How To's, Tutorials and Tweaks

Originally Posted by chas521
Start iGo8 with map

This works just fine - I use it: data.zip\ui_igo8\common\ui (see attachment), delete the old start.ui file after opening zip; copy and paste the new start.ui.

Only works with the default Igo skin and no others though. ==> reported to work with Kikker skin

OK first the basic facts before we get started:

1. I won't lie -- This is going to cost you 49.99 (for lifetime TMC in North America). Totally worth it though -- every penny.

2. This is confirmed working in the latest March 10th build of 8.3.2. I don't know if others work, but the sys.txt entries work in 8.3.1.x, I know this for sure.


Step 1: Configure iGO8 to see your TMC device. This depends on if you have a built-in one or an external one. Either way, get it to where it's functionally seen within iGO8. I recommend DimKa's skin as a nicer front-end to TMC capabilities. The forum (and home.disney.go.com) both contain enough information to at least get your device functioning with your PDA/PNA, so I won't sit and try to explain how to get the thing recognized within your software -- that's up to you, and frankly, it's not that tough if you can read [img]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/MICHEL/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.gif[/img]

Step 2: Enable your TMC 'subscribe' button in your TMC screen. To do this, add the following to your [tmc] section in sys.txt (some are obviously optional; this is just how I have mine set now). Here's my ENTIRE [tmc] section:

[tmc]
tmc=1
source="gns"
ignore_all_events=0
enable_igo_provider=1 ;(0)
auto_tuning=1 ;(0)
enable_flow_events=1 ;(0) haven't seen any flowing
flow_stripe_width=6 ;(6)
flow_stripe_offset=0 ;(0)
flow_stripe_blinking_time=1000 ;(0) in msecs?
cache_root="content"
cache_name="tmc/tmccache" ;(?)
new_event_recalc_timeout=5 ;(1)
changed_event_recalc_timeout=5 ;(1)
enable_subscription=1 ;(0) subscibe button in tmc config
;auto_calc_detour_event=0 ;(0) detour like road block?
;calc_detour_route=0 ;(0)
;enable_flow_icons=0 ;(0) need $traffic_speed.spr
;events_custom_color=1 ;(0) see day2dcolor.ini/day3dcolor.ini tmc_event_color0 ...
;auto_detour_calc=0


* Note: I had to create a \content\tmc\ directory due to a reference from one of the sys.txt entries, just to be safe. I'm not sure if it actually does anything.

Step 3: Submit your UUID code from your subscribe screen and receive an activation key. To do this, you'll need to go here:

[Please Register or Login to download file]

Fill out the information, pay your 50 bucks, and get your key. Input your key into your iGO8 subscribe button menu. You MAY want to unload your skin first; I had an issue (not sure if it was related or not) before/during entering my key, and my save directory needed wiped and redone from scratch. Either way, once the key is entered, it stays. You may need to do a hard reset as well.

For a list of available areas for ClearChannel TMC, see this link:

[Please Register or Login to download file]

ClearChannel pretty much owned 90% of radio in general, so chances are you're covered.

That's about it... to be honest with you, we have a link from *2007* to thank:

[Please Register or Login to download file]

Just a bunch of guys looking for solutions for their HP 310's... I can't believe we never found this before, but oh well.


///


Now the technical crap for us who want to try to crack this:

1. The UUID of your device changes on hard reset. This is to keep unregistered (improperly or non-key'ed) devices from functioning. Once you register with a subscription key, you're set.

2. A file is written in your 'save' directory named 'cctmc.dat'. Upon firing it open with VIM (just a text editor), I see my actual key that I had purchased (20 characters) separated by CTRL characters. This is how the key is kept known to iGO8. I'm not sure if there's any possible way to crack down on the algorythm between the UUID code (20 chars) and the key (20 chars also), but it's worth a try for someone that's a major 'cracker' in the USA to pay for it and go to town hacking. Personally, I don't mind the 50 bucks.

3. Some things that are saved in your save\system.ini file pertaining to TMC once it works:


[tmc]
saved_config_available="1"
saved_config_classname="GNS_GPSTMC_SOURCE"
saved_config_portname="COM"
saved_config_port="1"
saved_last_frequency="945"
auto_tuning="1"
saved_last_tuning_mode="1"


* Final note -- you MAY need the 'ClearChannel trial TMC' license in your \license folder - it came with the original OCN8. I'm almost sure you don't, but I put it there for fun anyway. It does NOT show up at all in your licenses list in iGO8, so I doubt I even need it. But if you have problems, try it... I'm really the only person to have 100% tested this other than some random guys on some HP forum.

Anyway, pretty cool stuff. I'm glad it works. Again, I'd recommend DimKa's skin just for the audible/visual alerts and additional TMC options within it.


PS -- Don't hold me liable if you can't get it to work -- it works for me on my c720t. This doesn't mean it'll work for you.

