Hacking EZ-Flash 4 Skin builder ()

[Localhorst86]

hey guys....i tryed to install the customized version, but it gives me black screen when i tryed to install pressing r button

@Localhorst86
What can it happend?

PD:maybe GBmicro , this evening i will try with my SP ....

Greetings

Just so we are getting this straight: you made a custom skin, took the ezfla_update.bin and copied it to the root of your SD card?

I understand it hasn't even tried to flash the file to the card? What model of the ezflash card do you have and what size is the SD card that you use?

You can also try loading your ezfla_update.bin I the batgba emulator on your PC to see if it works at all.

 

[hellionz]

@Localhorst86 the problem was i have older ezflash IV model (the white one) and i need to use a miniSD FAT format for upgrade.

Now all work ok

thx bro

 

[Localhorst86]

Great to hear. That would have been my next suggestion.

 

[UAC_Pilot_One]

NOT tested with an EZ-Flash IV Reform!

EDIT: 2018-01-08 - kernel pack 2.05 added

Hi there, just tested on Reform with kernel 2.05 and looks all fine!

 

[ym2612]

hello localhorst86, i would like to edit the deskicon.bmp from your ez-flat iv skin, is there any chance to get your original bmp files from kernel 2.05? or is a tool available that can convert bmp to the gba format used by RomBuildPro.exe?

 

[Localhorst86]

hello localhorst86, i would like to edit the deskicon.bmp from your ez-flat iv skin, is there any chance to get your original bmp files from kernel 2.05? or is a tool available that can convert bmp to the gba format used by RomBuildPro.exe?

AFAIK, the is no tool to extract them from the compiled kernel.

I posted my source files at one point here:
https://gbatemp.net/index.php?posts/6528820

Gesendet von meinem Mi A1 mit Tapatalk

 

[dimenfer]

Hi guys!

I'm glad that after several years some people shows love for that cart, owned the miniSD a decade ago, and now I have the reform and want to make I skin my self, searched and found a lot of related threads in sosuke, mostly outdated or for FW1.75, to avoid messing up things I searched a more recent material and found this thread, thanks, but..

When trying to use the Skin Builder but it not worked out of the box, when I run the build.bat the process closes right before the start, the ezfla file is generated but it has only a few KBs, any light for that?

I don't see any error message so I'm in the dark.

if anyone can, help me.

 

[Localhorst86]

Hi guys!

I'm glad that after several years some people shows love for that cart, owned the miniSD a decade ago, and now I have the reform and want to make I skin my self, searched and found a lot of related threads in sosuke, mostly outdated or for FW1.75, to avoid messing up things I searched a more recent material and found this thread, thanks, but..

When trying to use the Skin Builder but it not worked out of the box, when I run the build.bat the process closes right before the start, the ezfla file is generated but it has only a few KBs, any light for that?

I don't see any error message so I'm in the dark.

if anyone can, help me.

There is no GUI to the tool.
882Kb sounds reasonable, depending on your images. Try running the file in the batgba emulator (https://batgba.zophar.net/) - if you can see your skin, congratulations.

 

[Jayro]

I REAAAAAAAALY hate to bump this thread, but I need help... I'm trying to make a custom theme.

The prep work is done: I've upgraded my cart to the v2.05 official kernel, and have an 8GB SD card formatted as FAT32 with 8KB clusters, the highest it would allow.

Now, to my issue:
I am trying to use the skinbuilder in the OP of this thread to make a custom theme for kernel v2.05. I extracted the Skinbuilder to it's own folder, and then unzipped the 2.05 kernelpack to that folder, overwriting the .rom file and replacing the patches that came with Skinbuilder with the new ones from the kernelpack. My builks come out at almost 900KB, which seems about normal. The problem though, is when I place the newly-built ezfla_up.bin on the SD card and boot up the Gameboy holding R, all I get is a black screen. I haven't even replaced any bitmaps at this point, so what am I doing wrong? Do I need to use a different SD card to write a new kernel?

 

[Localhorst86]

I REAAAAAAAALY hate to bump this thread, but I need help... I'm trying to make a custom theme.

The prep work is done: I've upgraded my cart to the v2.05 official kernel, and have an 8GB SD card formatted as FAT32 with 8KB clusters, the highest it would allow.

Now, to my issue:
I am trying to use the skinbuilder in the OP of this thread to make a custom theme for kernel v2.05. I extracted the Skinbuilder to it's own folder, and then unzipped the 2.05 kernelpack to that folder, overwriting the .rom file and replacing the patches that came with Skinbuilder with the new ones from the kernelpack. My builks come out at almost 900KB, which seems about normal. The problem though, is when I place the newly-built ezfla_up.bin on the SD card and boot up the Gameboy holding R, all I get is a black screen. I haven't even replaced any bitmaps at this point, so what am I doing wrong? Do I need to use a different SD card to write a new kernel?

This might be an sd issue. You can test your ezfla_up.bin file in the batgba emulator (others might work, too, but I know batgba definitely works.)
To see if it boots at all.

If it does, your bin file is all right.

