Change the "screens" (Startup, Image Deleted, Shut

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

Alright, here's how you change the screens on the camcorder:

1. Get the latest version of OPS

2. Download this software: Image Alchemy and extract / install it somewhere you can access it (it is a DOS-based GUI)

3. Look thru "p4" in the camcorder's directory listing and pick the image you want to change.

Here is a list of names and what they are:
SPLASH.JPG -- the inital "CVS - Home Movies Made Simple" startup screen (24,634 bytes / 24 KB)
LOGO.JPG -- the "PureDigital" secondary startup screen (14,705 bytes / 14.3 KB)
PROCES~3.JPG -- "Camcorder Processed -- Return for Recycling" (24,552 bytes / 23.9 KB)
SHUTDOWN.JPG -- the "CVS -- Turning Off" shutdown screen (18,274 bytes / 17.8 KB)

4. Download the image (or images).

5. Open up the progam "GUI.EXE" that you got from installing/extracting the Image Alchemy program.

6. Go to File -> Select Input Image and select the image you downloaded that you would like to modify

7. Go to File -> Select Output Type and choose "Adobe Photoshop"

8. Go to File -> Convert!

9. Open the image with Photoshop (or The Gimp -- but I don't know if that will work or not), modify it to your heart's content, and save it. (Not Save As, just Save!)

10. Open up the progam "GUI.EXE" that you got from installing/extracting the Image Alchemy program.

11. Go to File -> Select Input Image and choose your PSD/JPEG file that you created

12. Go to File -> Select Output Type and choose "JPEG"

13. Go to File -> Convert!

14. You should now have your new file created (it's in the Image Alchemy directory with the GUI.exe program)

15. Create an empty (0 byte) dummy file named after the file you want to change, and upload it over the original. Now unplug the camera, and plug it back in.

16. Reconnect to your camera and unlock it, then name your new image the same as the image you want to change, and upload it.
Note: The image size for the new image should be smaller than the original image's size! (sizes listed above)

17. Unplug and reboot the camera and you should see your personalized screen!

Note: If you make LOGO.JPG a 0 byte file, it will display SPLASH.JPG the whole time during startup.

Please note I take no responsiblity if you damage or kill your camcorder!

Edit: updated some information.

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:10 am

Alternatively, if you want to generate your screens in The Gimp, use the following options when saving as a jpeg:

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

I can't seem to upload over LOGO.JPG for some strange reason, and now I have a 0 byte file. It's not a big deal though, because it just shows the SPLASH.JPG throughout the whole startup of the camcorder instead.

Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 278

Hey twist, the same thing happened to me....I just tried to edit LOGO.JPG and replace it with a solid blue image. After I uploaded it, now it just stays on the cvs page the whole time as well, oh well I actually like it better that way anyway. Well, im not messing around with it any more until its perfected ;)

Interestingly engough though, when I try to download it it gives me the exact file i uploaded. Weird.

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

Here is a shutdown image that I know for a fact works (and it doesn't say "CVS" on it anymore ;)). It's the same as the CVS shutoff screen, except the "Turning off" text is centered, and "CVS" is removed.

Alternate Shutdown Screen

Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 278

Thanks twist, works great!

Now does anyone have a pack of silent .wavs? ;)

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:06 am

I gotta really caution wav experimentation at this point. We already know that bad wavs crash the cam from my initial experiments.

Unless you're willing to trash the cam, I really gotta caution you guys on this line of investigation.

Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 278

Yeah, Im not gonna mess with it until someone makes a foolproof pack of silent .wavs

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

Well, I created a new startup screen for you guys. It simply says "hello."

Preview:

Download here:
Alternative Splash Image

Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 63 Location: Cartersville, Ga

maxwell, heres a link for a pack of silent wav's. i created them using the sound recorder. All i did was download the ones from the camera, then use the reduce volume option in the sound recorder menu until i couldnt hear a peep even with my speakers turn all the way up.

http://www.foreverfromnow.com/cvs/files/cvscamwav.rar

I have verified that all files work. My camcorder is completely silent now. I also suggest that you upload one at a time to the camcorder and close, reopen, and unlock the camcorder between each file. I had a slight problem with the SOUND8.WAV as it gave an error and caused my cam did the whole black screen on shutdown thing. All i did was reupload a 0 byte file, close, reopen and unlock, then upload the good one again. I suspect it had something to do with me uploading all of them back to back to back.

