This User Guide is based on Flash Editor v1.3.1
Table of Contents:
==================
I. About Flash Editor
II. Before You Start
III. Let's Start the Mod
IV. More Information
I. About Flash Editor
=====================
Who: Mike (BIG THANKS To the author of this program)
What: Modify/hack the binary firmware of Panasonic GD87/GD88/GU87 cellphone. New themes, icons, animations, camera sounds!
Where: http://gd87fe.srv.hu/
When: First public release, September 19, 2003. Still under development
Why: We all love our phone, and we want to get more from it
How: The purpose of this User Guide
II. Before You Start
====================
First of all, use this program AT YOUR OWN RISK. No one takes any responsibility if you damage your phone.
You need the following to begin using Flash Editor
- Microsoft .NET Framework Version 1.1
+ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=262d25e3-f589-4842-8157-034d1e7cf3a3&DisplayLang=en
+ or download it from Windows Update
- Flash Editor itself (currently v1.3.1)
+ http://gd87fe.srv.hu/
- Appropriate Offset tables (if you plan to work on already-modded firmwares)
+ different versions of firmwares require different offset tables
+ different version of Flash Editor may require different offiset tables as well
+ e.g. If you want to modify a already-modded A53 firmware, download GAD87A53.otf
+ currently only firmware versions A39 and A53 are supported
- Firemwares
+ again, only A39 and A53 are supported
+ original or modded firmwares are supported
+ for a peace of mind, you may want to use original firmwares and edit from there
- A graphics program that can edit .BMP in 8-bit and 24-bit color depths
- WinMoDo Plus 2002 Beta v0.10 or v0.11
+ find it on forums
+ Panasonic Windows Mobile Downloader to flash the download the firmwares into the phone
== optional ==
- wav2mfm (thanks Lou)
+ http://www.louterrailloune.com/wav2mfm.html
+ a .wav to .mfm convertor if you plan to have a custom camera shutter sound
- CB2000
+ re-arrange the main menu icons order
- Scope Mobile phone customizer (thanks Sam)
+ http://lostrebel.gsmhosting.net/M_Gx8x_SWD.htm
+ re-arrange the main menu icons order
Make sure you have a good knowledge of what you are doing before you begins. A couple good place to go is:
- http://www.binary-pulse.org/projects/project.php?id=115
- http://lostrebel.gsmhosting.net/M_Gx8x.htm
- http://panasonic.howardforums.com/
- http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=204562
Places to find modded firmwares:
- http://www.74bird.com/panasonic/custom.htm
- http://gd87bios.pagesonline.net/
III. Let's Start the Mod
========================
A. Load the firmware
====================
1a. If you are loading an original firmware, select "Internal" for Offset Table Mode
1b. If you are loading a modded firmware, select "External", and load the corresponding offset table
2. Press "Load Flash" and load the firmware
3. After the firmware is loaded, you should see that all pages (Operator Logo, Texts, Icons, Animations) are popuplated with texts and graphics from the firmwares
B. Making modifications
=======================
1. Camera Sound
---------------
- You can turn the camera shutter sound On, Off, or load your own custom sound (.mfm file). The making of .mfm file is out of the scope of this guide.
2. Operator Logo
----------------
- If your operator logo is programmed in the firmware, you can change it to whatever you want
- Just select any text from the list, and type the new text you want in the "New:" field, and press "Change"
- If you want to remove the operator logo, simply type the same number of spaces
- Flash editor will correct the "length" of the text automatically
3. Texts
--------
- You can change most, if not all, the text strings on the phone.
- Select any text from the list, and type the new text you want in the "New:" field, and press "Change"
- e.g. My Phone -> My GD88!
- Again, the new texts should have the same length as the old texts. Flash editor will correct
any incorrect length
4. Icons
--------
- The icons uses a special i-mode type of palette file. Thanks Tut` for digging it up for us.
+ http://www.imode.fr/img_comm/Palette_couleurs_imode_v1.zip
- The icons are with various dimensions. When you edit it, always keep it as the same dimension and
color depth (8-bit or 256 colors)
i) Export Icons
- You can export the icons in RAW or BMP format
+ I recommend BMP format since it's more convenient for editing
- You can export the icons individually, or export them all at once
- to export one single icon
1. select the icon from the list
2. select the File Format (BMP recommended)
3. press "Export", and save it
- to export all icons at once
1. select "Export All"
2. select the File Format
3. press "Export", and browse to the folder you want to save all the icons in
ii) Import Icons
- similar procedures as export icons
- to import one single icon
1. select the icon your want to replace from the list
2. select the File Format (BMP recommended)
3. press "Import", find the edited file
- to import all icons at once
1. select "Import All"
2. select the File Format
3. press "Import", and browse to the folder that all your icons are in
Note:
- If you only want to edit a couple icons, and want to leave the rest to be the same, what I do it export all the icons first, and the edit the ones that you want, and then import all of them back. I find it a time-saver then exporting/importing them one by one
5. Main Menu Icons
------------------
- These are the icons you see on the normal standby screen
- They are all in 44[w] x 36[h] pixel dimension, 24-bit colors. Of course the phone can only show them as 16-bit
- The procedures of importing/exporting are the same as with the Icons mentioned above
6. Menu Anim. Frames
--------------------
- These are the animations when you select the Main Menu Icons on the standby screen.
- Each animation consists of 3 frames of still images, that means you have to edit 3 images to make one animation for one icon
- They are all in 61[w] x 47[h] pixel dimension, 24-bit colors
- The procedures of importing/exporting are the same as with the Icons mentioned above
- Note: You have to look at the frames very carefully as they are not in any particular order
- For best result, keep the black/grey border of these images. You can edit the image directly from the export files, or create an image of 59[w] x 45[h], and paste the border afterwards, to make
them 61[w] x 47[h]
7. Call Anims.
--------------
- These are the animations when you are making phone call, sending message, transferring files, etc.
- Each action is associated with a 3-frame animation
- They are all in 130[w] x 44[h] pixel dimension, 256 colors
- The procedures of importing/exporting are the same as with the Icons mentioned above
7. Startup Anims
----------------
- This is the animation when you turn your phone on
- The animation consists of 9 frames. The last frame is also the shutdown screen
- They are all in 132[w] x 176[h] pixel dimension, 256 colors
- The procedures of importing/exporting are the same as with the Icons mentioned above
8. Shortcuts
------------
- These are the icons at the bottom of the screen
- Remember to keep the dimensions and color depth (256 colors) when you edit them
- Import/Export are self-explanatory
9. Menu Arrows
--------------
- These are the arrow icons at the bottom of the screen
- They are all in 13[w] x 15[h] pixel dimension, 256 colors
- The procedures of importing/exporting are the same as with the Icons mentioned above
10. Preview
-----------
- You can preview your Main Menu icons and Menu Anim. Frames here
- Refresh it every time after you import something new
- Sim Card Menu is the icons that only exist for some operators
- Select Animate if you want to see how the Menu Anim. Frames look like
C. Save the firmware
====================
1. After everything is ready, press "Save Flash" and save the modified firmware to your hard drive.
2. After saving, check to make sure the filesize of the firmware is 16,777,220 bytes
To actually see the firmware on your phone, you have to download the firmware to the phone with WinMoDo. However, this is out of the scope of this guide. Please look for the related information somewhere else.
