Ottonavi HU: How to customize (a bit) the UI

This thread started small but has become very interesting overtime and has generated a lot of questions and answers about the possibilities of the Ottonavi unit.
(In reality, this unit is a RoadRover; very popular in Europe and Asia and sold in America by Ottonavi).

So here are the major questions we have answered so far...
Hopefully with this, people won't have to read every post to find answers to their questions.

So keep sending your tips and infos! I will update this post as often as I can.

KNOW YOUR UNIT
** WARNING! **
The following information is for the G2 unit; the one with the big round analog clock on the Home screen.
There's no guarantee that this information is valid for other versions of this unit...
There are 3 major pieces of software in this unit:
Windows CE OS: good ol' Windows.
UI Shell: all the UI screens for controling your radio, iPod, DVD, etc.
MCU: this is the low-level firmware for the unit that drives the hardware
Any of these software can be upgraded.
So always check Home->Apps->Options->System to find out which versions you have before using any of the following mods.
Some of the following mods are relevant ONLY to certain versions of these softwares.

Known versions to date:
MCU
D65TPRH7-BH-T1-V9.00: originally shipped with unit
D65TPRH7-CN-T1-V9.02: supports direct JBL harness
D65TPRH7-CN-T1-V9.05: broken; DO NOT USE!

UI Shell:
Shell: 2.78.10: shipped with unit
Shell: 2.83.5: new version (but apparently radio RDS, AF, TA, PTY are lost)
See JSD's post: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...i-hu-how-customize-bit-ui-16.html#post1500802

Windows CE OS:
OS: EN-PRIMA-ARM-SLC-V1.42 works ( we don't know yet the differences)
OS: EN-PRIMA-ARM-SLC-V1.50 works (shipped with unit)
OS: EN-PRIMA-ARM-SLC-V1.51 unknown (said to be universal across all units)

***WARNING!****
When you do software modifications to your unit, it is always better to start the car normally!
This is because if the battery is low and you are running on AUX, the Prius can decide to shut down the car to preserve the battery.
If that happens during a firmware or software upgrade...
you might brick your unit.

HIDDEN MENU
There is a hidden menu at the DVD screen that will let you adjust some global parameters. Go to the DVD screen and press the Tune knob.
There will be a scale at the bottom of the screen that says *BRIGHTNESS*.
You can adjust the overall brightness of the unit by turning the Tune knob.
If you press the Tune knob again, the next parameter will show up.
This is for MCU version 9.02: other versions might have a different menu.
So the parameters you can adjust are:
BRIGHTNESS
CONTRAST
SATURATION
EAMP (this is used to turn off or on an External Amp like JBL)
DUALZONE


HOW TO ACCESS THE WINDOWS DESKTOP and RUN CECommander
This is probably the very first thing you need if you want to do some mods to your unit.
Here is an easy way to always have access to the Windows Destop and CEcmd.exe when you need to check things up or copy files, etc.
1) Get this package: View attachment update-cecmd.zip
2) Install the 2 files (update.exe and CEcmd.exe) at the root of your SD card or USB drive.
3) Go to Home->Apps->Options->System->Update and the Windows Desktop will appear.
(Whenever the unit sees update.exe at the root of a USB or SD card, it brings the Desktop.)
4) On the Desktop, double click Device; this is like a File explorer.
5) Locate your copy of CECmd.exe and execute it (double click).
This is a file explorer tool that will let you copy files, etc.
NOTE: the controls are small so it's easier to use if you have a stylus.

Other option:
You can also if you want, set your Navigator path to your CEcmd.exe and hit the Navi button for instant access.
But this is cumbersome as you have to reset your navigator path all the time...
Be aware that this method will let you copy files anywhere except to system folders.
So that's why the first method is preferred because it can.


WALLPAPERS

Here are a couple of nice RoadRover wallpapers for the Home screen from Russia and China with Love:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/Wallpapers.zip




HOW TO INSTALL NEW SKINS
*** WARNING*** This is ONLY for UI Shell version: 2.78.10!
The unit comes only with one skin (black orange) but we have figured out the format and created a Tool.
(The Tool will be released later after some testing...)
To install a new skin: simply go to Home->Apps->Options->Skins and locate your new .rrui file.

