What you'll receive.

Custom start up/shut down animation and sounds

My V3i was purchased new and unbranded so it only had a start up sound and an (embedded) start up Motorola animation. There was no shut down sound or shut down animation. Doing a search in the "/a/" directory will not yield results for the animation files. Merely placing your animation files there and activating them with P2K Advanced Editor will enable them. Below is my start up file. Refresh the page to see it animate, I didn't want to be annoying with an endless loop while you're trying to read.

mobile phone

Here is that same animation broken down frame by frame. It's really not hard to make your own start up animation if you have the patience to make a few gifs and stitch them together with a gif animation program like Adobe's ImageReady. If you go to my "media" page here you'll find a link to free custom start up and shut down animation files.

motorola v3

If you want to add your animation, the files you need to add must be called "custwakeup.gif" and "custgoodbye.gif" (your phone may not have these files already). They are 176 pixels in width and 220 pixels in height.

If you want a custom sound at start up and shut down you need to create an mp3 and put it in the "/c/mobile/audio" folder. Since the V3i isn't available yet through Cingular and T-Mobile, as a frame of reference the original V3 audio files are called: "Cust_Start~up.mp3", (T-Mobile calls this file "Start~up.mp3") and "Power~down.mp3". Both these files have attributes of "70002".

First thing I did was launch P2K Advanced Editor to read what my current settings were for the start up and shut down settings. Once you're connected click on the "Phone Services" menu and select "Wakeup & Goodbye".

At the next screen go to the bottom and click the "Read from Phone" button.

These are my current settings. I've tried using the HelloMoto splash screen changer here and it didn't work.

Then I launched Motorola Explorer (you could probably use other P2K file management programs) to look at my phone's directories. The first thing to do is click the "Service" menu and then select the "P2K" radio button.

The program will then read all three of your directories. If it doesn't do this automatically then click the "Refresh" button.

Then I copied my four files over. The audio files go to the "/c/mobile/audio" folder.

The gifs go to the "/a/" folder.

When you're done click the "Restart" button.

Then I relaunched P2K Advanced Editor and configured my settings.

Next click the "Write to Phone" button and then click the "Close" button.

Finally click the "Restart Phone" button.

Change/restore voice command functions

I had a two-fold mission with this mod. My phone originally had a U.K. English voice and my functionality was lost when I monster packed earlier. So I wanted to first restore the voice command feature which disappeared from the personalization menu and I wanted it to speak and understand U.S. English. My procedure is based on two threads at the MotoX forums, this one and this one.

I think the first thing you should check for is the presence of the "Voice Dial Setup" menu on your phone. Press the

key, then go to "Settings" and press "SELECT", go to "Personalize" and press "SELECT". If you have it, it'll be in this menu like in the example below.

Since I didn't have this menu item, I needed to get the VST files. So I went here to get them. Now I've read if changing the VST files you need to make sure they match the language pack and language pack version number. For example if you use Language pack MXLP0001 then you must also use VST 0001. Well I didn't and my voice command works fine. In the above language installation instructions I used language pack 0003 but here I'll use VST 0001 files.

In order to install the VST files I used P2K Tools. In my screen shot I still have some leftover files there which I'll backup and then remove from the phone. These screen shots are from the older version of the program.

Now click the "Upload" button and find the folder that contains the VST files you want to install and then click "Open".

The files are now uploaded but have the wrong attributes.

The next step is to highlight all the files that you just uploaded and then go over to the "File information" area over to the lower left and check the "System" box and click the "Change" button.

Here's what the folder looked like when I was done.

Click the "Restart" button and you're done. See if your new menu item is there and then set it up to recognize your voice.

Customize the operator text

Before you do anything, first find out what number your phone dials when you call voicemail. Do this by pressing the

key and then press "Messages" and press "SELECT", scroll down to "Voicemail" then press the

key, scroll down to "Voicemail Setup" and press "SELECT". Write down the number displayed. This modification may erase this number from memory.

Launch P2K Phone File Manager (Build 26.02.2004) and go to the "/a" folder and download the "plmn_text_table.bin" file to your computer.

Launch OpEdit. Click "Open file" and find the "plmn_text_table.bin" file.

Click the "Open" button when you find it. Look in the column labeled "Operator name". Scroll down to find your operator. Click on the first instance of your operator's name and it will become editable. Change the text to whatever you want. You should do this for all the entries in your country's area.

When you are done, click the button labeled "Save file". Use P2K Phone File Manager (Build 26.02.2004) to upload your modified file.

Press and hold "1" to dial voicemail. Do you get an error saying there is no number stored? Enter your number that you wrote down earlier and restore it. I like this mod because it serves somewhat as an extra layer of protection if your phone gets stolen. Maybe the person who robbed you will ditch the phone with your name on it if they don't know how to work on it to remove it. Maybe not. Well, it will avoid confusion at parties then.