I would like to see something on how to create POI categories in the branding.zip file to use.. step by step... or taking existing ones and doing the same thing...
It took me days to find a branding file that had a reasonable number of poi icons and still it was not complete (I am using 8.3.2). I would like to second this request. It can't be rocket science to just add poi icons to the branding file. I have tried many methods to get more usable icons, but nothing I tried worked. I find complex instructions for adding poi's but not for simply adding icons that will appear on the navigation screen while driving.

Anyone with a real world guide on how to do this would be a real help. I would just like to see the KFC logo show up on the screen for KFC (ok, it was just an example).

Here is a simple guide. Open the ui_igo8 folder and you'll see some POI files and domw .bmp images. If you download mine, then you just open the .bmp images with any photo editing software. Then just copy and paste the images you want over some that are on the strips with mine. I started mine off of IconX's. Now, I added all the fast foos places and gas stations I could find already. Even after you add them you will still have to manually change the icons in the Igo8 menu (manage, then POI) to get them to show up. This is because Igo8 isn't exactly looking to match them up for you. Now, if you really are good, then you can just make individual .bmp images and if you can correctly name the .bmp image so it matches the one used for the POI in Igo8 then maybe Igo8 will automatically assing that image to that POI. Now, you need to remember a couple things, the POI's names are not always as simple as just spelling the names. Some use apostrophies and underscroes. It becomes rocket science trying to figure them all out. I started to try and do it and it is super time consuming. I found using the strip and then manually assigning the icons to the places or POI was much faster. I hope you or someone else follows up and puts together a nice set that work automatically. Just know it will eat up a lot of time in doing so. Oh... and make sure whatever you have in the folder is copied into the night folder, otherwise the POI icons will only work in the day.

Code:

If(FileExists("\sdmmc\iGo\save\igo.txt"))
Move("\sdmmc\iGo\save\*.*", "\sdmmc\iGo\save_igo", TRUE, TRUE)
Sleep 1000
Move("\sdmmc\iGo\save_amigo\*.*", "\sdmmc\iGo\save", TRUE, TRUE)
Sleep 1000
EndIf

Code:

  If(FileExists("\sdmmc\iGo\save\amigo.txt"))
Move("\sdmmc\iGo\save\*.*", "\sdmmc\iGo\save_amigo", TRUE, TRUE)
Sleep 1000
Move("\sdmmc\iGo\save_igo\*.*", "\sdmmc\iGo\save", TRUE, TRUE)
Sleep 1000
EndIf

igo8 is very picky about how you structure things. You don't HAVE to have all of these, and I think it is obvious what goes in what but I will explain it beneath each folder.Here is my folder structure:


StorageCard\igo8\content\building\
Your 3D building files go in this folder files ending in .3dc (3D building) and .3dl (3d Landmark)

StorageCard\igo8\content\dem\
Your terrain files go in here (.dem)

StorageCard\igo8\content\lang\
Language files go in here, these are for the text in the menus, not the voices. All files end in .zip and usually begin with Lang_filename.

StorageCard\igo8\content\map\
Your map files go in here, files have the .fbl extension, make sure you have iGo 2008 files not miomap 3.3 which have the poi's integrated in the files and won't work.

StorageCard\igo8\content\phoneme\
Phoneme files go here, they are used by TTS to improve pronunciation, files end in a .ph extension.

StorageCard\igo8\content\poi\
POI files go in here, these are what allow you to find Points of interest, without these you can't look for anything except addresses. Files contain the .poi extension.

StorageCard\igo8\content\scheme\
These files are what determine the colors of the roads and terrain in the map. Files are all .zip files.

StorageCard\igo8\content\skin
Skins to determine the look of the program. All files in this folder are .zip files.

StorageCard\igo8\content\speedcam\
Speedcam files go in here. I have one file in here SpeedcamUpdates.spud, others can chime in on what other types of files besides .spud files work.

StorageCard\igo8\content\texture\
This folder contains the arrows and stuff that appear on the map, like the moving right arrow for right turns. All files are .tex.

StorageCard\igo8\content\userdata
Where iGo stores all sorts of user data like saved routes etc.

StorageCard\igo8\content\voice\
Voice files go in here, both TTS and non-TTS. All files are zips, though TTS requires extra dll's to make it work.

D.I.I. wrote:

Hello there.


I have Navteq Q3 and TeleAtlas 2008.7 on my device.
I was looking for a way to have both.

I cant use both at the same time of course but i wanted to have a easy way to switch from one map to the other.

I installed [Please Register or Login to download file] and made myself two really simple scripts.

Name your map like this: CountryNAVTEQ.fbl and CountryTeleAtlas.dis for example. Put them in the map-folder.

(1) Install [Please Register or Login to download file] .

