Today theme select and toolbars

[IronGuy]

Does anyone know where the toolbars come from when you seelct the Today theme as your Dashboard. I thought they were from the default skin, but that doesn't appear to be the case. I say that becasue they are in a different position than in the default.

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

They will be from the default if you are using the <Today Theme> choice as your skin. However, if you define a Dashboard skin and include a Today Theme integrated with it, you can override these and include your own toolbar icons as well as placement. This is for maximum flexibility for the skin designers.

Thanks!

[posprg]

Chris,
Have you thought at all about making it possible to modify the "default" layout when selecting today themes? I would love to see that feature added. It could even be a .dsh file that was manually edited.

Thanks!

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

Yes, you can do that today in the current version by placing the Today Theme into a .dsh file and then specifying where you want the default buttons to appear.

It should work fine and is about as easy as having a default.dsh file that handles the same thing. I guess the only drawback is you would need to copy and paste your DSH file and just change the name and the Today Theme file name when you want to use a different today theme.

[posprg]

That approach does work, and I know that dashboard would rotate the themes but that is a little work compared to just copying the theme to the ppc.
Sounds like the new skin designer is going to be the answer to this issue. :)

Thanks!

[Unregistered]

I am confused... Excactly how do you place "the Today Theme into a .dsh file and then specifying where you want the default buttons to appear"?

I have used Skin Me before but don't understand how you would do this....

[posprg]

You Create a new dashboard skin leaving all "backgrounds" blank. Place the tool bars and options where you want them and save the skin. You must then manually edit the .dsh file and add a line under the [bitmaps] section that says
TodayFile = put Name of .tsk file here
then copy the theme and the .dsh file to the ppc under your skins dir.

[Unregistered]

I did that and included new toolbars. Now it has the location of the toolbars correct, but I still have the default icons (even though I changed them in Skin Me).

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

Did you remember to copy the toolbar images over to your device? The only reason that Dashboard would use the default toolbar images is if it cannot locate and load the specified image files in the folder with the .DSH file.

Sounds like you are on the right track with your modifications though - just need to get the last part solved and you'll have the look you want.

I'm still debating whether or not to have a default.DSH file that you can manually edit and would be used for the Today Theme selection... :)

[posprg]

Scott I know you are hard at work on the new features etc.. but can you say if you have reached a verdict on the default skin idea for use with Today themes? I may be wrong.. but I think people (other than myself) would absolutly LOVE this feature. Dashboard is a Great application, but skinning can be a bit much for some people, this would allow the use of the newest features and creativity with themes and THE BEST solution for information at our fingertips.

I will stop pleading now :)

Thanks!

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

The verdict is...

Yes, I will implement this in the next update. :)

I think I will do this by allowing you to specify any skin as the default skin to use for Today Themes and that way you can use one you like or create your own.

Thanks!

[posprg]

Chris,

Thank you! That sounds Great.

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

Ok, I have this working now and it works really well but it isn't really applicable with a lot of the skins out there today. The biggest issue I see is that skins were designed to be integrated as one visual component.

One thing I am still thinking about is perhaps allowing a skin to define a new bitmap image that just provides a background for the toolbar. If I allow for that it would make a lot of skins work well in this configuration.

I also can see how a new type of skin could be produced that is designed solely to provide a layout and a set of toolbars that would mesh well with many of the Today theme's out there now.

This is definitely what you asked for, but from what I see in testing you will need to provide your own skins specifically for it.

[Unregistered]

....Can you tell us when it will be available?

[Unregistered]

Chris
Please help .... I am having a problem with Dashboard and the ability to add/remove icons from the top bar...what is wrong...?
I am a newbie to how to do this...can you recommend a program that I can use to allow me this flexability?

thanks

[posprg]

Chris,

Is there any way either:

1. I could test for you... :) or
2. you could post an example screen shot of what you see as an issue?


Thanks for the hard work!

[Unregistered]

PosPrg

Can you direct me on how to customize my Dashbord screen...is there a FAQ an ARTILE....SOFTWARE?

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Unregistered,

This version is now out to the beta testers (just went out yesterday actually) so it will be at least a week in beta testing (maybe longer depending on what they find). This is a huge release for me in terms of changes to the core code of the program so I am anticipating a few issues surfacing.

To modify the look of the top bar (this is to the other unregistered poster) you need a program such as WISBar. SnoopSoft Dashboard integrates with WISBar and any skins that provide support for it will automatically change the look of the top bar if 1. WISBar is installed and running and 2. the option is enabled in Dashboard. For more information see our page here:
http://www.snoopsoft.com/dashboard/index.html

Finally, to posprg, I will pull a screenshot for you that shows what I am seeing.

To the other unregistered person posting while I was typing this check out our skins page here for more details:
http://www.snoopsoft.com/skins/creating.html

And wincustomize has lots of skins for you to choose from if art is not your thing:
http://www.wincustomize.com

[Unregistered]

I am sorry ...when I said the top bar I meant ... how do I add/remove icons from the Dashboard bar. Ie. I do not use email on my PPC so I would like to remove that icon.

thank you

[posprg]

Once the mini-launch is turned on, simply tap and hold on the bar to add an item to it.

[posprg]

Sorry Didin't read that one all the way, To remove mail icon you will need a copy of skin me. This allows you to edit and create your own skins.

the link was previously posted by Chris.

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

Hi,

Oh, well I get a few requests for that every now and again. The best way is to create a skin that doesn't have that icon on it.

The problem with trying to code it into Dashboard itself is that some skins are structured in such a way that there's no way I can just not show that image if you disable it. It would alter the look of the skin in such a way that it looks weird or in some instances it wouldn't even disappear because the image is actually in the bitmap for the background itself.

Thanks!

[Unregistered]

so from the sounds of it I can not modify the bar ... I would need to create another one.

it tried skinme and the skinme explorer....problem is you can not transfere the skins between pc and ppc with the explorer.

[posprg]

I don't use the explorer. You have 2 options, you can either use a clean directory when creating a skin so that all files for that skin are together then copy that dir to the ppc or use the option to create a zip file of your skin and copy that to the ppc and unzip into your skins dir.

Hope that helps.

[Unregistered]

a skin will consit of all the bars and the today backround...correct?
all I want to modify is the program lauch bar .....

Thank you again

[posprg]

a "skin" is the .dsh file that hold the information as to what tool bars, backgrounds, wizbar files etc will be used. All these files should be placed in a directory of their own.

If you need to modify the launcher or mini launcher "program launch bar" then just Tap and Hold on the bar and you can add or edit the items.

[Chris Scott [SnoopSoft]]

posprg,

Check your private messages here ;)

[posprg]

Chris,

Check your Email :)

[Unregistered]

posprg....thanks....bit when I tap and hold down the bar I am not getting any options.

[posprg]

Hmm, If you touch the launcher bar and hold you should see a dialog boxs that gives you 3 selections: New..., Delete and Options.

[Unregistered]

nope I do not get any options....the wait circle appears makes a showing and that's it. I have already reset the system to a factory software install and re-installed apps. Now I am lost....

[Unregistered]

Wait a second...I do not want to modify the launchers I want to modify the main bar that has email/tasks/laucher/my dash etc.

[posprg]

Well Again, this goes back to having to modify the skin or create a new one.

[Unregistered]

and skin me is the easiest ....?

[posprg]

Skin me is the ONLY option at this time. Chris is looking for someone to write a new skin program that takes advantage of the newest features.

[Unregistered]

Thanks...I think that it will probably just take some time.
It is strange because when I tried to use it with dashboard..I imported over the default themes and the bmp's appeard different or not at all within SkinME