Here is my first attempt: Bulle's Blue Ribbon Metallic:
View attachment bluemribbon.zip
Here's a sample:





Here is Dehhh's famous Metro skin: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-audio-electronics/103351-ottonavi-hu-how-customize-bit-ui-18.html#post1517540




And here is Clayfree's Metal beautiful skin: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/CFM_v004.zip


So I decided to experiment a little bit and redesigned the Home screen to make things quickly accessible.
I mean only one touch away if possible.

Hardware buttons like Menu, Phone,DVD, Radio, Navi, Music are already on the unit so the Home screen only needs the missing icons: iPOD, AUX, and Internet if you have it.
And of course, you really want that Audio icon in the Home screen.
And why not put the LCD OFF icon too! (when you need to switch off light for the mood...
For the style, I wanted to get an LCD look and colors as close to the current Prius dash.
So I reused Clayfree's Metal skin (for the colors).
Then I reused Dehhh's Metro icons because they are simpler and closer to a LCD look. (Thanks to both of them!)
In the process, I made a (crude) Prius font for the digital clock and made it bigger.
Also, I aligned the day, current date at the top of the screen; where it belongs.
The info for the currently playing sound was aligned on the line just below.

(BTW did you know that when a song is playing you can touch the title or artist name in the Home screen and it will bring the Music or Radio or iPod screen? Ahhh...)
So basically, I simply reedited the .txt file produced by the RRUITool to reorganize things a bit.
Here's how my Home screen looks now:


I called this skin Turbo; quick access to what you need.
Excuse the Art because (I'm not an artist) but I think the end result is an interesting night skin.
May be not the most aesthetically pleasing but very functional.
I would also argue it's safer because you don't need to fool around with the other screens while driving.
For those who think it's a good idea or just if you want to experiment with it, the file is here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/TurboBulle.zip


And also here is a package that contains all the official RR skins converted to v0.4 format and all the custom skins we already have.
All tested and usable on 2.78.10 for those who do not wish to upgrade their UI Shell.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/AllSkinsv04.zip

(The ones ending with a 4 means they were in the v0.5 format before)
That's 12 skins; which is actually the maximum the UI Shell can load anyway.

You can either copy all of them in the \StaticStore\I9\Skins folder or select them one by one from a USB stick or SD card.

Here's a sample:



HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN SKINS
Finally, here is the RRUITool that will let you modify the skins.
Thanks to Clayfree and Dehhh for testing it.



With it, you can easily change the art of any skin file (.rrui).
You can also go crazy and try to edit individual elements properties in the text file.
Be warned; it takes some patience to edit the hexadecimal stream...
You'll see what I mean...

It's really rude and crude software (meaning poorly written) but it works.

For the instructions and the RRUI file format, etc. look at the Help button.

So here is a new version of the RRUITool: v0.9
Major changes:
- supports up to 10MB RRUI file (Germans create bigger files...
- RRUI file format documentation 99% complete (based on the new RoadRover Editor info)
- convert rrui files from v0.5 format to v0.4 (for UI Shell 2.78.10)
Here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/RRUIToolv09.zip





The official RoadRover UI Editor
Gentlemen, start your engines!

A very knowledgeable friend of ours (who wants to remain anomymous for now) has sent us the Holy Grail:
a copy of the *official* RoadRover RRUI editor.
I don't know how it has been acquired but it seems legit.

The only problem was that the package was incomplete; in fact, not running at all...
So I took a closer look, figured out what was missing (basically around 2000 strings...) and crafted some C++ magic into it to fix it.
I finally managed this morning to make the whole thing run properly on a PC. I think...

The result is spectacular!
Here's a screenshot:



So now I'm sharing the joy with you to see what you artists can do with it.
Here's the package:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/RRUIEditorv-v2.zip

This is a full blown official RoadRover RRUI editor that will let you build RRUI files in a very user friendly way.
Now you can truly see what the fields are, their meanings, the different options and possibilities, etc.
You can drag, copy controls, even add new ones, etc. You can customize almost everything.
It has also other features which I don't even know what they do yet. It even generates source code! He he.

