Ok, the 7zip was a good suggestion. It allowed me to extract the Image.res file into it's subfolders. Now I am having issues finding a way to compress all the folders back into the ".res" file extention. Other posts have said to use 7zip on it leaving an extention of .7z, but after uploading that to the APL folder, the unit will not boot properly. I've tried changing the extention manually to .res, and that works a little, but it's causing my main screen to just have text.

 

If anyone has sucessfully uncompressed a .res file, edited the contents, and also re compressed it back with the extention ".res", please let me know what you are doing, programs used, and OS platform.

 

Thank you guys.

you just change the extension from .7z to .res

Ok, the 7zip was a good suggestion. It allowed me to extract the Image.res file into it's subfolders. Now I am having issues finding a way to compress all the folders back into the ".res" file extention. Other posts have said to use 7zip on it leaving an extention of .7z, but after uploading that to the APL folder, the unit will not boot properly. I've tried changing the extention manually to .res, and that works a little, but it's causing my main screen to just have text.

 

If anyone has sucessfully uncompressed a .res file, edited the contents, and also re compressed it back with the extention ".res", please let me know what you are doing, programs used, and OS platform.

 

Thank you guys.

 

you just change the extension from .7z to .res

what I get when I just change the extention like you mentioned is an iconless, graphic less theme. it's only text and black screens. All that I changed was the 3 icons on the main screen and the fm/am icons from devices. The rest of the "red theme" has been stripped out. Any ideas why? The images are bmp-16 and I've tried 24 as well to no avail.

Ok, the 7zip was a good suggestion. It allowed me to extract the Image.res file into it's subfolders. Now I am having issues finding a way to compress all the folders back into the ".res" file extention. Other posts have said to use 7zip on it leaving an extention of .7z, but after uploading that to the APL folder, the unit will not boot properly. I've tried changing the extention manually to .res, and that works a little, but it's causing my main screen to just have text.

 

If anyone has sucessfully uncompressed a .res file, edited the contents, and also re compressed it back with the extention ".res", please let me know what you are doing, programs used, and OS platform.

 

Thank you guys.

 

you just change the extension from .7z to .res

 

what I get when I just change the extention like you mentioned is an iconless, graphic less theme. it's only text and black screens. All that I changed was the 3 icons on the main screen and the fm/am icons from devices. The rest of the "red theme" has been stripped out. Any ideas why? The images are bmp-16 and I've tried 24 as well to no avail.

the reason for that is you did not compress it properly,

when you uncompress image.res you get an image folder and inside it is another image folder and inside that are the folders, the proper way to compress it is to compress the second image folder, let mem know how it goes

I'm assuming you mean compress the root level "image" folder not the image folder inside it that contails the other folder items. Regardless, I've zipped both to test using 7zip then changing .zip to .res. No luck. It seems to at least try to load if I compress as a .7z instead of .zip then change to .res. This is all very irritating since I have 2 themes ready to go except for this step.

Ok, by process of elimination, I have FOUND IT! Just so it's said for anyone looking to do this in the future I have outlined a How To Guide for the whole process. I will test my themes a couple more times then post for everyone as well. I'll shoot a link when it's done:

1) Download 7zip from www.7zip.com

2) download the Image.res file from your Avic unit (after you boot up to Windows), look in the MyFlashDevice folder, then APL, then look for Image.res. Highlight it, click on "Edit" from the "File, Edit...." menu at the top of the screen and click copy.

3) Click on the "Start" button on the bottom left of the screen, then click on "Programs", "Explorer" should be your only choice, click that.

4) Click on "Storage Device" and paste the Image.res file (paste is located under Edit in the "file, edit...." menu up top as well)

5) Pop out the disk and go to your Windows computer and copy that file to your desktop.

6) Right click on the Image.res file now on your desktop and select 7zip, then "extract to Image\" (if you do not see 7zip, click "open with" and click "select a program from a list", then click on 7zip)

7) 7zip will now extract the Image.res file to the "Image" folder at the same location as you have the Image.res file.

Now you can edit any files you wish.

9) After you are finished editing and want to RE-compress the file back, click on the Image\ folder have created. Inside it should be another Image folder. Just incase, double click on it again to make sure you get to a series of 4 folders (Av, Common, Main, and Tel). Once you see these files, go back up one level so you are looking the Image\ folder again (the one that if you double clicked on it again, would show you the four folders Av, Common, Main, and Tel)

10) Right click on this Image\ folder and select 7zip, then "add to archive" (if you do not have the 7zip option there, click on Start, programs, 7zip, then just click Open and navigate to the folder or just drag it into the 7zip window)

11) Make sure the Archive Format is set to "7z", and I just use the compression level to Normal and the Compression Method to LZMA. Everything else should be fine as default.

12) Click OK.

13) Find the file you just made called Image.7z, click on the name under the Icon once so that you can rename it (or right click on the icon and select Rename).

14) Change the .7z to .res and click enter.

15) Put the new .res file you just made back on your SD card, put it back in your AVIC unit and boot it to windows.

16) Go to Storage Device and click once on the Image.res file we just made to highlight it, click on copy from the Edit menu, then navigate to MyFlashDevice, then the APL folder.

17) Click on Edit, and Paste.

18) The Screen will ask you if you want to over write the file and say YES/OK. It would be wise to save a copy of the original file incase you have screwed up. If you do screw up, just boot back to windows and copy over that image.res file with the original.

19) Turn the radio off and reboot it.

20) the end.

I've started a new thread called "Free themes and How to make them". Here I am listing everything I've learned as to how to make your own themes and piece together parts from other themes to make a custom one. I've also added two themes I've created as well for download.

Please contribute to this thread:

http://avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=25480&p=173253#p173253