How to: Add icons for TV Wall etc on Spark
The following is for the Spark side on the Alien 2, not Enigma 2.
Picons (or I'll just use the term icons from now as that's how they're simply known on the Alien) for the TV Wall on the Alien have a native resolution of 204 x 126 pixels but you can use existing E2 icons such as Rat's or SGTFlipFlop's at 100 x 60. They're scaled up and the quality isn't too bad. There are 2 things you need to do to these files first however:
You need to convert them from png's to jpg's which seems a bit daft but hey ho.
They have to be renamed accordingly to be compliant with the Alien2.
Here are a couple of examples from SGTFlipFlop's pack dated 04-09-2012:
BBC One HD 1_0_19_1B1D_802_2_11A0000_0_0_0.png is renamed to 0_0_0_104_2A5F_1_1B1D.jpg
CBBC 1_0_1_18AD_7FD_2_11A0000_0_0_0.png is renamed to 0_0_0_11A_2A15_0_18AD.jpg and 0_0_0_104_2A15_0_18AD.jpg
I'm not that hot on satellite naming conventions for frequencies, service references etc. If you are and can rename these manually then you'll save yourself a headache. To do it the long way you have to run it through Spark Editor (see below) which is a bit buggy to say the least and a pain in the arse long way around.
If you do know how to make a connection between the filename naming convention on the Spark and existing E2 picons, then please post on here and I might be able to knock together a little app to automate the process.
When you're done you can upload them to the Alien in 2 ways:
USB - put files in root of USB stick and plug it back into the Alien.
Then go to menu > basic setting > miscellaneous setting > Tv Wall setting > Load from external (load from online doesn't seem to work for Sly) navigate to the USB stick and after a few seconds it's done.
FTP - transfer the files to /root/spark/AppUserDb/icon
There is a version.xml file in the icon folder which looks like it holds a structured list of icons. It doesn't seem to be used however as even if you go through the long way of creating the icon files below with Spark Editor, the version.xml file isn't populated, and the icons still seem to appear ok on the box without it.
If you don't know what name to call your icon, use this method.
You will need:
Spark Editor 1.7
Latest set of E2 picons like Rat's or SGTFlipFlop's
USB stick
Software to convert png's to jpg's (batch processing through Photoshop takes seconds)
Firstly, convert all the png's to jpg's because for some reason the box maker doesn't want to use the better file format!
There are a few steps that I think you shouldn't have to do but the Spark Editor is a bit buggy. You're basically going to have to look through the E2 icons and load them into the corresponding channel on the Alien channel list one by one.
Put USB stick in Alien
Menu > System > Upgrade > Database Converter > (check path to USB stick is OK) [RED] Output
Take USB stick and put in PC - You can copy files over to PC if you want to make the process quicker but remember to copy them back afterwards
Open SparkEditor1.7.exe
Click Open and browse to the root of the folder containing the backed up files (USB or PC) and the channel list should load under the TV tab
Click the Icon tab and then the Load icon button. Browse to the root folder of the files again and the preview boxes underneath should change (although still not showing icons)
Scroll to the channel (or use Search button) you want to add the icon to and click on its preview box, then select the new icon jpg
As you add the jpg the new icon file is created in the folder your backed up database files are in. When you're done, copy those newly created icon jpg's back over to the Alien using USB or FTP as described in the above section.
While you've got Spark Editor open you can create your favourites here which are like bouquets on E2:
Right click on the channel under the TV and Radio tabs and select Add to FAV and select a FAV group
You can rename the FAV groups under the Fav Tv tab so they reflect the names you use on your bouquets in E2, such as Entertainment, Movies, etc.
If you choose to do this, save to USB stick when finished and plug the stick back into the Alien, then go to:
Menu > System > Upgrade > Database Converter > (check path to USB stick is OK) [Green] Update
Not my work but thanks to VectorZ from another forum.
The following is for the Spark side on the Alien 2, not Enigma 2.
Picons (or I'll just use the term icons from now as that's how they're simply known on the Alien) for the TV Wall on the Alien have a native resolution of 204 x 126 pixels but you can use existing E2 icons such as Rat's or SGTFlipFlop's at 100 x 60. They're scaled up and the quality isn't too bad. There are 2 things you need to do to these files first however:
You need to convert them from png's to jpg's which seems a bit daft but hey ho.
They have to be renamed accordingly to be compliant with the Alien2.
Here are a couple of examples from SGTFlipFlop's pack dated 04-09-2012:
BBC One HD 1_0_19_1B1D_802_2_11A0000_0_0_0.png is renamed to 0_0_0_104_2A5F_1_1B1D.jpg
CBBC 1_0_1_18AD_7FD_2_11A0000_0_0_0.png is renamed to 0_0_0_11A_2A15_0_18AD.jpg and 0_0_0_104_2A15_0_18AD.jpg
I'm not that hot on satellite naming conventions for frequencies, service references etc. If you are and can rename these manually then you'll save yourself a headache. To do it the long way you have to run it through Spark Editor (see below) which is a bit buggy to say the least and a pain in the arse long way around.
If you do know how to make a connection between the filename naming convention on the Spark and existing E2 picons, then please post on here and I might be able to knock together a little app to automate the process.
When you're done you can upload them to the Alien in 2 ways:
USB - put files in root of USB stick and plug it back into the Alien.
Then go to menu > basic setting > miscellaneous setting > Tv Wall setting > Load from external (load from online doesn't seem to work for Sly) navigate to the USB stick and after a few seconds it's done.
FTP - transfer the files to /root/spark/AppUserDb/icon
There is a version.xml file in the icon folder which looks like it holds a structured list of icons. It doesn't seem to be used however as even if you go through the long way of creating the icon files below with Spark Editor, the version.xml file isn't populated, and the icons still seem to appear ok on the box without it.
If you don't know what name to call your icon, use this method.
You will need:
Spark Editor 1.7
Latest set of E2 picons like Rat's or SGTFlipFlop's
USB stick
Software to convert png's to jpg's (batch processing through Photoshop takes seconds)
Firstly, convert all the png's to jpg's because for some reason the box maker doesn't want to use the better file format!
There are a few steps that I think you shouldn't have to do but the Spark Editor is a bit buggy. You're basically going to have to look through the E2 icons and load them into the corresponding channel on the Alien channel list one by one.
Put USB stick in Alien
Menu > System > Upgrade > Database Converter > (check path to USB stick is OK) [RED] Output
Take USB stick and put in PC - You can copy files over to PC if you want to make the process quicker but remember to copy them back afterwards
Open SparkEditor1.7.exe
Click Open and browse to the root of the folder containing the backed up files (USB or PC) and the channel list should load under the TV tab
Click the Icon tab and then the Load icon button. Browse to the root folder of the files again and the preview boxes underneath should change (although still not showing icons)
Scroll to the channel (or use Search button) you want to add the icon to and click on its preview box, then select the new icon jpg
As you add the jpg the new icon file is created in the folder your backed up database files are in. When you're done, copy those newly created icon jpg's back over to the Alien using USB or FTP as described in the above section.
While you've got Spark Editor open you can create your favourites here which are like bouquets on E2:
Right click on the channel under the TV and Radio tabs and select Add to FAV and select a FAV group
You can rename the FAV groups under the Fav Tv tab so they reflect the names you use on your bouquets in E2, such as Entertainment, Movies, etc.
If you choose to do this, save to USB stick when finished and plug the stick back into the Alien, then go to:
Menu > System > Upgrade > Database Converter > (check path to USB stick is OK) [Green] Update
Not my work but thanks to VectorZ from another forum.