(2) Create these two scripts and put them on your memory card:

NAVTEQ.mscr:Code:If ( FileExists( "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryNAVTEQ.fbl" ) )Run( "\Storage Card\igo8\igo8.exe" )elseRename( "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryTeleAtlas.fbl", "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryTeleAtlas.dis" , false )Rename( "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryNAVTEQ.dis", "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryNAVTEQ.fbl" , false )Run( "\Storage Card\igo8\igo8.exe" )ExitEndIfTeleAtlas.mscr:Code:If ( FileExists( "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryTeleAtlas.fbl" ) )Run( "\Storage Card\igo8\igo8.exe" )elseRename( "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryNAVTEQ.fbl", "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryNAVTEQ.dis" , false )Rename( "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryTeleAtlas.dis", "\Storage Card\igo8\content\map\CountryTeleAtlas.fbl" , false )Run( "\Storage Card\igo8\igo8.exe" )ExitEndIfThis renames the map not needed to .dis (disabled). The one that we need renames to .fbl.

You need CountryNAVTEQ.fbl and CountryTeleAtlas.dis in the map-folder.
Just rename the files in the scripts to match your setup.

Don't forget to change the name of the map-files in the scripts.

(3) Now, just create shortcuts to your two mortscript files and dblclick one of them to start igo8 with the map of you choice (i have the shortcuts on my desktop).

I know that for most these is basic knowledge, bot for some may not be (I still see questions).

TIPS:

Most files you will download are compressed. Use WinRar to decompress them. So if you don't have it yet get it. If you have big files to upload use theWinRar to compress them (use the auto 100 MB file limit feature, as most free hosts limit the file size to 100MB).

If you download a few files with extension "rar" and with the same name but with a different number at the end ( like filename1.rar,filename2.rar...filename15.rar) just select (double click) on the first one, and WinRar will do the rest.You don't need to click on each file separately (You have a multiple file compression).
Some time you can have the first file with extension "rar" and the next ones with R1,R2 .... R20. It's the same thing, just select the one with extension "rar" (the files must be in the same folder).

IGO keeps a lot of files compressed.They are decompressed at runtime by the software itself. So if you see inside IGO folders or sub folder files with extension "zip" let them as they are. DO NOT UNZIP them !.

Most uploads are on free hosts (like Rapidshare). However many hosts will delete the files if notified.So more mirrors more chances that some will survive. There are hosts like Uploadjokey which will serve you first a lot of advertising before you can get to the link. This is the price to pay for getting free goodies. Most of the time the links are there and you will get to them but you will need to click multiple times on the link to get to them . If you don't get to the download link first time, click again, and again, and wait for different counters).

Right now, for free accounts Mediafire looks the best site. Uploadjokey is good for multiple mirroring (but you need to navigate through a bunch of advertising). Use Rapidshare only if you have a paid account to upload (and be prepared to re-upload quite often as the links do not stay alive long).

The bitmaps used in IGO software are RLE compressed. To view/modify them you need to decompress them first, use your image editor to modify them and compress them back after.There are a few tools developed, including some command line ones.


The best one is probably this one:


[Please Register or Login to download file]

I am starting this thread in an endeavour to assist others with devices that do not have a direct Navigation Menu where the path to the installed Navi program can be set.

This is an example of where and how the Navi path is able to be set...using a chinese device for simplicity..


As soon as you power up this model you see a screen with various media options including: Music, GPS, Video, Photo, Settings, and Flash.



Select setting then tap the setting image as shown above to get into the setting menu.



Once you are in the settings menu you will need to find the navigational path option, this could be on the first page of options but if it isn’t press the arrow button to see if it is in the second menu.



Now you are in the file selection menu and your job is to find an .exe file to initiate the GPS software. To do this in this model you hit the arrow button beside a file entry point. This is a little like the search button on Google.



Hopefully a folder will appear on the screen, much like it does in your computer. Double click on it to see the contents and look for the file marked exe.




Ah, there it is.



Once you’ve found it doubleclick on it and you will be taken back to the screen one step back.



The main difference between this screen and the last time you saw it should be that now there is a file listed on the screen. All you need to do is save that file:



And exit to the settings menu.




And that’s it you just need to exit back to the main menu and select the GPS option and you will never be without a map again.


Whilst all that is very simple, the reason for this post is for devices that do not have that option

As an example the following:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Binatone 350m series devices require the Navigation installation folder to be named mobilenavigator and the Navi executable to be named mobilenavigator.exe There is no other option to point to the navi executable file. If renamed as above the unit then works from the original buttons.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magellin 4200

you should edit the .XML files in the APP folder
just open with [Please Register or Login to download file] ...

Startup.xml - this file determine which program will run first, every program have an ID
so you just need to edit the AppID to be fit to the program you want to run at startup

Unit.xml - in the file you have the list of all programs
so you just need to add your own line

for example:

add these lines
<Application ID="176">
<FileName>IGO8.exe</FileName>
<Path>\SDMMC CARD\iGO8\iGO8.exe</Path>
<Bitmap>32x32x16.bmp</Bitmap>
<Version>
<Major>0</Major>
<Minor>1</Minor>
<Internal>0</Internal>
<Build>0</Build>
</Version>
</Application>

and in startup.xml just edit the ID number to 176

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


So good people start adding your knowledge and experience of how to get particular devices to run Igo in an attempt to help others.

