GUIDE: Custom Icons For Homebrew

With the new wave of homebrew users starting to post questions, I'll be writing more guides when time permits. This guide will be on packing your custom icons, backgrounds, etc.

Remember, you do any of this at your own risk. I will not take any responsibility if there is any damage to your PSP, whatsoever. Ok, now that I have gotten that out of the way, lets get on with it.

CUSTOM ICONS FOR HOMEBREW APPS v.01

Now, I like to do things the hard way, so thats how I'll show you. There is an easier method, but once you get used to "my" way, it'll be second nature.

Please be sure to have the following items: /!\ NOTE: I will NOT provide download links for programs /!\

THINGS YOU'LL NEED
1.50 PSP
USB cable for your PSP
PC (personal computer) ** please dont ask why I included that, just know that someone did ask if it was required **
homebrew application ** I will be using SNES9X TYL-0.2c for this guide **
PBP Unpacker (download and install)
custom icon/backgrounds (I suggest getting them from here: http://pochistyle.pspwire.net/)

UNPACKING ORIGINAL ICON

I will be using the great SNES9X TYL-0.2c for this example. So here we go. You should already have downloaded the SNES9X TYL-0.2c file and unzipped/unrar'd it to a directory of your choosing. For my example, we'll have it in C:/SNES9XTYL/...

When you've done that, you'll notice that it contains two folders:
1.0 Unpatched
1.5 Kxploit-ready

Open up PBP Unpacker and click on the OPEN icon. The Windows Explorer will pop up, and you'll need to navigate to the directory you put the SNES9xTYL files. We want to double-click on the 1.5 Kxploit_Ready folder. Inside this folder, there are two more folders:
s9xTYL
s9xTYL%

We want to double-click on the s9xTYL% folder. This folders contains one file:
EBOOT.PBP

This is the file we are looking for. Double-click this file. You'll see the following:

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/6273/pbpack5wr.png

Now highlight the PARAM.SFO file, as I've done above, and click on the EXTRACT button. Save this file wherever you want, but just please remember where.

Now click on the NEW button. Now we are almost done !

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2659/pbpnew7xk.png

You'll see where my arrows are pointing above. Click on the little square to navigate to the items needed. Here is what it all means:

PARAM.SFO ---> This is the file we just extracted.
ICON0.PNG ---> This is going to be our NEW icon
PIC0.PNG ---> This is the background file when your ICON is selected before running the app ** This is optional **
PIC1.PNG ---> This is an overlay of PIC0.PNG. Make this a transparent image. ** This is optional **

Once you've loaded your pics into PBP Unpacker, click on SAVE. It will ask you where you want to save the file EBOOT.PBP to. Just save it in the folder you extracted the SNES9x TYL-0.2c files, in the s9xTYL% folder. If it asks you to copy over the current file, choose YES.

There you have it. Now transfer you s9xTYL and s9xTYL% folder over to your PSP, dropping them both into /PSP/GAME/... and you are all set.

For more information and a guide on installing and running the SNES9X TYL-0.2c emulator, please visit my guide here:
http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/sho...3&postcount=19


CUSTOM ICON AND BACKGROUND REQUIREMENTS

If you plan on making your own icons and backgrounds, please follow these rules:
/!\ They arent set in stone, this is just what I use personally. /!\

Icons should be 144 x 80 in size and be saved as ICON0.PNG
Backgrounds should be 480 x 272 and be saved as PIC0.PNG