themes: s60 3rd edition vs s60 3rd edition featured pack 2

[elie.wakim]

hi all,

please can any one tell me if i can install the same theme (.sis) on 2 mobiles that has different OS featured pack (for ex:s60 3rd edition vs s60 3rd edition featured pack 2).

or differnet edition for example: s60 3rd edition and s60 5th edition

finally can any one tell me why there is no edition 4?

[ltomuta]

Yes, you can although I'm not sure that you should. It all depends on how well the theme was designed. As for the S60 4th Edition missing, well ... it's missing.

[elie.wakim]

so a good designed theme could be installed on a handset having s60 1st edition as well as one having s60 5th edition?

[ltomuta]

I am not a themes designer but I believe such thing is possible athhough not optimal.

I'm moving this thread to the relevant forum so that themes designers can comment.

[elie.wakim]

i just created a theme for the 3rd edition. it worked on 3rd and 5th, but not the 1st and 5th, i m just confused how themes installation works.

[ltomuta]

I don't think that there would be a problem with the installation itself, all it does is to unpack some files to the designated locations. Can you describe what/how it did not work?

As for the theme not working on S60 1st Edition (do you still have one of those devices?) that is correct, in fact in that case it is the installation that fails to begin with since the internal format of the SIS file is different and the older phones (prior to S60 3rd Edition) cannot handle the new format.

[elie.wakim]

ok so i assume (after test) the 3rd and 5th edition work toghether and 1st and 2nd work together.

[ltomuta]

Right, that's a clear separation based on the sis file format. Then with regards to the actual theme design let's hope that somebody will comment on what the differences are between 3.x and 5.x themes.

[elie.wakim]

i thing (not sure) that the 5th edition themes cannot work on 3rd edition, if someone can provide me with the list of 5th edition mobile model, it will be very thankful.

[ltomuta]

Check the Devices specification (http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices) for device listings.

[elie.wakim]

great link thx, this one i've search for it, for several days. thanks

[elie.wakim]

regarding the s40 series, can we use the same classification, i mean the 1st and the 2nd editions toghether and the 3rd and 5th.
thanks

[yiibu_steph]

Hello,
This is what I have uncovered so far in regards to compatibility amongst Editions.

1. A theme created for 3rd Edition can be installed on all variants of 3rd Ed (initial release, FP2, FP3.) As long as you have skinned all theme elements/components, the theme will work quite well. To do this, I have found that it is simplest to complete and test the entire theme with the 3rd Ed FP 1 setting then change the settings to FP2 and complete and test the remaining elements that are only found in FP2.

There do seem to be a few bugs when installing this theme to initial release devices but they are fairly minor (ex: certain text colours don't apply as expected and digital clock numbers are sometimes fuzzy as if the mask is not functioning properly) and as there is no 'Initial Release' setting in Carbide, i'm not sure if there is a way to fix these bugs anyhow.

2. This 3rd Edition theme can also be installed onto a 5th Edition device. It works surprisingly well (even with a very stretched background image) but of course there are many (many...) touch-related elements specific to 5th Edition that will not yet be skinned.

3. It is my understanding that the approach mentioned in #1 will not work however if you are trying to create a 'super theme' that will work on 3rd and 5th Ed. For this you would have to start with the most recent edition--5th Edition--then (if certain elements from 3rd Ed were not included in 5th...) work backwards down to 3rd Ed. I have yet to try this however so I could be mistaken.

I'm also wondering if this 'super theme' containing all 3rd and 5th Ed elements might be quite 'heavy' for early 3rd Edition devices?

Stephanie

[ltomuta]

regarding the s40 series, can we use the same classification, i mean the 1st and the 2nd editions toghether and the 3rd and 5th.
thanks

There is no break between 2nd and 3rd edition of Series 40 as far as I know.