[APP][May 5 2009] Mobile Shell 3 Toggler - Easily switch between MS3 and Today!

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thx1200

Inactive Recognized Developer
Overview
From the creator of TouchFlo Detacher comes Mobile Shell 3 Toggler! This is a sister app (at least in spirit) to TFD.

MS3T allows you to quickly and easily switch between the classic Today screen and SPB Mobile Shell 3 by using shortcuts which can be assigned to hardware buttons, links in MS3 itself, etc.

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CodePlex
Mobile Shell 3 Toggler is hosted on CodePlex: http://ms3t.codeplex.com/

Current features
MS3T adds the following links into the Mobile Shell folder in your Programs folder.

[Close Spb Mobile Shell] - Kill the MobileShell.exe process
[Hide Spb Mobile Shell] - Show the classic Today screen
[Show Spb Mobile Shell] - Show Mobile Shell 3
[Toggle Spb Mobile Shell] - Show Today if MS3 is visible; Show MS3 if Today is visible
[SmartToggle Spb Mobile Shell] - Similar to Toggle, but it will only toggle if you are already on the Now or Today screen. If you are in another app, it returns to the Now or Today screen. That's what makes it smart. :)

Limitations
- If you try to assign SmartToggle to the HTC Home button (using AE Button Plus, for example) on your HTC device, it will only work as a regular Toggle. The reason is that the home button always returns to the Today screen (or Now screen) BEFORE AE is able to tell SmartToggle to run. So, SmartToggle sees that you are currently on the Today screen and will toggle accordingly. The same problem will probably also exist with any other similar type of button on other manufacturer's devices.
- On MS3 version 3.5, MS3T may not work when combined with Second Today to give you MS3, TF3D, and Today simultaneously.

How it Works
I wanted to briefly explain how MS3T works for anybody else interested in extending this idea in other (hopefully free) apps. :)

Mobile Shell 3 has a window using the class SpbNow_MainWindow. This window is a part of the MobileShell.exe process. If you send a particular message to this window, it will tell Mobile Shell 3 to hide or show. This is how the links inside MS3 and the "Spb Home" link on the Today screen work. I imagine there are probably many other messages that may control some pretty cool things, but I haven't explored too deeply. I was only interested in the show/hide messages. I discovered this by using DotFred's Task Manager and analyzing all the window messages going to the various windows owned by MobileShell.exe. I noticed two non-standard messages whenever I showed or hid MS3. Then I sent those messages from my app and, voila! It worked! MS3T was born. :) Interesting side note: the window that all the MS3 graphics are drawn onto has the window class "Manila" just like TouchFlo. That probably would get confusing if you are running both at the same time. lol. :)

Action, Message, WPARAM, LPARAM:
Hide MS3, 0x82BC, 1, 0
Show MS3, 0x8258, 1, 0


Another message, 0xC005, seems to happen very regularly when using MS3. I think it might be "refresh screen" but I'm not sure. WPARAM and LPARAM are both 0 in this case.

AFTER UPGRADING MOBILE SHELL VERSION
If you upgrade Mobile Shell 3 to a newer version (for example, from 3.0.1 to 3.5), you should reinstall Mobile Shell 3 Toggler. The reason is that MS3T installs its shortcuts into the Mobile Shell 3 folder and the upgrade can mess them up.


History
V1 - Initial release

Download
Download the latest version at CodePlex: http://mst.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx

Requirements
Windows Mobile 6.1
Spb Mobile Shell 3, 3.0.1, or 3.5
 
Last edited:

MaxLaw843

Member
Dec 15, 2008
15
0
Charleston, SC
Work on WM 6.1 on a Palm Treo Pro?

Since the Palm Treo Pro (running WM 6.1) was made by HTC, I never know whether or not the software here on this site will work on it. Will it? :confused:
 

gil@spoontools.com

Senior Member
Apr 15, 2007
58
0
Palm Treo Pro

Of course it will!
Why do you think it shouldn't work?

The important thing is usually the OS, not the exact device (unless it's something specific like TouchFlo3D which you probably don't have...)

(I want a Treo Pro as well...:( )
 

MaxLaw843

Member
Dec 15, 2008
15
0
Charleston, SC
Palm Treo Pro

Of course it will!
Why do you think it shouldn't work?

The important thing is usually the OS, not the exact device (unless it's something specific like TouchFlo3D which you probably don't have...)

(I want a Treo Pro as well...:( )

Why would I think it would not work? I don't know why some of the software wants me to pick between QVGA or some other resolution. At times, the 320 x 320 is a problem, as the software is too big (or too small) for the screen.

I am soooooooo glad that I found Mobile Shell (and really like their version 3), as I moved from a Palm OS to WM---ycch! Like my Treo Pro (unlocked GSM on T-mobile network), so you can't have it :p Until they come out with the Palm Pre in an unlocked GSM with the WebOS. Yummmm...... Then we can talk! :rolleyes:
 

thx1200

Inactive Recognized Developer
Where do you go to assign the hardware key for this program?