Excellent Yoff. I like it.

If I may add something about the GoClever navigators and iGO navi running on them. All of them have pre installed Mireo viaGPS 3.0 Black Edition from the factory, but there is possible to run the iGo8 or any other navi from the SD card on them.
To do that open the Notepad and write as follow:

[Navi0]
start=\sdmmc\mobilenavigator\mobilenavigator.exe
handle=iGO
stop=
nowait=1

Save this as the gpsshell.ini file. This file should be placed into the root of the card.
Now rename the iGO8 folder to Mobilenavigator and do the same with the iGO8.exe. Rename it to Mobilenavigator as well. Open the sys. file inside the iGO8 folder (now Mobilenavigator) and change the second line to "app="%SDCARD%/Mobilenavigator".

That's what is needed to be able to run iGO8 from the SD card on the GoClever units. Without the card inside the unit will still launch Mireo navi application.

This will be a quick and dirty guide on how to edit your skin for Amigo. Most of the guide applies to Igo8 skins as well.

Part 1:
This section will do an overview of the Amigo skin and the basics to edit it.

A. What You Will Edit:

Your data.gro is your main skin file. If you apply additional skins on top of this skin, they will have the "gro" extension and will be found in the following folder: amigo\content\skin\

Once we extract the files from the gro, we will be editing files with the extension "ui". These files contain the layout for all the buttons and text inside of Amigo.

B. Tools That You Need:

Gro to zip converter - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Winrar - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Notepad

Optional Tools:
Bitmap tool - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Igo8 Editor - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Skin Wizard - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Any HEX editor
File contents search tool - [Please Register or Login to download file]

C. Overview:

Your gro file actually is a little bit more than just a skin. It contains all of the scripts that perform all the functions inside of the skin. The Amigo exe merely provides the platform for the gro file. This makes the gro file very powerful, but it also means that a single mistake inside of your gro will cause your Amigo to stop working. The Amigo exe takes care of generating the maps while the gro file tells the exe what to display, when and how to display it. Using a properly formatted gro file, you could recreate almost any navigation program.

Your gro can have multiple folders in its root:
audio - contains all of the wav files
config - contains a lot of minor settings
fonts - contains the secret to life
gfx - contains graphics files dealing with the navigation map
project_config - contains igo_easy.ini which serves the same function as sys.txt
ui_igo_easy - contains the skin and script files

For the most part, we will be editing the contents inside of the "ui_igo_easy" folder. Inside the ui_igo_easy is:
xxx_xxx - contains the skin and graphic files for a certain resolution. The x's represent the resolution. Ex: 480_272 would be the files for 480x272
common - contains the script files and graphic files.
defaults - contains the default routes and favorites
icons - contains the icons that show up on your map for poi's

D. How to Edit Your Skin:

Step 1 -
Convert your gro file to a zip file using the gro converter. The gro converter will automatically create a zip file with the exact same name as your gro in the same folder as your gro. If you already have a zip file by the same name in that folder, it will overwrite it without prompting you.

Make a back up copy of your gro file in case your new gro file does not work.

Step 2 -
Unzip the contents of the file. Keep the original zip file.

Step 3 -
If you want to do a simple edit to the skin, go into the "ui_igo_easy\xxx_xxx\ui" folder.
This folder contains all of the "ui" files that describe the interface. The file names usually describe exactly what the file is for. Ex. history_xxx_xxx.ui
Open the ui file you would like with notepad. Edit what you would like. One rule that you must follow is, DO NOT USE THE ENTER KEY TO MAKE A NEW LINE. That will cause your gro to fail. If you want a new line, copy and paste an already existing line and edit it to your liking. If you place an enter anywhere inside the ui, your Amigo will fail to load and it will be next to impossible to figure out what is wrong.

In Part 2 of this guide, I will go into detail on how to find the correct ui file to edit.

Step 4 -
When you are done editing the files that you want, open the original zip file with winrar. Add only the files you have changed, overwriting the original files. If you tried to create your own zip using all the extracted files, the resulting gro would fail. So once again, add your modded files to the original zip file you created from the gro.

Step 5 -
Use gro converter to convert your modded zip file into a gro. This will overwrite gro file you have in that directory with the same name.

Step 6 -
Place the gro file back where you found it and start Amigo.

Step 7 -
Rinse and repeat. You will most likely not get the results you wanted the first time around. So get used to repeating the process starting with Step 3 until you get it right.

E. How to Edit Your ui Files:

Here is a more in depth guide to editing your ui files.
Rule #1
Never use the enter key to make a new line. Always copy and paste from another part of the ui.

