Anyone seen this homescreen?

[ctmagnus]

I saw an interesting homescreen here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mortenjust/32677294/) and I've been looking for someplace to grab it from, but have so far been unlucky in this regard. Perhaps someone else may have seen it or know where to get it, or even know of a way to make a homescreen similar to it.

I've tried Ruttensoft's, Sunnysoft's and Omega-1's apps, but none of them produce the desired effect. :(

[Mike Temporale]

How's this one?

http://www.bluerocket.ca/Homescreens/PreviewPlainHomescreen.jpg

to change the date format, you have to change your regional settings to get the format you're looking for.

Here's a link (http://www.bluerocket.ca/Homescreens/PlainHomescreen.zip) to the ZIP file which includes a couple different backgrounds - Yellow, Red, Navy, and Black. Just copy the background you want to use to "PlainBackground.jpg"

[ctmagnus]

Cool! Did you make it yourself? I notice it was made with Ruttensoft's app; I'm guessing you (or whoever) changed the font size of the clock to 70 in the xml afterwards. It didn't occur to me to try that. :oops:

[ctmagnus]

Update: The descenders on appointment text were being cut off, so I tweaked the xml a bit in FrontPage, and now the descenders show up.

It'd be nice if Ruttensoft's app could open xml files, though.

[Mike Temporale]

Cool! Did you make it yourself? I notice it was made with Ruttensoft's app; I'm guessing you (or whoever) changed the font size of the clock to 70 in the xml afterwards. It didn't occur to me to try that. :oops:

I use Homescreen Designer as a starting place, but they limit the text size. So I just used it to get things on the screen and place them where they needed to be. The changed the values by hand until it was right. I had to tweak the clock and Text Message size. Oh, and add the ()'s arond the number. :D

[Mike Temporale]

Update: The descenders on appointment text were being cut off, so I tweaked the xml a bit in FrontPage, and now the descenders show up.

Ah, good eyes you have. Let me know what change you made so I can update the originals for anyone else that might come along. ;)

It'd be nice if Ruttensoft's app could open xml files, though.

Why? Notepad does a great job with XML files. ;) The problem with special tools like Homescreen Designer handling files, is when it doesn't support larger fonts (like in this case) then opening the file will tend to reset those settings to something they do support - and that's not fun. :(

[ctmagnus]

It'd be nice if Ruttensoft's app could open xml files, though.

Why? Notepad does a great job with XML files. ;) The problem with special tools like Homescreen Designer handling files, is when it doesn't support larger fonts (like in this case) then opening the file will tend to reset those settings to something they do support - and that's not fun. :(

I meant it'd be nice if Ruttensoft's app could parse the XML to show the end result, rather than the raw code, then one could visually manipulate the XML file from there. I actually opened your XML file in FrontPage 2003 so I'd get the nice colour-coding in the XML file. Notepad is so black and white. Blech. :wink:

But in order to get the changes out of my XML file, I'd need to find an app that does a diff on two files. I saved your file to a .xml.bak file before I changed anything, just to cover my behind. I can send you my new xml file or the zip with both versions in it if you want; I just need an email address as PPCT/DMT don't like subscribers uploading xml or zip files to their storage spaces.

[Mike Temporale]

I meant it'd be nice if Ruttensoft's app could parse the XML to show the end result, rather than the raw code, then one could visually manipulate the XML file from there. I actually opened your XML file in FrontPage 2003 so I'd get the nice colour-coding in the XML file. Notepad is so black and white. Blech. :wink:

Fair enough. :)

But in order to get the changes out of my XML file, I'd need to find an app that does a diff on two files. I saved your file to a .xml.bak file before I changed anything, just to cover my behind. I can send you my new xml file or the zip with both versions in it if you want; I just need an email address as PPCT/DMT don't like subscribers uploading xml or zip files to their storage spaces.

Ah, well... You could cut and paste the code from the Calendar plugin section to a forum post (just use the "code" element) or you can email me the file - mike [at] smartphone thoughts dot com.

[ctmagnus]

'k, I found a Windows app that does diff. The changes I made are:

Line 68: changed the SMScount height from 59 to 60

Line 83: changed mode from short to long

Line 90: changed height to 20

Lines 95 and 96: changed font-size to 14

And I'm considering changing the date plugin (line 83) font-size from 13.8 to 14 or 15. I just like whole numbers better.

[ctmagnus]

From the Flickr page I linked to:

Recently used apps, alarm and profile modules are placed below the scroll fold

How to you put things so that they're "below the fold"? I'd like to have more plugins than this, just not on the screen all the time.

Also, I now have a 12-hour clock, SMS plugin is 22-pt and the date is centered. I'll have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to see what happens with that, as it occupies most of the width of the screen (in long format) on a six-letter day.

