Maverickster's Mods - UPDATED 12/9/08

[Maverickster]

Well, I originally came here to simply learn how to do the bypass on my F900....one thing led to another and here I am a week later having performed a number of mods that make this unit dramatically more user-friendly than it was when I initially got it. Since I spent an inordinate amount of time wading through the information here (I've literally read just about every post in every thread at least once and several of them several times) to ferret out useful information, I thought it would be helpful to have a thread that shows what I did and then breaks down each mod. Some of these were made by me; some were lifted wholesale from others here; but none of it would've been possible without this community of very well-informed individuals; you should be very proud of what you have here. Special thanks to Boris, Stephanie, Keeper, and Vorian.

 

Alright, here's what I did:

 

1. Clock/Street Number Info - Increased its size. Also, pressing the clock displays the street numbers adjacent to your current GPS location. Pressing the street numbers makes them go away.

 

2. Compass - This is a simple man's detour. When no route is active, it's just a compass. When a route is active, pressing the Compass brings you directly to the edit itinerary screen where you can quickly avoid/detour-around route segments.

 

3. Terminate Route / POI Select Button - When no route is active, this button is the POI Icon; pressing it brings you directly to the keyboard for POI searches near your GPS location (this was tougher than I thought it was going to be) for on-the-fly (assuming you have the bypass) quick navigation. When a route is selected, this button is Red; pressing it terminates the route.

 

4. Navigation Mute / Address Select Button - When no route is selected, this button is a House Icon; pressing it brings you directly to the address select screen for on-the-fly (assuming you have the bypass) quick navigation. When a route is selected, pressing the button mutes the navigation commands (nothing else is muted); pressing it again unmutes.

 

5. Satellite Signal Strength Icon - The color of the icon indicates its signal strength (green = high accuracy 3d fix; Yellow = low accuracy 2d fix; Red X = no fix; Red: GPS antenna problem). Pressing the icon brings you to the GPS Info screen.

 

6. Speedo/Altimeter/Route Info - The map scale has been removed completely (what a PITA), and the function of the route info box (bottom left) has been changed. When no route is selected, the Route Info box is gone and in its stead is a simple altimeter (showing altitude in feet, not miles) and speedometer (and when a speed limit information is detected, that's also displayed). When a route is selected, a modified and much more legible version of the Route Info box appears.

 

That's it, and frankly, I think I'm nearly finished with my mods.

 

MY DATA ZIP FILE IS HERE. Of course, I do not guaranty the effectiveness of this file and by downloading the same, you are agreeing to use it at your own risk and to hold me harmless from any issues it may cause with your unit.

 

Code, bmps, and specific information to the individual hacks follow in the following posts.

 

Here are pictures:

 

No Route Active:

 

Route Active:

 

Thanks all!

[Maverickster]

CLOCK/HOUSE NUMBER MOD

 

Step 1 - Find the ";time" code in the navigatemap_800_480.ui file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ui folder in the DATA.zip file. Replace it with the following and edit the font size, font color, and alignment to taste:

 

;Clock

 

Step 2 - Find the first occurrence of "" in the navigatemap_800_480.ui file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ui folder in the DATA.zip file. Then add the following code beginning on the next line after the first "":

 

;house numbers display 

 

Step 3 - Add the bmps in the attached zip file to the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ folder in the DATA.zip fle.

 

RESULTS: This will make the clock bigger (although you can adjust the font size in the code yourself) and will make it clickable. If you click the clock, it will display the house numbers adjacent to your current location immediately below the current gps location arrow. Press the house numbers to clear them.

 

Oversized Clock:

 

Street Number that Appear when Clicking Clock:

housenumbers.zip

[Maverickster]

COMPASS DETOUR MOD

 

Find this in the navigatemap_800_480.ui file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ui folder in the DATA.zip file :

 

 

And replace it with this:

 

;Compass

;	

 

RESULT: This will make the Compass clickable when a route is active. Clicking the compass will bring you directly to the Itinerary screen where you can select a segement to avoid/detour around.

 

Compass:

 

Itinerary Screen Brought Up By Clicking Compass:

[Maverickster]

TERMINATE ROUTE/POI SELECT MOD

 

Step 1: Add the following code to the navigatemap_800_480.ui file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ui folder in the DATA.zip file right above the ";time" code:

 

;Delete Route - POI Select

 

Step 2 - Add the bmps in the attached zip file to the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ folder in the DATA.zip fle.

 

RESULT: This will add two alternative buttons in the same location. When no route is active, a POI Button will appear which, when pressed, brings you directly to the keyboard for entering a POI around your current location. When a route is active, a red button will appear which,when pressed, terminates the current route.

