Important

Facade requires a Windows Mobile Smartphone device. Facade supports Windows Mobile 2002/2003/2003SE/2005 devices. That is, all Microsoft Smartphone releases from Windows Mobile 2002 through Windows Mobile 5. QVGA (240x320) and landscape QVGA (320x240) are fully supported as well.

Upgrading Facade

Note: The home screen layout file Facade.home.xml will be overwritten with each release. If you have made modifications to this file, please make your own copy before installing any new Facade versions. When making a copy, the <title> node should also be changed to a different name so that both names are available in the Smartphone home screen control panel. Using a separate file for customizations will ensure that your changes are not lost during the install process. If you use the Facade configuration screens to edit the Facade Sample layout, this should not be an issue because a copy of the file will be made automatically.

When upgrading from a prior version the Smartphone will normally handle all the details and reboot for you if necessary. However, in some cases it may be necessary to select a different home screen layout, turn the phone off and on again (reboot), and reselect the Facade home screen layout. In rare cases it may even be necessary to install the update more than once. As a precaution, it is recommended to reboot your phone prior to installing any upgrade.

Installing Facade

First extract the ZIP file you downloaded to a specific folder.
Inside the ZIP file you will find an executable (EXE) file named Facade.exe. Run this file while your Smartphone device is connected to your desktop PC; this will run the Facade installation automatically on your Smartphone.
Mac OS users can use the CAB file also included inside the ZIP file to install Facade on their device.
PLEASE READ: Facade will not be visible until a Home screen layout that utilizes Facade is selected. Included with this installation is a default Facade home screen layout. The “Facade Settings” application should be accessible from your Start Menu, and should also run automatically during the install process for first-time installations. This application will allow you to select the Facade Sample screen or even to insert Facade into your own home screen definition (if a built-in ROM file is specified, a copy will be made automatically).

Alternatively, the Facade Sample screen can be chosen from the home screen control panel using this procedure:

1. Select “Start” from your Smartphone home screen

2. Select “Settings” (it may be necessary to hit ‘9’ one or more times before the Settings option is located)

3. Select “Home Screen”

4. Use the left/right arrows to change the “Home screen layout” to “Facade Sample”

5. Select “Done”

Customization

Basic customizations can be make easily through the “Facade Settings” application, which can be found under your Start menu. More detailed changes are possible by directly editing the home screen xml files. If you wish to manually customize your Facade Home screen layout, consider making a copy of the supplied Facade.home.xml file, changing the <title> in your copy, and making any desired changes to that new copy. Making a copy is important because installing any version of Facade will overwrite the Facade.home.xml file.
The Facade.home.xml file is located in the \Storage\Application Data\Home directory on your Smartphone. The easiest way to edit this file is to connect your PC using ActiveSync, locate the file using Windows Explorer, and drag the file onto your desktop. Next, right-click the file and choose “Edit”. After saving any changes the file can be dragged back to the Smartphone folder. To view any changes it is also necessary to select a different Home screen layout first, in order to force the layout to be reloaded by Windows Mobile.

Additional Support and Documentation

You can find additional support on our site: http://www.sbsh.net/products/facade/index.php?page=support and on our forums: http://www.sbsh.net/forums/ . For full details about the supported XML commands please see the “Facade XML Documentation” thread in the “Facade FAQ and Support” forum.

Facade version history

Version 1.22 [January 28, 2007]

· Improve task sorting [date / priority / category (WM5 and higher) / description]

· Resolve task display problems seen on Dash and Blackjack phones

· Reset trial mode counter so previous trial users can try Facade 1.2x

· Fix missing "No appointments today" line when "Show empty days" is in use

· Improve multi-line formatting when multiple font settings are involved

· Removed obsolete ShowAllDayText setting

· Default appointment heading format to phone's long date format (without year)

· Hide confidential appointments (WM5) when hiding private appointments

· Support for MUI switching on multi-language phones

· Fix missing appointments problem under Crossbow OS

· Use full available width when indicators are hidden

· Translation updates for Russian, Italian

· Settings: Fix problem with button move/delete/insert not being saved

· Settings: Fix unintentional debug mode after moving launcher buttons

· Settings: Fix Plugins page so up/down works on 'short' layouts

· Settings: Support '3'/'6' keys for up/down in Plugins page

· Settings: Fix lost "Lines per appointment = Unlimited" setting

· Settings: Button setting correction when SharedLauncher setting missing

· Settings: Additional fixes to Shared Launcher configuration

· Settings: Replace Exit options with Cancel behavior

· Settings: Fix backspace key in "Custom Value" page

· Settings: Fix URL formatting for button settings

· Settings: Remove irrelevant "Custom Value" option on Home Screen page

Version 1.20 [November 7, 2006]

· Professionally redesigned graphics for all resolutions

· Higher resolution images for QVGA devices

· New meter support for battery/memory information

· Added custom tab background images

· Added custom launcher edge images

· Support sharing of launcher settings between layout files

· New "Snapback" feature to return to first button or row after inactivity

· Support multi-line appointment display

· Expand current appointment to show full text

· Added option to hide private appointments/tasks

· Added option to hide all day appointments

· New "Note" indicator when appointment/task notes are present

· Added option to view notes when present

· New option to delete appointments/tasks

· New option to view appointment/task details under standard calendar (WM5 only)

· New "Contacts" and "Links" tab icons

· Support "_large" versions of icons for the launcher bar

· Adjust named font sizes for QVGA devices

· Correct FileManager not found on Motorola Q devices

· Added workaround logic for "missing program image" (Windows Mobile 5 bug)

