ZuneMods.net :: View article - Customizing Your Zune Software

Posted: Jan Mon 14, 2008 10:23 pm

from crap backgrounds to custom backgrounds to custom theme!
a tutorial by db

What You Need
first off you'll need a resource editor be it reshacker, xn resource editor, or restrorator.
i chose restrorator because of its dumping abilities and drag 'n' drop, but for simplicity we'll be working with reshacker since its free. (http://angusj.com/resourcehacker/)

Also, you'll need an image you would like to use as your Zune software background.

Backup
by now you should have your zune program installed and set up, you will want to go to C:\program files\zune\ (or wherever you installed your program to) and make a copy of zuneshellresources.dll and rename it to zuneshellresources.bak just incase you make some edits that might have messed up the program, you'll have this one safe and sound.

Custom Background
open reshacker and open zuneshellresources.dll>

go into RCData and scroll down to "framebackground00.png" there are 5 of these images. these are the images of the zune program. for right now we're going to export framebackground00.png, in the "folder" there is a file named 1033, and then go to action, and save as binary file, name it "framebackground00.png".

now you can edit this picture to what ever you want. or make a 1007x756 based image or any other sized, just make sure its a good enough size of the window you'd be using in the zune program.

after you've made your changes, you'll want to go to action> add new resource, select your image,after that you'll see this window:

use the settings> Resource type: RCData , Resource name: Framebackground06.png (or any number or any name but im just going with the rest of the naming to make it more easy to find), and Resource language: 1033. after that it should add in your new image.

after your image is added, we now have make the option for the program to enable a new bg. so go to RCData, and scroll down to Styles.uix. this is where all the coding for colors and fonts and stuff is basically, to make things faster , press ctrl+f and what we're trying to find is "<List Name="FrameBackgrounds">" after you find it, you'll see this

Code:

now were going to add in your new theme AFTER

Code:

<zune:BackgroundOption Description="{zune:Shell.LoadString(zune:StringId.IDS_BACKGROUND_NAME_5)}" Value="res://ZuneShellResources!FrameBackground05.png" Color="{new iris:WindowColor(239,239,239)}"/>

were going to put >

Code:

<zune:BackgroundOption Description="theme name" Value="res://ZuneShellResources!FrameBackground06.png" Color="{new iris:WindowColor(239,239,239)}"/>

put in your own discription of the image, after that hit compile script on resource hacker, and then save the file.

now open up the zune program, migrate your happy self to settings>display and you should see your new theme. go ahead and select it and hit apply. then close the program and open it back up, to make sure you did everything right. and if you did, congrats you just made your own background for your zune program.

Extra Notes
now if you wanna change all the icons, and other images for the zune program, you'll have to export all of the images and replace them, its a long and time consuming task but well worth it if you want it to look great.
hopefully there shouldnt need to be any lengthly explanation here.
(just replace the resources like how we exported the framebackground00.png just do that for all the images, make your edits, then replace them )

Thumbnail Border

Looking in ThumbnailButton.UIX there is this code:

Code:

basically change the borderwidth's int32 to desired # and then go to :

Code:

and change the content to some color , this is the bordercolor, you might be able to do r,g,b code here i havent tried, but i just put mine to "black".

Disabled Columns Enabled
i came a cross this a few days ago thought id add it in. in list view, the columns have some disabled selections, well in Trackspanelcolumns.uix most of the disabled check boxes are labeled as "removable" and they have been set to false, ie:

Code:

<spreadsheet:ColumnInfo Header="{zune:Shell.LoadString(zune:StringId.IDS_RATING_COLUMN_HEADER)}"
HeaderIcon="{styles:Styles.RatingHeader}"
CellType="{typeof(me:RatingCell)}"
SortBy="{me:SortInfo.UserRating}"
SortAscendingDefault="false"
CellPadding="4,0,4,0"
Resizable="false" Removable="false">

switching removable to "true" will enable you to check them in the columns enabling you to remove them, i found this trying to remove the rating colum from the browse view, but so far i can only get it off on the list view. so if anyone finds out how to remove the other colums in browse view.. id love the pointer.

Changing Font Colors
and the best for last, you can change all the color coding, just go to the styles.uix found in RCData and adjust the rgb scheme, as in (xxx,xxx,xxx) if you need help with colors just pop open mspaint or something and put in the r,g,b numbers and tada. its a bit of playing around most of the names are labeled rather well.

Changing Font Styles
if you want to add your own fonts, just add resource, select the font, and use these settings;
Resource type: RCData
Resource name: (font name)
Resource language: 1033
(add resource)

Then go into Styles.uix and change the fonts from there. (i myself haven't played with it but thats if you want to, if you dont know what you're really doing id suggest not playing with it. )

Need Help
The official support thread for this tutorial is located here:
http://www.zunemods.net/topic1183.html
if you come up with some issues, just let me know, ill reply as soon as I can.

also if you wanna get my theme it can be found here:
http://db-ie.deviantart.com/art/db-zune-theme-74250676

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