Center Display Screen "Skins"

[Tiralc]

I think I like the alternative center display screen format better:

Not sure if we can add our own custom wall paper?

This is a terrible pic of the clock but gives the idea. The little tick a the top is the first of 60 second ticks that go around the center in a full circle:

Also, just realized that I can add compass direction and (gps) elevation to the lower part of the Map display:

 

[barnesgj]

You can import up to 5 images from USB to use for wallpapers.

 

[Ken7]

Tiralc, I like that look!

 

[Ken7]

Tiralc, I just looked at the car and can’t figure out how you got that alternate center screen display.

 

[Tiralc]

Tiralc, I just looked at the car and can’t figure out how you got that alternate center screen display.

It is not easy to find some of these menus. I happen upon most of them, then go back and find them in the owner's manual. I didn't remember either, but just found it again by searching on "skin":

See Change Skin below

barnesgj thanks for the custom wallpaper info. I think (?) it is only for the clock page, will try it later.

 

[Ken7]

Yikes, I hate to sound dense, but......

I spent 20 minutes in the car just now trying to find the 'change skin' setting and can't find it anywhere. It seems my 'others' section doesn't begin to have all those options that are listed above. All I see is 'info screen preference' and nothing else.

So I'm sure I'm missing something and once told, I'll feel like sitting in the corner.

 

[Tiralc]

I did not post all of the intervening pages which may have made it more confusing. Try Settings ... System (lower right under Audio) ... Others ... Change Skins.

I think there are a number of "others" under different categories.

It is VERY confusing. Sometimes I think I saw an interesting page, and then I cannot find my way back to it!

 

[Ken7]

Thanks Tiralc, I'll give that a try. I need to go back to the instruction manual. None of these manuals are put together by people with any common sense.

 

[Tiralc]

Hey! There is no "other"! Here is a short video: Changing Skins

 

[loomis2]

I found that skin a few days ago and changed back to stock. I was intrigued by how so blatantly Android it looks. It makes me wonder what else you can add to those home screens. But it is less intuitive on how to actually get to what you want compared to the stock skin. The wallpaper looks nice but that's about all it has going for it.

 

[Tiralc]

I found that skin a few days ago and changed back to stock. I was intrigued by how so blatantly Android it looks. It makes me wonder what else you can add to those home screens. But it is less intuitive on how to actually get to what you want compared to the stock skin. The wallpaper looks nice but that's about all it has going for it.

Apparently a number of Android Apps can be installed. A bit of YouTube searching shows some installation App (possibly only for certain models, possibly more universal?) which allows many more Apps to be installed including prohibited apps such as NETFLIX. Now I am 100% in agreement that NO driver should be watching NETFLIX while driving, but as someone who takes breaks, and often eats in my car while traveling, I could see having some video available ... (possible drawbacks include, it may be technically illegal to make such mods, mods could cause other problems, after an incident, authorities may not believe you, that you only watch when parked and not while driving.)

Apps aside, I am starting to like this user interface more than the stock lists. but, GUIs are very personal choices.

 

[loomis2]

I only tried it briefly but I don't think I could figure out how to change modes, like to Android Auto, from that skin.

 

[jdonalds]

I finally found alternate skins (or just skin) and tried it. If they would allow me to customize it I might use that alternate display. But I'm already used to the standard skin and prefer it.

I set it back to original by doing a reset.

 

[Tiralc]

I only tried it briefly but I don't think I could figure out how to change modes, like to Android Auto, from that skin.

I'm making some progress. After I plugged in my iPhone (possibly similar with Android), I got the CarPlay icon on my second page:

Next, I found the home screen edit order (which moves Icons around on a grid):

Then I got these screens with CAD like grid marks:

At which point I could pick and drag each Icon between pages and choose the location on the screen:
(I moved the AppleCarPlay to the upper left of my "main" screen.

This was my screen at the end:

In summary, I needed to first plug my phone in by USB to get the CarPlay Icon which I could then move around. Now, when I unplug the phone, the block stays there, but it turns gray says something like SmartPhone.

Also, note that once you go into some button selections, the screens look the same as the "classic" skin, e.g. the Vehicle Energy page looks the same. Or, once you go into CarPlay, well it just looks like regular old CarPlay (looked about the same on the Gen 2 Volt too).

Looking at some of the other Icons, say Info, there are four "sub" selections to the right. I think those can be custom assigned, but don't get how yet. I thought I was in the right place with some menu items grayed out, but I couldn't figure out how to change which showed up in the four small boxes.

The five white dashes at the bottom middle seem to indicate that we can fill up to five different pages with Icons.

 

[Ken7]

I think I would want to fill the voids on your home screen. Looks like you can just drag an icon from a different page and move it to a void on a populated page.

You know what they say about nature abhorring a vacuum.

 

[loomis2]

Show me a Google Play Store icon where you can get other apps and I will get interested. It looks like there is an App Drawer icon on that first screen (the circle with the six dots inside it) which is very Android OS-ish. However, I bet my wife would be less than pleased with me messing with the display in "her" car.

 

[Ken7]

So here's my new skin and wallpaper. I thought my wife wouldn't like it, but she does! Mikey, she likes it! I really like this much more than stock. I'm just surprised that almost no owner will be aware you can do this. I don't know why Honda keeps this a secret. Kudos to Tiralc for 'showing us the way'.

 

[loomis2]

I will have to play around with it some more...when it gets warmer outside. I wonder what you could do with the other four screens that are available. Can you use widgets? That could be useful.

 

[Tiralc]

They gave us four more blank pages, there must be good stuff to put there (widgets, Apps?) ... I think Ken7 is right about tighter packing of the Icons.

So two questions ... How do you change the selections within a group? For example, I want one of those small buttons next to Info to be Vehicle energy. Is four the standard number of sub? menus, and we just get to? pick which four?

Next question, with my web browser showing the looping Wx radar (works for some NWS pages), can I somehow assign that NWS web page that to a single Icon button?

 

[Ken7]

Good questions Tiralc. I'm going to play with this more tomorrow and see if I can do some more with this.

I like the idea of the looping weather radar.