YIPPEEEE!!!!! Silent Cam Operation!!!!!!!!!

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

Crap! I tried replacing SOUND2.WAV and I keep getting "Error writing movie to camera". AGH! Now the camera won't shutdown properly!

Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 59 Location: Glenwood, Maryland

I'm sure I've seen something very similar to twist's "hello" screen...ah, yes, here it is, from twenty-plus years ago...

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=8/22822573020.jpg&s=x1

Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 278

YAY thanks hal0gen! Everything went perfectly smoothly and now I have a completely silent cam! Sucess!

Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 63 Location: Cartersville, Ga

LET ME STRESS THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The silent wav's I created DO work. BUT PUHLEEEEEEEEZ!!!! I cant stress this enough. Upload them ONE AT A TIME. Close camcorder, unplug, replug, open camcorder, unlock, and repeat. I didnt have to do this except the first time when i was rushing through and was careless. Also, im going to add a set of 0 byte wavs to the archive i made for download. If anything happens and your camcorder acts crazy, (which mine has been doing because ive uploaded all kinds of crazy sounds and it hasnt liked many of them) just upload the 0 byte files one at a time first, then go back and upload the silent wavs one at a time afterwards. That process has recovered my cam from the following errors:

lock at startup screen
blank screen at startup (locks there)
lock at shutdown screen
lock when pressing the record button

Now my cam is perfectly silent with no errors. Maxwell, if you would, i am providing all of this info from my own experiences only so far. Could you describe exactly how you uploaded the wavs so we can compare notes. Mine works, and yours works, so thats a good sign so far ;)

EDIT: the files have been updated if you need the 0byte wavs

link: http://www.foreverfromnow.com/cvs/files/cvscamwav.rar

Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 278

All I did was follow just like you said, and uploaded, disconnected, reconnected, uploaded etc. Worked perfect, first shot.

Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 3

I can't wait to build a cable for my camcorder. Maybe I should replace the screen with one that says "HAHA I hax0red your camera" and then return it to CVS for processing. Laughing

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

Welp, my camcorder is semi-dead Crying or Very sad

I can't seem to replace the SOUND8.WAV at all. I upload the blank, it works fine. Then I disconnect, reconnect, upload the original OR modified SOUND8.WAV and it says it worked, but my camera gets the frozen black screen and the sound isn't actually updated.

So, now I have a camcorder that can do everything but delete. Agh.

Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 63 Location: Cartersville, Ga

I had that same problem twist. My cam recovered just fine using the technique i described above. If all else fails, upload the 0byte files one at a time. and ALWAYS!!!!!!! upload, close camcorder, unplug, (if your camcorder is locked up or erroring, at this point you will need to remove the batteries so that it turns off), replug (it should turn itself back on) open camcorder, unlock, upload next file.

I have checked and doubled checked this technique and i have uploaded everything you could imagine as a replacement sound file and gotten all sorts of errors, but my cam ALWAYS recovers. If you need more assistance ill install aim later on today and try to keep it up while im at work, so maybe i can help out.

YOUR CAMCORDER IS NOT HURT IN ANY WAY!

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 45

Yeah, it still doesn't seem to be uploading sucessfully, even though OPS says it has been. And for SOUND2.WAV, I keep getting the "Error...".

Confused

This is quite annoying. Could it be my dock/cable?

Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 63 Location: Cartersville, Ga

twist, lets move this to the new topic i started

http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=770

Joined: 18 Aug 2005 Posts: 13

This is how heaven looks

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:12 pm

With the 0.6 version of Ops I was able to succesfully update my LOGO.JPG file. Procedure is the same as hal0gen's wav update:

-update the file with a small-sized file (I used 8 byte)
-unplug/replug the cam, reopen, reunlock
-update the file with your replacement.

Note that the replacement had to be smaller than the original.

Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 1541 Location: jacksonville, fl

got my screens and wavs swapped out now too in ops 0.5. one thing i noted was that you have to remove the battery when you change wav files for startup and shutdown. it's not a big deal since you can still access it, the screen just locks at at the screen you are changing the wav on when it hits a 0byte wav. this is some great stuff, maybe i should make a windows 95 boot screen for it "It is now safe to turn off your camcorder."?

Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 278

Go for it, and while your at it, can you edit my startup screen in photoshop so it works? I cant get it to work :<

Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 1541 Location: jacksonville, fl

that should work. made it the same way i made the rest of mine. just make sure you have a small dummy file in place before you try and put this one in.