BUT BEWARE: THERE ARE A FEW GLITCHES...
- it seems to mess up a bit with Aero on Windows7 (preview icons not working); may be it's my settings...
- there is some doc but it's very limited: see file RRUIEditor.txt
- editor is only in English for now; support for German or others would be very easy to add...
- it can read both RRUI version 4 and 5 but only outputs version 5; make sure you have an appropriate UI shell


The last problem is important for Ottonavi users with UI shell 2.78.10 which reads only version 4.
It means you won't be able to use those new RRUI files unless you upgrade your UI shell to a higher version.
Look at this (FAQ) if you want to upgrade.

The other possibility is to use the RRUITool above.
It can convert version 0.5 files back to version 4.


HOW TO SHOW THE ARTIST PICTURE WHEN PLAYING MP3s
1) Create a 200x160 .jpg file for each artist you want to show
2) Make sure the name of the file matches the artist name inside the MP3.
3) Using CEcmd.exe, drop the picture in this folder: \StaticStore\I9\Photo which contains a lot of artist pictures already.
4) Test by playing a MP3
NOTE: Now even if the MP3 has an embedded picture, it doesn't seem to take it.
I haven't found a way of getting album pictures either.
Original thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...navi-hu-how-show-artist-picture-when-playing-
mp3s.html



HOW TO CHANGE YOUR STARTUP LOGO
1) create a logo.bmp file in 800x480 in 24 bit format
2) drop it in the root of your original sd card
3) turn on the unit; the logo will get installed and removed from the sd card
Note that the previous logo will be gone for good.
Original thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ottonavi-hu-how-change-your-startup-logo.html



HOW TO FIX THE RDS LABELS
*** WARNING ***
This is for the UI Shell version: 2.78.10 only!
The unit was apparently shipped to America with the RDS European codes. Shame.
In order to fix it, you will need to install a new Manager.exe.
1) Get this package: View attachment ManagerWithFixedRDS.zip
2) Unzip Manager.exe on your USB or SD card
3) Make sure you have UI version 2.78.10 on your unit!
4) Go to Home->Apps->Options->System and check the version
5) If not the right version, you cannot install this
6) If right version, go to the Windows desktop:
7) Home->Apps->Options->System->Update
8) Use Device or CEcmd.exe: copy Manager.exe you copied earlier to \StaticStore\I9
5) Wait for the copy to be done; especially if using a USB
6) Reboot; check everything is OK with RDS.


HOW TO FIX THE SPELLING ERROR IN THE BLUETOOTH SCREEN
When dialing, the unit says "Dialled" instead of "dialed".
** WARNING ** You can only do this if you have UI Shell 2.78.10.
To fix this, do:
1) Get a copy of JSD's new lang.dll file : View attachment lang-dialed.zip
2) Install on a USB stick or SD card
3) Using CEcmd.exe (see first above), copy it over to \StaticStore\I9
Thanks to JSD's original post: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...i-hu-how-customize-bit-ui-15.html#post1494017



HOW TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR ICONS IN THE MAIN AND APPS SCREEN

Well, well, well. What a surprise!

It looks like it's possible after all to customize somewhat the UI in this unit.
I was looking for something else when I stumbled across this undocumented feature.

If you press and hold 4-5 seconds anywhere on any screen with icons, the icons will become surrounded by dot lines.

Then you can select an icon and drag it to a new position (inside certain limits).
You can also edit the icon by clicking on it; a pop menu will appear where you can edit or delete it.
If you edit it, then you can also select from either internal functions or provide your own exe file.
(There are in fact a couple of new functions I didn't know about but didn't try them yet...)


I was able in this way to actually create a new icon and assign the Solitaire game in the Apps menu.
Or more recently, I added an icon to link to the IPhoneToday UI stuff.
Works perfectly!


This unit is really amazing.
I wish they had documented more about all what this unit can do because we may be missing other things...
So anyway, that's one step toward a better UI for those not afraid of trying it.
Be careful, I just discovered that and did not try everything.
So don't brick your unit! There may be other features (or bugs) along the way...
If you find anything interesting, please post it here so we can share the knowledge.



HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THE INTERNET ICON
Interesting bit of info...