MobileShell 3 Toggler relies on other apps (or the OS itself) to map its functions to keys. The first place to look is under Settings then Buttons. If you are using a newer HTC device, that's usually a pretty sparse menu. lol. I personally use AE Button Plus to remap buttons to functions. If you use AE, buy it! The author doesn't get enough monetary love for such a freaking awesome app. :)
 

tony.wheeler

Senior Member
Feb 25, 2005
338
40
Swindon
Smart Toggle Issue?

:) Thank you for this (and highlighting it to me from Spb forum). I find the toggle works exactly as designed on my Kaiser - but I am not sure that the smart toggle is correct for me.

It will not at all cycle between the 2 home screens. The behaviour I see is that whenever I press this Smart Toggle (assigned to a physical button) I am taken to the HTC Manilla Home: from within Manilla anywhere else, and also from anywhere in Spb Mobile Shell.

BTW - I am using the Kaiser ROM PDA Corner Xv3 and the latest Spb MS3 (3.0.1 Beta 1 (build 6456))

PS - have you considered a three-way toggler to cycle between Spb Home, Manilla Home and the Today screen? This would merge your Touch Flow Detacher and Mobile Shell Toggler efforts and seems a logical next step unless a problem.

Regards
 
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thx1200

Inactive Recognized Developer
First, toggling between the three would be cool, but I just don't have time to work on it. All the source code is available for both projects. If somebody implements this, just give me a little credit! I won't say "no" but I have no plans right now. As much eye candy as TouchFlo 3D was, it just wasn't that useful to me. I find MS3 incredibly useful, even if it's not quite as much eye candy as TouchFlo. So I'm pretty sure I'm not going to use TouchFlo anymore. But never say never!

The problem you are facing with Smart Toggle is likely because MS3T doesn't know to look for TouchFlo as the top window. It only looks for the "classic" Today screen. I can add a feature to consider the TouchFlo screen the "Today" screen. That should fix it.


:) Thank you for this (and highlighting it to me from Spb forum). I find the toggle works exactly as designed on my Kaiser - but I am not sure that the smart toggle is correct for me.

It will not at all cycle between the 2 home screens. The behaviour I see is that whenever I press this Smart Toggle (assigned to a physical button) I am taken to the HTC Manilla Home: from within Manilla anywhere else, and also from anywhere in Spb Mobile Shell.

BTW - I am using the Kaiser ROM PDA Corner Xv3 and the latest Spb MS3 (3.0.1 Beta 1 (build 6456))

PS - have you considered a three-way toggler to cycle between Spb Home, Manilla Home and the Today screen? This would merge your Touch Flow Detacher and Mobile Shell Toggler efforts and seems a logical next step unless a problem.

Regards
 
Last edited:

karatche

Senior Member
Dec 4, 2008
403
12
Cincinatti
www.conserv2000.com
tf3d not loading

I'm running wm6.1 / Arrupenthals rom latest V5.9 with SPB 3.0 . After installing I can toggle to Today screen but even though I have TF3D checked in today settings it will not load when it switches from spb to tf3d. It jsut hangs on the HTC icon and tf3d does not load. any ideas?
ps - if I stop spb (shut down- kill program) tf3d loads.
 

samer_salbad

Member
Mar 2, 2009
5
0
MB3 starts at the begining,,I dont want to

I insatalled MS3 on my X1 but I restarted it, it always started at the begining but I don't want to...could anyone tell me how to disable to start in todays screen ,,I just need the other application start not MB3 and sometimes it stopped working and I should restart it,,I dont know why..plz somebody help me...thanks
 

minglee

Senior Member
Nov 6, 2007
302
0
Hong Kong
Thank You

First, toggling between the three would be cool, but I just don't have time to work on it. All the source code is available for both projects. If somebody implements this, just give me a little credit! I won't say "no" but I have no plans right now. As much eye candy as TouchFlo 3D was, it just wasn't that useful to me. I find MS3 incredibly useful, even if it's not quite as much eye candy as TouchFlo. So I'm pretty sure I'm not going to use TouchFlo anymore. But never say never!

The problem you are facing with Smart Toggle is likely because MS3T doesn't know to look for TouchFlo as the top window. It only looks for the "classic" Today screen. I can add a feature to consider the TouchFlo screen the "Today" screen. That should fix it.

Many thanks for the MS3 toggler. I also use your TouchFLO Detacher.

I am also interested in the "feature to consider the TouchFlo screen as the "Today" screen".

Hope we can have this brilliant feature soon.

Thanks again.
 

kuokhong

Member
Apr 22, 2009
42
0
okay, so i have downloaded the file, copied into my touch hd, and installed it. and.. whats next? it just says everything installed successfully but whats next? how do I set or toggle the screen? sorry for noob question.
 

mbernstein

Senior Member
May 8, 2006
343
7
Working great on my Kaiser with MS 3 beta 3, PP+. Smart Toggle great. If it does not have any issue in the next few days, I will contribute. That was my biggest issue with MS 3 (Although I liked that I could get to phone contacts from anywhere just doing the "L" swipe in MS 2 - actually only thing I used in MS2 -... but nothing is perfect), new "show today" widget is an advancement from SPB, but your solution is the best for hardware buttoned phones as the kaiser.