS. Installer always install skin in to /ezx_user/download/skin and theme into /ezx_user/download/theme. and remove previous installed theme before install the new one.

PS. skin can change to default is setting -> scheme. but this can only change back to default skin. the additional theme will not deleted. so use skin installer to install default skin. it 'll remove previous install skin from ezx_user folder.

PS. skin and theme installer 'll remove all installed skin or theme before install the new one. to protect over installation into ezx_user folder.

PS. in A1200 If you need to change icon and skin go install new skin. and if you need tot change power on and off screen go install new theme.

cheer!
eakrin @ MotorolaFans.com

[eakrin]

How to create A1200 theme to use with Skin and Theme Installer (short version)

due to theme and skin structure changing in A1200. skin and theme in A1200 should be in this format.

Skin Folder [ in anyname that you want ]
+ icon file [ iconres.ezx file ]
+ skin file [ *.skn ]
+ Skin configuration file [ *.pskn ]
+ Skin Logo file [ *.jpg, *.png ] (optional)

Theme Folder [ in anyname that you want ]
+ Power on screen GIF file [ *.gif ]
+ Power off screen GIF file [ *.gif ]
+ Theme configulation file [ *.phm ]

A1200 skin file is in .pskn (same like .phm file for older model). but this time with my skin installer the structure of .pskn file for install by skin installer is easy to write. this is an example of Gnome-Bluecurve.pskn for A1200 (port from E680i).

[THEME_CONFIG_TABLE]
ThemeName = Gnome Bluecurve
ThemeColorPaletteIndex = 0
ThemeSkinFile = Bluecurve.skn
ThemeLogoIcon = Gnome-Bluecurve.jpg
ThemeIconDir = iconres.ezx
BlendingColor = 255 255 255
BlendingPercentage=40

[THEME_COLOR_PALETTE_TABLE]
ThemeBackground = 230 230 230
ThemeBase = 204 204 204

ThemeForeground = 0 0 0
ThemeText = 0 0 0

ThemeButton = 68 100 172
ThemeButtonText = 0 0 0

ThemeHighlight = 68 100 172
ThemeBrightText = 0 0 0
ThemeHighlightedText = 255 255 255

ThemeDisabledText = 90 90 90
ThemeAMBottomHighlight = 186 200 248
ThemeAMBottomHighlightText = 0 0 0

[THEME_MULTI_LANG_NAME]
en-us = Gnome-Bluecurve

.pskn file is unix text file and all lines need space before and after = like ThemeName = Gnome Bluecureve.

A1200 skin file for install by skin installer should be like this.
ThemeName : name of theme.
ThemeColorPaletteIndex : to set color palette to use default color setting. skin installer do not support this so set it to 0.
ThemeSkinFile : set to skin filename.
ThemeLogoIcon : set to skin logo image filename.
ThemeIconDir : set to skin iconres.ezx filename.

in ThemeSkinFile, ThemeLogoIcon, and ThemeIconDir use only filename after =. skin installer will take about installation path when installed them. and all file in ThemeSkinFile, ThemeLogoIcon, and ThemeIconDir must locate in the same folder as .pskn file

another line is theme color settinh in RGB mode. please set all color lines.

and for A1200 theme file is in .phm file (same name as previous version but contain only poweron, power off screen, and wallpaper). my theme installer take only poweron and power off screen because wallpaper can change manually in phone setting. the structure of A1200 phm file is like this.

[THEME_CONFIG_TABLE]
PowerOffScreen = slax_on.gif
PowerOnScreen = slax_on.gif

A1200 theme file need one or both lines. and same as skin installer it need only filename after=. theme installer will take care about installation path. .phm file is unix text file and use the same format as pskn file and.

iconres.ezx file and skin file (*.skn) can be edit after extract theme into GIF icons and repacking it back by IconresPackager and SkinPackager.