This Internet icon never really worked and apparently this is because it expects some hardware modem like WCDMA or EDGE.
I found out that the program it's trying to run is: \Nand Flash\Bin_CE\RRNetAppConsole.exe
May be it's possible to make it work with some hardware.

But one has to simply overwrite that program to something else!

In my case, since I can use a Wifi USB stick for Internet access, I simply renamed that file to .old.
Then I copied a browser program in the same folder and renamed it to RRNetAppConsole.exe.
Then when I hit the Internet icon, it goes directly to my browser.
For example, here's a picture of the IEBrowser started with this icon.


You should already have the IEBrowser; it's a custom browser shipped with this unit. I don't know yet how good it is though.
Path is \Nand Flash\Bin_CE\IEBrowser.exe.
Of course, you can use any other program if you want.

Kind of nice that this icon is finally working!


HOW TO CHANGE YOUR GPS iGO8 STARTUP LOGO
1) This is easier to do if you bring the SD card on your PC...
2) Locate and unzip the file \iGO8\branding.zip
3) Replace the file \iGO8\ui_igo8_da\800_480\loading.bmp; this should be a Ottonavi screen
4) Replace it with your own BMP file; 800x480 24 bits; keep the same name!
5) Rezip branding.zip
6) Overwrite \iGO8\branding.zip in the SD card
7) Press the NAVI button and check both loading and exiting.



HOW TO MAKE YOUR GPS iGO8 START RIGHT AWAY WITH THE MAP
One of the annoying thing with iGo8 is that is always start with the menu.
To fix this, you need to change one of the scripts inside data.zip.
Do a backup of you SD card if you haven't done so yet!
1) This is easier to do if you bring the SD card on your PC...
2) Locate and unzip the file \iGO8\data.zip
3) You will need to edit the file: \iGO8\ui_igo8\common\ui\start.ui
4) Edit the file and locate this section:

run sc_SettingsInit
runifnot vMonkeyRestriction "no" 'run sc_monkey_test'
else_runif vfirst_start_default_settings 1 'runif nusermode 0 sc_AdvMode
else_runif nusermode 1 sc_BasicMode
else_run sc_UserModeSelectMessage'
else_run 'run sc_GoToStartState'
; does this ever run at all?
runif vfirst_start_default_settings 1 sc_first_start_default_settings
runif v2DHeadUp 0 sc_2DHeadUpCheck
</script>
</state>

5) Replace the red line with the blue line:
run sc_SettingsInit
runifnot vMonkeyRestriction "no" 'run sc_monkey_test'
else_runif vfirst_start_default_settings 1 'runif nusermode 0 sc_AdvMode
else_runif nusermode 1 sc_BasicMode
else_run sc_UserModeSelectMessage'
else_run 'STATE st_NavigateMap'
; does this ever run at all?
runif vfirst_start_default_settings 1 sc_first_start_default_settings
runif v2DHeadUp 0 sc_2DHeadUpCheck
</script>
</state>

6) Save and Rezip data.zip
7) Overwrite \iGO8\data.zip in the SD card
8) Press the NAVI button and check loading goes directly to the map.


HOW TO ADD OTHER APPS TO YOUR UNIT

Miopocket
MioPocket is one of the best known package for Windows CE devices.
Just Google it; should be easy to find. Thanks to JSD for posting this: (http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-audio-electronics/103351-ottonavi-hu-how-customize-bit-ui-13.html#post1487239 )
You want the latest: MioPocket 4.0 Release 68.
It is quite big in terms of contents: programs, games, even books. It can be installed on your SD card but it can also be installed SD-Free meaning totally on your Flash memory.
PROS
-Free
-Quite complete; install relatively easily
-UI is iPhoneToday
CONS
-The SD-Free version takes a big chunk of the Flash memory
-Quite slow to load ( 10 seconds )
-You need to tweak certain scripts before installation
-Doesn’t have Wifi drivers
-Home->Apps->Options->System->UPDATE button may stop working
o(which means problems if you try to update later)
COMMENTS:
-Probably easy to fix for Ottonavi if someone takes the time

