Changing Your Open2x Theme

[gruso]

Update (October 7th 2009): The original guide (below) describes how to modify your theme manually by replacing image files. There is now an Open2X ready version of the Liquido theme with a .gpu installer, courtesy of Bman. Download here: http://dl.openhandhelds.org/cgi-bin/gp2x.cgi?0,0,0,0,67,2801


============== Original Guide ===========================

If you've recently installed Open2x and want to change your theme, this thread is for you. Those who know their NAND (mostly F100 owners) will probably be like "well, duh." This guide is for NAND newbies. A few notes first:

- To the Open2x team: There's nothing wrong with the default theme, it's delicious actually. But you know how much we like to tweak.
- This is a very basic theme change, the icon set will not be changed.
- The job involves accessing the root file system, where doing the wrong thing is bad. Take your time and stick to the folders specified and you'll be safe.


Ok. Here's what we're doing in a nutshell:

- Replacing wallpaper
- Replacing topbar.png
- Replacing bottombar.png

Each file needs to be copied across individually. To do this you need a file explorer that will copy between SD and NAND. Open2x has two file managers built in; "Explorer", the classic explorer/launcher that has access to NAND & EXT, and "FileManager", a re-badged version of Enexfi which only explores SD by default (for newb safety). You'll need a new copy of Enexfi installed on SD, so you can tweak it for NAND access.

http://archive.gp2x....?0,0,0,0,8,1888
CODEhttp://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,8,1888

You need to edit the .ini file, but it won't create this until it's been installed and run. Do that, then change the following line in the .ini file:
CODEversion: normal
to
CODEversion: nand_access

We'll do the wallpaper first, because it's the simplest. Find yourself a nice 320x240 png and put it in SD/photo.

Here's a quick rundown on using Enexfi. Please read the readme as well.
QUOTED-pad to navigate, B is the "action" button, X changes the active function (explore, delete, copy etc). You'll be in Explore mode by default, so you can navigate with d-pad and select folders with B. But when you press X to change modes, the function of the B button changes too. So get used to exploring with d-pad and A, because A will never change.

- Using D-pad and A, navigate to your new wallpaper.
- Press X to cycle through the functions until you're on Copy
- Highlight your wallpaper and press B. Enexfi will ask for the destination.
- Using D-pad and A, navigate back to the top level, then to root/usr/menu/skins/default/wallpapers
- Press B to paste
- Press Start to exit

Now go to the Gmenu2x Settings section, and change your wallpaper.

Once you've done this successfully, you know all you need to change topbar.png and bottombar.png as well. Find them in root/usr/menu/skins/default/imgs, and copy them one at a time to SD/photo. You'll be overwriting these on the NAND with the new versions later, so back them up!

What you replace them with is up to you, as long as they have the same file names. Here are the two I'm using for now, I've just thrown the existing ones into Photoshop then desaturated, colorised to hue 190, and set opacity to 60%.

And here's a screenshot of the end result:

And there you have it. The longest wall of text you'll ever need to replace three images.

 

[cloudy-cola-corp]

Quite interesting, some useful info, though I'm ashamed to say, I reverted to official firmware, because open2x's USB mode didn't work on my F200, and I couldn't install the liquido theme. I might try open2x again sometime, and I'll be sure to use this P.S: is that a screenshot of perfect dark?

 

[gp2.eXe]

What? Enexfi can access the NAND! How did I miss that? LOL Very useful stuff... such a shame I haven't been able to install open2x... Maybe I'll give it another shot later.

Meanwhile I'm going to see if I can customize FW 4.1.0 - F100 Haha!

Thanks Gruso!

Edit: Typo.

 

[gruso]

^ Yeah, I was pretty happy to discover that about Enexfi! Cheers for the PM about the forum fix btw, I'll check that out today.

@cloudy-cola-corp: Yep, that's the Carrington Institute. I bought an N64 and Perfect Dark last week so I could re-live the best FPS ever. My need for PD wallpaper resulted in this thread.

