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FAQ
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Q - How do I install GDesk?
A - GDesk comes in several parts: the main application, several optional plug-ins and any number of design files.
The main program and plug-ins are SIS files - these are standard Symbian installation files. Design files (GDD files) are data files.
There are three ways to install SIS files - these apply to -all- applications, not just GDesk.
First, you can use the Windows software that comes with your phone - select Application Installer or equivalent.
Second, you can beam the SIS file to your phone using BlueTooth or InfraRed. Then open the SIS file in messaging.
Third, you can copy the file to your memory card (either using an external card reader or by attaching a USB cable to your phone) then use the built-in file manager to run it.
You have to install the main application, but you don't have to install the plug-ins. However, they're very useful and take very little space so you might as well!
Once everything is installed run GDesk and you should see a plain blue screen. Tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the main menu and you're ready to go!
GDD files should be copied to your phone either using the second or third method above, then installed by going into Design mode and selecting Load Design: Main Menu -> Design -> Design Menu -> Load Design.
Q - What is a GDD file? How do I use it?
A - A GDD file is a GDesk Design file. It contains everything necessary to reproduce someone else's desktop on your phone.
To use one just copy it to your phone and then open it from the Design menu using Load Design.
Q - Can I have a different background on each page?
A - Not directly at the moment, but there is a work-around which gives the same effect. It's a bit fiddly but it works.
For each page in your design you add a Blank item (under Add Other) as your first item, set the icon to be your background image, then set it to be non-selectable.
Q - How do I make icons for use in GDesk?
A - Icons can be in any format that Symbian OS supports. This includes JPEG and BMP but for ease of use the recommended format is PNG. PNG files can contain a mask or alpha channel which allows part of the image to be transparent (or semi-transparent), allowing nice effects like smooth edges.
Once you have a PNG you like just copy it to your phone and apply it in design mode using Set Icon.
You only need to use Set Mask if you have separate images for the image and the mask/alpha channel, in which case the mask should be black-and-white with white pixels being fully on and black being fully off.
Q - What free paint tools are available for creating icons?
A - There are a number of really good free paint packages that support the necessary formats. Some that have been recommended:
1) GIMP - a fairly advanced package that can take a long time to get fluent with. Well worth the effort!
2) Paint.net
3) Photofiltre
Q - How can we extract gdd files?
A - Use Export Icons in design mode to dump all images from a GDD file in Symbian (MBM) format. You can download MBM converters to get the files into something more useful
Q - What's a mask / alpha channel / transparency channel?
These terms all refer to some additional icon data that represents how opaque each pixel in the icon should be.
For each pixel in the icon, if the corresponding pixel in the alpha channel is black then the pixel will be completely transparent (so won't be shown at all), white means it will be shown exactly as-is (completely opaque) and levels of gray in between represent varying levels of transparency (so a mid gray will give half of the icon value and half of whatever was underneath the icon).
Several image formats can store alpha information (see How do I make icons for use in GDesk above); alternatively you can save the icon alpha channel as a seperate image and load it using Set Mask.
For example, to round the corners of a square icon create a white alpha channel or image and then set the corners black in the pattern required. In addition if you set some of the edge pixels to be mid-gray then you'll get a slight blurring (known as anti-aliasing) which can substantially improve the final quality - imagine drawing a perfect curve over the pixel grid; if a pixel is fully inside the grid make it white, if it's fully outside make it black, otherwise make it a level of gray depending on how much of the pixel is inside the curve (the more inside the brighter the gray).
Q - How do I install GDesk?
A - GDesk comes in several parts: the main application, several optional plug-ins and any number of design files.
The main program and plug-ins are SIS files - these are standard Symbian installation files. Design files (GDD files) are data files.
There are three ways to install SIS files - these apply to -all- applications, not just GDesk.
First, you can use the Windows software that comes with your phone - select Application Installer or equivalent.
Second, you can beam the SIS file to your phone using BlueTooth or InfraRed. Then open the SIS file in messaging.
Third, you can copy the file to your memory card (either using an external card reader or by attaching a USB cable to your phone) then use the built-in file manager to run it.
You have to install the main application, but you don't have to install the plug-ins. However, they're very useful and take very little space so you might as well!
Once everything is installed run GDesk and you should see a plain blue screen. Tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the main menu and you're ready to go!
GDD files should be copied to your phone either using the second or third method above, then installed by going into Design mode and selecting Load Design: Main Menu -> Design -> Design Menu -> Load Design.