Increasing video length record time

I haven't felt the need to do this, since I'd rather record video with a real video camera and not have to watch a teeny tiny square of video that this phone records, but some have experimented and discovered the following in this thread:

Go to seem "004e_0001" and you can set offset "412" to many different values provided your phone's "Video Length" is set to "Maximum" like the below image.

A setting of "01" yields a maximum file size of 1 megabyte, "14" yields 5 megabytes and "28" yields 10 megabytes. I would imagine a setting of "FF" would yield the largest file size possible.

I've tried the P2K method of doing this and found the results to be glitchy at best including the video camera not even working. The P2K method is discussed here.

Instant on power button

How would you like to not have to hold your power button for a few seconds to make your phone turn on? Well there's a simple seem edit that will fix this. Download seem "0032_0001". Then go to offset "2F" and at bit "7" check the box. If you'd rather have your phone take longer to turn on then uncheck this box.

Still camera GUI

You can either have transparent graphics while taking still pictures (which look better) or you can have an opaque GUI appear while snapping shots. Download seem "0032_0001" and go to offset "AE". If you want transparent graphics check bit "0", uncheck it to have opaque graphics.

Save SMS to phone or to SIM

Download seem "0032_0001" and go to offset "40" and at bit "6" uncheck the box to store SMS messages on the phone, or check the box to store them on the SIM.

Save incoming text messages to phone or to SIM

Reported on in this thread. By default, messages get stored in the phone. Download seem "0032_0001" and go to offset "9A" and then check bit "1". Save and upload the seem.

To select your choice press the

key then go to "Messages", press "Select" then press the

key, go to "Message Setup", press "Select" then go to "Text Msg Setup" and press "Select". Your selection is made in the "Store To:" menu.

Before and after mod screen captures of the new menu.

Remove the roaming icon

Download seem "0032_0001" go to offset "34" and uncheck bit "3".

Remove the GPRS indicator icon

This will only keep the icons from displaying, it won't disable the actual service.

Download seem "0032_0001" go to offset "40" and uncheck bit "1", then go to offset "41" and uncheck bit "5", then go to offset "68" and uncheck bit "4" and finally go to offset "6B" and uncheck bit "5".

Adding/removing hyphens from phone numbers

Download seem "004a_0001" and go to offset "80". Enter "01" in the box if you want to see phone numbers displayed like this: 1112223333. Enter "00" if you want to see phone numbers displayed like this: 111-222-3333.

How to add the auto update menu

Autoupdate automatically adjusts your time and date to your local area. Some phones don't have this feature enabled for whatever reason under the time and date menu item. Download seem "0032_0001" and go to offset "0" and at bit "0" check it. Now go to offest "55" and at bit "2" check it. The new menu will appear under Settings> Initial Setup> Time and date.

Keep a call active on speaker phone with the flip closed

Open seem "0032_0001". Go to offset "8A" and then to bit "2". Uncheck the box and the call will remain active when you close the phone. If you check the box then the call will disconnect when you close the phone.

How to make the "M" glow continuously

This mod comes from this thread. This will add the option in your "Backlight" menu to select "Continuous" mode for your glowing blue "M" and the outer LCD screen while you are on a call. The continuous setting is not an all or nothing mod, you can always change your backlight mode through the phone menu directly.

First download seem "0032_0001". Next download the Motorola Vxxx Mod Tool program here. Launch Motorola Vxxx Mod Tool and click the button labeled "0032_0001.seem"

There's a lot of things you can change with this program, but for this mod you need to go to the "Initial Setup" area and check the box next to "Continuous Backlight".

Then click "File" and select "Save seem file".

Upload the seem to the phone and restart it. To get to the menu press the

key, go to "Settings" press "Select" go to "Initial Setup" press "Select" then go to "Backlight" and press "Change".

Before and after the mod.

Enjoy your reduced battery life with this mod.

Modify the operator, date and clock text

Here is what the scarlet theme normally looks like. The operator "Cingular" is seen with the date, or in this case the battery charging status, below it. The time is in the lower right corner.

You can customize these three items and move their position, change their colors and border widths, even make them invisible. I'll show you how I make the operator and date invisible and how I move the time to be a little further down the screen. If you make your operator invisible you'll never know what network you are in if that matters to you. And if you make the date invisible you'll only know what your battery status is by looking at the battery icon which will give you an idea of where you are energy wise but won't tell you if the charge is complete or not.

Make sure to backup the files you download in these instructions before you attempt any modifications. That way if something goes wrong, you can always upload your original files.

