[Windows Mobile Themes] naatul:
Combined Widgets from mskip and jgjackson (Widget Plus and Professional)

First of all a big thanks to two big bosses mskip and jgjackson for independently developing such a wonderful set of widgets.

I really love the widgets prepared by both of them. I been following this thread for quite a long hence I was mainly using the widgets prepared by mskip/issybel and team here, made my Omnia really ROCK.

Few days back when I was looking for a smaller version of application widget that can also display text, here is where I came to know about the widgets from jgjackson.

Widget sets created by both of them are really AWESOME. Here where the big thing comes in picture, I liked both things and wanted to have both things. I also understand the problem of having a common qa_layout file. However I managed somehow to have almost all of the widgets from both the worlds on my Omnia (at least those I am using all are working fine).

I am not as techie as all the big bosses here and normally my resolution are based on some trial and error and ALWAYS meant for me (this is first time ever I am trying to share out what I did ... my apologies if I found to be complicated in explaining the things).

(Note: I did it for my Omnia that means it is for WQVGA, I think it should work for other resolution, you may need to try. I am not sure)

(Note2: THOUSAND APOLOGIES FOR SUCH A BIG POST)

(Note3: For those who dont want to follow all these steps, I am attaching the qa_layouts.dat and the updated WidgetsPro.reg.txt that I used for my install in this post PLEASE USE THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK, BACKUP YOUR EXISTING QA_LAYOUTS.DAT AS WELL AS REGISTRY BEFORE USING ANYTHING)

(IMP NOTE: My apologies if anyone has posted this solution before, I checked it and could not find any so posting it)

MOST IMPORTANTLY PLEASE NOTE: ALL ... I MEAN ALL THE CREDIT GOES TO MSKIP AND JGJACKSON. THIS IS JUST MY EXPERIMENT AND WHICH WORKED FOR ME HENCE SHARING IT WITH YOU.

Here is what I did,

Step 1:

Install SPB MS 3.0.1 RC1 (This is one of the requirement for jgjackson's widget to work apart from 3.0.1 beta 3)

Step 2:

Install the "MS301 WidgetsProPlusExtras_spbmenu_agenda_contacts 052109.cab" widgets provided by mskip, or the one of your flavour. (Mine was the one from above cab)

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=507697&page=177 (post 1763)

Step 3:

Copy the qa_layout.dat and the registry edit files provided by jgjackson from spbclub

http://www.spbclub.com/forum/viewto...&start=0&sid=bfee1f9396c702902614e970de6a501f

The main part starts from here,

Step 4:

Rename the qa_layouts.dat provided by jgjackson to qa_layouts.zip and unzipped it to a folder with the password b0fm18zq

I am going to call this folder 4

Step 5:

Go to your SPB Mobile Shell folder and copy the qa_layouts.dat on your desktop (note that it is what has got installed with the widgets from mskip).

and unzipped the same too.

I am going to call this folder 5

Step 6:

I made the following edits to the registry file provided by jgjackson

a. Change all the references of widget list number from 5 to 6 (5 is already in use by mskip, so i used 6 for jgjackson) there are whole bunch of entries that you can find like ....\5\.... I changed them to ....\6\....

b. Removed following part

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Spb Software House 2\Spb Mobile Shell\NowScreen\Layouts\:TASKMANAGER]

"TaskManager"="Normal"

@="TaskManager"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Spb Software House 2\Spb Mobile Shell\NowScreen\Panels\12]

"Text"="Task Manager"

"Name"=":TASKMANAGER"

"ManageFavs"=dword:00000000

"Home"=dword:00000000

Since I already had taskmanager in my carousel

c. Modified following entry

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Spb Software House 2\Spb Mobile Shell\NowScreen\Panels\13]

"Text"="Business Home"

"Name"=":HOME3"

"ManageFavs"=dword:00000000

"Home"=dword:00000001

changed to

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Spb Software House 2\Spb Mobile Shell\NowScreen\Panels\14]

"Text"="Business Home"

"Name"=":HOME3"

"ManageFavs"=dword:00000000

"Home"=dword:00000001

since 13 was already in use for wireless (in my case)

Step 7:

Upload this new registry edit file to my registry.

DONT FORGET TO BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY JUST IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG

Step 8:

Is it getting complicated, I am sorry for that but this is how it is, cant help it. Now the more trickier part.