· Strip spaces from registration information to assist Motorola Q users

· Fix problem with formatting of tabs and buttons on same line

· Fix MaxDays showing multiday appointments one day past time limit

· Fix missing last day of multi-day appointments (non-all-day)

· When indenting text rows, indent leading icon too

· Support halign/valign settings

· New formatting options for all day appointments

· New "wrap" setting for appointment/task view (WrapLines)

· Improve navigation when using ShowEmptyDays setting

· Changes for compatibility with Papyrus 1.3 / Pocket Informant for Smartphone

· Apply "Show 'No Appointments' text" setting to tasks as well

· Added prompt and logic to remove settings and files during uninstall process

· Add Show="none" option for background-only tabs

· Install appropriate skin automatically based on screen resolution

· Minor 'migration' changes to existing home screen during install

· New standalone reset/reload/powerOff functions (via FacadeHelper)

· New Swedish translation

· Translation updates for this version: Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Swedish

· Remember language for future installs

· Changes to improve reliability of upgrade process

· Prevent Start menu failure after reload under WM5

· Settings: Split General menu into General/Layout

· Settings: Add setting for background image

· Settings: Add setting for Facade "skin"

· Settings: Support manual entry of custom numeric values

· Settings: Fix text indent setting so it can be defined globally

· Settings: Fix "Minutes after appointment" = "day" setting

· Settings: Don't list invalid home screen xml files as choices

· Settings: Allow returning to other pages from "Home Screen" page

· Settings: Add disabled task/schedule-only lines to default layout

· Settings: Reset background/colors from control panel when choosing a new layout

· Settings: Menu options to move/insert/delete button settings

· Settings: Option to enable shared launcher buttons

· Settings: Renamed "Options" softkey to "Menu"

· Settings: Adjustments to QVGA/landscape control sizing

Version 1.10 [April 22, 2006]

· Added translations: Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Russian

· Support landscape devices (320x240, like the Motorola Q)

· Show location information for appointments

· Prompt for language during install

· Support bottom tabs (view above tab)

· Fix failure to load when a tab has no corresponding view

· Search for images with or without "\Storage" (WM5 vs. WM2003 difference)

· Internal improvements to exception handling logic

· Resolve problems with launcher buttons that link to web pages

· Verify whether Papyrus executable exists before attempting integration

· Changed "Check" menu option to "Complete" for more clarity

· Detect platform type (issue error if attempting to install on Pocket PC device)

· Settings: Fix left/right keys for reordering plugins on plugins page

· Settings: Moved color settings to separate page

· Settings: Added Launcher settings page and sub-menu

· Settings: Add date/time formatting settings

· Settings: Add "Buy Online" option to registration page

· Settings: Skip duplicate layout filenames under /windows

· Settings: Scan all directories under Start Menu for button choices

· Settings: Sort launcher button choices

· Settings: Allow '&' characters within launcher filenames

· Settings: Remove limit of 15 launcher buttons

· Settings: Force tabs and corresponding views to be enabled/disabled together

· Settings: Support customized template definition when inserting Facade

Version 1.00 [February 27, 2006]

· Initial release: Includes launcher, tabs, schedule, tasks, and configuration screens

· Supports WM2002/2003/2003SE/2005 Smartphones

· Supports standard resolution and QVGA

Prerelease 1.00 Versions [January/February 2006]

· All new configuration system

· Further improvements to alignment of tabs and borders

· Fix missed synchronization under WM5 after switching layouts

· Fix problem with missing first icon after soft reset (WM5 bug)

· Fix missing task lines when task view height is small

· Correct one day too many on multi-day all day appointmens under WM5

· Use links for default launcher buttons (WM5 missing icon problem)

· ShowNoAppointmentsText also controls the message when no appointments exist at all

· Support forced reload by clicking on an item

· Rename id/viewId to name/viewName (older names still allowed)

· id/name settings are optional (except for views controlled by tabs)

· Fix config screens for WM2002

· Cosmetic changes to config screens, including standard white background

· Split About/Register screen into two screens

· Improve cancel/exit/back logic so it is more intuitive

· Add "save changes" prompting (when changes are made)

· Allow back button to cancel current screen (or exit entirely, with the option to save changes)

· Add Games/Accessories links to button choices

· Correction for long shortcut names

· Fix color names "off by one"

· Improved icon for config app

· Fix problem loading wrong screen after making a copy

· Re-work registration and expiration process

· Treat Facade Sample xml file as "read only" (make a copy if modified)

· When making a copy, use the prefix "My" (translatable in the future) for the filename and home screen name

· Fixed user id size limit for registration

· Added "Home Screen" menu option to get back to home screen selection page

· Expire after 1 day remaining instead of 0 days

· Fix to not be confused by nested settings (heading, selected, etc) -- only updating the global settings

· Fix for values that aren't within the list of choices

· Allow 0 blend percent

· Added indicators for low priority tasks, high priority tasks, recurring appointments, and reminders

· Added a new screen to the settings app that will let you selectively enable/disable plugins within the current screen, and also change the order

· Fix problem with missing all day appointments on the day of the appt (WM5)

· Fix row highlighting when indicator icons are present

· New ShowIndicators setting to control whether the indicators are shown

· Added suggestion messages to reboot the phone when loading an update

Contact us: support@sbsh.net
Visit us: http://www.sbsh.net
Visit our forums at: http://www.sbsh.net/forums