GDesk S60 v0.35b3 - Design your own home screen + Tutorial

GDesk S60 v0.35b3

Sorry I won't be describing the software (GDesk) very vividly. Instead I will just say what it does and I will walk you guys through the designing process. Designing process? I meant how to make a GDesk Design.

These are my designs:



Design: Just my first attempt.



Design: N95toN8 Slide Effect.
Designer: payas0 (RhanCandia)
Compatibility: GDesk S60 v0.35b3
Description: I wanted to emulate N8's home screen so I came up with this. Well its not much like N8's, but at least I tried my best. When I said Slide Effect, I meant it. N95's screen resolution is just 240x320, but the design I made was 240x470 (as shown on the image.) It SLIDES! yey!

Basically, GDesk is a software that allows S60 users to design their own home screen as they see fit and attractive. It doesn't just give your home screen a cool impact, it is also functional! You can add lots of application shortcuts in your home screen, thus making them easier to access.

Installation:

1. Install GDeskS60v0.35b3.sis
2. Install the plug-ins in any order.

Short Designing Guide (Functions and Basic Designing.)

Once you run GDesk you'll end up on a blank screen. It is your canvass. Pressing the Right Soft Key will give you access to the GDesk Menu. Pressing the Left Soft Key will exit the software (by default.)

Menu Options.

Run Main - Runs your phones default Home Screen.

Recent - It doesn't do anything. I don't know why.

Run - Run any application.

Control Panel - Some basic applications in your phone. I don't use this much.

Options - Various options to improve the home screen's functionality. Feel free to explore. The options are quite basic.

Design - Opens up another GDesk menu, the Designing Gui. Here is where all the work is done. :)

Info - Info about the software.

Help - Some pointers. Not so useful (just in my opinion.)

Quit - Exits the software.

Designing Guide (Basic.)

Design Menu:

Set Desktop - Customizes the background image and highlight color. Has various options that is quite easy to understand.

GUI - Customize the GDesk Menu.

Refresh Icon - If you changed your phones theme, this option will refresh the GDeskDesign at suits the icons as with your phones current theme.

Page - Delete, Add or Choose a page to customize (GDesk Home Screen can make multiple pages and navigation can be done by adding page links on each page.)

Add App - Add an application of your choice and navigate it on the screen. Place it where you want it to be placed.

Add Other - Add functions such as a clock, calendar notes, dates, page links, etc.

Options - Has various options to make designing easier.

Settings - I don't use these much so I don't know exactly what it is for.

Scroll - Add hot keys for Scrolling Home Screen (like what I did on my design.)

Show Tapzone - I don't know. Maybe if your phone is s60v5 and is a touch type, you can do something with this.

Delete Desktop - Delete current Design.

Load Design - Load saved Designs (in .GDD extension.)

Save Design - Save your Design.

Export Icons - Haven't used this yet.

Discard Changes - Discard changes done to current Design.

Done - Finish designing and go back to the Main GDesk Home Screen.

I guess thats just it. Play with it and add your imaginative touches. Happy designing!

Note: All context on this post is mine and payas0 alone's own description and explanation of what is and how to. I did not copy nor revise any thread posted before this. I hope my explanation and description is somehow understandable.

Credits to the developer of GDesk. See the project here: GDesk on SourceForge.net

Liked the software? Support them with a donation.

Appreciated my effort? Support me with a donation.

Open for feedbacks and questions.

Downloads

GDesk S60 v0.35b3 download

Plug-ins

GDesk Agn View download
GDesk Clock download
GDesk Info View download
GDesk Notepad download
GDesk Shortcuts download
GDesk Task Man download

AntSnes S60v3 S60v5 (An SNES Emulator) by Summeli

AntSnes is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) emulator. It is developed by Summeli.

