Background Image

[farnlc]

I downloaded the GREEN waves 800x400 image for background use and have set it for my everyday use, however when I connect my redfly it changes to a different background. Any way to make the change permanent?

 

[ckj]

Can you post what phone model, version of WM and which pre-loaded theme name you are using?

Also, are you following the instructions linked here, or are you going to Start>settings>Today, checking “Use this picture as the background” and browsing for the image?

I have a few ideas, but would like more info first.

 

[farnlc]

I have a Treo 800w with 6.1. I downloaded your "Green Lines" picture to my phone for use with the standard WM6.1 Green theme and followed the instructions going through the Today Settings.

Thanks for the quick response!

 

[Bujin#IM]

Hi,

I don't know if this will address your issue, but I downloaded my background and renamed it "stwater_800_480", and put it in my Treo's Windows folder. Works like a charm!

 

[sixftunda]

I had to use Total Commander to get it to stay copied in.

 

[ckj]

I've noticed that some (not all) of the 800w and Treo Pro themes are using images based around .png files instead of .jpg. The way to find out is to activate a theme using the Today Screen settings then using File Explorer go in the /Windows directory. Find a file called stwater and/or tdwater. Click on the file(s) to open and then press the right softkey and choose ?properties? that will tell you if it?s a png or a jpg.

I?m not an expert on themes (working on it), but from what I?ve read a theme can call the ?tdwater? image to be the default background image and ?stwater? to be the image behind the Start menu when it pops down over the Today Screen. Since usually the two images are the same, I believe there?s a reg setting somewhere that forces the phone to use the same image for both anyway. That?s why you only usually only have to add one new image for this hack to work and show a larger screen background when you switch.

Windows Mobile has a built-in feature that loads the default ?stwater? or ?tdwater? image at the phone?s normal resolution. However, if the resolution is changed, the OS will look in the /Windows directory for a different image whose name exactly matches a naming parameter. In the case of the REDFLY, our driver tells the phone?s OS it has an 800x480 display. The OS then goes and looks for a file named ?stwater_800_480? (regardless of its actual size, just the name) the loads it as the background image.

I?ve found that usually you can get any theme to work, but you need to do some trial and error with 2 things. 1) Try saving the file as a .png if a .jpg doesn?t work (you must use an image editing program and do a ?save as? ? you can?t just change the file extension); and 2) most themes use the file name ?stwater_800_480? but some use the ?tdwater_800_480? so try both.
I?m going to try and update our background image download page with all of this info soon and also offer both png and jpg files, but for now, if anyone can?t get a jpg to work and you don?t have access to an image editing program, let me know and I?ll re-save the file in the format you need then send it to you directly.

I think the real work around here is just to make some actual REDFLY themes (.tsk files). I bought a theme editing program last week and am starting to learn how to do it. In theory, you should be able to build a theme with all of the necessary images (both standard phone resolution and 800x480) so we just have to install a theme once and not hassle with copying certain named files into the/Windows directory.