 

[cloudy-cola-corp]

^ Yeah, I was pretty happy to discover that about Enexfi! Cheers for the PM about the forum fix btw, I'll check that out today.

@cloudy-cola-corp: Yep, that's the Carrington Institute. I bought an N64 and Perfect Dark last week so I could re-live the best FPS ever. My need for PD wallpaper resulted in this thread.

I bought an n64 and some carts from a guy at school, then carried it home in my gym bag. I don't use it much sadly, as I have to re-tune my TV every time I want to play

 

[gruso]

Since we're talking N64 I'll just hijack my own thread. I put a brand new thumbstick in my N64 pad tonight. Then I added a nice grippy cap from an old Logitech pad:

End result: Oh wow. Playing Perfect Dark again isn't just good, it's better than it ever was. :wub:

 

[cloudy-cola-corp]

Since we're talking N64 I'll just hijack my own thread. I put a brand new thumbstick in my N64 pad tonight. Then I added a nice grippy cap from an old Logitech pad:

End result: Oh wow. Playing Perfect Dark again isn't just good, it's better than it ever was. :wub:

sweet! :lol:

 

[Tag5]

Nice mod Gruso!

 

[mes83]

Thanks for the tutorial, but do any of you know how to change the startup-screen on open2x? Mine still says gp2x version 3.0, is there any way to change that?

 

[Manjuu]

This isn't really related to the topic, but I have a few things to ask you Gruso (or to anyone).

When you changed Enexfi to the 'nand_access', I'm wondering if you're experiencing this too. If you go up to any folder aside the ones in the /mnt/ folder, you'll need to press the '..' twice to go up a folder. The folder and file count become zero and the listing becomes messed up after the first press.

Another one is that according to the Enexfi's readme, pressing X should change the active function, but it's the Y button for mine. I notice that X & Y buttons being swapped for a few other programs. (Could be just typos?)

Are you experiencing these too? :huh:

BTW, nice guide.

 

[gruso]

Ah yes, those things.

[edit] What I wrote before was too vague. I've got the GP2X in front of me now.

I remember having that issue with going up a level, but I can't replicate it now! As per your report, if I'm browsing SD (via mnt/sd), pressing ".." once at any point will take me up a folder as it's supposed to. If I'm browsing somewhere else (eg. /bin, /dev, /etc, whatever) the ".." requires a double tap to be effective. I do recall this causing the problem you described, but it's not doing it now. Strange!

You're right about the X/Y swap in Enexfi. The version included with Open2X (with the icon called "File Manager") uses Y to cycle functions, while the file archive version uses X. Embed X in your mind, because that's the version you'll need to use if you're managing files on the NAND.

 

[senquack]

Nice guide.. sorry we didn't get a chance to add Theme support to Open2X yet but this is a good substitute.

About Enexfi's swapped X/Y: It is not an open-source project and we weren't able to build it with newer header/libraries to fix this. It uses SDL but not for the control inputs so it is impossible to fix these swapped controls with Open2X's built-in control redefinition support.

 

[Manjuu]

uses Y to cycle functions, while the file archive version uses X. Embed X in your mind, because that's the version you'll need to use if you're managing files on the NAND.

That is weird. I still experience it, but after further testing, it doesn't seems to affect all the folders outside the ones in /mnt/; some work normally, while the others behave like this or even worse. Also, after the 1st press of the "..", with listing become resorted, entering one of the folders would get you stuck inside as the ".." will be missing. :blink:

Oh well... I don't really touch the NAND area that much, and I also prefer to use Filer2X.

@Senor Quack: I really would like to see support for custom section icons when storing links in the SD. (Good thing the default section icon isn't as bad as the cogs for the links. :lol: )

 

[bomberman]

..., and I couldn't install the liquido theme.

worked it out - install at the archive

 

[gruso]

Nice work bman. I'll add a link to the first post, and give it a run myself tonight.