Developer's site: www.summeli.fi

AntSnes v0.63 Icon

AntSnes by Sumelli is, for me, the best SNES emulator out there in terms of graphic rendering. I meant, the Open GL ES 1.1 support. It not just fills the screen for larger graphics, it also fixes it. You won't see ugly pixelations! As you can see on my ingame screenshot. Unlike the other SNES emulator that offers full screen but once implemented, the graphics start to pixelize. I would give AntSnes by Summeli a nine out of ten (9/10) in terms of graphics.

AntSnes v0.63 Menu (N95c)

The buttons can be set at Key Configuration and its quite easy to set up. The video settings is shown on another image below. There is a Sound Setting option, but i haven't made it work even once. Its experimental. If you happen to get to make the sound work, notify me and the developer asap.

Unfortunately, AntSnes can't emulate the sound. It was it's huge downside. I mean, SNES games are also popular for it's superb sounds and effects. So the fact that AntSnes can't emulate sound deserves a two thumbsdown. But if you enjoy playing without sound, and the fact that it saves battery life, AntSnes is still my number one SNES emulator recomendation for you.

AntSnes v0.63 Video Settings (N95c)

There are two (2) video rendering options. (1) DirectScreen Access and (2) Open GL ES 1.1 (my favorite.) DirectScreen Access may be a bit faster than Open GL ES 1.1 but Open GL ES 1.1 renders the graphics way too awesome! There are three (3) view modes. (1) Portrait, (2) Landscape and (3) N-Gage mode. There is an option too to show FPS rate but it only works best with DirectScreen Access rendering.

AntSnes Ingame (N95). Open GL ES 1.1 mode.

See? The Open GL ES 1.1 rendering looks awesome. So far, all the ROMs I tried worked.

Though this blog intended to cater s60v3 phones, I should somehow include ones for s60v5. Since s60v3 and s60v5 are quite simillar in a lot of ways. Most s60v3 softwares works for s60v5 too. We will be discussing this as time goes on and as I blog more.

The following image shows the AntSnes UI for s60v5.

Note: Image was taken from the developers site.

This image shows AntSnes v0.72 for s60v5. It has this cool D-Pad on the right.

More about AntSnes for s60v5: AntSnes s60v5

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Downloads

These binaries need to be signed if your phone is not yet hacked. You can google how to do that. Or go here to request a certificate and key under your own IMEI then sign it there online.

So here are the installers:

AntSnes v0.63 S60v3 Unsigned: Download

AntSnes v0.72 S60v5 Unsigned: Download

AntSnes also requires PIPS 1.60, Open C/C++ and SDL Library to run. You can download them here.

Isn't it great to once again be able to play these RETRO games? And on your S60v3 or S60v5 phones? Sure is. You need SNES ROMs to play the games you want. AntSnes is just the emulator. You can download them on the following sites:

FreeRoms: www.freeroms.com

Emuparadise: www.emuparadise.org

Go under Super NES (SNES) ROMs. SNES ROMs either have the extensions .SMC and .SFC. For more ROMs, there's Google.

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This wraps up this blog post again. Keep following for more cool s60v3 stuffs! Feel free to comment, I would love to hear from you!

Python1.4.5, Python 2.0.0, PIPS 1.60, Open C/C++ Libraries, SDL Library for S60v3 Unsigned

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  - Introduction to this blog. As well as preparations for your devices, libraries and modules. This includes Python, Open C/C++, P.I.P.S., and SDL.

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Welcome to Random About S60v3 Blog! I will be posting once or twice a week. Expect to see cool softwares and games here anytime soon. Sorry about my way of blogging, to be honest this is my very first blog .. ever. So bear with me.

I will be sharing everything I know about S60v3 phones, but why would you bother reading and trying the ones I will be sharing? I mean, who am I anyway? Of course I would have to answer my own question. I am just an ordinary boy who spends eighteen hours of his day with his phone on his hands. Yes, I love the fact that phones nowadays can do alot, s60v3 specifically. These devices are like mini computers, trust me.

