Basic Tutorial for MC360 theme creating.
You should have the following knowledge to fully utilise this Tutorial, if not I suggest you make great friends with Google and learn the knowledge.
- How to transfer files from PC to Xbox via FTP client.
- Basic ability to use Photoshop (or at least a program which allows image creating/manipulation in PNG format and allows transparency)
You will need the following items too.
- Modded Xbox (doh)
- XBMC (Xbox media Center) latest T3CH builds recommended
- MC360 for XBMC (The Xbox 360 style dashboard/user interface)
- PC (powerful enough for the above uses and with a connection to your Xbox)
- Photoshop (or other program which allows the use of PNG and transparency)
The following tools are uploaded at
www.4shared.com/file/3274427/c1d1900b/mc360_theme_creation.html copy and paste the URL into your search engine
- XBMCTex (this program turns the PNG files into XPR format which allows MC360 to see in a simple user friendly format)
- XBMCTex .bat file (saves entering the Command Prompt paths)
- Blackbolt's England theme PNG and tutorial
- Warlion's Superman Returns theme PNG files and XPR file
- Blade templates and tutorial
HOW TO USE XBMCTex
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Place both the XBMCTex and .bat files into your folder which contains your PNG images. Double-click onto the .bat folder, now the Command Prompt screen pops up and carries on turning PNG files into your XPR.
Once completed you will now have a new file called 'textures.xpr' rename this file immediately to what you want it to be called 'yourthemename.xpr'.
Place XBMCTex and .bat file back into the parent folder that they came from (for save keeping).
FTP the 'yourthemename.xpr' file into the correct section of MC360.
*FTP path is -
XBMC > skin > mc360 > media (usually XBMC is in /E/apps)
*How to select your theme-
Now got to the Sytem blade of MC360 and choose to open appearance, select your theme from the skin theme section.
BASICS OF THEME CREATIONS (BACKGROUNDS ONLY, ALSO KNOWN AS WALLPAPERS)
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Background (except for background-grey) images have two parts to them, background-colour and background-colour-alpha.
To create a background you need to find your desired images(640x480 or bigger), the bigger the better at this stage. You need to decide whether you want to keep the original style of colour to blade which is like follows -
XBMC Live/Extras blade = Orange
Games blade = Green
Media blade = Blue
System blade = Purple
Guide blade = Grey
You can also just take completely different images for each blade if you so wish.
Open a new image called background-orange-alpha (640x480)make it transparent background, now take your image that you wish to have on the XBMC Live/Extras section. Make your image fit the background either by cropping or free-transform. Choose to give your image 79% transparency in layer options.
Do not use layer flatten (this will cause the image to lose it's transparency) (if you need to add more layers then save as background-orange-alpha, close the window and re-open to add the next layer).
Save your finished image as background-orange-alpha and place in a folder which will contain all your images for your theme.
Now make a new image with black background 640x480, make a copy from your alpha image (keeping the 79% opacity) and paste it onto the black background, save as background-orange
Repeat steps above for background-green-alpha, background-green then for background-blue-alpha, background-blue then finally the same for background-purple-alpha and background-purple.
Background-grey is used on the guide blades (the extra tabs which move in from the sides for right-thumbstick click and start buttons)
Now that you have all nine images ready for insertion go to the ''HOW TO USE XBMCTex'' section of this tutorial. Try renaming the xpr file to wallpaper for now (although you can specify what you want).
Put XBMCTex and bat files away safe, open FTP connection and transfer the XPR using the FTP path in the ''HOW TO USE XBMCTex'' section.
That is the basics of theme creations covered. Also you can find another tutorial within the England PNG folder written by Team Blackbolt.
BLADE CREATING
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Blade creating is totally user changeable, but many people choose to have X360 style blades, at this time I have not made any blades in this style. Therefore I have gathered as much information and templates as possible to help with this process. All in the original download package.
The text on blades is generated entirely by the xml files in xbmc and mc360 so unless you know how to compile those text is default.
To make wallpapers and blades as one XPR pack make all images ready in PNG format (blades and backgrounds) then use XBMCTex on them and follow the rename FTP process like before.
For more detailed themes you should begin with studying the England PNG files, this will give a beginners XPR theme.
For advanced (more custom images) I suggest you take a good look at warlion's Superman theme and recreate your images from those (DO NOT do straight copy and then take credit, if you copy/paste any images be sure to add the name 'warlion' to any credit PNG you add in later).
I have also included my PNG and XPR files of Mario3 (still work in progress at this stage) for an insight into how a beginner can make a theme (I have very little experience with photoshop prior to this theme being made).
Enjoy yourselves and remember to add credit to the correct people.
T3CH - XBMC compiler
Team Blackbolt - MC360 compiling team
warlion - Creator of Superman theme (kindly helping others to make their own themes)
Help can be found at the following places (do NOT contact me)
blackbolt.x-scene.comforums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showforum=195Also worth a mention is XBMCskineditor a program which allows viewing of the original and custom XPR files (but doesn't allow editing/copying at this time), requires that you have the .NET framework installed (if you download this from Blackbolts site you can install it and it will tell you which .NET frame is required for it to function correctly.
Tutorial written by Joker- (aka UK_joker)
Tools sourced from usual places
(aka google)
Thanks to Team Blackbolt, T3CH, warlion, special mentions to all the theme creators at the forums
(aka google)
Trouble is to make it as a writer your English must be flawless, which, even though I am English, is far from flawless.
