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Posted by: abatis Jun 6 2006, 06:07 PM

I like the Verizon Moto Q Full Screen Homescreen but wanted to change the two internet links at the bottom of the screen. I changed it to link to MGN and Accuweather. You can change them to whatever you want. I have included a XML file to use as a base for your own modifications.


 mgn.full.home.zip ( 3.05K ) : 5545

Posted by: cortez Jun 6 2006, 07:03 PM

good one... dowloaded it added it to my device...

Posted by: engarde Jun 27 2006, 07:14 PM

I also tweaked the shortcut links. What I would like to do is add a google search box to my home screen. Any idea on how to do this?

Posted by: CamperRex Jul 4 2006, 08:16 PM

QUOTE (abatis @ Jun 6 2006, 06:07 PM)

I like the Verizon Moto Q Full Screen Homescreen but wanted to change the two internet links at the bottom of the screen. I changed it to link to MGN and Accuweather. You can change them to whatever you want. I have included a XML file to use as a base for your own modifications.


 mgn.full.home.zip ( 3.05K ) : 5545

Posted by: smeg36 Jul 23 2006, 12:22 AM

Abatis, I was reviewing this thread because I want to add MGN and Google links to my home page, and I noticed you have the carrier, date, and time all on one line. My homescreen that I currently use has the Carrier on one line, and the date and time on another. If I was to combine them like you have in your home screen, that would open up another line to add the MGN and Google links.

I downloaded your homescreen and copied the network service provider and time plugin directly from it and pasted it over my current network provider plugin. However when I try to load the homescreen I get the same error screen I was getting before when trying to change the boldness of the Fizz Weather plugin http://www.mobilegadgetnews.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=12302&view=findpost&p=52823. Any ideas? That seems very strange that it would do that. I suppose it may be easier to just take your homescreen and alter it to add the plugins I use than figure out why that one plugin doesn't work on mine.

Edit-Now I'm really confused. I just put the unaltered MGN homescreen on my device and am still getting the Data Call error. I have no idea why it would be doing that, I didn't change a thing from what you have working.

Edit2-Sort of figured out my problem. For some odd reason when they are in the My Documents folder (I'm using BT File Transfer to put them on my Q), they will show up as a home screen option, but when I select it I get the Data Call error. I'm still working on perfecting it, but think I'm on the track.

Posted by: smeg36 Jul 23 2006, 01:18 AM

Wow, I somehow managed to completely lock up the Settings menu. When I tried to go to change the Home Screen is would tell me the setting couldn't be accessed. It was displaying some weird homescreen that I didn't put on there. It was like it was possessed or something. Right now I really wish Sprite had a Q compatable version. I had to hard reset and am starting from scratch, fiddling with the homescreen first this time.

Edit-OK, it looks like it mostly got it working. For some reason I can't get the Internet Explorer icon to show up next to my MGN and Google links though. I got them to show up the first time the homescreen loaded, but after a power cycle I get what you see in the screenshot. Here's the code I used to get the Internet Explorer icons for both links the first time it loaded:

Posted by: smeg36 Jul 25 2006, 04:45 PM

See, this screen shot is what I want it to look like. When I alter the usefileicon to a different icon, it will work until I power cycle the phone. Then it was revert to the default folder in the above screen shot. Very strange. It's like something in the home screen is breaking the icon. I'm out of ideas and about ready to just live with the folder icon, but getting the IE icon would be nice.

Posted by: smeg36 Jan 17 2007, 03:42 AM

Now that I have my Sprint Q, I'm customizing the homescreen once again (don't ya just love XML coding?). Obviously, the VZW_SHORTCUT_PLUGIN_2003 doesn't work on the Sprint phone. I did try anyways though, and it definitely doesn't work without some of the customization VZW put into it. Sprint doesn't have any homescreens with PIE links in them, so I couldn't get the appropriate code from them. Is there any generic Smartphone XML coding that will allow me to place MGN and Google on my homescreen again?

Posted by: GHG Feb 13 2007, 04:20 PM

Greetings All,

Anyone used Ruttensoft Home screen developer?

GHG

Posted by: abatis Feb 14 2007, 02:42 AM

I have played with it in the past. It is easy to use.

