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Fredvs79
USA
74 Posts |
 Posted - 30 nov. 2007 : 21:06:46
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Hey peeps...
So the worst things about the 2100 according to CNET reviewers were that the fonts were too small, the system lags, and the routes were funny. They concluded that for the price you could get a better system.
Well first of all, those of us that jumped on a BF sale have gotten one at a much improved price. Second of all, with access to routing code in the applicationsettings.xml file, we can tweak the routing, and people like Justin have really helped the functionality of the unit. It was also said that if you turn off the menu animations, the system runs faster, with less lag. In fact, when entering the information to register for POI-Warner on the low-graphic micro-keyboard, there was no lag at all. I think the lag has to do with all the graphics that the system has to pull out of the MN6resourcebinary.res file.
Speaking of the resource binary file...
The Germans over on pocketnavigation.de have figured out how to extract the images from the resource binary file using a utility called MN6ResourceView. I'd like to be able to have GPSpassion host this file for us, since it is pretty useful. You can edit all the image files MN6 uses, so you can i) get rid of all the grey shades, ii) make the option buttons transparent on the map screen, iii) change the animations, iv) edit the fonts shown for speed/distance/time of arrival/elevation, etc.. With all these options to edit, small fonts should be a problem of the past.
I wonder what the reviewers would think of our $100 fully modified GPS units then?
...OH, so the point of this thread is that I'm starting to work on some new skins for the 2100. I'd like to share it with you guys, but I don't have anywhere to host it.
------ EDIT ------
Here are the links to what you will need to make your own:
1) ResourceView - used to extract/build .res files
http://gpspassion.com/upload/MN6ResourceView.0.2.2.zip
2) PNGoutWin - this is used to optimize your PNG files so MN|6 runs faster. You need to optimize before you put them back into a .res file. The trial version of this software only does a 20-file batch job at a time... with over 600 image files, I encourage you to purchase their software, not skip this step.
http://www.ardfry.com/pngoutwin/
If there is enough interest in this, and lots of us start making skins, I think a good idea would be to follow the lead of pocketnavigation.de and have this thread for questions/answers, etc., and we can start another thread for "Final Version of Skins", which just contains a simple post with some pictures and a link to the file. |
Navigon 2100 w/ Traffic & Zagat activated, full N America maps, working on cracking the POI files. |
Edited by - Fredvs79 on 01 déc. 2007 14:54:24
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osidak
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - 30 nov. 2007 : 21:46:47
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| great would love to see what you come up with |
Garmin GPS V - Lost in the clutter / Mio c310x - Claimed by wife / Navigon 7100 - Sold / TT Go 720 |
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NeitherFanboy
USA
208 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 01:17:25
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| Would love to get my hands on the MN6ResourceView file, I was thining of trying to open the resource file with MS Visual Studio to see what I could do with it. Would love to create a new "skin" for the 2100 ... they shades of gray are rather bland. |
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Fredvs79
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 02:25:03
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Ok folks, here's some stuff for you to play with.
I made some alterations to the default skin. This isn't anything new, they're doing it to the Navigons across the pond, and you can pick up any number of new skins on the German's sight. But here's my take on one. It's mostly a revamp of the colors in the current skin with a replacement of the grey tones to some blue ones. I also made some of the info panels and buttons on the map screen semi-transparent so you can see more of the map.
I optimized the .png image files with PNGOUTWIN before putting them back into the resource file. The compression saves space and should speed things up a tad (I hope), if not at least keep it on par with the factory theme.
To use the new theme, you will need to replace your /MN6/MN6ResourceBinary.res file on your SD card. Be sure to back up your original first, yadda yadda...
The file is located here:
http://gpspassion.com/upload/2100_res_bin-big_icon_Blue_Transparent.zip
This is a first work for me, so if you want to request a change, let me know. If you want to make your own or modify mine, that's cool too. Let's see what you come up with.
------- EDIT -------
I just noticed there are some errors (2-D map mode is missing the 'take me to the destination' icon, and the pan/zoom box look like they are selected at the same time.) Also, the three shortcut POI grey icons on the main screen's 'New Destination' screen are a little washed out. I'll have to fix these things and re-up the file.