Innosoft
Thanks to rrg for finding this package; available here: http://www.innosoft.us/Windows_Software_CE.html
They claim they created all of the software but in reality it’s a customized version of MioPocket plus may be some extra programs and games.
PROS
-Free
-Quite complete; lots of games
-Has some Wifi driver (don’t know if they work)
-They provide their own UI; similar to iPhoneToday
CONS
-There is only a SD-Free version which will take your Flash memory
-Installation scripts do not run on Ottonavi; need to be fixed
COMMENTS:
-Probably easy to fix for Ottonavi if someone takes the time
-May be an SD card installation is possible too


Wincepatch
This package has been around for some time especially in Europe and Russia. It is a light version of MioPocket but well packaged. It is also supported by its creator which sells it on the Internet for a few bucks here: http://www.wincepatch.com

It contains the most popular programs (Office, Games, Tools, etc) and is installed on your SD card.
Some pictures here: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-audio-electronics/103351-ottonavi-hu-how-customize-bit-ui-13.html#post1488541

PROS
-Installs easily
-Quick load
-iPhoneToday
-Tools for customization
-Author provides support
-You can buy another package which has wifi drivers
CONS
-$$$
-No SD-Free installation
COMMENTS:
-$$$ but it works
-No need to pay for wifi drivers and Internet programs if DIY
oThey can be found elsewhere for free and it is easy to install



HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR FIRMWARE FROM 9.00 TO 9.02
When this unit was shipped, the MCU firmware did not support direct JBL sound.
Now it does; starting with MCU firmware 9.02.
If you want to use the harness that connects directly to the JBL connector you will need to upgrade the MCU firmware to version 9.02.
It's worth it; the sound is incredibly better.

1) First, check if you need to upgrade:
a.go check Home->Apps->Options->System
b.check your MCU version number.
2) If you do have MCU firmware 9.02 or later, you don't need to upgrade.
3) If you don’t, (most propably you have 9.00) then use this fix from Ottonavi:
Downloads | OttoNavi
4) Install the files in the root of a USB stick or SD card.
5) Follow instructions in the PDF file. Flash your unit;
6) Reboot
7) Go to Home->Apps->Options->System
8) Check that your MCU version is now 9.02



HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR UI SHELL

Version 2.78.10 (originally shipped with the unit) is here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/Original-2.78.10.zip


JSD has gotten version 2.83.5 but apparently there are not that many changes: the radio has a linear dial but the RDS feature seems to be gone. If you decide to upgrade, follow JSD's post here:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-audio-electronics/103351-ottonavi-hu-how-customize-bit-ui-16.html#post1496802


Finally, here is the new GUI 2.85.1 (not just a skin) that works with Ottonavi!
Courtesy of our German friends (who seems to receive updates from RR way before us...)

This GUI contains many skins mainly for Volkswagen.
I have tested the "dark color.rrui" and everything seems to work fine for Ottonavi including the RDS.
The other ones don't work.

In order to install it, you will need to follow the procedure described in the FAQ on post #1 http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-audio-electronics/103351-ottonavi-hu-how-customize-bit-ui.html#post1468293.

You CANNOT simply load or copy the RRUI file; that will not work.
(I might try to make it compatible with 2.78.10; but I'm not sure if it's feasible)
Also be aware, that Manager.exe and Lang.dll of this version still have the same spelling errors and RDS problem as 2.78.10.
We haven't patched those files yet.
The file is here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/GUI_IAI7037_2.85.1.zip
And a few samples from the "dark color.rrui" skin:


Here are 2 new UI Shells from our German friends.

2.85.2 is pretty much the same as 2.85.1
It contains "dark color" and the Volkswagen's one.
I don't know what are the differences.
The file is here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/GUI_2.85.2.zip

2.86.3 is an interesting UI shell. File is here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/GUI_I9_I10_2.86.3_Beta.zip
First, it contains all the known official RR skins:
"black orange", "dark color", "shallow bright" and the Volkswagen's.
But what is nice is that they all work under Ottonavi.
This is also what they called a BETA GUI meaning the Manager.exe is bigger (it's a DEBUG build).
I'm not sure if it is slower but it seems to work ok.

Also interesting, there is a new Console button in Home->Apps->Options->System.
If you click on it, you get a window with a log of the communication between the MCU and the UI Shell.
(This could be useful later if for example we decide to replace Manager.exe altogether...)