What type of sd card are you using and what model of ezflash IV do you have? If it's the old white mini-sd model, you're going to need a non-SDHC (less than 4gb in size) card to update the kernel as the bootloader of that card can't handle SDHC cards.

 

[Jayro]

If it's the old white mini-sd model, you're going to need a non-SDHC (less than 4gb in size) card to update the kernel as the bootloader of that card can't handle SDHC cards.

That solved it! I used the old 1GB Mini SD formatted to FAT16 and 64K cluster size to do the flashing of the new theme, and it works now. Thanks for the help! And yeah, mine is the old White version EZ-FLASH IV.

Thanks for your help, and great app!

 

[Localhorst86]

That solved it! I used the old 1GB Mini SD formatted to FAT16 and 64K cluster size to do the flashing of the new theme, and it works now. Thanks for the help! And yeah, mine is the old White version EZ-FLASH IV.

Thanks for your help, and great app!

Yeah, keep that card around. You will always need that for flashing different kernels to the card

 

[Jayro]

Yeah, keep that card around. You will always need that for flashing different kernels to the card

Oh, I've already labeled it and I'm keeping it with my GBA games and accessories.

 

[BigGreasy]

Thanks for the detailed info @Localhorst86 , I will try to finish the skin sometime soon.

I know this is nearly over 3 years old but I am still using the EZ4 and I love your skin. Did you ever finish it?

 

[Leeka]

Hey, thank you for the tool ! Great work. Saved me a lot of time.

I'm in the process of creating a skin, had this "issue" :
There's a white square appearing whenever a game loads (in the describe window, behind the "loading x%") and where the arrow is when you select an option in that same window, like language and such.

Do you know of a workaround...Apart from a white background ?

 

[Jayro]

Hey, thank you for the tool ! Great work. Saved me a lot of time.

I'm in the process of creating a skin, had this "issue" :
There's a white square appearing whenever a game loads (in the describe window, behind the "loading x%") and where the arrow is when you select an option in that same window, like language and such.

Do you know of a workaround...Apart from a white background ?

I've been trying to hunt down those light squares to fix them in the theme I made, but I can't find them. There's also some chinese symbols I can't seem to find either. (They aren't in the bitmaps.)

 

[Leeka]

I've been trying to hunt down those light squares to fix them in the theme I made, but I can't find them. There's also some chinese symbols I can't seem to find either. (They aren't in the bitmaps.)

Couldn't find that either in the textures.
I'll see later if I can figure out how to open the rombuildpro's code. Maybe there's something to do here.


Edit : also when I can post links and files I'll put my theme on this site, it's finished now apart from those EZFlash OS quirks

 

[Jayro]

Failing that, it might need a hex edit to change the color value if all-else fails.

I created this theme HERE.

 

[Leeka]

I'll see later if I can figure out how to open the rombuildpro's code. Maybe there's something to do here.

From the nothingness I've found it seems one would have to code something to crack it open (or get something from the EZ-Flash team, UNLIKELY) .
I'm no dev so, eh.

 

[MikeZgZ]

This is just a quick thread to release the skin builder I am using for everyone so everyone can make their own skins now.

This tool is basically just the "Customize Pack" available from the EZ-Flash website but the kernel has been replaced by the 2.02 kernel.

To create your own skin, just edit the bitmap files and the help.txt in the Res\.shell folder. Once finished, simply double click the "build.bat" file and you'll receive a stock ezfla_up.bin file.

You'll also notice a folder called "patches". These contain ips patches for various major and minor improvements to the kernel (making 8Kb show up as 8Kb instead of 8,192 bytes, translation improvements and the clearlooks font). Simply apply them to your ezfla_up.bin file using any ips patching tool. Sorry the patches are not properly documented, they were originally intended for personal use only.

I decided not to include my EZ-Flat base skin in this pack because the base skin that comes with the customize pack contains a few more icons necessary for older versions of the skin. So if anyone wants to use this as a base for creating a skin that contains more icons, they can see which icon needs to go where.

A second upload will contain various older kernels and their appropriate patches. Simply copy the kernel (rombuildpro.rom) you want to the Res folder, overwriting the existing one.

Make sure to only apply patches made for whichever kernel version you're using. Using wrong version patches will break things or eat your children.

Credits to Gyron, Lybertyernie, Kuwanger and Draxxon for kernel various text improvements and fixes, the improved font and original Hard Reset modifications. Most IPS patches were adapted for 1.78 onwards by myself.

DISCLAIMER: I am not to be held responsible for any damages this may cause to your EZ-Flash Cartridge, your computer, your loved ones or your life.
This has only been tested on a EZ-Flash IV micro SD version and the EZ-Flash Reform, use at your own risk.

EDIT: 2017-07-17 - kernel pack 2.03 added
EDIT: 2017-10-31 - kernel pack 2.04 added
EDIT: 2018-01-08 - kernel pack 2.05 added

Hello if youhave the standard normal kernel 1.72 version, pls share it too! I need to find the 1.72 kernel version very fast because it will be a gift, thanks man, just the kernel version, no skin I mean.