First off, I'd like to thank those of you who have been waiting patiently for my ProntoPro CCF layout. For the past few weeks I've been positively inundated with emails from folks reading the Philips ProntoPro review and wondering where they could download the pictured layout. While I certainly appreciate the encouragement, the delay has been, in part, because I was hoping for the ProntoPro contest file judging to first be completed. Since that process seems to be taking longer than anticipated, it seems this is as good a time as any to post it!

Even though this color design is new and incorporates completely original elements, it is still based loosely upon my older black and white layout. I still find white text on a darker background easier to see, so that's what has been used. Since this is a first revision of the file, don't expect everything to be absolutely perfect - but, regardless, I've put a lot of time and effort into tweaking it as much as possible. In addition to my base CCF layout, I'm also releasing the gallery file which includes many buttons not used in the final layout - such as several "early" menu cursor attempts and fancy graphical device icons, in both small and large sizes, for the following devices:

AM/FM Tuner Amplifier Audio Decoder Audio Processor Cable Box CD Jukebox CD Player CD Recorder Channel Surfing Computer DAT Deck Digital Cable Box Display DBS Receiver Drapes DSS Receiver DVD Audio DVD Jukebox DVD Player DVD Recorder Equalizer Fan Games	HDTV LaserDisc Lighting Mini System MiniDisc MP3 Player Phonograph Power Preamplifier Pre/Pro Projector Receiver SACD Player Satellite Beta VCR Digital VCR SVHS VCR VHS VCR Television TiVo DVR Video Scaler Video Switcher

Highlights of the file includes full tabbed control of 15 devices, a channel surfing section with Canadian TV icons, a lighting page where the floorplan emulates the currently active lights, a color version of my Galaxy game and a highly graphical home page. I've tried to make the file as expandable as possible, meaning that the interface is only lightly integrated with my particular system and should be easy to convert to other equipment. In the gallery file you'll find enough elements so that you can work with 2, 3 or 4 tabs, use the left side graphical shortcut bar or not, drop in numerous "joined" button groups and fully customize your own audio/video source selection screens. Please read the "ReadMe" file before use.

Download my ProntoPro CCF file & Gallery here...

To complement this release, I've also completed a short article with tips to obtaining the best possible ProntoPro graphics from your original artwork. The article's goal is not to tell you how to design your remote, but to inform beginner designers about some industry techniques used to obtain top quality bitmaps from whatever design you are already contemplating. Screenshots aid in demonstrating the benefits - however slight - from each method. Naturally, these techniques were all used in the creation of my color layout.

See how to create top quality ProntoPro bitmaps...