 

Terminate Route Button:

 

Route Termination Confirmation Brought up by Clicking Terminate Route Button:

 

POI Button:

 

POI Enty Screen (around current GPS location) Brought up by Clicking POI Button:

POI_Select_Button.zip

[Maverickster]

SATELLITE SIGNAL STRENGTH BUTTON MOD

 

Add the following line of code to the navigatemap_800_480.ui file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ui folder in the DATA.zip file near the bottom, in the "" layer, just above the closing layer (i.e. "") tag:

 

; GPS Status
;	

 

RESULT: This adds a small clickable icon which indicates the GPS satellite signal strength. The icon is located immediately about the altitude reading on the bottom left when no route is active; when a route is active, it is located immediately above the Route Info box. Clicking the icon brings you to the GPS Strength screen.

 

Satellite Signal Strength Icon when Route not Active:

 

Satellite Signal Strength Icon when Route Active:

 

Pressing the Satellite Signal Strength Icon Brings you to the GPS Status Screen:

[Maverickster]

SPEEDO/ALTIMETER/ROUTE INFO MOD

 

Step 1: To remove the Map Scale, open up and search through the code of every file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/common/ui folder in the DATA.zip file. The following code should be changed as follows EVERYWHERE it appears:

 

Replace this:

 

map.ZOOMCONTROL_SHOW 1

 

with this

 

map.ZOOMCONTROL_SHOW 0

 

Step 2: To replace the Route Info box in the bottom left corner, find the following code in the navigatemap_800_480.ui file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ui folder in the DATA.zip file:

 

;original three line nav info box
;	
;	
;	
;		
;	
;	
;	
;	
;	
;						         
;	
;	
;
;	
;modified info box

; start hidden








hide



;end hidden










;	






; GPS Status
;	


;current speed (and speed limit where present) and altitude when not navigating





;	

 

RESULT: This will result in the removal of the Map Scale. This will also result in the removal of the original Route Info Box. When no route is selected, the altitude (in feet, not miles) and speed will appear in the lower left hand corner (when speed limit information is available to the device, it will also show the current speed limit). When a route is selected, a more legible version of the Route Information Box will appear.

 

Information Displayed when Route not Active:

 

If Speed Limit Information is Available, it looks like this (1st number is current speed; 2nd number is speed limit):

 

Information Displayed when Route is Active:

 

Pressing the Route Info Box brings you to this Route Info Screen:

[Maverickster]

VOICE GUIDANCE MUTE / ADDRESS SELECT MOD

 

Step 1: Add the following code to the navigatemap_800_480.ui file in the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ui folder in the DATA.zip file right above the ";time" code:

 

;Voice Guidance Mute - Address Select

 

Step 2: Add the bmps in the attached zip files to the DATA/ui_pioneer/800_480/ folder in the DATA.zip fle.

 

RESULT: This will add two alternative buttons in the same location. When no route is active, a Address Button (identified by a House icon) will appear which, when pressed, brings you to the address entry screen. When a route is active, a speaker button will appear which, when pressed will mute the navigation guidance voice (nothing else will be muted); when pressed again, the navigation guidance will be unmuted.

 

Voice Guidance Mute Button:

 

 

Address Button:

 

Address Entry Screen Brought up by Pressing Address Button:

Mute_Address Buttons.zip

[Maverickster]

Reserved.

[Maverickster]

Reserved.

[dr.ona]

Great job!

I'm saving this page for when I get my F900 and do some modding...

[rv7flyer]

That is just about perfect! I am going to redo my 90 like this with the exception of adding the nav voice mute button. "prepare to continue forward" AUGG!!! I might add it in the same location as the sat info button. I also thought about the need for sat strength info. In my airplane I have a garmin style nav unit that has a small little dot placed in the center of my screen. That dot is only 3 or 4 pix in size. It turns different color depending on the validity of the GPS signal I am getting. I want to adapt that to a dot in the center of the arrow on my 90bt.

 

Good work!

[peterparker]

this is awesome.. thanks much...

 

will any of this code interfere with the VOICE MUTE button?

[AZFlyingDiver]

Great stuff - now I know what I'm going to do this weekend...

[Maverickster]

That is just about perfect! I am going to redo my 90 like this with the exception of adding the nav voice mute button. "prepare to continue forward" AUGG!!! I might add it in the same location as the sat info button. I also thought about the need for sat strength info. In my airplane I have a garmin style nav unit that has a small little dot placed in the center of my screen. That dot is only 3 or 4 pix in size. It turns different color depending on the validity of the GPS signal I am getting. I want to adapt that to a dot in the center of the arrow on my 90bt.

 

Good work!

 

If you do that, let me know if you find a place to put it without increasing "screen clutter". Note that the clock does not currently have anything assigned to it, so that might be a good place.

[Maverickster]

this is awesome.. thanks much...

 

will any of this code interfere with the VOICE MUTE button?

 

If you follow the instructions found here, then no, it won't conflict:

 

http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18624

 

Only problem is that if you use all of my hacks, you'll have to find somewhere else to put the Mute button since pretty much the entire X=720 column is taken. Shouldn't be too tough. Just play around with the X and Y coordinates until you find a place you like. Or, alternatively, use the clock as the button. This also shouldn't be too tough, but will require something of a working knowledge of how the code works.

 

Good luck!

 

--Mav