Wednesday, January 28, 2015

S100 - SkinManager Upcoming new features and Carplay situation

Today I want to keep you guys updated about some new features I'm adding to the S100 Skinmanager while I'm still developing the carplay skin of course.
Some of these new mods are small changes but they always take me some days to make them working nicely and i beleive that they can be even expanded to other things... Let's see what they are..

SKINMANAGER UPCOMING STUFF:

1. A better way to display which skins are installed and in use:
As you can see Skin1, Skin3 and Skin4 are installed, Skin2 is not installed and Skin3 is the one in use.
 
 
2. A SkinManager version check at start up: 
When Skinmanager start will check if the version present on  the SD card is newer than the one installed in the unit and, if so, it will automatically update.
This feature could be probably extended later to the skins too, checking if they will need to be updated or not.
 
3. A different (better) version of the default Audio player, taken from the Mydean firmware, that use a bigger list view:


 
As with Nitrogen player there will be the possibility to enable or disable this player as default one.
I don't know if I'll find the time to theme this player to match the skin4 theme...
 
 
4. there will be 2 more extra apps:
- Hobdrive (http://hobdrive.com/) for OBD information display using an ELM adapter.
- SysInfo to display windows CE system information.
 


CARPLAY SKIN:

Sections finished:
- Main Menu
- Radio
- Bluetooth
- Media main screens
- Tools main screens, Extras
- Settings General, Navi Path, Logo, Clock

Sections on the work:
- Audio Player
- Settings Audio

Sections to do:
- all the rest...  ;)



Tuesday, January 20, 2015

2015 - S100 Skinpack for firmware 1.8.9 (updated also the 1.6.9 skinpack)

I found the time to adapt my previous skinpack to the newer 1.8.9 firmware of  our S100 units.
This skinpack will have exactly the same new features  introduced the last week in the skinpack for 1.7.9 firmware, no less, no more.
Just the skins are updated with the changes and differences found between the 2 firmware versions.
Please don't ask me what are these differences because i can only see the ones that have a graphic effect on the interface. I know that something has changed in the audio player regarding the Artist/Album/Song tags but I beleive they make some mistake somewhere....
Anyway the playlist button that wasn't working on my skins with this fw now work again
 and this is the important thing.

For all the infos about this Skinpack go here:
http://kotixworld.blogspot.it/2015/01/2015-s100-skinpack-for-firmware-179-new.html

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UPDATE N°1: I just fixed a missing IPOD folder in skin3 and I added a better french string translation.
UPDATE N°2: I have updated and included all the features of the 1.7.9 skinmanager\skintool to the 1.6.9 skinpack too.
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HOW TO GET THE SKINPACK

 To download the skinpack you have to go to this post:


Once the payment is confirmed you will be redirected to the Skinpacks folder (click on "return to seller site") where you can find older versions, the curent one  and even the new ones when they will be available.
THIS SKINPACK DOESN NOT INCLUDE THE CARPLAY SKIN!!
  

These are the packs included in the folder now:
- Skinpack 12.01.15 for fw 1.8.9
- Skinpack 12.01.15 for fw 1.7.9
- Skinpack 12.01.15 for fw 1.6.9
- SkinPack for fw 1.0.9.0 to 1.5.9
- SkinPack for fw up to 1.18.7


I'll try to keep the Skinpack folder link address the same as long as i can , but if it start to get spammed all over internet I'll surely change it and I'll start to distribute the packs in another way, so please.... DON'T SPAM IT

I'll send also a copy of the link by email but if you have problems of any kind, feel free to contact me by email.
Enjoy :)

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

2015 - S100 Skinpack for firmware 1.7.9, new Extra apps, new SkinTool features etc...

Happy New Year everybody!
As many of you have probably noticed, all the links of the skinpacks in my previous post have been removed. This is because I have decided to make some money from this "work" and starting from this year all the people will have to pay to download my skins and skinmanager.

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Skinmanager and Skintool are simple applications that I started a couple of years ago to simplify the skin switch process in the S100 unit.
SkinManager allow to change Skin (theme) in about 10 seconds and Skintool contain some scripts that will help the user to make some more complex modifications to the S100 system.
To run Skinmanager you have to extract the Skinmanager folder in root of the SD Card, insert it in the GPS slot, set the navi path to point to \Skinmanager\Skinmanager.exe and press the Navi button.  Here is  a demo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjiMV5nWa88#t=11

Today I'm releasing a new 2015 version of my  skinpack for the Roadnav S100 units:



THERE IS NOT THE CARPLAY SKIN! IT WILL BE SOLD SEPARATELY BY THE END OF FEBRUARY
In this 2015 first release there will be some new interesting features that has been collected in these 2 past years and taken all over from the international forums.
Both tools have been modified a lot and the first thing you'll see is that all the Skins folders, Extras, common files etc... are now included in the main "SkinManager" folder, so you'll have everything in one place.


