Release - AvicZ2 800 x 480

**treetop777** · 06-07-2007, 08:27 PM

I happened to have Shock-V1 as night skin and when i hit the day/night button, it switched to that skin; i was expecting Z2 to just dim. Shock-V1 don't have provisions for switching day/night skins so i had to exit.
Come to think of it, i could have used it's skin browser.. duh!

Ah! folks might never know there's a minimize button if you don't tell'em

**monkeyracer** · 06-07-2007, 08:49 PM

ya, i was going to update the main post with the easter eggs that i've put in it.
Ya, gamma will dim it (and everything esle too.) working on colored night skins tonight, may release those later, as the PSD's are much easier to manipulate.

**monkeyracer** · 06-08-2007, 11:33 AM

bump, added blue skin to download, also updated the original skin (read notes) red skin is next.

**monkeyracer** · 06-09-2007, 09:25 PM

bump.

Red skin released, made a few changes to other two skins.

**Ruffy** · 06-10-2007, 12:03 PM

i have the AVIC-Z2 in my tahoe... it doesnt look like that.. I know your based on the D/N series but thats just confusing. Got my hopes up

**monkeyracer** · 06-10-2007, 04:39 PM

It was more inspired by the Z2, than emulated. I couldn't really use the button layout at the bottom since it was too small to translate into a touchscreen, and the buttons menus aren't really what I'm needing for the carputer to do (Z2 doesn't have web or e-mail or other carputer features.) so I changed the buttons to look a little simpler and easier to use on the touch screen. And where the hard buttons are on the actual unit, I put a track info screen instead. However, I highly considered using the same button styles, but they didn't translate easy to what this skin will be used most for. And I couldn't find any good screen captures to base the designs from other than the one below. The manual is black and white and the pics are hard to see at best.

I'd love to have the Z2, but for $2200 plus install, I can get a carputer and a laptop and have way more functionality, so rather than just forget about it, I made a skin inspired by it. (Also have a AVIC-D3 inspired skin) Here's a side by side comparison of the z2 and my skin:

As you can see, I basically just used the pic above to model the background, and then made all the screens after that.

Originally Posted by Ruffy

i have the AVIC-Z2 in my tahoe... it doesnt look like that.. I know your based on the D/N series but thats just confusing. Got my hopes up

Sorry, but I figured that all the other "look-a-like" skins (mac, iphone, etc.) have gotten away with it, so why couldn't I?

**monkeyracer** · 06-19-2007, 05:45 PM

How's everyone liking this skin? Good. I see there are plenty of downloads.

I am refining this a little bit here and there, and due to the amount of changes, i will release a version 2.0 soon. (Rather than a 1.x)

The new version will be more oriented around maximizing the size of your display and also be a lot lighter (in hard drive space) using one set of images throughout the majority of the skin. (Different menus and some specific skins will have a little bit different layout.

It will also look a lot closer to the actual Z2 (thanks to Ruffy for the inspiration) except for the menus and soft buttons (ones that change from screen to screen) and the OSK will probably have their own look to them, rather than the buttons that look like any of the N/Z/D series nav units.
I will be getting the Car2PC-PIO interface, and hacking a wired marine remote for my DEH-P590IB, so volume controls and music will be mainly controlled through an outside source, however, there will be controls in the skin for passengers to manage the music (and subsequently those without outside buttons for this purpose)

Keep you eyes peeled for the 2.0 release!