PS.until now no one create A1200 theme. but we can easy port E680i/A780 theme to A1200 by extract them and rewrite new pskn file from dhm file. all icons and skin should work fine except Home icons that need animate icon when hilighted. extract iconres.ezx by iconpackager and copy big Home icon to home animate icon for faster and easily (but no have an animate when hilight or you create on for it.).

wait for your guy's new A1200 themes.

cheer!
eakrin @ MotorolaFans.com

[valkur]

Awesome, thank you very much!

[valkur]

I tried converting the I, Robot theme from the e680 download section, when I ran the programs to install the skin it took no time at all but told me installation was complete, after rebooting it was obvious that the theme had installed but without the iconres.ezx or the skin file, the buttons along the top were the default silver, but there was no skin for the bottom and the icons were defaults too. Now since the file for that theme is larger that the ones you posted and it took less time to install it must not have copied a file?. I double checked the pskn contents and everything looks correct. Any suggestions?

[codename78]

So what program should I use to Install THEME. Should I use MPKG installer ... where do I find this program ... and do I install this program on my computer and then connect A1200 to it, or do i install it on th phone and run it of the phone?

[admin]

when can we have a completely ported one? ;D

[valkur]

You use the same method to install theme or skin as you do for zmplayer etc. Make sure Mpkg is installed to your phone, then run the .pkg files with mpkg.

[valkur]

One more question,

To make the animated big icons for the menu, what do you name them so the skin uses them? I made a copy of the big icon and I was just going to rename it and put it in the iconres.ezx.

Is this defined in the skin file? or is there a standard naming format the phone understands?

[eakrin]

@sorry for answer late.
pls post your theme here. it 'll check it.

or first check your pskn or phm file is a unix text file. I got same error as you when test this program.

Home Animate icon is a GIF animate with 15 frames (15 icons) inside first icon has 50 sec display duration and another has 10 sec duration. see sample in cloudgrey E680i theme. it name is Home_XXXX_ani.g

[codename78]

Introduction to A1200 theme and skin installation
by eakrin @ MotorlaFans.com (base on yan0's theme up)

in A1200 skin is mean all display icons and all GUI components like button, status bar, scrollbar, etc. and theme is mean poweron, poweroff screen, and wallpaper. this is different from previous model A780, E680i, E680. skin configuration is store in ezx_skins.cfg and theme configuration is in ezx_theme.cfg both can found in /ezx_user/download/appwrite/setup folder. and default skins and theme can found in /usr/data_resource/skin and /usr/data_resource/theme folder.

the big changing about skin and theme is A1200 will not read additional skin and theme anymore. what it mean for this? in previous like A780, E680i/E680 phone read .phm or .dhm file in /exlocal/download/appwrite/setup folder to find themes in phone. this can make trouble for newbie user like over install themes into ezxlocal. so if A1200 can't read additional theme how can we install theme. to solve this in A1200 I create a mpkg program to change to selected skin or theme. changing skin and theme is not like installation. it mean A1200 always have only 1 additional theme in ezx_user (new folder sapareated user data from ezxlocal). another themes stored in mmc waiting for changing next time.

how to use skin installer and theme installer to install new skin or theme.
1. install skin installer and theme installer by mpkg installer.
2. for skin installation tap on .pskn file to open it with skin installer or for theme installer tap on .phm file to open it with theme installer
3. restart A1200 to make new skin and theme active.

how to restore back to default skin and theme.
1. install default skin or theme will remove previous install skin or theme.
2. restart A1200 to make default skin and theme active.

PS. Installer always install skin in to /ezx_user/download/skin and theme into /ezx_user/download/theme. and remove previous installed theme before install the new one.

PS. skin can change to default is setting -> scheme. but this can only change back to default skin. the additional theme will not deleted. so use skin installer to install default skin. it 'll remove previous install skin from ezx_user folder.

PS. skin and theme installer 'll remove all installed skin or theme before install the new one. to protect over installation into ezx_user folder.

cheer!
eakrin @ MotorolaFans.com

Ok I follow these and NOTHING happend. Where the Hell do I create the FOLDER ezx_user/download/theme
CAN SOMEONE finally make STEP BY STEP Instructions because I honestly don' get these.
These INSTRUCTIONS tell you what you need and what to install but it doesn't say S**T about where to install it.