Create Pocket PC Themes

Copyright 2002 Todd Ogasawara

Note: This article was originally written for publication on Microsoft's PocketPC.com website. It is reproduced here with permission from Microsoft.

Build your own Pocket PC Themes!

The Microsoft Theme Generator lets you personalize the Pocket PC 2002 Today screen by letting you select your own Today screen image, Start menu image, and Today screen font colors. The easy to use wizard interface steps you through the process in five easy to follow set of screen instructions. You can see the settings changes in a preview image at each step.

What You Need

Pocket PC 2002

Microsoft Theme Generator

Desktop or notebook PC running Windows 2000 or Windows XP

Gotchas

• The Microsoft Theme Generator is an unsupported Power Toy provided by Microsoft on an use-at-your-own-risk basis.
• The Microsoft Theme Generator does not operate on personal computers using Microsoft 98, Me, or NT.
• Theme contrast and brightness on a desktop display may look dramatically different from what is seen on a Pocket PC.

Languages Supported

English

Step 1: Getting started

Download the free Microsoft Theme Generator (an unsupported PowerToy). Then, install it on a desktop or notebook PC running Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Run the Theme Generator application to see the first of five wizard windows that leads you through the process of creating a Pocket PC Theme. The first window give you the following options:

1. Create a new theme
2. Open an existing theme
3. Find themes on PocketPC.com

Choose the option to Create a new theme.

Step 2: Select a Today Screen Image

The second window gives you three settings to work with.

1. Browse (to select a Today screen image): You can select any BMP, GIF, or JPG (JPEG) image on your desktop PCs hard drive. This image will be used as the image for the large Today screen area.
2. Transparency percentage: You can think of this setting as a way of making an image lighter and reducing its contrast. You will find that the way an image looks on a PC’s display may look very different from the way it looks on a Pocket PC. You may want to start with 0 (zero) transparency and then experiment to see what the image looks like on the Pocket PC with different values.
3. Image fit: Crop or Stretch: The Pocket PC screen is 240 pixels wide by 320 pixels tall. And, the Today image itself is limited to 240 x 268. This is quite a bit smaller than the size of most drawings and digital photographs you may be using to create a Theme. This setting lets you either use a part of the upper left portion of the image (crop) or change the dimensions of the image to fit the screen (stretch). These settings may be of limited use depending on the kind of image you are using. For example, if you have a person of a photo, cropping may result in an image that completely removes the person from the image. Stretching might change the way the person looks. It may look like the result of a fun-house mirror. One way to deal with this is to crop your image file with a graphic editor before using the Theme Generator. You should create an image with a width/height ratio proportional to the Today screen’s 240x268 dimensions. I wrote a free Pocket PC utility called ThemeCalc to help me perform this task. You can also use an ordinary calculator or Excel spreadsheet to do the same thing.

Step 3: Select a Start Menu Image

The third window lets you work with these three settings:

1. Use the Today image from the previous screen: This setting lets you automatically use the image chosen in Step 2. However, you generally should not use this setting since it disables the ability to change the image’s transparency.
2. Use a different image: In general, you should use this setting even if you use the same image used in the Today screen. You can reselect the image using the file browsing option.
3. Transparency: This setting is important because unlike the Today screen, you cannot change the font color of the Start Menu. Start Menu text items are always black. You will want to experiment with this setting to find a transparency level that allows you to read the Start Menu items easily.

Step 4: Select the Theme’s Colors

You can set the colors for six screen components in this step.

1. Today Text
2. Navigation Bar
3. Command Bar
4. Navigation Tray
5. Message
6. Important Message

Figure 1: Theme Generator Window 4.

I will only discuss the Today Text settings here. You can experiment with the other settings. You can modify three aspects of each screen component (Color 1, Color 2, Text). However, only two settings are available for the Today screen. Color 1 sets the separator bar color. Text sets the text color. Selecting the separator bar color depends on how visible you want the bar to be. Setting the text color is critical since a poor choice may render the text invisible. In general, select a dark color (black) for a bright Today image and a light color (white) for a dark Today image. You can tap on the icons in the command bar to see the result of changing the various screen components.

Figure 2: Theme Generator color selector.

Step 5: Name and Save the Theme File

The final Theme Generator screen requires the following actions:

1. Type in filename (.TSK will be added for you) to name your Theme.
2. Check Send theme to device when finished if you want to have the TSK file automatically copied to your Pocket PC. However, leaving it unchecked for manual copying gives you more control. Checking this option places it in System RAM \My Documents. You can store on a storage card if you copy it manually. This option automatically also changes the Pocket PC's default Today screen to the newly generated TSK file.
3. Click Finish to complete the Theme generation process.

Figure 3: Finish by naming the new Theme.

Where to Find More Information About Themes

You can find more information about Pocket PC Themes at the MobileViews Pocket PC 2002 Themes Page . You will find free Theme files, a list of other Theme related sites, and an unofficial Pocket PC Themes FAQ.