Has anyone ever tried skinning the components of the ATI MMC?? For
anyone interested, I've put together some brief info and insights
below on how to do it.

You'll need a program to extract and replace bitmaps from .dll files.
I use a free program called "Resource Hacker" found here...

http://rpi.net.au/~ajohnson/resourcehacker


Steps on how to use Resource Hacker to extract & replace bitmap images:

1) open a .dll file (see below regarding which .dll files contain
ATI MMC bitmap images)

2) browse to a bitmap you want to modify

3) choose Action > Save Bitmap (make note of the bitmap #) and save
it on your computer

4) modify the bitmap to your liking in a graphics program (Photoshop,
MS Paint, etc) and save your changes

5) choose Action > Replace Bitmap to put your modified bitmap in
place of the original one, again note bitmap #'s to ensure you
replace the right one

6) save your modified .dll file and use it in place of ATI's


(note: you can also choose Action > Save All Resources to extract
all bitmaps in a particular .dll file, very handy if you plan on
modifying a lot of the images)



More info about the .dll files that relate to skinning the MMC...

*** Don't forget to BACKUP your original DLL's BEFORE modifying ***

Find the directory where you installed the ATI MMC. In that directory
will be other folders containing the .dll files. Here's a breakdown
of the .dll's I found bitmap images in...

----------------------------------------------------------------------
"TV" folder:

TVDS.dll = main TV components [293 bitmaps]
EXPLBAR.dll = internet explorer tv [35 bitmaps]


----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Main" folder:

ExtSLib.dll = ATI launch pad [49 bitmaps]


----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Gallery" folder:

Gallery.dll = capture gallery components [48 bitmaps]


----------------------------------------------------------------------
"CDA" folder:

Cda.dll = file player?? [69 bitmaps]


----------------------------------------------------------------------
"DSVCD" folder:

DSVCD.dll = dvd, vcd player components?? [274 bitmaps]


----------------------------------------------------------------------
"MFPlay" folder:

MFPlay.dll = file player?? [115 bitmaps]


----------------------------------------------------------------------



If there is a ?? above it is because I'm not exactly certain what
components of the MMC the images relate to. Many of the MMC
components use similar looking buttons and whatnot. As I only use
the TV with the MMC, investigating the other components is on the
back burner for me right now.

Anyway, all of the bitmap images can be edited, giving you control of
the look and feel of the MMC. Some of the bitmaps, such as buttons
used while the TV is in fullscreen mode, support transparency. Don't
get discouraged if you go to change a particular bitmap and nothing
noticeable happens, many of the buttons look the same but some sets
are for fullscreen mode, ect. At some point it would be nice if a
list is compiled with bitmap #'s and what exactly they go with.

Note that I'm using ATI MMC 7.1 and have not tried this with other MMC
versions. I'd think that it would work with others though, if
someone out there wants to give it a try and post the results that
would be great.

Hopefully this post will get the ball rolling for anyone who is
interested in the topic. Please post any results you may discover.
It would be nice to assemble a collection of some customized .dll
files that users can download, replace the ATI versions with, and
enjoy a new look for the MMC.

Good Luck, -Tomer