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Navigon 2100 w/ Traffic & Zagat activated, full N America maps, working on cracking the POI files. |
Edited by - Fredvs79 on 01 déc. 2007 14:55:38 |
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Hawk600
11 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 04:45:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Fredvs79
Ok folks, here's some stuff for you to play with....
Thank you Fredvs79,
That is a nice mod and the GPS looks more responsive!
Keep doing the good job!
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Edited by - Hawk600 on 01 déc. 2007 04:49:02 |
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wolf1306
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 05:48:18
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| great job man , keep it up and with more pics too if u can |
navigon 2100 - navigon 7200t - magellan 4040 |
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balistc
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 08:14:01
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| Sweet! Nice job Fred! Now if I can only figure out how you did it. :-) |
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NeitherFanboy
USA
208 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 09:07:20
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Downloaded that file and started working on my own edits. Like Fred, I chose blue (is that a guy thing?) Below is a picture of my blue "main menu."
When the Navigon starts up, I made its symbol icon blue. But then I noticed that on my blue backgrounds it would be hard to see, so for the smaller icon that you get when you have to wait I made it red. If you look close in the next photo you can see it, it was in the middle of a spin.
Here's my destination entry screen. I tried not to change everything to blue, there would be no contrast and everything would blend in. But I do like the way the blue shows up between the keys of the alphabet.
Here's is my map screen. Not much changed there except the blue buttons at the bottom.
I had a hard time seeing the battery icon so I made it larger and colored it. I also colored the GPS icon so its red when not connected but green when it is ... I think Fred did that too.
Thanks tons, Fred, for tipping us all off to that file. I encourage other people to try this, its not that hard to do. |
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Fredvs79
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 13:45:41
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My camera is out for repair, and at the moment I only have a camera on my phone, which doesn't take the best photos.
Thanks to NeitherFanBoy for his photos showing what can be done. Also, you can find some info on the pocketnavigation.de sight, which is where I got turned onto this.
Just go here and scroll down, you don't need to read German to see pictures. And links are provided for all files there which should work with the Navigon PNAs. (Most of their pictures were screen captures from PDA's, hence the high resolution, and the vertical orientation)
http://forum.pocketnavigation.de/tid1063004-sid.htm
Also, I encourage anyone who does this to use PNGOUTWIN first on the png files they create BEFORE putting them back into the resource file. It DOES make a difference.
http://www.ardfry.com/pngoutwin/
Another thing that makes a difference is removing some of the unneccessary files that will never get used by the 2100/5100, like all those European maps, and the config info for the different resolutions, and the duplicate sound files. I was able to shrink the resource file down from 2.13MB to 1.52MB. |
Navigon 2100 w/ Traffic & Zagat activated, full N America maps, working on cracking the POI files. |
Edited by - Fredvs79 on 01 déc. 2007 13:54:53 |
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
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wolf1306
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 16:33:27
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| great man again, hope alot of us would create some great skins so we can use them |
navigon 2100 - navigon 7200t - magellan 4040 |
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Fredvs79
USA
74 Posts |
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wolf1306
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 22:18:28
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| when i put the skin that i requested in the mn6 folder and i restart navigon , it gets stuck at the welcome screen , any ideas |
navigon 2100 - navigon 7200t - magellan 4040 |
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NeitherFanboy
USA
208 Posts |
Posted - 01 déc. 2007 : 22:23:31
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| Fredvs79 is right about optimizing the png's. I used PNGOut as he recommends, and the png's I edited were compressed by 34% -- saving space on the SD card is definitely a good thing. Thanks to Fred for all the tips and tricks! |
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MPBsr25
175 Posts |
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goodbadmas
USA
18 Posts |
Posted - 02 déc. 2007 : 00:51:49
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quote:
Originally posted by wolf1306
when i put the skin that i requested in the mn6 folder and i restart navigon , it gets stuck at the welcome screen , any ideas
same thing happened to me ! it got stuck on the welcome screen .. how come ??? |
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[TOPIC] Navigon 2100 Skin Exchange