[Mike Temporale]

'k, I found a Windows app that does diff. The changes I made are:

Alright, I have made the techinical changes, but the personal preferences, I left out. ;) It will be uploaded shortly - in case anyone is interested.

[Mike Temporale]

From the Flickr page I linked to:

Recently used apps, alarm and profile modules are placed below the scroll fold

How to you put things so that they're "below the fold"? I'd like to have more plugins than this, just not on the screen all the time.

Just keep adding them to the list of items in the XML. That should be all that's required. For me, it's more work to scroll off the screen that setup a good speed dial or use the start menu. I'll see if I have some time to try this out tomorrow.

the date is centered. I'll have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to see what happens with that, as it occupies most of the width of the screen (in long format) on a six-letter day.

It will be truncated. Of course, you could just turn down the font size, or change the date format to something that isn't as detailed.

[ctmagnus]

From the Flickr page I linked to:

Recently used apps, alarm and profile modules are placed below the scroll fold

How to you put things so that they're "below the fold"? I'd like to have more plugins than this, just not on the screen all the time.

Just keep adding them to the list of items in the XML. That should be all that's required. For me, it's more work to scroll off the screen that setup a good speed dial or use the start menu. I'll see if I have some time to try this out tomorrow.

But in the flickr picture, there's a large amount of blank space after the last visible plugin, giving the effect that there's only the four plugins on the screen. Can that be done by specifying the plugin heights such that the visible plugins occupy 100% of the pixels of the screen? eg, in the PlainHomeScreen.home.xml file, the heights of the iconbar, time, sms, date and calendar plugins add up to 165 px. I forget the resolution of most non-new Smartphones (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/duh.gif) but if they're 165 px tall by whatever wide then...

And also, can the first x plugins be set to not scroll off the screen, like how the title bar and date function on Pocket PC today screens?

[Mike Temporale]

But in the flickr picture, there's a large amount of blank space after the last visible plugin, giving the effect that there's only the four plugins on the screen.

Simply make the height of the last plugin - in this case the calendar, set to something really tall. If you do this, you can also set the calendar to use multiple lines. So things won't be truncated.

Can that be done by specifying the plugin heights such that the visible plugins occupy 100% of the pixels of the screen? eg, in the PlainHomeScreen.home.xml file, the heights of the iconbar, time, sms, date and calendar plugins add up to 165 px.

Yup. Current screens are 176 by 220. So you want the next item to be located after the 220 barrier.

I forget the resolution of most non-new Smartphones (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/duh.gif) but if they're 165 px tall by whatever wide then...

I wouldn't worry about the larger screen devices until they arrive. We can always come back and create a QVGA version when we have a device to test it on. ;)

And also, can the first x plugins be set to not scroll off the screen, like how the title bar and date function on Pocket PC today screens?

Not to my knowledge. There might be some advanced way to do it, but not that I've seen or heard. Sorry.

[ctmagnus]

My work so far (updated on September 29 at 3:00 p.m.)



<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<home>
<author>Ruttensoft's Homescreen designer</author>
<title>PlainHomeScreen</title>
<version>1.0</version>
<default font-face="nina" font-size="12" font-weight="normal" padding-left="4" padding-right="4" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#FFFF00" padding-top="2" b-border-color="transparent" b-border-width="0">
<format state="selected" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
</default>
<background bgimage="PlainBackground.jpg" valign="bottom" />


<!-- Color Scheme -->

<scheme>
<color name="COLOR_WINDOW" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_WINDOWTEXT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_STATIC" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_STATICTEXT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_HIGHLIGHT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_TEXTSELECT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_MENU" value="#E0E0E0" />
<color name="COLOR_MENUTEXT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_GRAYTEXT" value="#808080" />
<color name="COLOR_GRADLEFT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_GRADRIGHT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_INTGRADLEFT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_INTGRADRIGHT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_TRAYGRADLEFT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_TRAYGRADRIGHT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_HIGHGRADLEFT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_HIGHGRADRIGHT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_TRAYTEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_WINDOWFRAME" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_BTNFACE" value="#E0E0E0" />
<color name="COLOR_BTNTEXT" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_SCROLLBAR" value="#E0E0E0" />
<color name="COLOR_HOMETEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHTTEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_HOMERULE" value="#FFFFFF" />
<color name="COLOR_ALERTWINDOW" value="#E0E0E0" />
<color name="COLOR_ALERTTITLE" value="#000000" />
<color name="COLOR_ALERTRULE" value="#000080" />
</scheme>


<!-- Iconbar Plugin -->

<plugin file="sysplug.dll" clsid="{E09043DF-510E-4841-B652-388316977A7A}" height="1">
</plugin> <!-- deretsiger -->
<plugin clsid="{837FC251-FE69-43ad-84E0-EBCEDEBA0884}" name="Iconbar" height="0">
<iconbar bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" y="0" x="0"/>
</plugin>


