Switching original/custom menus, screen dump

[SipSip]

I assume that everybody's aware of the possibility of and ensuing problems with custom menus (certain menu items no longer being available).

A clever solution to this problem, called MenuTT, was published on tomtomheaven. MenuTT allows you to switch between your custom menu and the original one. Problem solved, very practical. A detailed explanation on how to use it can be found here.

But:
There's several things I dislike about the way that MenuTT works:

• The programs in SDKRegistry are removed from the original menu. Now there may be a good reason for that. I'm not sure, but from reading this and other forums, it appears that having anything in SDKRegistry or the use of a custom menu has different effects on the various TomTom models. With my -- rather brand new TomTom GO 730 T -- whatever is in SDKRegistry gets tacked on to the original menu without problem. It's just that I can't put certain menu items into a custom menu. So, no need to remove them.
• Switching back to the custom menu requires going to 'Browse map' and then clicking on some sub-option. Again, this clumsiness may be due to what happens on other TomToms. No need for that on mine. All I need is an extra 'program' in SDKRgistry.
• At one point MenuTT managed to crash the TomTom. When, afterwards, I connected it to my PC, I found that my entire SDKRegistry folder had been wiped out, and when I tried to write back the contents, WinXP also crashed. I had been listening to a music file when I invoked MenuTT, which was probably not such a good idea, but, anyway, I'm not really comfortable with MenuTT's messing with my SDKRegistry folder.

The way I figure it, all you really have to do is rename TomTom.mnu (e.g. as Tom.mnu) and then restart the nav application. So, here's my alternative way of doing it.

Caveats:
MenuTT takes care of some files called ttn and cleanup.txt, which I don't have or use -- my version doesn't. So, if you do use these files, then you'd probably want to adapt the .sh-file accordingly.
As with MenuTT a restart of the TomTom navigation application is required. This takes a few long seconds, and if you're currently navigating a route, you'll lose that.
​

Download the attached SwitchMenu.zip and unzip it to the root of your TomTom. Files are:

bin/switchmenu.sh
sdkregistry/SwitchMenu.bmp
sdkregistry/SwitchMenu.cap
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I also assume that everybody's aware of the various ways in which screen dumps can be produced. The simplest way is to create a folder 'screen' and put an empty file 'capture' in there. Then, whenever you tap the top left corner of your screen, a screen shot is dumped into a file 'dump<nnn>.bmp' in that folder.

Nifty, but this can sometimes be a problem when you want/need to use the (-)zoom function e.g., or you may hit the corner inadvertently thus creating lots of pointless dump files.

Again, the solution consists simply of renaming a file and restarting the nav app. Here we flip between 'capture' and 'no-capture'.

Download the attached Screendump.zip and unzip it to the root of your TomTom. Files are:

bin/screendump.sh
sdkregistry/Screendump.bmp
sdkregistry/Screendump.cap

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When you look at the *.sh files you'll see that I kill any possible mplayer processes as well as ttn, just to be on the safe side.

Enjoy!

 

[Rick F.]

SipSip,

I wonder, could I use your 'SwitchMenu.zip' without the MenuTT being employed? I didn't like that 'cumbersome' way of switching so never added the MenuTT. In other words, will these files work in the root my 3rd edition by themselves?

• bin/switchmenu.sh
• sdkregistry/SwitchMenu.bmp
• sdkregistry/SwitchMenu.cap

BTW, I also have screen dump working by pressing the (-) at the top left corner of the screen. The zoom out (-) will still work, but you just have to tap the screen about 1/2 " to the right of the (-) or you'll get the screen dump.

Thanx.

 

[SipSip]

SwitchMenu is an alternative to MenuTT, so you don't need the latter. It should work everywhere, but of course I wouldn't know that. If not, no problem, the worst thing that can happen is that you end up with your TomTom.mnu being renamed as Tom.mnu and you're back to the original menu.

Thanks for the 1/2" trick. I wasn't aware of that.

 

[Rick F.]

Thanks,

I'm going to try that out.

BTW, once you've tapped the switch menu function and rebooted to get the original menu, how do I switch back to the custom menu? I think I missed that.

Thanx.

(rep point added)

 

[Rick F.]

SipSip,

There's a problem with your zip files. Both of them contain the 'screendump' files. None contain the switch menu files.

Evidentally the wrong file got uploaded.

 

[SipSip]

Ooops!

Sorry, I fixed the wrong upload. For good measure I attach the SwitchMenu here also.

As far as going back to the custom menu is concerned -- well, the idea is that you simply click on the selfsame icon again. This works fine on my TomTom GO 730 T. I can only assume that it may be different on other TomToms -- obviously, I've got only the one model -- and that that's the reason for MenuTT's roundabout way of doing things.