Posted by: msswitch Apr 18 2007, 06:22 PM

QUOTE (GHG @ Feb 13 2007, 11:20 AM)

Posted by: :GS:Havok Apr 27 2007, 11:19 PM

Well,
This is a simple Homescreen of my favorite game Counter-Strike Source. I have used Ruttensoft's home screen developer but i quickly found out that editing XML files is quicker and easier task. Using my Gif animator (a Layer Picture editing Tool) i was able to create the background image, which is actually 3 images fused together with some transparency cropping. the Grenades, HE (red) and Smoke (Green) are actually tabs and can be selected. With the use of Facade plugin http://www.sbsh.net/products/facade/, I am able to select my current schedule, or my tasks. I dont know what kind i will create next...

Posted by: GHG Apr 30 2007, 09:20 PM

That looks real good .... I will look into products you used and give it a try.
Thanks,
GHG

Posted by: lovelyspanishwoman Jul 25 2007, 12:02 AM

QUOTE (:GS:Havok @ Apr 27 2007, 06:19 PM)

Well,
This is a simple Homescreen of my favorite game Counter-Strike Source. I have used Ruttensoft's home screen developer but i quickly found out that editing XML files is quicker and easier task. Using my Gif animator (a Layer Picture editing Tool) i was able to create the background image, which is actually 3 images fused together with some transparency cropping. the Grenades, HE (red) and Smoke (Green) are actually tabs and can be selected. With the use of Facade plugin http://www.sbsh.net/products/facade/, I am able to select my current schedule, or my tasks. I dont know what kind i will create next...

Posted by: runningtiger Jul 25 2007, 09:32 AM

Welcome to MGN and congrats on your first post! We all learn from each other, so dig in!!!

Is your phone a Motorola Q? Or, is it just something particular about this home screen that attracts you? I have no experience with the Q's home screen, so can't offer any assistance there. If that is your device, hopefully Smeg will pop in here 'cuz he had that phone and has posted some of his home screens. Check the "http://www.mobilegadgetnews.com/index.php?showtopic=14082&hl=!" post to see his most recent efforts. If you just want some basics on home screen editing, then I can offer some help and hopefully others will chime in with their .02

Basically, if you have a Smartphone (not a PocketPC), then home screen .XML files are located in the \Application Data\Home folder. Use ActiveSync to COPY that file to your computer then open it with Notepad so you can see how it's been written. You should see things like "schemes" being defined, "plugins" being inserted in the desired order, labels in different languages defined perhaps, etc.

Practice by starting with one of the default home screens that comes closest to what you want and then work at changing it one thing at a time so you can see what changes when you edit something. It's very much about trial & error. At least it was for me. WARNING: Be prepared for things not to go right. The very first time I had to hard reset my device was 'cuz I downloaded someone else's home screen and tried it on my phone and my phone would no longer boot. I had to hard reset, which means I lost every bit of customizing I'd done and I had to start over. <drag> So, if going back to square one is too depressing at this point, make a backup of your device now using something like Sprite Backup software for instance. It costs about $30 but is well worth it if you're gonna start tinkering under the hood of your device. It'll save you a LOT of pain and heartache. That said, what happens more often then crashing your device (if the code isn't perfect) is it just won't load right. You'll get a funky b&w screen with the message to change you home screen to one that works and once you do that you're fine. Just be ready to have it not go perfect...then go for it!

So, once you have made some changes to the .XML file you copied to your PC, save it with a new name then copy it back to your device, load it by going to "settings\home screen\home screen layout" and choose the file you created and see what it looks like and go from there.

If you start researching home screen .XML you'll quickly notice that a lot of the developers use plugins that are not included with your device. Some of these, like Fizz Weather and Facade, are not free. If you try to use a home screen that has a plugin on it that you don't have on your phone - it won't work. Obviously, right?

Anyway, much can be done with the free plugins included on your device and free ones that can be downloaded elsewhere. I'll wait until I read what you like about the screen you commented on before going into any more detail.

So, what do you want your home screen to look like? To make it more feminine do you just want a different wallpaper (background image)? Do you like the row of icons to launch your favorite programs? If so, do you want to see the same icons there all the time, or are your most recently used (MRU) program icons the ones you want to see? Be as specific as you can so we can offer specific advice.

Posted by: lovelyspanishwoman Jul 27 2007, 01:02 AM

QUOTE (runningtiger @ Jul 25 2007, 05:32 AM)

Posted by: smeg36 Jul 27 2007, 03:14 AM

There is one animated homescreen program by http://www.madbeetle.com/homescreen.html. It worked on my Q once I fiddled with it a little.