Using Simulator Skin Files
Palm OS Cobalt Simulator uses skin files to present the image of a handheld. Note that the skin is simply a graphic; it does not change the ROM or the handheld being emulated. The skin simply changes the appearance of the Simulator window.
The skin choices available are dependent on the handheld selection. When you select a handheld, Simulator reads through the available SKIN files for the skin names that support the selected handheld.
Palm OS Emulator comes with a built-in Generic skin. This skin is suitable for doing your own application testing and debugging.
However, there are times when you want Simulator to look more like a specific handheld, such as when you are using Simulator to demonstrate your application to others. This section describes how to use additional skins that are available, and how to modify or create your own skins.
Using Skin Files
You can select the skin file for your simulation session by using Settings > Display > Skin.
Modifying or Creating Skin Files
Skins are defined by a pair of files: an image file and a SKIN
file that describes the image file. The image file is a graphic; currently, only BMP
format is supported.
The associated SKIN
file is a text file that describes the image. The text file is made up of a series of lines, each line defining an attribute of the image. Each definition is of the form:
This is similar to the way INI
files are stored on Windows, and how Simulator saves its own preferences.
Conditions for Skin File Entries
The following conditions apply for the definitions in SKIN
files:
- The attribute is case-sensitive. For example,
"Name"
and"name"
are not equivalent. - There can be only one definition of each attribute. For example, if the skin can be used with multiple handhelds, specify both handhelds on the same
"Devices"
definition. This definition is correct:
However, this definition is not correct:
- White space is optional, both around the equal sign and in the specification of the value. For example,
"color=1,2,3"
is the same as"color = 1, 2, 3"
. - The file can include comments, which are ignored when the file is parsed. Comments appear on their own lines, and start with "#" or ';'.
- Invalid files are detected and silently ignored. There is currently no error reporting when invalid values are encountered. Your only indication that something is wrong is that your skin won't show up in the Skins menu or dialog box.
Specifying Attributes in Skin Files
This list defines the attributes that you can use in skin files, and a describes how to specify the attribute's values.
-
Name
- This is the name of the skin. The value is what appears in the Skin menu in the New Session dialog box and in the Skins dialog box.
- Example:
-
Name = Keith's Cool Skin
-
File1x
- This is the name of the single-scale BMP image file.
- Example:
-
File1x = MySkin1.bmp
-
BackgroundColor
- This field defines the normal color used when displaying the LCD area of Simulator's display. The value is specified as an RGB set of values. The three components are provided as hexadecimal or decimal values in the range from 0 to 255, separated by commas.
- Example:
-
BackgroundColor = 0x7B, 0x8C, 0x5A
-
HighlightColor
- Note: This setting is not currently supported in this release of Palm OS Cobalt Simulator.
- This field defines the backlighting color used when displaying the LCD area of Simulator's display. (That is, the color used for when the user turns on backlighting by holding down the power button.)
- The value is specified as an RGB set of values. The three components are provided as hexadecimal or decimal values in the range from 0 to 255, separated by commas.
- Example:
-
HighlightColor = 132, 240, 220
-
Devices
- Provides the list of handhelds with which this skin can be used. One or more handhelds can be provided, separated by commas. The current list of valid handhelds is:
-
Pilot
,Pilot1000
,Pilot5000
,PalmPilot
,PalmPilotPersonal
,PalmPilotProfessional
,PalmIII
,PalmIIIc
,PalmIIIe
,PalmIIIx
,PalmV
,PalmVx
,PalmVII
,PalmVIIEZ
,PalmVIIx
,PalmM100
,m100
,PalmM105
,m105
,PalmM125
,m125
,PalmM130
,m130
,PalmM500
,m500
,PalmM505
,m505
,PalmM515
,m515
,PalmI705
,i705
,Symbol1500
,Symbol1700
,Symbol1740
,TRGpro
,HandEra330
,Visor
, VisorPlatinum, VisorPrism, VisorEdge
- Examples:
- Devices = Pilot1000, Pilot5000
- Devices = PalmIIIc
-
Element#
- A class of attributes that describes the layout of the image. There is one attribute for each item in the image that can be clicked on. There are also attributes for the LCD and touchscreen areas.
- The value for each attribute is a list of 5 items: the name of the element and its coordinates on the screen. The current set of valid element names is:
-
PowerButton
- The hardware on/off button.
-
UpButton
- The hardware scroll up button.
-
DownButton
- The hardware scroll down button.
-
App1Button
- The first application button (usually the Date Book application button).
-
App2Button
- The second application button (usually the Address Book application button).
-
App3Button
- The third application button (usually the To Do List application button).
-
App4Button
- The fourth application button (usually the Memo Pad application button).
-
CradleButton
- The HotSync® operation button.
-
Antenna
- The trigger for raising the antenna.
-
ContrastButton
- The hardware dial for setting screen contrast.
-
Touchscreen
- The full screen area, including the area.
-
LCD
- The application screen area, excluding the area.
-
Symbol-specific Values:
-
TriggerLeft
-
TriggerCenter
-
TriggerRight
-
UpButtonLeft
-
UpButtonRight
-
DownButtonLeft
-
DownButtonRight
All elements except for Touchscreen
and LCD
are optional.
The coordinates of each element are provided by specifying the left coordinate, the top coordinate, the element width, and the element height. Only single-scale coordinates can be provided; double-scale coordinates are derived from these. Coordinate values can be specified in hexadecimal or decimal.
Each attribute name must start with the text "Element", and must be suffixed with characters that make it unique from all the other element-related attributes.
Listing 3.1 shows an example of a skin file.
Listing 3.1 Example of a Skin File
# This is a skin file for Palm OS Cobalt Simulator. See the ReadMe.txt # file in this directory for a description of its contents. Name = Standard-English File1x = Palm_III_16.bmp BackgroundColor = 0x7B, 0x8C, 0x5A HighlightColor = 0x64, 0xF0, 0xDC Devices = PalmIII # x y w h # ---- ---- ---- ---- Element1 = PowerButton, 10, 295, 16, 24 Element2 = UpButton, 110, 292, 20, 21 Element3 = DownButton, 110, 313, 20, 21 Element4 = App1Button, 37, 295, 23, 25 Element5 = App2Button, 76, 297, 23, 25 Element6 = App3Button, 141, 297, 23, 25 Element7 = App4Button, 180, 294, 23, 25 Element11 = Touchscreen, 39, 44, 160, 220 Element12 = LCD, 39, 44, 160, 160