OMG Winterboard is so cool! Saurik has just added dynamic backgrounds. Your background can now be an HTML web page using webkit. The possibilities are endless. He threw together a small theme called “Saurik” that fades in and out between two images as an example. But so much more can be done with this.
Here is an exerpt from his site:
Theming with HTML
So, while staring at the desktop, I realized “wait, why don’t I make that a website? then you could do all kinds of neat things with it!”. This dream has been made a reality with the latest version of WinterBoard. There is a new file you can add called Wallpaper.html which puts a UIWebDocumentView behind SpringBoard.
This view has a transparent background and has been told not to clear what’s behind it, so you can set its background-color: CSS to transparent if you want to see through to Wallpaper.png (although you can also use standard HTML to handle the backgrounds now rather than resorting to that specific case).
The example theme, “Saurik”, uses this to do a cross-fade background between two images (as I really couldn’t decide which one I liked better ;P). Now, for those who have tried to do such effects before with MobileSafari and felt it was way too slow (as the JavaScript engine is miserable and the way it renders is equally bad) you should seriously check it out.
The way I did this (and this is just a property of my theme, you can do anything you want obviously) is to use the WebKit-specific CSS properties Apple provided us with for doing transforms and animations. These work beautifully and are super fast. For more documentation on these, you should go to Apple’s iPhone Reference Library and get the two guides they have for download.
We have moved our feed source. Please resubscribe if you are an old subscriber
Subscribe through a RSS feed reader
1. sebax August 5th, 2008, 1:21 pm
So…. whit this could be done complete themes including icons to reorganize them whitout the grid. And include flash (when iphone support flash), for animated icons like its done one other cellphones like SonyEricson, the theme comes in swf so u can have animated background and animated icons… Can any1 tell if this is correct or posible whit that??
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 5th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Maybe some of those things are possible. Flash? No. You will still have icons. They could be clear or small though. We haven’t even begun to see what can be done with this. Other content can be put here too such as contacts or calendar meetings!
[Reply]
2. Derek August 5th, 2008, 2:40 pm
I read through his write-up…pretty powerful stuff, Winterboard– seems volumes more “fleshed out” than Summerboard even at it’s current incarnation.
Where did you find the Saurik theme to view the transitions? I’m not seeing a new theme named Saurik reflected in Cydia….?
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 5th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
It came with the Winterboard update.
[Reply]
Derek Reply:
August 5th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Ahhh…..that’s where it’s tucked away. Thanks.
[Reply]
3. sendblink23 August 5th, 2008, 3:06 pm
YOU CAN ALSO USE ANIMATED GIF WALLPAPAERs ;)
[Reply]
4. Monica August 5th, 2008, 3:44 pm
animated gifs? Really ???
Wow and How ?
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 5th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
This is just the start of it. You have full javascript. I just made a full slide show. I might release it as a theme.
[Reply]
5. GODhimself37 August 5th, 2008, 4:07 pm
hey does anybody have any clue when an update to customize will be? whenever i mess with the sounds it crashes or when i try downloading a file it doesnt finish and crashes. i have reinstalled it 4 times now…
[Reply]
6. GODhimself37 August 5th, 2008, 6:06 pm
WTF CUSTOMIZE NEVER FINISHES A F*CKING DOWNLOAD IT ALWAYS CRASHES SOMEONE PLEEZ HELP ME
[Reply]
7. Monica August 5th, 2008, 7:12 pm
release it BigBoss !!!
[Reply]
8. Mathieu August 5th, 2008, 7:21 pm
hi bigboss
i have some trouble with my itouch . im on 2.0 firmware , jailbreak , itunes 7.7.1 , and when i try to put the app ibeer i get an error 0xE8000001 from itunes . & when im tryng to install cracked games i did everything you said on a previous post and its still not working . Can you help me please???
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 5th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I’m sorry but I cannot help you with cracked games here.
[Reply]
9. Jake August 5th, 2008, 7:59 pm
I wrote a cute animated background to use with winterboard.Tthen I realized I was running the processor up to 50% for SpringBoard! And it keeps running when in another program!
any possibility of killing the html’s JavaScript and reloading the page when the SpringBoard comes back?
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 5th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I am sure there is. Should suggest it to saurik.
[Reply]
jimmybino Reply:
August 5th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
is there a way to leave the lockscreen turned on….meaning that it does not go dark after a few seconds…i have been trying to do this forever…there has to be a way to leave it on continuous….anyone know….? BigBoss have u seen or heard anyway?
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 6th, 2008 at 1:02 am
How did your animation work? How often did it refresh?
[Reply]
10. Dale August 5th, 2008, 9:36 pm
Will there ever be a way to randomize lockscreen wallpapers? Can the lockscreen.jpg be replaced every hour with an image taken from the photo library?
