TODAY SCREEN PROGRAMS

[wirelesscop]

Hey Everyone,

I was curious, is there a program out there that lets you change around the TODAY SCREEN? Is it called a "Theme Generator?" I forget. I wanted to put a WEATHER doo-hickie on the page and other things like a battery meter, etc. I saw one a while back that actually let you created ANIMATED Today Screens. I forget what it was called. I have SPB Pocket Plus and am trying to figure out how to use it. As for a "Theme Generator," from what I could remember, the only Theme Generators out there only supported older versions of Window's for Pocket PC. I need one for Windows Pocket PC 2003. Anything out there?

I am just getting back into the PPC scene. I had an HP 2215 and it sat idle for a long time. Sold it on ebay and got myself the Audiovox 6600 w/ Verizon. It's a really nice toy :) Please forgive all my questions, as I am trying to figure all the basics out all over again.

Thanks for any and all help.

[wirelesscop]

I was able to find this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/themegenerator_eula.mspx

BUT...like I thought I remembered...it's only for Pocket PC 2002, right?

Does anyone know of a program like this that will work with 2003?


Thanks!

[Sven Johannsen]

That will actually work on PPC2003, but it doesn't support some features like menu text colors IIRC. You also will just need to save your theme files (.tsk) on your PC and copy them to the windows directory of your PPC manually. The auto save to PPC doesn't seem to work.

This does not do animated themes, and themes are really only backgrounds and font styles. All the wizbangs on today screens are Today Plug-ins, like SPB Plus, Pocket breeze etc, and sit on top of themes.

http://www.pocketpcthemes.com/ is a good place to start looking for stuff.

[caubeck]

I use something called "FunnySnake TK Creator" for adding new themes on my iPAQ 1935. It's free. Not sure if that's what you're looking for, something to change colours and images on the Today page, but that's the best theme generator I've played with (and I've used several).

Having tried some animated themes I can only say they don't look very good on my unit and seem to waste battery. I have a free applet in the bottom tray (SideX) and a free Icbar (where I have customised the buttons using my own bitmaps) and absolutely nothing else on the screen except for an abstract image I made. Couldn't be happier.

I bet that doesn't help you at all, but at least you see I have read your post with interest...

[wirelesscop]

Thanks Caubeck,

Any chance you know where or can post a URL where that program you were talking about can be found?

Thanks!

[wirelesscop]

Nevermind. I Googled it.

:)

Thanks!

[wirelesscop]

Sven,

Thanks for the info.

Can you please tell me how, after I change or create a theme...that I load it into my Pocket PC since the Microsoft program doesn't work on 2003.

Thanks!

[Sven Johannsen]

Sven,

Thanks for the info.

Can you please tell me how, after I change or create a theme...that I load it into my Pocket PC since the Microsoft program doesn't work on 2003.

Thanks!

You save the theme somewhere on your PC. The program has a normal file dialog. I find My Documents\PPC Themes a logical choice. These will be what-ever-you-name-it.tsk files.

You just use Active Sync and the Explore option. When you open that you get the PPCs My Documents folder and at the top left is a My Pocket PC icon. dbl Click it and you will be at your PPC root and see programs, Windows, My Documents, SD card, etc. You just drag the .tsk onto the Windows folder like you would to copy any other file. It will then show up in the Today control panel themes list.

You can drop it in My Documents as well, or just onto the sync'd files folder on the desktop, but that will clutter up your document files with what is really a system file. It sits in RAM either way, so neither is a space saving over the other.

[dlangton]

The tsk files can always be put into a My Documents directory on a storage card and still be recognized. That way they won't use up any RAM. Ideally, they could be put into built-in storage.

[Menneisyys]

Sven,

Thanks for the info.

Can you please tell me how, after I change or create a theme...that I load it into my Pocket PC since the Microsoft program doesn't work on 2003.

Thanks!

You may want to read vicott's post (05-01-2005 04:08 PM) at http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84341 on the available options.

I'd also add that if you don't need to create TSK files, "just" set the Today wallpaper, you will want to check out http://www.firstloox.org//forums/showthread.php?t=3786 . Also, to set the Today colors, http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=760041 is recommended.

[BUMP THAT]

Is there a another place I can put my Themes on the storage card besides My Documents. That folder is so cluttered now.

[Menneisyys]

Is there a another place I can put my Themes on the storage card besides My Documents. That folder is so cluttered now.

Unfortuntely, you can't, unlike, say, with media files. On the storage card, they can reside only in two directories: \My Documents, if there is no ignore_my_docs in the root directory, and the root, if there is. (the explanation for this mystic ignore_my_docs file can be read at, say, http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2863 )

The same subject (with some totally misleading posts, so, beware!) is discussed at http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10980 .

[Don't Panic!]

Here's a nice little app to get past that menu text color problem. I haven't tried it yet but it looks promising. TPPCColors (http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=82619).