HowTo: Ambiences

answered 2014-01-18 14:42:06 +0200

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updated 2014-03-18 13:13:42 +0200

jgr
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Requirements on your own Ambience image

When used as Ambience image, your image is (virtually) cropped to a size of 540 x 1600 pixels. That image is divided into several sections, from top to bottom:

• Pulley menu (540 x 116 pixels)
• Lock screen (540 x 960 pixels)
• Home screen (540 x 262 pixels)
• Launcher screen (540 x 262 pixels)

For details see: http://www.jollausers.com/2013/12/how-to-make-ambiance-wallpapers-for-sailfish-bonus/.

While the lock screen area of the image will remain almost untouched when used as Ambience background, the other sections get a certain gray/brown level added or subtracted. Particularly for rather light tones (e.g. yellow), this results in a color appearing rather dull, see the samples below. So make sure that the colors can tolerate an additional gray/brown level.

Note! The samples below are of Sailfish OS 1.0.3.8. They do not apply to OS 1.0.4.20, with this update, the color adaption has changed. If you want me to add a corresponding overview for OS 1.0.4.20, you have to upvote this to at least 100 votes (so that I see, it is of sufficient interest to do the hard work). (This is a wiki, so I do not earn karma on your upvotes. In addition, anyone else may do the job.)

If your image does not match the required size, it is automatically cropped – virtually, i.e. the original image is left untouched when being made to an Ambience background image.

answered 2014-01-18 14:42:26 +0200

This post is a wiki. Anyone with karma >75 is welcome to improve it.

updated 2014-01-30 00:30:28 +0200

jgr
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Creating an Ambience from your own image

You can convert your own images to an ambience. Due to the format of your phone it is best done with a portrait image of the size 540 x 1600 pixels (see Requirements on your own Ambience image).

For additional information when you want to make a black/white (grayscale) image an Ambience background image, see http://reviewjolla.blogspot.fi/2013/12/jolla-howto-make-your-own-ambience-with.html

To make your own image an Ambience background image:

1. Make sure, the image is located somewhere in directory /home/nemo/Pictures/. (Camera pictures are saved automatically in that directory. On a Windows PC with USB connection to the handset this directory is shown as “Computer\Sailfish\Phone Memory\Pictures”; observe the upper case “P” – you are talking Linux where case matters.)
2. Open “Gallery”.
3. Tap [Photos]. (The image overview is shown.)
4. Tap the image you want as Ambience background image. (This image appears full screen.)
5. Tap the image. (The image reduces to half the screen size making space for sharing options.)
6. If available from the pulley menu (not available for .png files): Select "Edit". (The buttons [Rotate] and [Crop] appear.) Continue as required:

• Rotate the image: Tap |- [Rotate] | [Rotate right] or [Rotate left] | [Accept] -|. (A rotated copy of the image is created. The rotated image is displayed with still the [Rotate] and [Crop] options being offered.)
• Crop the image:
• • Tap [Crop]. (The image appears full screen again, with a certain area being highlighted, under which you can move the image.)
• • Tap the image. (Again, the image reduces to half the screen size making space for cropping options.)
• • Tap [Ambience]. (The highlighted area covers the size of an Ambient image, 540 x 1600 pixels.)
• • Move the image such, that the part you want as Ambience background appears within the highlighted area.
• • Tap the image.
• • Tap [Accept]. (A cropped copy of the image is created.)
• Go back to the Photos overview, e.g by tapping the dots in the upper left corner).
• Tap the image you just rotated/cropped. (This image appears full screen.)
• Tap the image. (The sharing options are offered again.)

1. From the pulley menu select “Create ambience”. (This image is converted to an Ambience image.)
2. Go back to the Gallery start screen (e.g. by tapping the dots in the upper left corner).
3. Continue with step 2 of Activation of Ambiences.

answered 2014-01-18 14:47:45 +0200

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updated 2014-03-18 16:39:01 +0200

jgr
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What Ambiences are

Ambiences are a means allowing you to switch quickly between different sets of settings. As of the moment these settings include:

• Background image/color
• Volume of notification sounds (e.g. ring tone, alarm clock’s alarm etc.)
• Tunes allocated to certain types of notifications

The settings of the active Ambience overwrite the current default settings system-wide, i.e. the current ring-tone for example is defined by the active Ambience, not by the settings in |- Settings | System -|.

(Further settings to be included in Ambiences will come up with future Sailfish releases. For the future of Ambiences see https://together.jolla.com/question/397/screenborder-swipe#9299 by Jaakko Roppola, the Jolla chief designer.)

answered 2014-01-18 14:43:42 +0200

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updated 2014-03-22 12:04:51 +0200

jgr
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Changing the settings of an Ambience

1. Open “Gallery”.
2. Tap “Ambience”.
3. Tap the image of the Ambience you want to change.
4. Change any of the settings.
5. If you want to and if it is not a built-in or TOH Ambience image: Give the Ambience a name – tap field “Enter name”. (Built-in and TOH Ambience images have a pre-set name you cannot change.)
6. Tap [Save]. (==> The Ambience can be selected from the Lock or Home screen, see Switching between Ambiences.)

A note on ringtones

• If you want to select a ringtone from your own music files, you get a probably long list of music files in your user home directory (i.e. /home/nemo). If you do not find the file you look for, make sure the mp3 tags Artist and Album title are set: This list does not show file names but mp3 tag contents only (of course, Title can also be set). Files with empty tags are not listed.
• It is recommended to give the ringtone files a Title that is easily recognized, e.g. all beginning with "Ringtone ..."
• Music files shorter than 1 s do not work as ringtones.
• If you want to make your ringtone files available from the list of ringtones (i.e. not via "Select from music file"), you have to copy your ringtone files to /usr/share/sounds/jolla-ringtones/stereo, see How to copy music files to the system ringtone directory.

