So, can someone tell me if it is possible to:

1. Add a custom strip by editing the ehres.dll, and then add custom applications to it, like Netflix, MyTV, etc.? (I have done with Menu Customizer, but wondering about doing it straight from the ehres.)

2. Move something like Play DVD from the TV strip to the Custom strip?

If thesee are possible, how is it done?

Thanks for the info Bluebucket. Keep us all updated, sounds cool. An app like that would be as essential as MyMovies for Vista MC.

Musictype:

BTW, does anyone know how to change the font in VMC?

FONTS.MCML seems to contain the font sizes
FONTNAMES.MCML seems to contain the font families

I haven't tried changing them though

Edit: Those are located in Microsoft.MediaCenter.Shell.dll

Thanks, sialivi, these work:-)

Musictype:

Well, keep in mind that mine is a bit more modified.

thanks very much Musictype; sorry for not gettign back to you yesterday; didn't make it home until very late :)

copied your ehres.dll and have got to say that I just love the black & grey colours/background; it just looks really really great. This parts works for me. Now as for the menus/stripes, I have to say that I don't have what you have on yours, this is what I have got: (using your dll) :

TV+Movies
    dvd library
    live tv
    recorded tv
Music
    music library
    radio
Pictures+Video
    picture library
    video library
Taks
    settings
    shutdown
    sync
    add extender
    media only
Online Media
    program library

As for the font, no matter where I put it (C:\windows\Fonts or c:\windows\ehome) ; it doesn't seems to make a difference, the original font is used. Saying that, I am not too worried about the font; maybe I am putting it in the wrong place; what concerns me more is that your dll doesn't display your menus on my vista. Moreover I do still have the original strings, but that's probably because I don't have your mui file to go with :)

Would you mind posting you modified mui file for me please ?

What I am really struggling on is renaming the menus/icons ; I have managed to hide/sort the menus on my dll ; I have uploaded it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?ytyoujvxmdg

my modified dll displays only the following icons:

TV+Movies
    dvd library
Music
    music library
Pictures+Video
    picture library
    video library
Taks
    shutdown
Online Media
    program library

but no matter what I write in my mui file, I cannot rename any of these strings.

This is my mui file: http://www.mediafire.com/?bzdcsryqib7

in the section String, 879 I have changed 14051 from "Pictures+Video" to "TV + Movies" but in Mediacenter it is sitll showing Pictures+Video as the title. (I made sure to edit the file when MCE was not running, the file was not in use,... have rebooted,..) The file contains the new data but the new data is not being used. If I delete this mui file and reboot , MCE will still load up and still display the original strings !! Does the same for all strings in 876 to 880

Thanks already for the black & black ; I like it a lot :)
cheers

---

Vista Ultimate, Core2 Duo E6600, Gigabyte 965P-DS3, GeForce 8600GT Silent, 2Gb DDRII 800, 300GB SATA II HDD, Microsoft Remote + MCE Keyborad, attached via dvi->hdmi to a 43'' Pioneer 436XDE Plasma + Yamaha RXV-2600 on 5 * B&W speakers

I am at the office now, but will post for you the mui file and the MediaCenter.Shell.dll file tonight (don't forget to back up yours somewhere, just in case you hate mine:-)

Keep the font in Window/Fonts. It should work with the new MediaCenter.Shell.dll.

I suppose noone has made any progress on removing the totally pointless menu that's displayed after every video playback and just have the user returned to the library view? And also disabling the delete button.

There's a bunch of navigation tags and delete button references throughout the xml files, but I can't find an xml file that sounds like it controls that particular menu

Here is a .rar with the MonoVMC theme, incliding the font, the ehres.dll and the mui files.

Back up your original files. No warranties whatsoever....

www.mediafire.com/?bmj34izsymx




You can see a screengrab here: -------------------------------------------- Credit due to:

Back to Black (http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au/community/ettamogah-pub/22991-new-theme-vista-media-center-back-black.html) and  Monochrome (http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/monochrome249/monochrome-those-who-like-dark-skins-updated-29566/)

thanks v much for the rar file; copied the 3 files where there are supposed to go (thanks for naming the folders that way): MCE does start up with the black to black and Monochrome themes/skins ; but as for the menus and strings they are still the same as above; no changes at all.

