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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 plugins?
Plug-ins are installed exactly like any other Symbian application (see 'How do I install GDesk' above for details)
Once installed you can add plug-ins to your desktop - in Design mode select Add Other, the list of plug-ins is at the bottom.
Plug-ins have a variety of different options and capabilities so play around with them to get the most out of GDesk!
Q- How to create scroll effect?
v0.33 of GDesk introduced the ability to scroll pages. In Design mode you can freely scroll as far as you want; in normal mode you can scroll to the extent of your design.
You can define keys to scroll in each direction. On touch-screen devices you can also drag the desktop around.
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 plugins?
Plug-ins are installed exactly like any other Symbian application (see 'How do I install GDesk' above for details)
Once installed you can add plug-ins to your desktop - in Design mode select Add Other, the list of plug-ins is at the bottom.
Plug-ins have a variety of different options and capabilities so play around with them to get the most out of GDesk!
Q- How to create scroll effect?
v0.33 of GDesk introduced the ability to scroll pages. In Design mode you can freely scroll as far as you want; in normal mode you can scroll to the extent of your design.
You can define keys to scroll in each direction. On touch-screen devices you can also drag the desktop around.
|
GaryBlue |
Latest page update: made by GaryBlue
, Sep 4 2008, 6:49 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
answered plug-ins and scroll questions
- GaryBlue
115 words added view changes - complete history) |
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More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Anonymous | Dead Lynx | 1 | Sep 11 2009, 8:14 AM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Aug 25 2009, 2:18 AM EDT
Watch
I found a download link (after hours!!!) installed GDesk and filled up the screen with some very pretty iphone buttons. One problem, they don't DO anything. Everytime I tap one (I have a P1i) the GDesk menu opens up. What's going on?
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| Anonymous | How to use the GDD | 0 | Aug 24 2009, 7:04 PM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Aug 24 2009, 7:04 PM EDT
Watch
I loaded the GDD file, but how to use the app?? I can replace the main, but when I tap on any white space, it still pops up the gdesk menu.
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| Anonymous | Help | 0 | Jul 27 2009, 4:58 AM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Jul 27 2009, 4:58 AM EDT
Watch
Hello, I can't download Gdesk 0.33 it says installation file is corrupted. Same thing happens for Gdesk 0.32. Can anyone help?? Thnx
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