Layers
Your skin ui files are broken up into various layers. When you go to a new page inside of the interface, you are going to a new "state". Each "state" loads certain layers from the ui files. More about "states" in Part 2. A layer will be visible if the "state" calls it. This is true if the visibility conditions for that layer are satisfied. Ex:
<layer ui_EasyNav_Main z=40 visiblemodel="!ui.vDragMode">

The layer name is ui_EasyNav_Main. "z" represents the ordering among the other layers (the higher one is on top). "visiblemodel" sets the conditions for visibility. In this case, the layer is visible when the interface variable vDragMode is set to 0 because of the "!" which means "not". If it were visiblemodel="ui.vDragMode" without the "!" then the layer would be visible when the variable vDragMode is set to anything but 0. If visiblemodel is not set, it will be assumed that the layer is visible. This is true unless somewhere in the script you run the command ui_EasyNav_Main.hide

Buttons, text and sprite? Oh my!
Within the layers are various items that show up on the screen:
<BUTTON xxx >
<TEXT xxx >
<SPRITE xxx >

The first two are obvious. SPRITE we will just consider to be an image that is not a button. This is not exactly true but will do for now. The xxx is used when the item does not have a name. You could name an item anything you want as long as no other item has the same name. Naming is handy when you want the script to disable a button or change the visibility of an item. Here is an example button:

<BUTTON btn_info x=118 y=229 z=35 w=245 h=15 bmp="e_btn_C_info1.bmp#3" visiblemodel="sound.os_muted">

"x" represents the distance in pixels from the left of the screen to place the item. "y" represents the distance in pixels from the top of the screen to place the item. "z" represents the order within the layer to order the items. "w" represents the with in pixels of the item. "h" represents the height of the item in pixels. "bmp" represents the bmp file to use as the background for the button. The top left point of the bmp file will always be placed at the x, y location specified. The "#3" is used to because the button bmp actually is made up of three different images representing "rest", "pressed", and "released" states of the button. The visiblemodel for the example uses a system variable instead of a user interface (ui) variable (notice how it is different from the previous example). The name of the button is btn_info. I wanted to force the button to disappear. I could call the command btn_info.hide. I could also make it appear with btn_info.show. This is same with text, sprite, and entire layers.

Templates
Within an item, you can use a template. Templates are defined separately, usually inside of templates_xxx_xxx.ui but they can be defined almost anywhere. This allows many items to use the same template and be changed simultaneously. Template definitions can also call other templates in their definition. Usually there is a redundancy with templates. As in, a button might define x=2 but call a template that defines x=10. In this case, the button will be placed at x=2. So the order in which parameters are set determines which parameters are used. This comes in handy when you want to use the same exact item, but you want to move it over a bit or have it have different text. Ex.
<TEMPLATE CNavinfobtn x=0 w=102 font="tahoma" text="I am the same" align="CENTER" fontsize=12 valign="CENTER">
...
<BUTTON xxx template=CNavinfobtn y=25 bmp="e_btn_C_info1.bmp#3">
<BUTTON xxx template=CNavinfobtn y=125 bmp="e_btn_C_info1.bmp#3">
<BUTTON xxx template=CNavinfobtn x=100 y=125 bmp="e_btn_C_info1.bmp#3" text="I am different">

The first two buttons will be at x=0 and will say "I am the same". The third button will be at x=100 and y=125 and will say "I am different"

With this information you should be able to edit the majority of your Amigo skin. In Part 2 of this guide, I will cover how to edit image and script files and how to find the exact state\layer\button\text\sprite you want to edit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 2:
This section will cover more advanced skin editing and scripting.

A. What You Will Edit:

Your data.gro is your main skin file. If you apply additional skins on top of this skin, they will have the "gro" extension and will be found in the following folder: amigo\content\skin\

Once we extract the files from the gro, we will be editing files with the extension "ui". These files contain the layout for all the buttons and text inside of Amigo.

B. Tools That You Need:

Gro to zip converter - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Winrar - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Notepad

Optional Tools:
Bitmap tool - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Igo8 Editor - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Skin Wizard - [Please Register or Login to download file]
Any HEX editor
File contents search tool - [Please Register or Login to download file]

C. Overview:

In Part 1, we covered the structure of the gro files and how to do basic edits to layers. I will now cover how to do more advanced edits:

D. Script Files
E. States
F. Syntax
G. BMP's
H. Tips and Tricks

D. Script Files:
As we discussed before, there are two types of ui files. The ui files located inside of the folder "ui_igo_easy\xxx_xxx\ui" contain the skin files that contain the layouts for every page. The ui files located inside of the folder "ui_igo_easy\common\ui" contain the script files that perform all of the gps functions. In this section, we will examine the different parts of the script files.

UI Variables:
UI Variables are generally defined in three locations.
variable_def.ui
model_variables.ui
and inside of the headers of the various script files.
A variable definition looks like the following:
<var VMorton=0 registermodel permanent>
<var vEasy=1 registermodel>
<var VFav>

In this example, the variable VMorton has a value of "0" and will be stored when Amigo is turned off. If the value of VMorton is changed, that new value will be stored at shutdown and used when the program is launched again. The variable vEasy has a value of 1. If the value of vEasy is changed, it will stay that way until the unit is reset, in which case vEasy will go back to a value of 1. The variable VFav has no value assigned to it yet. It can be used after it is defined in a script, but if a different script calls it, it will not retain the value that was assigned to it from the previous script. This is because it does not have the "registermodel" tag which tells the program to keep track of its value.

