How Do I run VGA skin on iPAQ hx47XX?

[uk_skinner]

How Do I run VGA skin on iPAQ hx47XX?

Since TP was developed at pre-VGA time, it is necessary to make VGA-patch on TodayPlus.exe and TodayPlus.dll to run VGA skin.

Warning:

You should back up your PPC, include TodayPlus.exe and TodayPlus.dll.  And do this with your own risk.



There are two options.

1)  If you have Tweaks2k2.Net  program (commercial available), then follow the developer instruction to do "VGA Brute Force" for both.

2) You can DIY by follow the instruction at this link. Everything you need are available for free.

After you done one of these, download the latest Hammerskin VGA skin and test it.

Enjoy.

[Ripper]

Use oz_vga... it is free... and a simple install. You just need to download a few files to your Windows directory... and on folder of files to your device. Create a shortcut... choose your settings and a soft reset later your done.

After that all you need is to make sure you are using a vga skin... and the art work to match.

Should be a walk in the park for any TodayPlus user...

http://207.153.195.134/


Not sure what you mean by a VGA patch for TodayPlus... the application works fine... as long as the skin is created for VGA... and the artwork to suit.

[uk_skinner]

Sorry, I did not make it clearer.

In SE_VGA or oz_VGA, your task bar and menu will become very smaller, although I think you can adjust this in oz_VGA.  And all your software will be running in real vga mode.  A lot of users like this since they can see more when they browsering the internet or read the ebook.  But for me, the text are too small for my poor old eyes.  

As you can see from the screenshot, the task bar and menu are normal size compare to just "quarter-size" under real VGA (soory, I did not have a screen shot, ripper, perhpas you can provide one). And you can really take advantage of using VGA skin.

[Ripper]

Sorry UK Skinner... I am still not sure what you mean but I posted my today screen for those that are interested. Perhaps you can explain it again in simpler terms...

[uk_skinner]

Ripper:

Please see the two screehshots side-by-side.  Both images were taken at 480x640 but I reduced them to 240x320 to save some space.  As you can see the task bars in your device was reduced from 52 to 26 pixels and the font size in your start menu was also "quarter size" compared to mine.

[uk_skinner]

Most of softwares developed before VGA device were not meant to be used in VGA.  To let them run properly in VGA device, WM2003OS plays a tricky.  If WM2003OS detected the software is not "VGA-aware", then OS will do "double-pixels" for both width and height.  Then the software output can fill the whole VGA screen and this trick indeed works on most of software.  If OS detected the software support VGA device, then OS will bypass that subrountine.

TP was developed before VGA age and it was not ready to support VGA.  In the nex few posts I will try to post the screenshots under these conditions:

1) TP (no VGA aware) under WM2003SE using QVGA skin
2) TP (no VGA Aware) under WM2003SE using VGA skin
3) TP (no VGA aware) under Real VGA using QVGA skin
4) TP (no VGA aware) under Real VGA using VGA skin
5) TP (VGA aware) under WM2003SE using VGA skin

For saving my Quota, I will just post the partial screen where you can tell the difference.

[uk_skinner]

1) TP (no VGA aware) under WM2003SE using QVGA skin

This is what you would see if you just install TP in any VGA device running WM2003SE.  The OS plays trick becuase TP is not VGA-aware.  OS simply to "quardel" everything (at this point the text were considered a image in TP) in order to fill the VGA screen.

[uk_skinner]

2) TP (no VGA Aware) under WM2003SE using VGA skin

Ok, then how about if you run VGA skin?  Although in VGA skin, we have adjusted the size and coordinates for VGA, but OS detect no "VGA-aware" and automatically "qudrel" the image.  So if you have codes in VGA:

   changefont,tahoma,46,i
   time,8,0,-1,5,ls,"dddd",

it will ended up like:

       changefont,tahoma,92,i
   time,16,0,-1,10,ls,"dddd",

[uk_skinner]

3) TP (no VGA aware) under Real VGA using QVGA skin

Please first look at the task bar.  You can see "Start", "Windows" and "Time" logo were much smaller than the previous two posts.  At this moment, device was running under "real_VGA" mode.  In this mode, the trick of WM2003SE was totally deactivated.  In other words, OS no longer try to "qudral" pixel and all the software jus display as it is.  SO when you run TP with QVGA skin, it only wil ocuupy "1/4" of the screen.

So the diiference between 1) and 3) was WM2003OS "quadrl" trick was activated (in  1) or not (in 3).

[uk_skinner]

4) TP (no VGA aware) under Real VGA using VGA skin

This was similiar to Ripper's situation.  Under VGA skin, the image and text were fully taking advantage of 480x640 resolution and they are much sharper than what we seen in 1).

[uk_skinner]

5) TP (VGA aware) under WM2003SE using VGA skin

Although the 4) displayed VGA skin correctly, but everything else were 4 times smaller than in SE_VGA mode.  That includes both text and image in start menu, upper/bottom task bar.  For old man like me   (contrast to Geezer), I got poor eyes and shaking hands, really can not see clear and tap precisely where I want to.  So I prefer to run TP under SE_VGA mode.  

To do that, we have to let WM2003SE OS thinks TP is "VGA-aware".  That was the first post all about.  To add "hires.res" into TP.exe and TP.dll to let OS thinks TP can support VGE device.  This is basically same effects just you would run under real_VGA mode.  The only difference is here you can select which software you wish OS to leave it alone.  In real_VGA mode, every software is run as is.

When you compare to 4), the difference was not in TP was in the upper/bottom task bar.  You can see everything (Windows logo, "Start", and Time) in that area went back to what we usually woould see under WM2003SE.  And I can see better.  

One more note:  Wichtel developed the Hammerskin VGA under SE_VGA mode, not in real_VGA mode.  So  in fact you gain a 52 pixels space at the bottom of screen if you run his VGA skin under real_VGA mode.  That space could potential be used for another Today plug-in.

[clems]

UK Skinner,  don't know if you can help, but I had the most recent Hammerskin VGA working well on my Dell X50V using the workaround from brighthand post on using a reshack for hires.  Unfortunately, today I decided to update the ROM with Dell's recent release.  Now the reshack method doesn't work - I get the quarter of the screen only.  I am currently using the ozvga method, but now the start screen is so small, I almost need reading glasses over my bifocals to see the menu!  Any suggestions to try?

[uk_skinner]

UK Skinner,  don't know if you can help, but I had the most recent Hammerskin VGA working well on my Dell X50V using the workaround from brighthand post on using a reshack for hires.  Unfortunately, today I decided to update the ROM with Dell's recent release.  Now the reshack method doesn't work - I get the quarter of the screen only.  I am currently using the ozvga method, but now the start screen is so small, I almost need reading glasses over my bifocals to see the menu!  Any suggestions to try?

clems:

 Do you have tweaks2k2.net?  If you don't , you can download the trial to try it.  But you only can try 3 times.  Has anyone report this on aximsite.com?

Edit:

I just quick went through the discussion at aximsite.com regrading the ROM update.  Here are my suggestions:

1)  Check to see you unpack VGARes (this was mentioned)
2)  Remove TodayPlus and reinstall it and reapply HiRes on both exe and dll
3)  Try tweak2k2.net if 1) and 2) don't work.

[clems]

UK Skinner:

Never tried to apply hires hack on dll, just did that and it works like the old way again.  Thanks a bunch for that suggestion.  Now my aging eyes can easily view it again.

[uk_skinner]

UK Skinner:

Never tried to apply hires hack on dll, just did that and it works like the old way again.  Thanks a bunch for that suggestion.  Now my aging eyes can easily view it again.

clems:

  Great to hear....My eyes also are old...