Noobz guide to modifying themes

[babydraz]

I've had a PSP 1000 for about a week, and obviously the first thing I did was hack it to the latest custom firmware (CFW). I'd recommend reading the Dark Alex wiki and this tutorial.

Then obviously I wanted to change the theme. I started downloading some PTF's but then I read about CXMB, and decided to build my own theme. It took a lot of searching around to figure out, so I put everything together in this mini guide, with links to info about the applications. I'd like to learn more so if anyone has any suggestions then let me know and I'll update the guide.

Programs To Edit Themes

• CXMB - PSP app that lets you load CTF themes. The themes are not flashed, so if you make a mistake and corrupt the theme you can use the recovery menu to access the Memory Stick and change the theme (mild panic the first time I locked up my PSP). Download here.
  
  Note: Recovery menu is accessed by rebooting PSP and holding down R as it turns on.
  
• ptf2rco - Can be used to extract icons from older PSP themes. Convert PTF's to RCO and then open with RCO Editor.
  
• RCOEditor - Used to extract files from RCO's and make manual editing of RCO files. Download here.
  
• GimConv - Convert GIM files (for example GIM icons extracted using RCOEditor) to PNG for editing. Download here.
  
• CustomThemeConverter - Build theme PTF's. http://www.psp-hacks.com/file/1289
  
• Decompressed 5.00 RCO's - Complete set of decompressed 5.00 RCO's. Do a search for them you need the correct files for you CFW version.
  
• Decrypted 500 PRX's - Complete set of decompressed 5.00 RRX's. Do a search for them you need the correct files for you CFW version.
  
• CTFManager - Build and extract CTF's. Download here.
  
• XMBMultiCustomiser - Graphical interface to modify look of XMB. Very useful for making major changes and viewing manual changes. All the info you need about using this as well as the files can be found here.

Quick Guide To Editing Themes

1. Found some themes I liked and used ptf2rco and RCOEditor to get all the images from the PTF's, or in the case of existing CTF's used CTFManager and RCOEditor to extract items.
2. Converted any GIM images I wanted to edit, into PNG, with GimConv. Made changes in photoshop (or whatever you've got).
3. Build new basic PTF file with CustomThemeConverter. This only needs to contain the file information, preview icon and image, wallpaper, and start colour. But image files must be of the correct format;
   
   • Wallpapaer - 24bit BMP 480x272
   • Preview Icon - 8bit index (32bit colour) TGA/PNG/GIM 16x16
   • Preview Image - 24bit BMP 300x170
4. Compile the necessary RCO's and PRX's into a folder called VSH, from the decompressed RCO's and PRX's for your CFW version. My basic set includes;
   
   • VSH
     
     • module
       
       • common_gui.prx
       • paf.prx
       • vshmain.prx
     
     
     • resource
       
       • 01-12.bmp - Colour defintion files, not sure how they work, but took from another theme.
       • 13-27.bmp
       • sysconf_plugin.rco
       • system_plugin_fg.rco
       • topmenu_icon.rco
       • topmenu_plugin.rco
5. Edit various style elements with RCOEditor. So far I've been modding;
   
   • topmenu_icon.rco - All main menu icons.
   • sysconf_plugin.rco - System menu lower level items.
   • system_plugin_fg.rco - Various sytem items like the battery icon.
6. Use XMBMultiCustomiser to make major modifications, like position of icons. You load in your basic VSH files and then compile new ones, which appear in a directory called done in XMBMC folder. Make sure to switch over to English, and turn off compress PRX's when you generate files. Copy newly generated PRX's and RCO's into your base set. A complete step by step guide to using this can be found here.
7. Compile CTF from PTF created earlier, and VSH files built with RCOEditor and XMBMultiCustomiser, using CTFManager.
8. Copy to /PSP/THEME, and load up theme on PSP and away you go.

Cheers

Draz

[ZiNgABuRgA]

Thanks for the tutorial I've approved your earlier thread (this one) and, although this is a tutorial, moved it to this section, as it seems more applicable here.

[p0op]

Great tutorial for a first post.

[Aaron*1]

Nice tutorial! Like p0op said, especially for a first post...

[Nothingface420]

wow you've learned alot for only having your PSP a week
nice to see someone taking the time to learn

thanks for the guide +rep