A summary changelog of this version is:

SKIN IMPROVEMENTS
- Skinned Ipod section in Skin4 (tnx Alexandros for testing it)
- Fixed fonts bug that change sizes in some languages (except French that is still buggy)
- Fixed Saved stations string position in radio screen
- Other stuff i don't remember now

SKINTOOL & ADDONS MODIFICATIONS
Skinmanager now is  contained all in one folder
- No more Italian Language in skinmanager (for now)
- Autobackup of S100PROGRAM folder at first run
- Added a Screenshot tool
- New Nitrogen version with playlist support and fixed its installation as standalone app
- Added option to replace Operamini with Opera10
- Added Zetakey Browser to Extras
- Added option to load custom strings using a patched exe.
   Available better translations till now are: Italian, English, Greek, Turkey, Spanish, Russian
- Added option to modify ADSet.xml to fake unit ID and change buttons function.
- New restore options: phonebook and  radio db, setting.dat, Platform.exe and Audio.exe
- Skintool and Skinmanager are a little more user friendly, giving and asking to the user some more possibilities and confirmations before installing or updating pre-existing parts.
- Maybe more things...

All the option has been tested a lot of  times by me and other friends but , you know, shit can always happen and please don't blame me, just report me the bugs.

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So let's start some explanations....
When Skinmanager start you can choose one of the 4 skins available. If none of the custom skins are installed, selecting one, you will be prompted to do it and accepting will start the installation procedure.
At first install a Backup of the S100PROGRAM folder will be created on your SD card to keep your data safe and a copy of skinmanager will be installed in the games section of the original skin so you can use it even without the SD card inserted. After a skin is installed you will be asked to install the Extra applications: Nitrogen audio player, VoPlayer, Zetakey internet browser, a couple of games.
Installing Nitrogen you also can choose to replace the audio player with Nitrogen.
Then Skinmanager will ask you if you'd like to use a patched version of the software that allow you to use a custom version (better translated) of the Language file.
Once you have at least one skin installed you can switch between skins in about 10 seconds just clicking on it.


SCREENSHOTS TOOL


On top right of SkinManager, you can see a camera icon. When you press it , it will launch the screenshot tool: first will come up a file browser screen for a second and will automatically close, then will appear another icon on the right of the screen:
This icon will stay always active in every screen (in every skin or app you are running). 
Clicking on it twice, it will take a screenshot.
Screenshots are saved on sdcard in the folder \Skinmanager\screenshot\screenshots.




SKINTOOL FUNCTIONS



1. BACKUP and RESTORE:
 Selecting this option you'll be taken to this other window:

1.The Backup will create a folder in the root of your SD card named "S100PROGRAM-BACKUP" and it will contain a copy of the S100PROGRAM folder without subfolders.
2.It will delete all the skins (2,3,4 and original one) and restore the original one from the SD card.
3. and 4. they do what they say in case you have replaced them
5.If you'd like to restore your settings after a firmware flash.
6.This will restore the phonebook.db file. This file, like all the .db files, can be edited using an sql editor so you can modify to your needs.
  I discovered that if you put a question mark "?" (maybe other characters too)in front of the contact name, it will be displayed at the beginning of the contact list. So I use it to always have my favorite numbers firstly shown in the list.
Restoring the phonebook save me the hassle to re-edit the db
7. Same as phonebook but this is for the stations names and frequency. If you edit it you can save it and restore it.


 2. INSTALL/UPDATE EXTRAS IN CURRENT SKIN:
If you haven't installed the extra apps in a skin, or you'd like to update them you can use this option to do it

3. INSTALL/UPDATE A SKIN
You will have to choose which skin to install or update

4. UNINSTALL A SKIN FROM THE UNIT
 You will have to choose which skin uninstall

5. ENABLE/DISABLE NITROGEN AS DEFAULT PLAYER
It will replace the default player with Nitrogen and viceversa

6. REPLACE/RESTORE OPERAMINI WITH OPERA10
It will replace the default internet browser with the more efficent Opera10 and viceversa.

7.ADSET.XML CUSTOM MODS
It will open this new window:
1. ID mod: you can change the ID value of your unit, faking it as another model. By default it will set 201 because the C201 unit have in the main menu the Audio button in place of the PiP one. If you know any other model you'd like to fake, you can set any number. A backup of the original ADSet.xml will be created and you restore it later if  you like.

2. ADFunction mod: With this option you can assign the Audio player launch to any hardware button available. Personally I find the mute button perfect for the purpose.

8. Patch\Unpatch Platform.exe for custom language files
It will replace Platform.exe with its patched version and replace the original strings with the customized ones:  Italian, English, Greek, Turkey, Spanish, Russian, French
 When unpatching it will restore the original strings from the sd card.

9. RUN CECMD
It will run a file browser

10. RUN PLATFORM
It will start the unit software

11. EXIT
 It will take you back to Skinmanager


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HOW TO GET THE SKINPACK

 To download the skinpack you have to go to this post:


Once the payment is confirmed you will be redirected to the Skinpacks folder (click on "return to seller site") where you can find older versions, the curent one  and even the new ones when they will be available.
THIS SKINPACK DOESN NOT INCLUDE THE CARPLAY SKIN!!


These are the packs included in the folder now:
- Skinpack 12.01.15 for fw 1.8.9
- Skinpack 12.01.15 for fw 1.7.9
- Skinpack 12.01.15 for fw 1.6.9
- SkinPack for fw 1.0.9.0 to 1.5.9
- SkinPack for fw up to 1.18.7


I'll try to keep the Skinpack folder link address the same as long as i can , but if it start to get spammed all over internet I'll surely change it and I'll start to distribute the packs in another way, so please.... DON'T SPAM IT

I'll send also a copy of the link by email but if you have problems of any kind, feel free to contact me by email.
Enjoy :)