Remember we unzipped the files from jgjackson's version of qa_layouts in step 4 and one from mskip in step 5 (aka folder 4 and folder 5),

I took the jgjacksons folder i.e. folder 4 as main folder to work since I found the main file that jgjackson is using extensively is lockscreen.xml (It doesnt make any difference which folder you work as far as method I used was to synchronising both the folders. I did it by taking the jgkacksons folder as base).

Now here are the files those are not there in the jgjacksons qa_layouts which are required for mskip's widgets to work

a. FavContacts2.xml

b. MenuBar3.xml

c. MenuBarContacts2.xml

d. MenuBarH.xml

e. WidgetsPlus.xml

So I copied those files from folder 5 to folder 4 (remember I am taking the jgjacksons folder as base).

Step 9:

Some part of this step are optional and can either be neglected or done depends on your choice.

Following files are either modified by both of them or has some differences.

a. Contact.xml (the difference is negligible) I took the version from folder 4 to folder 5 (i thought mskip might have made some finer allignments pertaining to contact display here)

b. LockScreen.xml (I decided to retain the version by jgjackson since it has lot of changes which appeared to me essential for his widgets to work) so as far as our change is concerned we leave this file as it is in folder 4.

c. LockScreen2.xml (I decided to retain the one from jgjackson) so leave it. (For those who need to know the difference, its about using menubar3 and pagecount 5 in mskip's version) I am really not sure the impact of this specially the use of menubar3 here.

d. MenuBar.xml - this was the only one that called for a minor change. I wanted my left button to go to SPB Menu, but as per jgjackson it goes to launcher so I made the following change to this file

<String Name="Open" Value=":LAUNCHER"/>

changed to

<String Name="Open" Value=":SPBMENU"/>

e. MenuBarContacts.xml (I decided to take the mskip's version for this since it is required for the second favourite contact screen to work, if you dont want second favourite contact then leave it as it is) So for my work I copied this file from folder 5 to folder 4.

f. TaskManager.xml - (I decided to retain the one from jgjackson) so leave it. (For those who need to know the difference, menubarh in mskip's version) I am really not sure the impact of this.

g. Time.xml (Difference is negligible) I left the jgjacksons file as it is in folder 4. (For those who need to know about the change, there is some boundrect for clockarea height changed. I really dont know what that greek means)

h. Weather.xml - onace again the difference is usage of menubarh by mskip. I left the file by jgjackson as it is in folder 4. Please dont ask me the impact of this, I really dont know.

i. Widgets.xml - This came as a BIGGEST SURPRISE to me. I thought this would be the most complicated file to work since both (mskip and jgjackson) are primarily adding new widgets, GUESS WHAT .... apart from being the Spb.LSP.Link default font block = Y/N, there is no difference in this file. BINGO. What I Mean is you can take any file, either from folder 4 or folder 5, I decided to retain the one from jgjackson (reason, I thought he might be using unbold font for small application widget to display with font - remember this was my original quest for which I did all this excercise)

Let me take some breath here .... This surely is the longest post I have ever written. I am really sorry for the lenght of the post.

If you have reached so far then the simplest usual step that remain is,

Step 10:

Zip the folder 4 and decrypt it with password b0fm18zq and rename it to dat.

DONE ....

Now the MOST DIFFICULT PART ... Copy this file to your SPB Mobile Shell folder (DONT ... DONT ... DONT FORGET TO BACKUP YOUR EXISTING QA_LAYOUTS.DAT Just incase something goes wrong) :) :)

Restart the Shell and Bingo ... If all goes well here is what you can get ... BEST FROM BOTH THE WORLDS.

Note: I found my middle agenda button got replaced with shortcut to Today. I liked it so I kept it as it is. For those who need their flavors, Mostly I believe it is the change in the menubar.xml. I am not sure. Sorry for this guys)

BIG THANKS TO MSKIP and JGJACKSON who are the real credit owner of this work and also other who have contributed with the required necessary bits of pieces.

For those who want the qa_layouts.dat that I made after all this, I have attached the same in the post alongwith the registry changes that you will be requiring to do (this is a cut down version of the registry changes required by jgjackson ... however please check the existing panel number etc that you already have in your registry before using it and MOST OF ALL ALWAYS TAKE BACKUP FIRST, becuase I really dont want to take any responsibility for any mishaps :) )

NOTE: I am definatley not the CAB guy since I dont know how to create one so please dont ask me. This is the best I could provide. Hope this help you guys.