All variables assign as "permanent" are stored in the save folder in a file named "PERMANENT_V1.sav".

UI variables are created by and used by the skin. System variables, on the other hand, are created by and used by the Amigo exe. We can use and save system variables to UI variables, but they are implemented slightly differently as will be discussed in the syntax section.

Header:
Most but not all of the script files start with a header. Inside of the header, you can define variables that can be used within the script file you are using or other script files.

Scripts:
Here is an example script definition:

<script sc_SelectHistoryAndGo>
my.map.select_history %mydata.history.list.index
run sc_routeto_show_route
</script>

This script is called sc_SelectHistoryAndGo. It can be used inside of another script or run directly from inside of a layer with a button. This script grabs the system variable "mydata.history.list.index" and assigns its value to "my.map.select_history". It then runs another script named sc_routeto_show_route and then ends. What you can place inside of a script will be covered in the syntax section.

E. States:
Here is an example state:
<state st_XMLLegalScreen>
<uselayer ui_XMLLegalScreen/>
<uselayer ui_Panel_Easy/>
<uselayer ui_EULAxhtml/>
<uselayer ui_ScrollButtons/>

<script init>
GETSYSENTRY "eula_accept" "debug" 0 vTmp
;runifnot vTmp 0 'vEulaCanAccept.SET 1'
;else_run 'obs_EulaCanAccept.START'

vQuickMasterVolMax.set 175
run sc_ScrollingLayerInit "ui_EULAxhtml"
ui.ui_EULAxhtml.autoscroll 5
</script>

<script done>
run sc_ScrollOff
</script>
</state>

This state is named st_XMLLegalScreen. It calls to the screen four layers, the first being ui_XMLLegalScreen. This layer must exist and must be defined somewhere in the skin ui files. The state contains two scripts named init and done. The init script is run when the state is first loaded. The done script is run when leaving the state. In the syntax section we will cover how to call a state and transition between them. This can be done with in a script or through a button.

F. Syntax:
Here we will go over most of the useful commands and how to phrase them.

Commenting
Everything to the right of a semicolon is considered commenting unless it appears inside of quatation marks.

Run
The "run" command is used to run scripts that have been defined:
run [script name]

The following perform the same task as the run command but only if the conditions are met:
runif [statement 1] [statement 2] '[run these commands]'

Example:

runif VFav 3 'run sc_demo'

If VFav=3, then run the script sc_demo.

Another example:

runif VFav>3 'run sc_demo, run sc_back'

If VFav is greater than 3, then run sc_demo and run sc_back. Notice how the comma is used to add more commands to run.

else_run '[command to run]'

This can be used after a runif command.

Example:

runif VFav 3 'run sc_demo'
else_run 'run sc_demo, run sc_back'

In this case, if VFav doesn't equal 3. the else_run commands are executed.

else_runif [statement 1] [statement 2] '[run these commands]'

This is the same as a runif command but is used when a series of conditions want to be checked.

Example:

runif VFav 3 'run sc_demo'
else_runif VFav 2 'run sc_back'
else_run 'run sc_demo, run sc_back'

In this example, if VFav = 3 then sc_demo is run and the other two lines are ignored. If VFav = 2 then the first line is ignored, sc_back is run and the third line is skipped. If VFav doesn't equal 3 or 2 then the commands of the third line are run. If you want only one of many choices to run, you would use one runif, followed by as many else_runif commands, and then capped off with an else_run if so desired. The first if condition that is met will be used, and the res will be skipped.

Example:

runif VFav 3 'run sc_demo'
runif VFav>2 'run sc_back'

In this example, if VFav is 3, then sc_demo is run and then sc_back is run. If VFav is 4, only sc_back is run.

Example:

runif VFav 3 'run sc_demo'
else_runif VFav>2 'run sc_back'

In this example, if VFav is 3, then only sc_demo is run. If VFav is 4, only sc_back is run.

If a system variable is used in a runif statement, then it must be used the following way:
runif %[system variable] [statement] '[command to run]'

Example:

runif %route.vehicle_type 5 '.map.primary.center_posy 70'

Setting Values to Variables
To set a value to a UI Variable, you use the following syntax:
[variable name].SET [value]

Example:

VFav.SET 3

This sets the value of VFav to 3. You can also use existing variables to assign a value.

Example:

VFav.SET vTmp

Here, we set VFav to whatever value vTmp has.

Example:

VFav.SET %gps.valid

Here we set VFav to the value of the system variable gps.valid. The % is used on system variables when we want to call its value, UI variables don't need this.

To change the value of a system variable we use the following syntax:
.[system variable] [value]
or
[system variable] [value]


Example:

.map.breadcrumbs 1

or

gps.valid VFav

Here we set map.breadcrumbs to 1 and save it to system.ini in our save folder. In the second example we set gps.valid to the value contained inside of VFav, but this is not saved to system.ini.

