Theme creation

Theme creation

This is just a quick overview, if you have problems please mail me at bigclock@gacel.de.
I am planning on a much more userfriendly way of creating themes, but currently this is the only way.

A BigClock theme is a palm resource database containing the data and images. A theme consists of one or more background images and a optional font.
To create a theme you need:

The background images, 160*124 pixels
Optionally a set of number and symbol images
A resource file (*.rcp) describing the theme
Pilrc to compile the resourcedata into binary data, download it here
buildprc.exe (or similar app for Linux) to create the database (*.pdb) from the resources (download a package containg only build-prc or install the complete prc tools)

Background images

The images have to be 160*124 pixels
If you you want to convert a photo best create the image in your favorite image application using the palm palette. A palette.bmp containing the default palm color palette is included in the theme directory. Extract the palette out of the image and then convert the photo to 256 colors with dithering using the palette.

Number and symbol images

There are 16 images.
10 * Numbers (24*40 Pixels)
4 * Symbols (/:.* 8*40 Pixels)
1 * am (48*40 pixels)
1 * pm (48*40 pixels)
These images can have any color depth. Best use either 1 bit or 8 bit.

Resourcefile

"ctrl" resource 7168 describes what the file contains:

1. Word Start resource of the number/symbol images (10 numbers 0-9, 4 Symbols /:.- , am, pm).
You can use transparent or non transparent (=faster images).
If this value is 0 BigClock creates a set of transparent images from the internal font using the colors of the color menu.

2. Word Number of background lines

for each background line 6 bytes 1. byte set number
2. byte page number
3. byte start hour
4. byte end hour
5. word resource id of background image

String resource 7169 contains the info text.

Check out the sample.rcp in the theme dirctory.

Building the theme

Create a resource database with type "BCth" and creator "BClk". Check out the sample.bat in the theme directory on details how to do this.

I will post all themes that are mailed to me on the BigClock page.

1. Word	Start resource of the number/symbol images (10 numbers 0-9, 4 Symbols /:.- , am, pm). You can use transparent or non transparent (=faster images). If this value is 0 BigClock creates a set of transparent images from the internal font using the colors of the color menu.
2. Word	Number of background lines
for each background line 6 bytes	1. byte set number 2. byte page number 3. byte start hour 4. byte end hour 5. word resource id of background image