*** ATTENTION ***
You can not copy only the skins to your unit if your UI shell is 2.78.10.
You need to actually replace the whole UI shell.
Or if you just want to have a peek at it, use the procedure below for testing new UI shell.


Enjoy!
We will add other UI Shells later as we found them.

The best way to test a new skin or UI shell
If you just want to test a new UI shell or skin, here is an easy way to test them out without affecting your current settings.
Note: You can use either a USB stick or an SD card.
1) You will need to copy the entire contents of some I9 folder to a USB stick.
If you want to test a new UI shell, copy the I9 folder that comes with it to the USB.
If you just want to test a skin in your current UI shell, copy the I9 folder from your unit to the USB.
- make sure the I9 folder contains manager.exe and the DLLs
- you also need the following folders: Filters, Fonts, Photos and of course Skins
- it's a good idea to empty Photos anyway since you don't need them for testing a skin.
- in the Skins folder, put the skin (.rrui) you want to test
(you can put as many skins as you want (max. 12) and pick later)
- make sure there is a config.ini
2) If not done already, copy update.exe at the root of the USB.
3) Power on the unit, wait for the Home screen, then insert the USB stick
4) Go on Apps->Options->System and hit Update
5) Once inside the Windows desktop, either run the FileBrowser or CECmd.exe
6) Access the USB root, go to the I9 folder and run (double click) Manager.exe
This will load the UI shell and the default skin from the USB stick and will allow you to test it.
From there you can load and test other skins as usual.
Any changes to the system will be saved in the I9 folder on the USB stick.
So this will not interfere with your current settings which are saved in the I9 folder in local memory.
When done with the testing, simply power off the unit.
Next time you power on, your previous settings (and skin) will be back.

HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR WINDOWS OS
This could be handy in case your unit doesn't boot or hangs on startup.
** Warning **
The unit was shipped with version 1.5

JSD has gotten version 1.42 and it seems to be working.
(We don’t know yet if there is any differences...)
Thanks to JSD for posting the package here:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-audio-electronics/103351-ottonavi-hu-how-customize-bit-ui-16.html#post1498834


Version 1.5 (originally shipped with the unit) is here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/EN-PRIMA-ARM-SLC-V1.50.zip
How to install:
*** Warning*** you will lose all your settings and personal files like contacts, etc***
- simply unzip all 5 files to a blank SD card
- power on your unit
- system will reformat everything and install the OS
- when it says rebooting, remove the SD card
- once in Windows desktop, install the UI version you want (see above)

Version 1.51 is also available here at your own risk:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63503986/EN-PRIMA-ARM-SLC-V1.51.zip
(we don't know yet if there are any differences)
If you do try it, please let us know what you find.




IF YOUR UNIT DOESN'T BOOT...
There could be a gazillion possibilities as to why..
Here are a couple of known tricks that might help you restore it to a normal state.
1) There is a reset button next to the SD card slot; use the tip of a clip and reset the unit.
2) If it doesn't work, try to remove your Radio fuse (normally 15AMP; check your manual) and wait for a few minutes.
This will erase some settings in the unit which means they will have to be reinitialized manually.
3) If it fails, you might try to rename the exe file that the Navigator path points to.
a) Usually this is \Storage Card\Igo8\igo8.exe.
b) Rename igo8.exe to igo8.old.
c) Copy CECmd.exe (see above) in the same folder and rename it to igo8.exe
d) Boot the unit and hit the NAVI button; sometimes it works and you'll get to CECmd.exe
e) if you do, then upgrade the UI Shell (see above) to the \StaticStore\I9 folder.
f) Reboot;
4) If it still fails, you can try to reflash the unit with the Windows OS; go see *HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR WINDOWS OS* above
5) If it still fails, life is tough. Your unit is probably bricked for good; call Ottonavi!

Where did you find the Solitaire game? I can't seem to navigate to anywhere on local and the only thing on the SD card is the iGo and the backup folder.

Since it seems I'm not getting any time to do the video I wanted I'll just type out my UI suggestions - in case anyone from Ottonavi working on programming is listening!

I'm going to stick to the iPod interface, since that's what I use the most (other than the radio, but I don't really have any beefs with the UI on that).