This syntax works flawlessly when dealing with numbers. When dealing with with str wstr and other values, it is a little more complicated. I still don't fully understand the syntax involved. Your best bet is to looking at an example of working code and copy it. If any can explain it, please post it. Here is a useful example to draw from:

runif %wstr:navigation.distance_to_destination.unit_text L"ft" 'run sc_demo'

Here, if the unit on the distance to destination is equal to ft (which stands for feet), then sc_demo is run.

Calling Scripts
So far, we have called scripts using the run command, but we have not discussed the ability to pass values onto that script
run [script name] [value 1] [value 2] [value 3] ...

When a script is called in this way, we eliminate the need to use temporary variables to pass on key values. This is also handy when we want to use a script for multiple jobs. These values can be called upon in the definition of the script with $1, $2, $3 ...

Example:

run sc_comparethese 7 VFav

...

<script sc_comparethese>
runif $1>$2 'sc_demo'
</script>

Here, the script sc_comparethese is run with the values 7 and VFav being sent to it. Inside the script, 7 is compared to see it it is greater than VFav. If 7 is great, sc_demo is run.

Calling a State
To change states, you can simply run the commands:
uieffect.grab
NEXTSTATE [state] [transition] [direction] [parameters]

An easier way to do this is by using a predefine set of scripts and variables that setup your transitions.

Example:

<script sc_NextStateAnim>
uieffect.grab
NEXTSTATE $1 $2 $3 $4
</script>

...

<var trMM_mapNoMSND="0:x=26;y=91;width=201;height=115|100:x=0;y=0;width=480;height=272">

...

run sc_NextStateAnim st_EasyNav "3d" 0 "trMM_mapNoMSND"

This is a fairly complex transitions that has the screen pan from this portion of the screen:
x=26;y=91;width=201;height=115
to the next state which takes up the whole screen:
x=0;y=0;width=480;height=272

You could do much easier transition by calling:
run sc_NextStateAnim st_EasyNav "horz_scroll" 1 ""

Which would just scroll to the right. Look through existing skins for more ideas.

Hiding and Disabling Items
In Part 1 I talked about how to set conditions for visiblemodel such that buttons, text, layers...etc would appear and disappear from the screen:

visiblemodel="[variable or condition]"

Example:

visiblemodel="interface.show_exit"

or

visiblemodel="ui.VFav"

If the value inside of the "" is 0 then the item is invisible, otherwise it is visible. ! (not) can be used to reverse this condition such that anthing but zero will make the item invisible but zero will make it visible:

visiblemodel="!ui.VFav"

You can also set conditons:

visiblemodel="ui.VFav=1"

If VFav = 1, then the item will be visible, otherwise it will not. You can also combine statements with & (and) and | (or):

visiblemodel="ui.VFav&interface.show_exit"

Both must be non-zero for the item to show.

visiblemodel="ui.VFav | interface.show_exit"

One of the two need to be non-zero for the item to show.

enabledmodel works with the same syntax but only makes a button disabled instead of making it disappear.

You can accomplish the same thing from within a script by using the name of the item (button, text, layer, or sprite), by using HIDE, SHOW, DISABLE, ENABLE.

Example:

txt_longnamedest.HIDE
btn_safe.DISABLE
spt_isfeet.SHOW
btn_unsafe.ENABLE
ui_santa.HIDE

Delayed Commands
You can delay the execution of any command by adding a number behind it. The number is the delay in units of (I have no clue what they are). On my device 475 is the same as 14-15 seconds. It may vary from device to device and how busy the processor is.

Example:

20 run sc_back

This will wait 20 units and then run sc_back.

Example:

runif vTmp 1 ' 200 run sc_demo'

This will wait 200 units to run sc_demo if vTmp is 1.

200 runif vTmp 1 'run sc_demo'

This will wait 200 units and then check to see if vTmp equals 1. If it does, it will then run sc_demo.

Zoom
You can add zoom to a spirit to make it larger or smaller. I don't understand the units of zoom either but I assume 1000 is the same as 100%.

Example:

<SPRITE xxx x=4 y=99 z=30 iconmodel="navigation.secondary_direction_icon" iconindex=1 visiblemodel="!ui.vRouteCalculation&ui.vseconddirection=2&navigation.secondary_direction_icon.valid&ui.vIsValidRoute" zoom=742>

I use this sprite to create a secondary direction icon that is smaller so that text can fit above it to show the distance until that turn. The zoom being less than 1000 makes it smaller than normal. This might work on buttons, but I've never tried.

G. BMP:
The image files that are shown on screen are almost always compressed bmp files. The bmp files are located in the common and xxx_xxx folders.

If an image bmp is called, it will first be looked for in the xxx_xxx folder. If it can't be found there, it will be searched for in the common folder. It always look in that order. When Amigo is put into night mode, it will look for images inside of xxx_xxx\skin_night first. If it can't find it, it will look in xxx_xxx, then it will look in common\skin_night, and then lastly common.