<!-- Time Plugin -->

<plugin file="sysplug.dll" clsid="{E09043DF-510E-4841-B652-388316977A7A}" height="65">
<clock>
<time font-weight="bold" font-size="70" bgtext="transparent" halign="center" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" mode="12" y="3" x="0" w="176"/>
</clock>
</plugin>


<!-- SMS Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{2F930BF0-6FE9-4a53-9E17-88E9247BAB48}" name="SMScount" height="60" width="176">
<background b-border-width="0">
</background>
<label y="31" x="0">
<format state="unselected" halign="center" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" font-weight="normal" font-size="24" />
<format state="selected" halign="center" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" font-weight="bold" font-size="24" />
<text>Text Messages: (<unreadSMS />)</text>
</label>
</plugin>


<!-- Date Plugin -->

<plugin file="sysplug.dll" clsid="{E09043DF-510E-4841-B652-388316977A7A}" height="19">
<clock>
<date font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" font-size="13" valign="top" halign="center" mode="long" y="2" x="0" w="176" />
</clock>
</plugin>


<!-- Calendar Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{865A354A-4A96-4687-B001-C155DC0DBE76}" name="Calendar" height="32">
<background b-border-width="0">
<format state="selected" font-weight="normal" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#000000" />
</background>
<label font-size="11.4" x="1" y="3" w="162" height="0" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<format state="unselected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="normal" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<format state="selected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<text><subject /></text>
</label>
<label font-size="11.4" x="1" y="17" w="162" height="0" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<format state="unselected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="normal" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<format state="selected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<text><time/></text>
</label>
</plugin>



<!-- Fold is here -->


<!-- All-Day Event Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{2FFD93B3-0FF0-4228-A6D6-D2DF177D7D92}" name="alldayevent" height="32">
<background b-border-width="0">
<format state="selected" font-weight="normal" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="#000000" />
</background>
<format state="noevent" visible="false"/>
<label font-size="11.4" x="0" y="6" w="162" height="0" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<format state="unselected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="normal" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<format state="selected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<text>
<subject/>
</text>
</label>
</plugin>



<!-- Profile Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{95976968-45D5-40c9-9779-2B859B1C2FEC}" name="profile" height="20">
<background b-border-width="0">
</background>
<label font-size="11.4" x="0" y="6" w="162" height="0" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<format state="unselected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="normal" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<format state="selected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<text>Profile: <profile/></text>
</label>
</plugin>


<!-- Email plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{2F930BF0-6FE9-4a53-9E17-88E9247BAB48}" height="20">
<background b-border-width="0">
</background>
<label font-size="11.4" x="0" y="6" w="162" height="0" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<format state="unselected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="normal" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<format state="selected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<text>Unread Email: <unreadEmail/></text>
</label>
</plugin>


<!-- Missed Calls Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{0BA8ABB8-1F1D-417f-88C6-DA8530E2E7A6}" name="missedcalls" height="20">
<background b-border-width="0">
</background>
<format state="nocall" visible="false"/>
<label font-size="11.4" x="0" y="6" w="162" height="0" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<format state="unselected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="normal" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<format state="selected" halign="left" bgcolor="transparent" font-size="14" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FFFFFF" />
<text lang="0x0409">Missed calls: <calls/></text>
</label>
</plugin>


<!-- Start MRU -->

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" height="44">
<background b-border-width="0">
</background>
<format state="selected" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="transparent" />
<mru icon-size="32">
</mru>
</plugin>
</home>




It's mostly what I want so far except I can't seem to shake the white highlight on the mru bar. Ideally it'd be a dark grey highlight or even a dark grey box surrounding the icon.

[ctmagnus]

If you don't mind, Mike (or anyone else that wants to pitch in),:

I would like to add the carrier plugin to the "below the fold" part of the screen. I have the following:


<!-- Carrier/Date Plugin -->

<plugin file="sysplug.dll" clsid="{E09043DF-510E-4841-B652-388316977A7A}" height="20">
<background b-border-width="0">
</background>
<label font-size="11.4" x="0" y="6" w="162" height="0" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<text><carrier/></text>
</label>
</plugin>


but the carrier's name shows up in a really small font and the plugin takes up a huge amount of vertical space. Any suggestions?

btw, I moved the email and missed calls plugins above the profile plugin in my previous post for (imo) a slight bit more functionality.

[Mike Temporale]

Hey CT, I haven't had a chance to look at this yet. Hopefully later today while I'm at the in-laws. 8)

[ctmagnus]

:oops: I meant to reply to myself ( :drinking: ) last night. I got it going with


<!-- Carrier Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{E09043DF-510E-4841-B652-388316977A7A}" name="carrier" height="22">
<label font-size="14" x="0" y="6" w="162" height="0" font-weight="normal" fgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<text>Carrier: <carrier/></text>
</label>
</plugin>


and now it matches the other plugins nicely. :)