My main and biggest issue with the iPod interface is scrolling through lists (this is applicable to the Playlist, Album, Artist, & Genre pop-up listings). It's a a combination of the sensitivity of the touchscreen and the size of the list text. It's very hard and unsafe to scroll through any of these lists as the UI stands now. One has to scroll very carefully, and even then the probability of selecting an album you didn't mean to is high and ALWAYS happens to me, since the only way to scroll is to hold and swipe right on top of the album listing. Depending on how finicky the touchscreen is being (usually dependent on temperature), I can sometimes make it far into the album list without accidentally selecting an album, but often the touchscreen won't register my swipe and think I selected one of the albums. If I am lucky and actually make it to the album I want, the text is so small (to fit more albums in the list) I frequently actually select the album above or below the one I wanted. This is even more frustrating since re-opening the list starts it back at the beginning rather than where you were when you previous exited the list.

These issues could be remedied in a couple of ways.

For the selecting:
Simply put less albums per screen of the listing and the make the text - and hence the touchable selection area - larger.

For the scrolling (the bigger issue, IMO):
Option 1) Add a scrollable bar to the right/left of the list that we could hold and drag rather than having to swipe right over the actual album name text.

Option 2) This is even safer than option 1. Make the steering wheel controls context sensitive. As it stands, the up and down arrows on the steering wheel always switch tracks on the currently playing album or playlist no matter what you're doing. If I have a list open I'm probably looking to expedite what's currently playing, so whenever one of the lists is open change these arrows to either A) move the list up or down one page or B) move the list to the start of each new letter - ie. open the album list and hitting the down arrow takes me to the start of the "B" albums, hit it again and it takes me to the start of the "C" albums. (A) is probably a little easier to implement and sufficient to solve the inherent problem.

Option 3) Same as option 2, but if the steering wheel modification is too difficult for some reason, add graphical up/down keys to the graphics so that I'm not swiping right on top of the albums and risking selecting one when I try to swipe the list.

My other grievances are small and I can generally live with them:
1) My "Artist" list refuses to populate. It just sits there loading. Every other list populates fine, but the Artist list refuses to work, I actually have to shut the unit off and back on again if I get it stuck trying to open it. Maybe the artist database on my iPod is too large and the code is crashing. This isn't a big deal to me as I have never browsed by artist.

2) It would be nice if there were a top-level podcast listing. I've worked around this by making smart playlists in iTunes that auto-update as I get new podcasts, and these are the only playlists on my iPod, so it's easy to find the podcast I want. Still, it would be nice if this were available at the top-level.

3) At the OS level it would be nice to be able to re-assign the physical buttons on the unit. I pretty much only use the Radio and iPod interface. It's annoying that the hard "Music" button opens the audio file player rather than the iPod player. It would be great if I could tell the unit to make the iPod player open when the "Music" button is pressed.

In any event, those are my suggestions.

Interesting ideas!

I would also add this one.
I always found silly to have the iPod buttons on the right of the screen so that when you press the buttons you are hiding the left part of the screen with your hand.
I would prefer to have it on the left. Would be closer to the approaching hand too.
In fact, I would say some of the screens need to be customized for either LHD or RHD.

Some of your ideas may actually be possible to do without re-programming.
I believe there must be a way for repositionning or scaling certain things.
Even changing colors or pictures should be possible.
I will dig into that a little bit.

Thanks teiresias

well in the display settings there is an option to set the unit to a different skin. but ottonavi have not made any skins available on their website. I hope they do soon because I do not like the black and gold theme.

I do agree on the ipod interface...just horrible.

What colors would you like to see?

Success!

Finally figured out the UI file format (almost 100%).
Now I can change pretty much anything in the UI except the behavior of course.
Here are a few shots of my new Blue Ribbon Metallic .rrui file which of course matches the color of my car.
(Surprizingly, this color also happens to be the inverted color of the original orange color.)







And the file if you guys want to try it out.
View attachment bluemribbon.zip
Just unzip, copy to a USB disk or your SD card, go to Apps->Options->Skins->Browse and select the blueMribbon.rrui file.
I haven't tested everything; but it seems to work everywhere.
Let me know if you see any problems with it.
*** IMPORTANT: THIS IS FOR THE OTTONAVI G2 version ***
I don't know if that will work on previous UI versions of the unit.

