No WONDER everyone has problems with PHOCO!

**JohnWPB** · 09-18-2006, 08:27 AM

[RANT]

This has got to be some sick joke

I have spend the past 5 hours trying to figgure out HOW to skin Phoco and make all of its functions available!
So far the list of skins required to do this are (According to the skincommands.txt file)

- Phoco.skin
- SMS.skin
- smsoutdetails.skin
- smsindetails.skin
- contacts.skin
- contactsdetails.skin
- smsnumber.skin
- smsnumber2.skin

Ok, the list goes on, As Robby_BMW pointed out below, there are actually a few more skins GASP!
- call-in.skin
- call-out.skin
- chose_dial_number.skin
- chose_save_number.skin

and to be able to use phoco you need too:

- osk.skin
- numosk.skin
- confirm.skin

If that's not bad enough, 75% of the commands to control PHOCO do not work on 80% of the skins!

For instance: (From Skincommands.txt)

"Save" - In Screen: "smsoutdetails.skin"/"smsindetails.skin" -- Save SMS to Archive

So this command will not work, when displaying the messages in either the Phoco, or SMS skins, ONLY from the 2 mentioned. Even though the message title can be displayed on the Phoco.skin, you cant do anything with it, delete it, view it, have it spoken nothing...

So from the main PHOCO screen , I can have a button to go to the SMS skin, I can look at the list of SMS messages, but can not view the details without loading another skin, then to not be able to view the other types of messages in/out/archive ect which I have to go back to a different skin, to then select a message, and load another skin to send an actual message, but not from the Phoco skin, where the contacts are listed, but from another skin that has to pull in the contacts, strictly for the purpose of sending a message.

I have found myself going completely in circles, and downloading every skin I can find to see how to possible get commands to work on what skins and how. I am losing my mind here......

Is it not possible to make more of the commands available globally, so they work on all the phoco pages, instead of limiting certain functions to a certain page?

If not, can someone point me to a skin that has FULL Phoco support. The trusty "Reference Bible Brushed Metal" skins do not support but a small percent of PHOCO, and honestly, I can see why!!!!!

[/RANT]

**peijffertje** · 09-18-2006, 08:34 AM

Check Robby's BMW skin..

**Enforcer** · 09-18-2006, 08:57 AM

The latest iDrive should have all the functions. (I think)

**Robby BMW** · 09-18-2006, 09:19 AM

Ehm...

you have forgot:

- call-in.skin
- call-out.skin
- chose_dial_number.skin
- chose_save_number.skin

and to be able to use phoco you need too:

- osk.skin
- numosk.skin
- confirm.skin

however this is the maximum skins request, in fact to get working phoco only these skins are required:

- phoco.skin (you can get calls and sms in this skin)
- smsoutdetails.skin
- smsindetails.skin
- contactsdetails.skin (necessary only if you have planed to use the inernal phonebook)
- smsnumber.skin
- call-in.skin
- call-out.skin (basically the same as call-in.skin)
- chose_dial_number.skin
- chose_save_number.skin (basically the same of chose_dial_number and necessary only if you have planed to use the internal phonebook)

**Griff1** · 09-18-2006, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by JohnWPB

[RANT]

If that's not bad enough, 75% of the commands to control PHOCO do not work on 80% of the skins!

[/RANT]

This is phoco's biggest problem,its just not flexible and it never will be.

**Sonicxtacy02** · 09-18-2006, 12:48 PM

i guess i'm one of the few who actually likes the fact that there are so many screens for phoco. Each one serves a purpose. Its not like you have to jump thru a ton of screens to make and receive calls. How's it any different than using your cell phone to navigate. U wanna send an sms, you go to the sms menu, wanna check your call lists, same thing. Personally having skinned for phoco from scratch i'd be even more confused if i hadda throw in 3 different features on one screen.

That bein said.. .i've NEVER seen the smsnumber skins in use.. those are just junk :P

**MGD** · 09-18-2006, 12:55 PM

I have no problem with my skin (ASTRO) to make and receive calls. I can browse my phone book, make calls from them, add to the contacts list, it works just fine. I don't even send text messages with my phone so therefore I don't have it in my skin. And then I have a more important job to do in my car....Driving.

**liquid_smoke** · 09-18-2006, 04:02 PM

probably the biggest reason is it takes an engineering degree to configure phoco.
Add RR to the mix which is like linux of the frontend world (i ment that in a good way) and im sure someone without above average computer skills will be completely lost.

**MGD** · 09-18-2006, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by liquid_smoke

probably the biggest reason is it takes an engineering degree to configure phoco.
Add RR to the mix which is like linux of the frontend world (i ment that in a good way) and im sure someone without above average computer skills will be completely lost.

You're right, there is a learning curve. For some of us it takes weeks, for some month and some give up. What fun would it be if everythings works from the get go. I like to figure things out.

**liquid_smoke** · 09-18-2006, 04:32 PM

well the problem is not everybody considers that type of stuff fun. Personally i do (to a certain extent) but some just want the stuff to work so they can tend to other things they deem more important.
You can easily spend more time configuring phoco or trying to get it to work with your setup than you did putting your whole carputer together, frontend and all.