I will try tonight to dig a bit more into this (as I will have quite a lot of time to try things) ; right now need to go to work

thanks again, have a great day all

---

Vista Ultimate, Core2 Duo E6600, Gigabyte 965P-DS3, GeForce 8600GT Silent, 2Gb DDRII 800, 300GB SATA II HDD, Microsoft Remote + MCE Keyborad, attached via dvi->hdmi to a 43'' Pioneer 436XDE Plasma + Yamaha RXV-2600 on 5 * B&W speakers

are you on an English language system? if not, I wonder if VMC stores the menu names somewhere else?

Afternoon Muscitype,

okay gave it a good run and got it working with your files; when I tried with your files (the ones in the archive) , although it did bring the black background; it still showed all default menus with their default strings; so I assumed (wrongly) that I was not getting your strings (as you mentionned earlier about Movies; TV Series; Netflix and Blu-Ray/HD-DVD); but I re-read your post are read about the custom strips that was not included in the dll.

So using your dll and your mui I edited the mui ; and all my strings are now staying as I want; I have achieved 100% of what I wanted menu wise and strings wise ; thanks so much for your help !!

Still don't know why none of the string changes worked using my original DLL & Mui files (Vista Ultimate, US Media, SP1 ; installed with UK Regional Settings) ; but it's working now and that's what counts :)  have made a backup of my system; so I can alway revert back :)

THANKS AGAIN SO MUCH for making Mediacenter looking the way it should have for me, for a long time :)

Cheers
Thierry

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Vista Ultimate, Core2 Duo E6600, Gigabyte 965P-DS3, GeForce 8600GT Silent, 2Gb DDRII 800, 300GB SATA II HDD, Microsoft Remote + MCE Keyborad, attached via dvi->hdmi to a 43'' Pioneer 436XDE Plasma + Yamaha RXV-2600 on 5 * B&W speakers

thierrystaffen:

... I have achieved 100% of what I wanted menu wise and strings wise....
Thierry

Happy to hear it worked for you:-)

Don't know if you use the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray plugin here, but if you do and if you are using the MonoVMC theme, here is a link to a PowerDVD splash screen, created by the guy who made a similar plugin for Media Portal, which integrates with MonoVMC:

http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/plugins-47/blu-ray-hd-dvd-player-powerdvd-working-solution-32268/index11.html#post235320

It works well for me.

Cheers.

cheers, but I have a PS3 for blu-ray playback (when I bought it, it was pretty much the only cheap way to play blu-rays) ; maybe in the future I will go for an internal sata drive in my MCE; but right now I don't need it

cheers

---

Vista Ultimate, Core2 Duo E6600, Gigabyte 965P-DS3, GeForce 8600GT Silent, 2Gb DDRII 800, 300GB SATA II HDD, Microsoft Remote + MCE Keyborad, attached via dvi->hdmi to a 43'' Pioneer 436XDE Plasma + Yamaha RXV-2600 on 5 * B&W speakers

A guy over at Vista and XP Media Center Support Community is already working at a plugin to edit the menu structure based on these discoveries, so I guess I'll drop my project (considering I havent done any code, thats a pretty easy decision ).

Keep up with his progress at the MC Menu Customizer thread.

Honestly, THANK YOU. Thanks to everyone whohas worked on this.

First of all, I learned a ton just from this thread. I never had cracked open a dll (outside of icon editors) before, and certainly never modded one. You guys have simple instructions that do just the trick.

Also... HECK YES. The VMC menu is no longer a tragic pain to use! It was always one of the few main hindrances to my using VMC above Media Portal. All that's left now is folder browsing for music (*cough* I know it won't happen *cough*) and a reliable automatic ISO mounter (designed for ISOs located anywhere, not just movies, perhaps this is just me being intransigent).

Either way, you all have made VMC way better, now if MS would take a hint and allow menu customization built in!

Thanks again!

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Thermaltake Mozart - EVGA 112-CK-NF77-A1 NVIDIA nForce e-7150/630i HDMI - 2.2 ghz Core 2 Duo - 2 gb PC800 - MCE Remote - Sony 40v3000

Currently running VMC SP1
Previously running XP MCE 2005 SP2 with Media Portal