Themes for noobs

[kin242]

Being of the impatient temparament, I'm really annoyed at the length of time it takes to switch between different wps's and fonts etc etc trying to find something which looks decent.

How about some people posting theme files instead of just the wps?

[Febs]

I'm really annoyed by this thread. If people are kind enough to share the WPSes that they put time and effort into creating, so that people like you can use them, what right do you have to demand that they do something differently?

[kin242]

I'm not demanding- I'm requesting... It seems a sensible enough request to me- something which lets you switch easily instead of doing a three step dance through the menus... I'm not criticising people's wps- I think they are brilliant- but half the time I'm scrabbling around for ages trying to find the right font/rwps/wps cobination...

Stop having a hissy fit...

[swunk]

My thoughts exactly. EDIT: Same as Febs thoughts, that is. Not the OP's.

I'm really annoyed at the length of time it takes to switch between different wps's and fonts etc etc

They're all in the same menu, at the top of the list. How can anyone get annoyed about the 20 seconds they have to spend changing each one???

How about some people posting theme files instead of just the wps?

You could always just make your own theme that incorporates the WPS, RWPS and font that you think work together. Do you want me to do it for you?

[kin242]

Look people- I'm a tech noob- I don't really want to spend ages trying to decypher the code. There are plenty of people who are much better than me at this kind of thing already doing this. I'm just saying we have this wonderful theme function- how about posting that along side your wps? That way you get to pick your optimal combination and noobs like me can enjoy your work!!


Honestly...

[swunk]

Look people- I'm a tech noob- I don't really want to spend ages trying to decypher the code.

Decipher code? All you have to do is hit a few buttons to change the font etc. Most people who post WPS's specify the font as well. You just have to remember it, or write it down. Or make your own theme.

There are plenty of people who are much better than me at this kind of thing already doing this.

The people who have made WPS's have taken the time to read up on the tags and learnt how to make them. I can assure you, I know nothing when it comes to coding or whatever, but I put in a few hours of learning and made a WPS. Making a theme is alot quicker.

[Febs]

This is all you need to do to create a theme:

wps: /.rockbox/wps/iAmp300.wps
font: /.rockbox/fonts/nimbus-12.fnt
statusbar: on
rwps: /.rockbox/wps/iAmp.rwps

There is no coding involved at all.

By the way, if you're trying to decide what looks decent without spending more than 20 seconds of your valuable time, why not look at the screen shots?

[kin242]

Because some of the time the people dont list what font or rwps they are using. There are quite a few fonts available and the screenshots are not always very clear...

what do you save the theme as, a cfg?


Thanks for your help by the way. I know you got annoyed but you have to admit it wouldnt be a bad working protocol to list a wps with the optimum settings for using it. I definitely would if I wrote one. Saves people commenting 'look pants' because they are using the wrong setup....

[Febs]

Yes, it's saved as a .cfg in the themes folder.

I just posted a completed version of the iAmp300 theme in the Completed .wps forum. Check it out. The .zip file includes everything that you need to test it, including a theme file.

[Mike]

As posted 2 days ago; perhaps it is of help, in case you find a WPS you want and want to "do a theme," so you don't need to set matters manually when you want to use it (it's really not "programming," but just telling the player what files to "turn on"). http://misticriver.net/showthread.php?t=34803

Easy Theme help (and you'll see why there really isn't a separate how-to for Themes, as far as I am aware (but maybe the Wiki Manual at Rockbox has something)):

1. Simply open up a current Theme file (a .cfg file) in a text editor like Wordpad or Notepad and replace the text with your own information, and then save the file as a text file under a different name but ending in .cfg. And then simply play that file on your player, for the new settings to take.

or

2. (At least on the H100 series: ) Go to Manage settings/Write .cfg file, and that will create a .cfg file with all your current player settings.

Note that "strictly speaking" (I think), the term "Themes" has been used to refer to the .cfg files setting the parameters for WPSs--as such, they are very limited, to selecting the WPS, the RWPS, the font and the status bar. But there's no reason why you can't simply have a "Theme Plus," setting everything you might like.

Here's a typical theme's text (note that the order is irrelevant).

At least earlier, in the H-100 world, people typically posted their WPSs with a listed preferred font (if there was one) and noting whether the status bar should be set on or off (which was obvious anyway). It would be great if people could remember to do so (or include a cfg file, if they want to go that extra step). And the WPSs included with Rockbox include themes, to make matters easier.