[REQUEST] so not a request or bug, but a dummies guide

[vwjap]

So I’ve installed toolbox, what to do now? Looked at the instructions and seemed like gobbledegook and very scarce Ok so need phyton 2.7 (never used python but it looks like dos, shouldn’t be a problem) Downloaded python and installed it (make sure you click include in path) Went to python directory (run - Cmd, then type> cd/ then> cd python27) So now try to extract the image skin files There in the dump directory on the sd card called images.mcf i copied it to a directory in the python27 directory called images Then I copied the files from the sd card tools directory to the python27 directory Then I created a directory called SkinFiles Typed> python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/ (This is divided up to be run python script .py (python extract _mcf.py) extract files from the image file in c:/python27/images/image.mcf to c:/SkinFiles/ Up popped a error saying you need to have pip installed So I copied the pip exe to python27 directory and ran it Then I tested it installed by typing pip help and a list came up so all good Then I typed> python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/ Then got another error saying I needed a image add on, the error tells you what to type and then downloads the files it needs and installs them Then I typed> python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/ Then I got another error saying I need a progress bar add on, again it tells you what to type and downloads and installs it Then I typed python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/ And it came up a list Now I went back to windows explorer and looked into c:/python/SkinFiles/ and there was a lot of picture files, I found the picture file I wanted (img904.png) after a bit of trial and error loading it into the car, Then I loaded into gimp (as it’s free) and added a English registration plate and exported it (as saving it changes it to a different file type) Now to compress it back up Back to command prompt So then I typed python compress-mcf.py ./images/image.mcf ./images/image2.mcf ./SkinFiles/ (This is divided up to be run python script .py (python-compress-mcf.py) the original file (images) to the new file name (images2) with the files in the SkinFiles directory Then back to windows explorer I copied the new file (c:/python27/SkinFiles/image2.mcf) to the sd card (in the custom/SkinFiles/skin0 directory) Then I popped out to the car got into the green menu, then the mqbcoding, then down to custom then down to skins, then down to load skin from skin0, it then tells you to reboot Then I came out of the green menu by pressing the menu button and reset by pressing and holing the on off button until it came up with “welcome to Volkswagen” And this is what I got

[url=https://ibb.co/z26wvQy][img]https://i.ibb.co/VCw84J7/B9-AECDA9-C39-C-4-AE6-ABFD-68-D2-A15-FF1-CB.jpg[/img][/url]

[jilleb]

Would be cool to have this in the wiki!

[vwjap]

Your welcome to it dude, it’s your project

[jilleb]

Allright, then I'll borrow your text for the wiki as soon as I find some time :-) Thanks!

[vwjap]

rewrote it @jilleb

So I’ve installed toolbox, what to do now? Looked at the instructions and seemed like gobbledegook and/or very scarce Ok so need phyton 2.7 (never used python but it looks like dos, shouldn’t be a problem) Downloaded python and installed it (make sure you click include in path)

Then I copied the files from the sd card tools directory to the python27 directory (underlined in yellow) Then I created a directory called SkinFiles then i created a directory called Images then i created a directory called Startgx (for later) (underlined in red) then i copied the pip files from the script directory in to the python27 directory (underlined in green)

There in the dump directory on the sd card and i found the file images.mcf after folloing the directory path to skinfiles directory i copied images.mcf to a directory in the C;/python27/images/ i created earlier so now onto using python Went to python directory in the command prompt (run - Cmd, then type> cd/ then> cd python27) Then typed python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/

This is divided up to be run python script .py (python extract _mcf.py) to extract files from the image file in c:/python27/images/image.mcf to c:/SkinFiles/ Up popped a error saying you need to have pip installed so i closed the command prompt, opened windows explorer, went into the python27 directory and double clicked Easy_install-2.7.exe then went back to the command prompt and the python27 directory and typed pip help

and this tells me its installed correctly

Then i typed python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/

and got this error

i just typed in the red undelined text

pip install image

Then i typed python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/

and got this error

i just typed in the red undelined text

pip install progressbar

then after that had installed i then typed python extract_mcf.py ./images/images.mcf ./SkinFiles/