Point #1: On my TomTom, whatever is in SDKRegistry gets tacked on to the original menu in additional menu pages, without having any negative effects otherwise. So I get the SwitchMenu icon both in the original menu and in the custom menu (via MENUITEM|TASK_SDKn|). If your TomTom behaves differently, then SwitchMenu won't do anything for you.

Point #2: Do take note of the caveats in my original post!

 

[Rick F.]

SipSip,

Thanks for making the correction. Just got finished downloading the small folder of files, extracted to my 'root' directory of my TomTom 3rd edition so the files would go to the correct folder and.... voila!

IT WORKS JUST SUPER!!

You da man!! It switches menus just like you said it should. AND, I don't have to reboot either. When I tap 'Switch Menu', it pauses for about three seconds - then I get the user agreement again (maybe it's rebooting itself?). I tap 'yes' and I see the other menu. It couldn't work any better! It just toggles back and forth so I can easily do map corrections (instead of going thru the back door under 'browse map') and get the help options if I ever need that.

As far as your caveat goes, since I never installed the 'MenuTT' from TomTomheaven, I had nothing to worry about.

Thanks again. This is slick! I tried giving you more rep points, but said I need to spread it around some, LOL.

The new icon shows up on the third page of both menus (see below).

 

[Rick F.]

Thanks again SipSip. Very easy to switch menus.

This change is working just GREAT!!

 

[SipSip]

Well, thank you, for your enthusiasm, Rick!

It's somewhat misplaced, though:

I only got my TomTom about a month ago, I'm nothing less than a TomTom expert. All I did was figure out the workings of MenuTT and reduce it to its bare essentials. I wouldn't have known how to do it from scratch.

So, if the author of MenuTT, Olivier Lauwick, should happen to read this -- this is really for you!

 

[c_wolsey]

adding just a single item to the easy menu?

I have been using the full menu tweak for a week now in conjunction with the switchmenu function. It works lovely

What I am wondering is if anyone can thinnk of a way of adding just one of the missing items to the easy menus?

When you use the switchmenu it places a new function in the custom full menus as well as one in the easymenu system called "switch menu". so you can switch between the standard easy menus and custom full menus. This is great but it does require a restart. which is long

The only real reason i switch to custom is for itinerary planning. Is there a way of just adding this function to the easy menu system just like a switchmenu item was added?

It looks to me like it is by adding an item to the sdkregisry with the extension .cap and a corresponding .bmp file to get an icon. This then runs the script in the bin folder that changes the tomtom.mnu file to tom.mnu.

Is there a way that another item (.cap) can be added to just run the "MENUITEM|TASK_ITINERARY|" comand?

Any ideas? help much appreciated.

 

[dhn]

No, Itinerary is only available on the custom menu.

 

[Andy_P]

If it was possible we'd all be doing it!

 

[johnnemac]

Thanks for all the work, guys.

I seem to be having a bit of trouble, though. I've unzipped both files into the root and both show up in their respective bin and sdkregistry folders.

The expanded menu options were working fine until I tweaked it with the SwitchMenu, now when I click on the switch menu, it just reboots but stays on the smart menu.

I also have a "screendump off/on" icon:

Any ideas what I've done wrong?

Thanks!

 

[derfnam]

i can not get it to work either but i guess that is because my tomtom does not have an sdcard slot and thus the directories are wrong but i can't quite figgure out how to change it to get the menuchange working.

sofar what i must do ist whenever i need the original tomtom menu i just delete the sdkregistry folder and do whatever i need to do (for example changes on the maps for mapshare) and when i am finished i put my menu back on.

this is not a good way of doing it but i can't seem to get any other way working.

tips and hints would be nice.

kind regards

 

[spicyapples]

yea im having the same problem although if my tomtom is freshly unplugged from the computer it seems like its willing to switch

but after switching once or twice from either menu it stays stuck on one of them and i cant figure out a pattern to make it keep switching

if anyone has more info it would be appreciated

 

[Aiken Drum]

yea im having the same problem although if my tomtom is freshly unplugged from the computer it seems like its willing to switch

but after switching once or twice from either menu it stays stuck on one of them and i cant figure out a pattern to make it keep switching

if anyone has more info it would be appreciated

You can try a hard reset of the TT (hold on/off button down until you hear the bongo drums, generally 25 - 30 seconds) after the reset it should be switchable again.

 

[RASwift]

Did anyone get the Switchmenu to work with a XXL550? I have missed something or it just won't work with this TomTom.