Enjoy.

:rockon: Bulle YOU ROCK!!! :rockon: I loaded it and it works perfectly. Looks so much better than the stock colors. That amber was one thing that did not really match the car. Thank you!!

I'm not familiar with this file format. How much can you customize?

Also: It looks like you loaded a wallpaper, is that what's on your home screen?

Tks Clayfree,
I'm glad you like it and that it works.

Yeah that amber (black orange)... hurt my eyes so much...
That blue color is so much better for me.
Specially next to the nice blue shifter at night...

About the wallpaper (map of the world at night):
yes, I was trying to match the blue color of the UI.
Not a bad experiment but not spectacular enough I think.
I'm not an artist but if someone can come up with a nice wallpaper for that nice blue color!

About the file format: this is what I know so far.
The file itself is pretty much a layout description for each possible screen.
We can change the position and size of any of the elements on the screen.
Each screen can also have a background picture; obviously...
We can also change any element pictures; things like icons, arrows, lines, symbols, etc.
An element can have many pictures (up to 4) and some of them are used only when you touch them.
We can not change the text itself (well I haven't find out how yet) but we can change its color, font size, font weight and style. On the other hand, you can always provide a picture of your text in an element.
We can also assign internal functions to elements although some of this can also be done through the UI customization feature we found out earlier.
Of course, there are still a few fields in the format I'm not sure about.
Some of them are used for formatting fields: draw rectangles, oval shapes, etc.
And a couple more I don't know, so there might be other nice things to find out.
In theory, that means one can actually redesign the UI or at least the look as an iPhone, Android, Windows or any theme really.
There might be a few things hardcoded in their software like the needles for the clock.
But overall pretty much anything would work I think.

Just need an artist and/or some patience...

Are you editing that file in a hex editor? Aside from some plain text near the top of the file (indicating it to be photoshop related), the rest of it appears to be binary.

At first yes. To experiment.
But right now I just convert everything to text.
Then I reparse back in binary.
Simple, a bit tedious but secure. (cuz the parser can validate the data stream.)
Next step (if I have the time) would be to write a RRUIEditor. That would be nice.

Bulle if you can give me specs on the home screen icons I will work on some new one and send them to you.

this is awesome thanks for finding this!

how do I go about changing it to color gray?

Excellent!

For each icon, you need to provide 2 .PNG files:
1 for normal icon
1 for icon when touched
Width: 130
Height: 150 (150 for Home screen; 149 for Apps screen)
Depth: 32 bit ARGB (they use the alpha channel obviously)
All stored in a .PNG file. No interlace.
Example attached.

Go and amaze us!

Just what I needed thanks!

Well for now, I guess I have to do it because the process is not fully automated nor documented.
That was also a good question because graying things is not the same as changing hues.
So I added that feature in.
Here's a file you can try.
View attachment DehhhGray.zip

Please understand that I haven't tested this file.
Use at your own risk.
And if possible, please post some shots so we can all appreciate how it looks!

OK Bulle here's a first pass. I tried the metal so it matches the clock and physical buttons. Not sure if it will be too much color or not but I had to try. I can also try a monochrome set. I will need to set up ove over states and slice them out. Let me know what you think

Very beautiful! Very slick!
Man, you are very skilled!
I like the style, the metal, the glass, the reflections and everything.
Colors are really nice.
Overall, professional look.

One thing I forgot to mention but I'm sure you already figured out but just in case...
The bottom part of the icon is where the text will appear.
It's about 40 pixels high (45 for Apps) and sometimes as large (if not larger) than the icon itself.
Ex: Navigator.
I can't wait to see how they will look like when touched!
May be you can make them larger or pop out or something nice...

Nice work Clay!

Great, thank you! Here they are sliced with a blue glow for the on state. Time for you to work your magic



http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6709347/images.zip

Can't wait to see them in place, then we can adjust size & position if needed.

Tks. Reflections removed? Oh ok. Working on it anyway...

The reflections are still there, The glow seems to override them.

EDIT: I see what happened, I re-positioned the mask and the reflections are more subtle.