SUCCESS

Now I went back to windows explorer and looked into c:/python/SkinFiles/ and there was a lot of picture files, I found the picture file I wanted (img904.png) after a bit of trial and error loading it into the car, Then I loaded into gimp (as it’s free) and added a English registration plate and exported it (as saving it changes it to a different file type)

Now to compress it back up

Back to command prompt So then I typed python compress-mcf.py ./images/image.mcf ./images/image2.mcf ./SkinFiles/

(This is divided up to be run python script .py (python-compress-mcf.py) the original file (images) to the new file name (images2) with the files in the SkinFiles directory

Then back to windows explorer I copied the new file (c:/python27/SkinFiles/image2.mcf) to the sd card (in the custom/SkinFiles/skin0 directory) then renamed the file i just copied from image2.mcf to image.mcf

Then I popped out to the car got into the green menu, then the mqbcoding, then down to custom then down to skins, then down to load skin from skin0, it then tells you to reboot Then I came out of the green menu by pressing the menu button and reset by pressing and holing the on off button until it came up with “welcome to Volkswagen” And this is what I got

[vwjap]

ok had a bit of time today so i thought id play with the splash screen so first i copied the splash screen folder from the SDCard (located in dump\\splashscreens) to the images folder i made earlier in the python27 directory, i used VWMIBHigh_SUA_Standard.camin (as i have a golf GT)

then i opend the command prompt and navigated to the python directory ( cd\ then cd python27)

then i typed

python extract-camin_vw.py .\images\VWMIBHigh_SUA_Standard.camin .\startgx\

then after extracting i closed the command promp and opened windows explorer and checked the six files were in my images directory after that i opened gimp and edited img_2.png to how i wanted then exported it back (as saving changes the file type)

now time to compress it back up, so back to the command prompt, and back to the python directory and then typed

python compress-camin_vw.py .\images\VWMIBHigh_SUA_Standard.camin .\images\splash.camin .\startgx\

now i closed the command prompt then i copied splash.camin from the image directory to the custom\splashscreen\ directory on the SDCard

then out to the car popped the SDCard in and went to the green screen down to mqbcoding then customization then startup and as i didnt take out my obd11 tool i went to the bottom option and selected that waited for the unit to say done and to restart the unit then restarted the unit by pressing and holdin the on\off button and this is what welcomed me

[vwjap]

Today I loaded all the .canim’s from my dump directory into my images folder then made a simple batch file where I could call any of the 12 different .canims and extract them into the startgx directory, so I can easily see the differences between the screens in seconds

[vwjap]

Was thinking of playing with the green screen and .sh next, maybe make a dealer service menu where you can revert back to factory if your car need any work doing at a vw garage, and you can just hit a button to go back to stock or hit another button to put your custom graphics back on when the car comes back out again, without need of a SD-card, where when you go in it has 3 buttons, the first would be “setup” where it creates 2 directories in the directory /engdefs/screens (also a new directory) called Og and Custom and copies the 4 different .canim and .mcf files into the relevant directories (can I add the directories and files there?) one “revert screens to factory”, where it gets the 2 OG files from the OG directory then copies them to the /mint/persist/var/ and the eso/mmi/lsd/resources/skin?/ directory and the other “revert screens to custom” where it copies the 2 files from the custom directory,

But this is just a thought at the moment

[olli991]

Honestly: No dealer cares about that. My car was with full modifications to the workshop. Only thing was: Looks good and they cant understand why it isn't this way from stock. And if you need warranty for the unit you should use the uninstall script to completly remove everything, perhaps also do a clean firmware reinstall.

[vwjap]

Fare enough

[jilleb]

Honestly: No dealer cares about that. My car was with full modifications to the workshop. Only thing was: Looks good and they cant understand why it isn't this way from stock. And if you need warranty for the unit you should use the uninstall script to completly remove everything, perhaps also do a clean firmware reinstall.

+1 on that 😁 Dealers don't care and often don't even know something wasn't meant to be there. 😁

[olli991]

Another info @vwjap : You dont need to place the files near the phyton script or anything. Just drag and drop everything neccessary into CMD it also works and is simpler. THis way folders, files and scripts could be anywhere you want ;)

[vwjap]

I just placed them near for neatness, so everything related is in one place, I’ll try the drag and drop next time I get near a pc