If you would like to edit an image, extract it. Use the bitmap tool to decompress the bmp. Once it is decompressed, you can edit it in any image editor, but make sure to save over the original file and not to create a new file. Also, try not to use excessive amounts of shading and colors as this might prevent the compression of the file. Also, take note of the alpha layer if it does exist. the alpha layer determines the areas and intensities of transparency. Once you are done editing the image file, compress it using the same tool and replace the file in the data.zip.

Some images won't decompress using this tool. You can try using the Igo8 editor to load the layer containing the bmp file. Then select the image, and choose save BMP. If you decompress the bmp in this way, you will lose all of the alpha layer information.

It has a batch decompress and compress feature that is handy if you are changing resolutions.

H. Tips and Tricks:
Up until this point we have been looking at the details of editing the skin. Now I will show you how to do things in a practical manor.

Searching for an Item
You often just want to change a small item: a piece of text, the placement of a button, the title of a section. The problem comes in that you have no idea which ui file to look at.

The first step is to find something unique about the state that contains the layer that you want to alter. This could be the text on a button "Cancel Route", or the header "Places".

Next, extract all of the files of the zip into a folder. Use a tool that can search inside the contents of files (XSearch) to find the unique item. For example, I might search for:

text="Cancel

This would turn up very few hits, of which I could figure out the correct one. I know the text=" is necessary for defining the text of a button, so I include it to exclude all the random places cancel might be written. You must be careful not to over define your search. The "Cancel Route" example above is actually written as "Cancel\nRoute" in the skin but you would never know that by looking at it. The \n makes it into two lines, but the same can be achieved in other ways.

When you find the unique item, take note of the layer it is in. You will not use XSearch or the equivalent program to search for all the states that use that layer. Once you have the correct state, you can figure out all the layers that it uses, and find the item you want to change. Often times, you'll realize the item that needs to be changed is a template inside of template_xxx_xxx.ui. Make sure to search with XSearch to see all the items that will be effected by changing the template. You might be better off just changing that one item.

INI Files
Besides ui files, ini files are important for setting up items for Amigo. Here are some and what they do:

laneinfo.ini - defines the lines, spacing and image files used for the lane info that apears at the bottom of the screen.

laneinfo_signpost.ini - defines the lines, spacing and image files used for the freeway signs that show at the top pf the screen.

keyboard.ini - defines the possible keyboard layouts available to you.

*color.ini - you can take a wild guess.

igo_easy.ini - is you secondary sys.txt. If the skin is just for your device and you never plan on changing you sys.txt, you can incorporate the settings into this file.

units.ini - defines the values of all the units used relative to one another

Notable Files
main_scheme.ui - Defines the font templates
startlang_scheme.ui - Defines more font templates
main.ui - defines which ui files to use.
*.spr - always have matching .bmp files. these are animated items such as buttons and the spr is used to define the parameters of the bmp.
*.vpr - defines a vector that is most commonly used as compasses in Amigo.

Changing Resolutions
The Igo Skin Wizard can be used to convert one resolution to another resolution, but it has its limitations.

a. It won't convert the state animation parameters defined in the headers.
b. The images it converts are usually unusable.
c. It has a rounding error and most items will have to be nudged into the proper location.

Here is how to use the tool with an Amigo skin:

1. Convert the gro to a zip using the gro converter.
2. Run the skin wizard and select you .zip file for the item "Skin file name". Click next.
3. Select ui_igo_easy for "UI Directory". Hit UnZip. When finished, click next.
4. Select the Output resolution you want and the Input resolution you want to convert.
5. Change the rules if you would like, hit process to convert the ui files. When finished, click next.
6. Change the settings to your liking and processes the image files. When finished, click next.
7. Pick a name and location to save your new skin. Then click next.
8. Hit Zip. Hit no when it asks you if you want to assign an external image converter. When finished, click next.
9. Click process and it'll show you sys.txt settings you might need to make your skin work. Do not use the "skin" value. It will cause your skin to not load.
10. Hit Exit.

Since the images files usually look bad using this converter, I usually take the original resolution and unzip it into a folder. I then use the bitmap tool and batch decompress the images. I then use photoshop's batch tools to resize all the images. I then use the bitmap tool compress the images again, and over write the images in my converted .zip file from the skin wizard.

Using the Igo8 Editor
The Igo8 editor was not design for Amigo. So it has its limitations:

a. It does not always display text in the correct location.
b. It does not show the transparencies of image files.
c. It will often times crash.

The best way to use the editor is to look at an individual layer and see if the items are positioned correctly relative to one another. It can also be used to save image files that the bitmap tool can't decompress.

The editor has two modes. The first tries to load the entire and skin and simulate Amigo/Igo. To use this mode, select open skin. Navigate to the xxx_xxx directory of your unzipped skin and click ok. If the editor doesn't crash, you can select layers and even states that you want to see.

The second mode allows you to load individual ui files. Select open file. Navigate to your ui file and select open. make sure that your ui file is in the correct directory relative to all of the other files. In this mode, you can only see individual layers but not states.