[Reply]
Jake Reply:
August 6th, 2008 at 12:00 am
javascript does not have access to your photo library. it’s in a small database!
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 6th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I wouldn’t count the possibilty out yet. There may be a way to do it.
[Reply]
11. Chase August 5th, 2008, 11:13 pm
wow, while i’m not a big fan of the demonstration theme… this is sweet! runs very smoothly… i’m looking forward to seeing where this goes…
[Reply]
12. Jay August 6th, 2008, 12:31 am
BigBoss maybe you can help me,
lol i feel dumb all of you guys understand, now just to note im not noob lol, i have read this thoroughly, and only some what understand it, can some plz really explain this i guess in a better way for dumb ppl as my self lol, much appreciated !!
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 6th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Winterboard gets 2 to 3 updates per day adding a bunch of features. Lock screen wallpaper is next. The settings dialog hasn’t even been started yet. I will make a tutorial in a couple days. Please be patient. The fact that we can run HTML and javascript is significant though. It will allow us to do some great things like display rotating images, web site content, and other things. You could have a frame displaying your google calendar content and another your online pictures.
[Reply]
13. Steve August 6th, 2008, 2:33 am
Is it possible to get Winterboard on 1.1.4?
[Reply]
BigBoss Reply:
August 6th, 2008 at 2:40 am
no. This amazing summerboard killer is for 2.0 only.
[Reply]
14. Steve August 6th, 2008, 2:42 am
Thanks for your quick reply. Sorry to ask an annoying question, but my 3g iPhone arrives tomorrow - when do you think an unlock will be available?
[Reply]
15. samela August 6th, 2008, 4:36 am
winterboard, yes, very awesome indeed. :)
unrelated Q, is there a way to backup an ipod after jailbreaking? to save all the applications and settings?
I DLed everything off my ipod I could via ssh, but that is very tedious, esp since ive changed things so much already and am ready to do another backup
is there an easier way? more automated hopefully or a way that takes less time (like can I skip certain folders?)
[Reply]
16. Ratzo Rizo August 6th, 2008, 11:22 pm
How can I add more pictures to rotate?
[Reply]
17. geeli80 August 6th, 2008, 11:24 pm
i have replace the 2 pictures with my daughter’s pics so i have a changing wallpaper of my daughter :)
[Reply]
18. jimmybino August 7th, 2008, 1:50 am
BigBoss:::is there a way to leave the lockscreen turned on….meaning that it does not go dark after a few seconds…i have been trying to do this forever…there has to be a way to leave it on continuous….anyone know….? BigBoss have u seen or heard anyway?
[Reply]
19. Bruno August 7th, 2008, 8:17 am
Hi guys…. just to know if anyone is facing the same problem and knows how to solve it.
After applying a theme in Winterboard, my iphone crashed and I had to reset. After the reset, the Apple Logo started to appear and the phone didn`t boot again. :(
Does anyone have any idea about what I can do to solve the problem without havind to make a Full Restore?
Please help! :(
Thx in advance…
[Reply]
20. mjg August 7th, 2008, 8:28 am
I tried using “embed” to get an mp4 loaded for a video wallpaper, but that didn’t work. Anyone been able to figure that out? I’m guessing converting it to an animated GIF might work, but that’d be one hell of a large file and I haven’t found any software that does that for free yet.
[Reply]
21. Talynrider August 7th, 2008, 5:27 pm
I tried an animated gif (3.1MB) as my SB Wallpaper through Winterboard and it’s a no go, didn’t move. :( Tried Respring and Reboot and still didn’t work. First image appears an stays. Anyone know if there might be a file size restriction? I know the phone gets temperamental about that sometimes…
[Reply]
22. Talynrider August 7th, 2008, 5:47 pm
wahoo, it is possible. tried a small 4K gif and it worked. Not sure what the file size limit will be but it does work.
[Reply]
23. geeli80 August 7th, 2008, 8:41 pm
to bigboss
thank you for your theme
it is very nice
[Reply]
24. mjg August 8th, 2008, 8:48 am
hmm. i guess converting an mp4 to a GIF won’t work then =p
i wonder if there are plans to eventually support video in these themes as opposed to needing something like vWallpaper to do it? I know people are using it now, but it’s a “pay to participate” app at the moment. I’d donate, but i’d like to try it first to see if it’s worth it ;)
[Reply]
25. Yum August 9th, 2008, 4:17 am
wow winterboard is awesome! I’m goingto make my own theme with cocks of all colors, shapes, and sizes rotating in the background. It will be a penis buffet!