Q - What is a GDD file? How do I use it?
A - A GDD file is a GDesk Design file. It contains everything necessary to reproduce someone else's desktop on your phone.
To use one just copy it to your phone and then open it from the Design menu using Load Design.
Q - Can I have a different background on each page?
A - Not directly at the moment, but there is a work-around which gives the same effect. It's a bit fiddly but it works.
For each page in your design you add a Blank item (under Add Other) as your first item, set the icon to be your background image, then set it to be non-selectable.
Q - How do I make icons for use in GDesk?
A - Icons can be in any format that Symbian OS supports. This includes JPEG and BMP but for ease of use the recommended format is PNG. PNG files can contain a mask or alpha channel which allows part of the image to be transparent (or semi-transparent), allowing nice effects like smooth edges.
Once you have a PNG you like just copy it to your phone and apply it in design mode using Set Icon.
You only need to use Set Mask if you have separate images for the image and the mask/alpha channel, in which case the mask should be black-and-white with white pixels being fully on and black being fully off.
Q - What free paint tools are available for creating icons?
A - There are a number of really good free paint packages that support the necessary formats. Some that have been recommended:
1) GIMP - a fairly advanced package that can take a long time to get fluent with. Well worth the effort!
2) Paint.net
3) Photofiltre
Q - How can we extract gdd files?
A - Use Export Icons in design mode to dump all images from a GDD file in Symbian (MBM) format. You can download MBM converters to get the files into something more useful
Q - What's a mask / alpha channel / transparency channel?
These terms all refer to some additional icon data that represents how opaque each pixel in the icon should be.
For each pixel in the icon, if the corresponding pixel in the alpha channel is black then the pixel will be completely transparent (so won't be shown at all), white means it will be shown exactly as-is (completely opaque) and levels of gray in between represent varying levels of transparency (so a mid gray will give half of the icon value and half of whatever was underneath the icon).
Several image formats can store alpha information (see How do I make icons for use in GDesk above); alternatively you can save the icon alpha channel as a seperate image and load it using Set Mask.
For example, to round the corners of a square icon create a white alpha channel or image and then set the corners black in the pattern required. In addition if you set some of the edge pixels to be mid-gray then you'll get a slight blurring (known as anti-aliasing) which can substantially improve the final quality - imagine drawing a perfect curve over the pixel grid; if a pixel is fully inside the grid make it white, if it's fully outside make it black, otherwise make it a level of gray depending on how much of the pixel is inside the curve (the more inside the brighter the gray).
Latest page update: made by GaryBlue
, Apr 19 2008, 6:32 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Installing GDesk and background-per-page
- GaryBlue
301 words added
view changes
- complete history)
Installing GDesk and background-per-page
- GaryBlue
301 words added
view changes
- complete history)
Keyword tags: None
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More Info: links to this page
(Showing the last 5 of 7 - view all)
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| khzr | please help | 0 | Jun 12 2008, 2:38 AM EDT by khzr | |
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Thread started: Jun 12 2008, 2:38 AM EDT
Watch
where to dowload the file GDESK?i cant find it my phone is P1i,
1
out of
1 found this valuable.
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Keyword tags: None
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| Anonymous | resize icon | 2 | Apr 18 2008, 11:40 AM EDT by zerosimms | |
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Thread started: Apr 15 2008, 10:53 AM EDT
Watch
I just found some big icon, but they seem to be too big,
how can i resize them?
1
out of
3 found this valuable.
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Keyword tags: None
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| Anonymous | p1i startup | 0 | Mar 6 2008, 4:40 AM EST by Anonymous | |
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Thread started: Mar 6 2008, 4:40 AM EST
Watch
how do i add gdesk to startup automatically when the phone reboots, i have read something about the x:\system\recogs folder, but how to add to it?
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| Anonymous | GDesk on Motorola Z8 | 1 | Jan 27 2008, 8:12 AM EST by Anonymous | |
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Thread started: Jan 4 2008, 2:01 PM EST
Watch
I can't install GDesk on my moto Z8.
I unrar all the files, copy them to the memory card, then choose "install" and my phone gives me a note, that this action is forbidden and blocked. So I have a question: is GDesk compatible with UIQ by motorola at all? |
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| anupu | how to use | 0 | Nov 30 2007, 7:19 AM EST by anupu | |
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Thread started: Nov 30 2007, 7:19 AM EST
Watch
my phone is p990i. i have a gdd file but i dont know how to use is. please help me.
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(Showing the last 5 of 7 - view all)