Description:
Pocket PC Themes let you personalize appearance of pages Today and Start. They have for file extension «.TSK». These files are in fact CAB files for installation on Pocket PC, renamed in TSK. They respect the standards of files CAB defined by Microsoft. A file CAB (and thus TSK) includes in fact one or more files.
ThemeGenCE helps you to build the TSK by compiling the file of information (Extension "000") and by building the images which will be attached to your theme. It puts the whole in a CAB file renamed in TSK.
It offers so many functions that we cannot describe all of them in this small review. You can have a look at the tutorial on the author's site.
Download link for other version:
French
Italy
Spain
German
Update Description:
v2.6:
- Modifications of all forms in the program to fit in a 1024 x 600 screen (hiding Taskbar). This seems to be Notebooks screen sizes actually. Vicott Wong (http://mobisapienz.com/) suggests me this. Maximal sizes for forms are now:
o Width: 880.
o Height: 597.
- ThemeGenCE now reads some exotic Themes (TSK) which contains for instance standards images with also specific images for VGA or QVGA format.
- Correction of minor bugs.
- Ability to build themes for WVGA and WQVGA:
o For WQVGA:
>> stwater_240_400.gif
>> stwater_400_240.gif
>> tdywater_240_400.gif
>> tdywater_400_240.gif
o For WVGA:
>> stwater_480_800.gif
>> stwater_800_480.gif
>> tdywater_480_800.gif
>> tdywater_800_480.gif
o For adapting ThemeGenCE for WVGA I have chosen these sizes which seem to be right even if user modifies while building Theme USeStartImage variable:
>> stwater_480_800.gif -> 480 x 748
>> stwater_800_480.gif -> 800 x 428
>> tdywater_480_800.gif -> 480 x 748
>> tdywater_800_480.gif -> 800 x 428
>> And half of these sizes for WQVGA.
But for now, without help on the NET, these kind of themes seem to be not recognized.
- And maybe other things that I have forgotten since I work on this version.
v2.5:
- Recompiled with Delphi 2007 for Win 32 which allows to develop Vista compatible applications. ThemeGenCE stays compatible with earlier Windows versions.
- This version now gives a new preview for the last Windows Mobile OS: WM6.
- Some minor bugs have been corrected.
v2.0:
- Vista Compatible « Works with Vista »:
>> Adaptation of the size of the windows, because the Client Width in Vista is a little smaller than with XP for the same width of window.
>> Adaptation for synchronization with Windows Mobile Device Center. The notifications are not always adapted in very rare cases, but all seems to work.
>> Some Forms use specificities of Vista (Options page and page About)
>> While becoming compatible with Vista, ThemeGenCE remains compatible with the preceding operating systems.
- Corrections:
>> Correction of inherent problems in Delphi 7 for the modal windows (in the older versions of ThemeGenCE some modal forms could be hidden by the main form, which prevented the continuation of the program and required to kill the ThemeGenCE process).
>> Corrections of minor bugs.
- Preview Skins and « Cosmetic »:
>> Addition of a new Preview skin : Hermes.
>> « Cosmetic» : improvement of buttons images and icons.
- PDA Information if connected by ActiveSync or Mobile Windows Mobile Device Center:
To « give me pleasure » and maybe to give pleasure to the curious one, I added some explorer functions for files and the databases on the PDA. Three new buttons on the 2nd tab in the PDA information page:
>> Images:
... Enumerates bmp, jpg, png, gif, tif, 2bp images which are on the PDA.
... Allows preview by selecting the image:
* Thumbnail.
* Real preview while clicking on thumbnail.
... Allows to import the image selected of the PDA towards the PC (Import button, Save Folder Name saved in the ini file).
>> Extension:
... Enumerates files of the PDA having a selected extension (with * - Star - one obtains all the files).
... Allows to open a selected file:
* By the usual application on the PC for this extension.
* By the application chosen by the user: "Open with...".
* With Notepad.
... Allows file importation on the PC if access is not denied.
>> DataBases:
... Enumerates volumes and Databases on PDA (only informative).
v1.9:
- Also available in German now.
- Improvements:
>> Enhanced Graphics in application:
... Icons with shadow and better resolution for Buttons.
... Gradient color on ToolBar in main page, in images pages and in "Read a TSK on PDA" page. (Vista Like).
... Forbiden panel added when options are grayed.
>> Square Themes 480x480: added in Options page in predefined formats. (Options Tab in main page) for future use! Actually, no device uses this resolution.
>> _setup.xml and TSK themes:
... Ability to define Themes with _setup.xml file instead conventionnal INF. It may be future standard for WM6.
... See TSK and XML (EN).rtf for details.
>> Screen Capture in real Preview clicking on image. Allowed formats JPG, BMP, PNG et GIF. (for publishing on forums).
v1.8:
- Square Themes 240x240: added in Options page. (Use Main Page Options tab).
- More Image Processings in Images page:
>> Contrast button added.
>> Effect Options with 6 tabs:
... Same as in previous versions.
... Background added to the image by modification of image transparency.
... Image transformed by patterns.
... Floyd - Steinberg.
... Radial Blur.
... Radial Zoom
- Text add module. This module is accessible when all images needed for the current themeare available. The button is on 2nd tab of main page.It is visible when "Create Theme" is ungrayed.
v1.7:
- Graphic User Interface clearer with 6 TabSheets to define current Theme parameters.
- Ability to customize: Main Form of ThemeGenCE, 5 preview Skins.
- Better definition of Orientated Themes (Portrait and Landscape).
- Color modifications available in Images Definition Form (RGB and HSL).
- User Options saved in an INI file to have the same interface from one session to another one.
v1.6:
- New Format for Themes in QVGA and in VGA with different images for Portrait and Landscape mode.
- On WM5 page, if PDA OS is Windows Mobile 2005 and PDA connected with ActiveSync, a new panel is showed in the upper part of the page with 2 checkboxes:
>> PDA Interaction.
>> Restore.
With this you can see directly colours choices of main page and BaseHue on PDA.
- A new full Help (In English !), shows improvements for the above two points. This Help is now in 32 bits with file extension .chm, ( hlp are in 16 bits). Chm files contain compiled Html. They are easier to maintain than hlp. Right click on many items of the program calls context help.
v1.5.5:
- Correction of a bug in page Key + for color 34. If you went by this page and the checkbox was not checked the program saved theme with color 34 and a garbage value.
- Improvement in page of PDA Infos if connected with ActiveSync. In System Colors you see now ShColor (SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Color\SHColor) and SysColor (HKLM\SYSTEM\GWE\ SysColor) . On MouseMove on a color a hint explain it.
v1.5.4:
- Program verify when loading Theme that format theme is adapted with image sizes. If no, there is an alert followed by positioning mouse cursor on the Options button to adapt theme.
- Quick view in real sizes of images if you click on miniatures of the main page.
- For Easter, 2 "Easter eggs" on Preview page, showing a famous poest which birth place is also the birth place of this program. Find them!
- Better preview, depending on theme format:
>> In main page.
>> In Preview page with a PDA skin. Double click on buttons of the skin to have options: Portrait, Landscape, BaseHue, Start.
- Now you can select with checkboxes the color keys you want to save with the theme:
>> One checkbox for each color.
>> 2 new buttons for Select or Deselect All these CheckBoxes.
>> This allow you to do themes like " Bulles de Goyavier " (Guava Bubbles) which have only two color keys declared. PDA chooses colors in registry "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Color\SHColor " if color key is missing. Program will do the same if PDA is connected by ActiveSync.