[Reply]
Anonymous Reply:
August 15th, 2008 at 2:09 am
LOL cool!!!! I hope you release that theme on a Cydia source cuz I want it
[Reply]
26. giupepsi August 11th, 2008, 1:46 pm
Can anyone please recomend software for the iphone that allows me to edit the source of html … at present I am editing the html control pages for the themes on my computer and uploading them to the ipod touch but I cannot find a way to do this directly. There is probably a utility on the iphone terminal but I am not sure.
thanks
Giupepsi
[Reply]
27. j03lar50n August 11th, 2008, 5:35 pm
not sure if this is the right place to ask…
i can’t get winterboard to work.
isn’t winterboard supposed to respring when i choose my theme? i get a check mark when i touch my desired theme, but it doesn’t respring until i hit the home button…then respringing but not loading the theme.
i install winterboard, hit the respring button at the bottom (default choice after installing)…then reboot, all to no avail (i’ve done this same process while uninstalling/reinstalling again. PLZ HELP.
[Reply]
28. j03lar50n August 11th, 2008, 8:33 pm
got it working…must have been the magic of posting. Don’t know what I changed - thrilled though! Thnx
[Reply]
29. jech August 11th, 2008, 11:51 pm
does it really take a long time to install the spring board? I have it installed, clicked the “reload springboard” and all i am getting is the circle thing, going round and round. I don’t know how to describe it, but my phone is in that state for a good 10 mins, now. It looks like it’s hung..need help pls!!
[Reply]
jech Reply:
August 11th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
I mean, winterboard. I am stuck with “setting up winetrboard” on the last line of what seems to be installing sequence…
[Reply]
30. Nick August 12th, 2008, 1:49 am
I tried putting a vWallpaper file that I saved before I updated, and it works in Winterboard!
just put it in your theme folder, call it Wallpaper.mp4, and delete the png in there. restart springboard. works. not perfectly, has looping issues, but none the less, it’s there….
[Reply]
31. Jason August 20th, 2008, 12:49 pm
Some of my winterboard apps aren’t working, specifically the battery ones. I’ve tried installing multiple battery apps from Cydia, like apple, cannabis, alienware, etc., but where the battery life icon should be is just blank. Some other apps are giving me trouble too. Should I reinstall winterboard?
Is there a process I need to do other than checking off the app, hitting the home key, then checking my battery image?
Also, can I mix and match apps on winterboard, like can I have a certain theme up but also the battery icon? I tried to do this with customize but winterboard apps didn’t show up in there.
I’m new to cydia and iphone modding, could use some instruction or help of any kind. Thanks!
[Reply]
Gasoil Reply:
September 12th, 2008 at 3:29 am
i noticed that modded battery are displayed when device is plugged
[Reply]
Chris12923 Reply:
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:10 am
After installing the battery try restarting then enable battery in winterboard.
hth,
Chris
[Reply]
32. totushi August 26th, 2008, 5:28 pm
how do i get a video wallpaper on winterboard? what code do i need,in the info.plist or the wallpaper.html files? video.mp4
[Reply]
33. Christine September 8th, 2008, 9:08 pm
Hey Guys!
I need a theme like the reveal theme with big icons with only words. My husband has a visual impairment and needs larger words, dark, no picture icons with solid light backgrounds. Can someone please do this so I can get him an iphone for Christmas. He has been able to text from my iphone for the first time. He can see the keyboard! Email me if you need more info.
[Reply]
34. PiccoloDaimaku September 24th, 2008, 2:15 pm
Please tell me how to change the items in Winter board, when I start it, I only get a checklist that I can move up and down… but no way to confiugure them…
Is it normal ?
How can I apply the theme “A” but with the wallpaper of a theme “B” ?
[Reply]
35. iambald September 25th, 2008, 12:01 am
is it possible to have a transparent statusbar when you have this?
[Reply]
36. wonnykc October 2nd, 2008, 6:59 pm
anybody knows how to rewrite script to have more pictures for slide?
[Reply]
37. mk321024 October 10th, 2008, 4:26 pm
this guy is a genius lol i talked to jay the day after he programed this app with suggestions and he told me that it took him one night to program this app.awesome i tell you!! and he keeps amazing us with all the new features that he is incorporating into this app its like v wallpaper with summerboard , but even better! all i would suggest now would be editing of system strings that would be a big plus since customize is failing so bad at 2.0 and up.
[Reply]
38. ean101 October 13th, 2008, 11:19 am
i have a question. is it possible to make the image change every half hour instead of every hour like the “around the world in 24?” i tried modding the code like so, but it didnt work
if(x>=9.5 && x<10) {
document.write(’body{background: white url(19.jpg); color: black}”>’)
} else
i also tried “9:30″ instead of “9.5″ but that didnt work either.
obviously im a noob so I would app teh help! thx!!
[Reply]