If I would define s60v3 phones on my own words:

These phones are mini computers, mini game consoles, communication device, multimedia, a GameBoy Advance, a Sega Megasystem, a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), an internet browser and a whole lot more!

Oh my god, what is an s60v3 phone?

Symbian Series 60 3rd Edition, or simply S60V3, are mobile phones that run on Symbian OS. Phones like N95, N73, N85, N93 and more. For a precise explanation of what are these s60v3 phones, follow me here.

There you go, that is the S60 family. But I will focus on 3rd Editions only.

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Moving on, let us now proceed with the preparations. I will now provide links of the libraries and modules we will be using.

Why would you have to install these? These are the libraries and modules that most applications, games etc. that I will be sharing, requires. Some of these improves the graphics, some improves functionality and more. So how would you be able to install these? You would have to either hack your phone or sign the binaries I will post here. Regarding this matter, it's everywhere on google. Go google it.

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Libraries and Modules for S60v3

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Let us start with the very popular Python™. Python is a great object-oriented, interpreted, and interactive programming language. It is often compared (favorably of course) to Lisp, Tcl, Perl, Ruby, C#, Visual Basic, Visual Fox Pro, Scheme or Java... and it's much more fun. Python combines remarkable power with very clear syntax. It has modules, classes, exceptions, very high level dynamic data types, and dynamic typing. There are interfaces to many system calls and libraries, as well as to various windowing systems. New built-in modules are easily written in C or C ++ (or other languages, depending on the chosen implementation). Python is also usable as an extension language for applications written in other languages that need easy-to- use scripting or automation interfaces. For more info, go here.

Okay, that was kinda technical. So basically, Python is an open source library ported to Symbian. Hence called PyS60. PyS60 is a very great help and adon to our s60v3 devices. I might post a lot of softwares and games that runs on Python so go download these and install.

Python 1.4.5 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

Python Script Shell 1.4.5 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

Python 2.0.0 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

Python Script Shell 2.0.0 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

Python Extra Power Modules Pack: Download

Note: If you already have pythons installed, I strongly encourage you to remove those and install this instead. How would you know if you already have pythons installed? You would encounter a "Update Error" pop up while installing these. If you encounter "Certificate Error" that means your phone is not yet hacked. You would have to either hack it or sign these binaries first.

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Now let us have here PIPS (PIPS Is POSIX on Symbian), Open C/C++ and SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) Library.

These are very powerful open source libraries ported to S60. This libraries makes it posible to run ported PC games, softwares, etc. to you S60. Like for example I have Open Transport Tycoon Deluxed on my N95, Stratagus or Warcraft II, Hexen, GL TRON, SNES Emulator and the likes.

I am not much into these programming stuffs so I will just try to explain them according to my own understanding. Open C/C++ and PIPS are related to the codes and are the same with codes used on computers. SDL Library, on the other hand, has something to do with graphics. It is used to implement Open GL ES too. It makes awesome game graphics work on your S60v3, especially 3D games.

So here are the download links.

Open C GLIB Common 1.60 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

Open C LIBSSL Common 1.60 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

P.I.P.S Installer 1.60 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

SDL Library 2.31 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

Standard C++ Library Common 1.60 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

Symbian OS STDIOSERVER 1.60 S60 3rd Unsigned: Download

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So there you have it. These are the most important libraries and modules that will be required to successfully install and run the softwares, games, etc. that I will share to you guys. So be sure to install these first. That way, you wouldn't have to look for these or just install these when you needed most. Its better to be well prepared, right?

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Okay this wraps up this blog post. Expect an update after a day or two. Keep posted and follow me! Believe me, we'll transform your s60v3 phone into one mean monster. LOL.

P.S: Have I told you guys that I typed this whole blog, uploaded all those files, and posted this here on blogger ALL BY MY S60v3 PHONE (N95)? Yes, I used my N95 to do all these. Okay okay, this post was quite long. LOL. Thank you for reading this! Post comments and feedback if you want to say something. Bye for now.

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