For further reading see the discussions on Ringtones in 1.0.4.20

answered 2014-02-13 16:04:49 +0200

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updated 2014-02-13 16:34:25 +0200

jgr
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Silence down the Jolla handset completely (theater mode)

If you want to get a completely silenced Jolla, you have to:

• Activate a self-created Ambience (from a picture of your own) with all notification sounds set to "No sound" and volume slider minimized (call it e.g. "Silencio Ambience").
  AND
• Select "Silence sounds" from lock screen pulley menu.

Reason

Current situation (Sailfish 1.0.3.8, as far as it could be worked out):

• Switching off all notification sounds using the option "No sound" and setting the Ambience volume slider to minimum does not switch off all system sounds (e.g. pulley menu, Camera shutter, possibly low battery warning etc.).
• Selecting "Silence sounds" from the pulley menu switches off all notifications and system sounds but does not silence the clock alarm.

Disclaimer

Until confirmed by Jolla, we cannot be sure that there will not be any sound left that still can go off, even you have the settings as above.

This problem has been turned out after a lengthy discussion on https://together.jolla.com/question/27016/silent-ambiance/#comment-27503.

answered 2014-01-18 14:44:04 +0200

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updated 2014-01-30 00:48:14 +0200

jgr
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Activation of Ambiences

Typically, an Ambience must be activated by the user in order to be available. (An Ambience allocated to a TOH may be activated automatically directly after download from Jolla Store.) Several Ambience background images are available ex factory. Additional images you may create yourself, see Creating an Ambience from your own image.

To activate an Ambience (background image already available):

1. Open “Gallery”.
2. Tap “Ambience”.
3. Tap the image you want as background image.
4. Tap the star icon. (==> The settings available with that image appear.)
5. Set any of the settings.
6. Tap [Save]. (==> The Ambience can be selected from the Lock or Home screen, see Switching between Ambiences.)
7. If you want this Ambience your current Ambience: From the pulley menu select “Set ambience”.

NOTE: “Remove ambience” in the pulley menu removes the whole image, not just the settings of the Ambience!

Notes:

• The Ambience’s volume slider scales the general volume slider available on the first general Settings page (i.e. the actual volume setting is the product of the multiplication of both slider values).
• All other settings overwrite the settings specified on the general Settings pages.
• There seems to be a total of 18 Ambiences you can have activated at the same time (see https://together.jolla.com/question/17275/number-of-favorites-ambiances/).
• When changing sounds take care of the "No sound" option: If highlighted, there will be no sound, even there may be noted a "Current ... tone" sound clip. See figure below.

answered 2014-03-20 23:45:48 +0200

This post is a wiki. Anyone with karma >75 is welcome to improve it.

updated 2014-03-20 23:56:36 +0200

jgr
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How to copy music files to the system ringtone directory

If you want a sound file (mp3) of your own to appear in the ringtone list of Sailfish OS (system settings and Ambience), you have to copy that file to the system ringtone directory. The file does not have to have mp3 tags set. (Alternatively you can choose a ringtone from your music files, see the notes in answer Changing the settings of an Ambience.)

Procedure

1. Make sure, the sound file (e.g. jolla-ringtone-rev.mp3) is already on your Jolla, e.g. because you downloaded it, received it via e-mail or by copying it via USB from your PC to the Jolla handset (from a Windows PC e.g. to directory "Computer\Sailfish\Phone Memory\Downloads"; downloads from internet and the attachments of an e-mail received directly on your Jolla would be stored in a subdirectory of this one).
2. Go to |- Settings | System Settings | Developer Mode -|.
3. Activate „Developer mode“. (Because your Jolla device can access the Jolla apps shop, a Terminal app is installed now.)
4. Activate „Remote connection” (either enter and [Save] a password or [Generate] it; if you generate it, you have to edit it slightly before the [Save] button becomes available). (Note: You need administrator rights following, because the system sound directory is write protected otherwise.)
5. Open the Terminal app installed during step 2.
6. Get administrator rights (and be very cautious what you do thereafter -- when doing it wrong you may break your Jolla!): Enter devel-su.
7. On the password request, enter your password specified during step 4. (The last character of the prompt changes from "$" to "#".)
8. Move to the directory with the sound file, e.g. in my case (observe the uppercase "D", you are talking Linux where upper/lower case matters; note that what you see on your PC starts below /home/nemo/): cd /home/nemo/Downloads/mail_attachments/80-2
9. Make sure, you are in the right directory, get a directory listing: dir
10. Copy the sound file: cp jolla-ringtone-rev.mp3 /usr/share/sounds/jolla-ringtones/stereo/
11. Check that the file arrived at destination: dir /usr/share/sounds/jolla-ringtones/stereo/

12. Exit administrator mode: exit.

    

13. Exit Terminal: exit.
14. Go to |- Settings | System Settings | Developer Mode -| and deactivate "Remote connection".
    You need remote connections activated to get administrator rights. But you should not leave open remote access to your Jolla handset unnecessarily. Therefore deactivate this always when done.

This procedure was first published as comment to Jolla sounds not well-engineered as notification sounds. Unfortunately, comments are not easily linkable, hence the republishing here.

answered 2014-01-18 14:44:35 +0200

This post is a wiki. Anyone with karma >75 is welcome to improve it.

updated 2014-01-20 19:55:52 +0200

jgr
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Types of Ambiences

There are 3 types of Ambiences:

• Built-in ex factory
• User created
• Assigned to a specific The Other Half (i.e. to something like a TOH serial number) and available only after download from Jolla Store

Only user created Ambiences give the user full control over all available settings. Built-in Ambiences for example are limited to adjusting the volume of the notification sounds.