Apline x100/x305 Backgrounds
04-30-2009, 04:11 PM
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Apline x100/x305 Backgrounds
I've done some looking into making custom backgrounds for my newly installed iDA-x305. They look sweet and it's a great way to personalize your HU. Didn't see much here on making/sharing custom ones. So....
First of all: mods, is this kind of discussion allowed?
Second, if so, I'll post the APNs for a couple I've done plus instructions on how to do it.
None of this is rocket science and it's not hard to find all the info, but I'd like to encourage some graphics dudes here to create some custom ones for the S2KI crowd
-e
First of all: mods, is this kind of discussion allowed?
Second, if so, I'll post the APNs for a couple I've done plus instructions on how to do it.
None of this is rocket science and it's not hard to find all the info, but I'd like to encourage some graphics dudes here to create some custom ones for the S2KI crowd
-e
05-01-2009, 05:16 AM
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To get things started. Here's what my 305 looks like now...
I took "cdsix's" (pride-rock user) Honda screen and tweaked for what I wanted. Pretty sweet if I do say so myself
Keep reading if you want to learn more about the process...
Alpine's i-personallize offering just didn't cut it for me so I started the hunt. As usual, Google was my friend... I don't take credit for any of this. Just summarizing for the group. Thanks to "Mufasa" at Pride-Rock and "xoned.net" for info and tool development. Fine print aside, now here goes...
Prep
1. Go grab XND Converter. This is used to convert the image to Alpine's APN format. Extract this to your 'puter. "C:\XNDConv" for example.
2. Go grab IrfanView. You'll also need the plugin pack for it (that's where the RAW support lives). This is a free image converter tool to change your JPG into a RAW file that XND Converter can use. Install both the app and the plugins. Photoshop or other image proggy might work, but I haven't tried it.
Image
3. Take a picture of your ride (or whatever).
4. Use IrfanView resize/crop down to 320x240. Save as RAW format.
5. I recommend you copy that RAW file to wherever you extracted XND Converter
Convert
6. Go to "Start/Run..."
7. Type "cmd"
8. Browse to "C:\XNCConv" or wherever you extracted the XND Converter
9. If you copied the RAW file in here already (#8 above) type the following: "xndconverter.exe XXXX.raw", where "XXXX" is your file's name.
10. You should get a success message from XNDConverter.
Upload
11. I've found that fewer files are better. Start w/ a blank key just to be safe.
12. Copy that resulting APN file over to a USB key and load into your x305 as normal (settings/display/BGV Download/Start/[select your file]
13. Set your BGV Type to "User" and exit out to see the result.
There is also an all-in-one online tool here but I wanted more control over what got cropped, etc. Haven't used it so you're on your own if you go that route...
Pride-Rock's site is www.pride-rock.com. It's a great resource for more info. He has additional wallpapers here. Note that the wallpapers located there are for AV HUs and are therefore not sized right for the x305 (wrong aspect ratio). No big deal though, just click an image you want, right-click the larger popup to save as JPG. Then crop/resize starting at #4 above.
Enjoy!
-e
I took "cdsix's" (pride-rock user) Honda screen and tweaked for what I wanted. Pretty sweet if I do say so myself
Keep reading if you want to learn more about the process...Alpine's i-personallize offering just didn't cut it for me so I started the hunt. As usual, Google was my friend... I don't take credit for any of this. Just summarizing for the group. Thanks to "Mufasa" at Pride-Rock and "xoned.net" for info and tool development. Fine print aside, now here goes...
Prep
1. Go grab XND Converter. This is used to convert the image to Alpine's APN format. Extract this to your 'puter. "C:\XNDConv" for example.
2. Go grab IrfanView. You'll also need the plugin pack for it (that's where the RAW support lives). This is a free image converter tool to change your JPG into a RAW file that XND Converter can use. Install both the app and the plugins. Photoshop or other image proggy might work, but I haven't tried it.
Image
3. Take a picture of your ride (or whatever).
4. Use IrfanView resize/crop down to 320x240. Save as RAW format.
5. I recommend you copy that RAW file to wherever you extracted XND Converter
Convert
6. Go to "Start/Run..."
7. Type "cmd"
8. Browse to "C:\XNCConv" or wherever you extracted the XND Converter
9. If you copied the RAW file in here already (#8 above) type the following: "xndconverter.exe XXXX.raw", where "XXXX" is your file's name.
10. You should get a success message from XNDConverter.
Upload
11. I've found that fewer files are better. Start w/ a blank key just to be safe.
12. Copy that resulting APN file over to a USB key and load into your x305 as normal (settings/display/BGV Download/Start/[select your file]
13. Set your BGV Type to "User" and exit out to see the result.
There is also an all-in-one online tool here but I wanted more control over what got cropped, etc. Haven't used it so you're on your own if you go that route...
Pride-Rock's site is www.pride-rock.com. It's a great resource for more info. He has additional wallpapers here. Note that the wallpapers located there are for AV HUs and are therefore not sized right for the x305 (wrong aspect ratio). No big deal though, just click an image you want, right-click the larger popup to save as JPG. Then crop/resize starting at #4 above.
Enjoy!
-e
05-01-2009, 06:13 AM
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Nice, I'll have to fool around with this over the weekend and come up with some backgrounds. Thanks for the info... there's a ton of other x100/x305 users on here that will also find it helpful.
05-01-2009, 07:21 AM
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DISCLAIMER: The original graphics aren't my own work. I've tweaked them to my liking and converted to APNs... use at your own risk (worked fine for me, but you never know)
Honda (my fav)
Explode
![](https://lh3.ggpht.com/_roUM9VelitE/SfsRfNWnhiI/AAAAAAAAAOg/MNlyD4a1nvY/s800/x305-Explode_dark.jpg")
Get both APNs here (link expires in 7 days, can't post these file types here I don't think).
-e
Honda (my fav)
Explode
Get both APNs here (link expires in 7 days, can't post these file types here I don't think).
-e
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05-01-2009, 08:12 AM
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Cool! Look forward to seeing your creations. Hopefully some more creative folks than me (maybe that's you?) can come up with some S2K specific ones.
You'll find that putting bright stuff in the middle can make it hard to read the text display, that's why mine are pretty dark. I wanted to do one like Honda version, but with the stylized "S". Didn't get around to it.
You'll find that putting bright stuff in the middle can make it hard to read the text display, that's why mine are pretty dark. I wanted to do one like Honda version, but with the stylized "S". Didn't get around to it.