Launch P2K Tools (these screen shots are from the older version of the program), click "Refresh", then navigate to "c/mobile/skins/Scarlet" and right click all the files in the window to the far right and click "Download".

Now navigate to "c/mobile/picture" and find the wallpaper file for this skin which is named "wp_scarlet_176x220.jpg", then click "Download". Place it with your other scarlet theme files.

Now you will need a program called Moto Skin, you can get it right here. Launch Moto Skin and click "File" and select "Open".

Now find your .ski file and click "Open".

I find it helpful to do this next step. Click on "Options" then select "Text rect". This will visually show you the boundaries on the screen for each of the three items this program can manipulate. When you match it up with the numbers seen later in the "X1", "Y1", "X2" and "Y2" boxes, it will make more sense.

Here is the screen we'll start with.

Click "Operator text" in the middle window. In the window to the right of that change the value of "Opacity" to "255" and click the down arrow at "Outline count" to change the value to "0". You'll see that the operator's name is now gone.

Let's modify the date next. Click on "Date text" in the middle window. In the window to the right, change the value of "Opacity" to "255" and click the down arrow at "Outline count" to change the value to "0". You'll see on your image that the date is now gone.

I also tweaked my time, I felt it was too far from the bottom of the screen. Click on the "Clock" check box to get to "Digital Clock" in the middle window. In the window to the right, go over to the "Position" boxes. Set "X1" to "107", "Y1" to "173", "X2" to "175" and "Y2" to "196".

Note: you should not attempt to put two items at the same Y1 and Y2 settings. The phone tends to act erratically. I also have found even when you align things correctly in the Moto Skin program preview window, the phone displays something a little different when the files have been uploaded to it.

Next click "File" select "Save" and save the .ski file to your computer.

Go back to P2K Tools and upload the "Scarlet.ski" file back to the scarlet skin folder.

Then click the "Restart" button.

Here's what your modified skin should look like:

You can continue to tweak the position, color, opacity and border thickness of your screen items.

I learned how to do this mod from a tutorial MotoX wrote right here.

Enabling the Test Mode menu

This information comes from this thread and you can thank "ojalbrecht" for this mod.

Launch P2K Tools (these screen shots are from the older version of the program) and navigate to "a/mobile/system" and download your "mma_ucp" and "mma_dcp" files. I'll be replacing "Shortcuts" from my "Tools" menu since I don't use this item anyway, but you can pick whatever you want.

Launch XVI32 and open up "mma_ucp". Go to offset "370" and you should see "Shortcuts". Your offset may be different than mine as I'm using the modified 12 icon mma_ucp file that I offer elsewhere on this site.

Replace the first letters in "Shortcuts" with "FEM" and replace the remaining letters with 00s.

Save the file and open up "mma_dcp" and repeat the process. This time I went to offset "304" to edit the "Shortcuts" text to "FEM".

Go back to P2K Tools and download seem "0032_0001" by entering the seem information like I have in the screen shot (which is heavily cropped) then click "Load From Phone". Then go to offset "44" and make sure bits "4", "5", "6" and "7" are checked. Then click "Save To Phone". Click the "Restart" button.

Here is the menu item I'm replacing, here is the new menu item and here is what the sub menu choices look like.

Now that you have this feature what do you do with it? Check out this guide to learn more. If you should go into FTS mode and restart your phone to use the feature and can't figure out how to get your phone back to normal just press the press the

key and then the left soft key, then go back into the menu where you turned FTS on and turn it off.

Files you can delete

This list of files comes from this thread. Since I have a 1 GB transflash card in my phone I'm not too interested in deleting files myself. In case you don't already know, the V3i has three different "drives" to store files on. Drive a contains system files, drive b is your removeable transflash card and drive c contains system files and user files like skins, photos and ring tones.

/a/
all mms*.* files

/a/mobile/system
all shutter*.* files (unless you want your camera to click when you take a picture)
all wvim*.* files (emotion icons)

/c/
Scarlet.tcf
Silver Screen saver 176x220~~.gif
Silver Skin Wallpaper 176x2~~.JPG
Silver.tcf (theme)
ss_cosmic_a_176x220_c~~.gif
ss_moto_a_176x220_c~~.gif
ss_scarlet_176x220~~.gif
wp_cosmic_176x220_c~~.jpg
wp_moto_176x220_c~~.jpg
wp_scarlet_176x220_c~~.jpg

c/mobile/audio
all ~Alert*.* files (make sure to erase the .db files in "/a/mobile/audio" as well)

c/mobile/mms/mmstemplate
all *.smi files except for one

c/mobile/skins
everything except the Moto folder

/c/mobile/video
everything

This ends the "mods2" section of this tutorial.

What you'll receive.