Hacking System Menu GUI

[transam81]

Is there a system menu customization GUI out there? i've been searching with out luck. I'm talking about a system menu wizard, where i can see the system menu screen as i make the changes.

 

[gameboy13]

I don't know if it has a live preview, but MyMenuify can customize the Wii Menu.

 

[transam81]

i have it nope no live preview.

 

[techboy]

Unfortunately, no such tool exists.

If it did, everyone would be using it.

I want something like this as well. It'd make theming a breeze compared to all the manual editing we do now.

 

[transam81]

i know what you mean i dl the beginners pack off wiibrew, i couldn't believe how much there is to change.
i'm working on a theme that should put the Kingdom Hearts theme off the .mym repo to shame.

if i had a gui this would be a lot faster

 

[techboy]

I've been wanting a theme for James Cameron's Avatar for quite a while...I took a look at that beginner's pack and was STILL confused (and I suck at graphics...)

Guess I'll stick to helping people fix their wii...95% of my posts are probably in such topics.

 

[transam81]

Well it help to know what the original system menu looks like. that way as your changing the pieces found in the beginners pack you can atleast imagine what the end result might be. i say might because like i said i haven't finished with my first attempt at this sooooo, ya.

you know what would help would be an exploded view pointing out xxxx.tnf is this and this other one is that. so that way i can see which image it is i'm changing, by simply looking at my "Map" like picture.

I've been wanting a theme for James Cameron's Avatar for quite a while...I took a look at that beginner's pack and was STILL confused (and I suck at graphics...)

Guess I'll stick to helping people fix their wii...95% of my posts are probably in such topics.

 

[Slimmmmmm]

IF...IF...dolphin supprts custom menus, then you can use that for a preview before installing it, or just use SNEEK or wanins menu loader.

 

[SifJar]

IF...IF...dolphin supprts custom menus, then you can use that for a preview before installing it, or just use SNEEK or wanins menu loader.

I'm fairly sure Dolphin does work. I remember one of the Wii Theme Team (diddy81 I think) mentioning a while back that they used it to test themes. I believe there is an option in ThemeMii to install a theme to a NAND dump, which allows you to install it to the NAND dump you are using for Dolphin and then boot Dolphin and test.

 

[transam81]

thanks for the advice you guys i'll give the Dolphin ThemeMii combo a try.

 

[diddy81]

yep i use dolphin to test theme but it cant handle a full theme

you need to make it in smaller parts then put them all together

thats how we did the Wii OS theme

 

[transam81]

WTF i've been at this dolphin themeMii crap half the day.
i don't know how you all deal with this it's such a drag.
guess it's because i'm learning which file is what only after i make the change. which i'm doing 1 at a time just to be sure i can tell what nit is i changed.

 

[diddy81]

get one of our themes and bin the beginner's pack it has errors in it

 

[transam81]

@diddy81 i have one of those themes. quick question though, is it possible to make a couple of minor changes to it? i talking about like just the background and the plus and minus arrows. you know just tweak it a little.

 

[SifJar]

Of course its possible. Just find the relevant images and edit them to your pleasing.

 

[diddy81]

@transam81 yep if you open it and theres a load of folders in there just find what you want to change and do it

but if its just a load of files like ie: file1, file2, file3
its abit more complicated as you would need to either unpack the files or add new edits in the ini

 

[SifJar]

BTW, .mym files are just renamed .zip files, your favourite archiver application (I like 7zip if you need one) should be able to extract it, if it doesn't work, rename it to .zip and try again.

 

[transam81]

thank for your input didd81 & SifJar, i found the image list i was looking for by the way. can some one tell me if this is still relevant http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=134404 it was posted back in Feb. of '09, also this http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=134815. it would really help me get an idea of what it is i'm doing, if i had references like these. so i am hoping this info isn't obsolete.

i have another question how can i update my 4.0 .mym. it gives me the system files are corrupt screen, every time that i reboot after watching netflix. i'm currently on 4.2u. i downloaded an any wii .mym from the repository but when i un zipped it i still couldn't see the images.
so I'm positive that when i finish making the changes to the 4.0 theme it will still give me the same problem. unless thememii can some how make the update changes for me.

 

[diddy81]

this link is a full break down including 4.x ash files http://fathertom.net/hardwii/?p=375 as for the the method in the second link that's redundant now

get something easy like the transformer mym unzip it and look how the ini works

here's a quick run down how it works

[cont##] this unpacks a ash so mymenu or thememii can add new items
file=\layout\common\cursor.ash the file to upack
type=ASH|U8

[simg##] this converts a png to a tpl and replaces it
file=\layout\common\cursor_ash_out\arc\timg\defcursor_final64_a.tpl the tpl to replace or add
source=\cursor\defcursor_final64_a.png the pic file to use as the tpl
width=64 the size of the new tpl
height=64 the size of the new tpl

[sdta##] this will replace a a file in a ash
file=\layout\common\cursor_ash_out\arc\blyt\P1_Def.brlyt the file that you want to replace or add
source=\blyt\P1_Def.brlyt the file to replace or add

be sure that non of the ## numbers duplicate any other in a tag group
IE:
[simg10] and another [simg10] in the ini
[simg10 and [sdta10] are fine

 

[SifJar]

I believe it is easier to create a .mym using ThemeMii, where you can add, for example, a simg, and then browse in the base .app for the image you want to replace, preview it to check it is what you want to replace, then add the file to replace it with, and it automatically does the containers and I think also the size of the image.

EDIT: Yeah, I just tested this, it is as I said. Incredibly easy. You can find whatever you want to replace and replace it, very simple. Manages image size (from PNG or TPL, your choice) and containers and also source (i.e. you tell it the file on your computer, it'll put that in a folder in the mym and auto-add the source to the ini). Much easier than doing it all manually IMO.