[BluePheenix]

Here is the code for emote icons:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<package xmlns="http://messenger.msn.com/messengercontent/1.0" version="1.0" type="theme">
<item xmlns:emoticon="http://messenger.msn.com/emoticon/1.0" contentid="Pack1" contenttype="P" type="emoticon" emoticon:namespaceprefix="Pack1" mimetype="image/gif" file="whatever.gif" emoticon:displayname="Letter A" emoticon:keysequence="loll" />
</package>

Things to change:
contentid - Change this to whatever the name you want, try to use unqiue ones
namespaceprefix - this is how it gets saved it .dat files i believe, again unique to stop your emote icons overwriting others
file - the filename of your icon that will be in the .cab file with the content.xml
displayname - The name that will show up when users browse their custom emotes
keysequence - What needs to be type in a conversation for the icon to appear
mimetype - Depending on the type of your picture you can have image/png for png image/gif for gif and well, you get the idea.

Here is the code for display pictures:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<package xmlns="http://messenger.msn.com/messengercontent/1.0" version="1.0" type="theme">
<item xmlns:usertile="http://messenger.msn.com/usertile/1.0" contentid="tux" contenttype="P" usertile:version="1.0" type="usertile" mimetype="image/png" file="tux.png" usertile:default="true" usertile:displayname="Tux" />
</package>

Things to change:
contentid - Change this to whatever the name you want, try to use unqiue ones
default - If true, when picture is installed, it will be set as your current display picture. False stops this.
displayname - The name that will show up when users browse their custom display pics
mimetype - Depending on the type of your picture you can have image/png for png image/gif for gif and well, you get the idea.
file - the filename of your icon that will be in the .cab file with the content.xml

Here is the code for backgrounds:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<package xmlns="http://messenger.msn.com/messengercontent/1.0" version="1.0" type="theme">
<item xmlns:background="http://messenger.msn.com/background/1.0" contentid="Name" contenttype="P" background:version="1.0" type="background" mimetype="image/jpg" file="back.jpg" background:displayname="Name" />
</package>

Things to change:
contentid - Change this to whatever the name you want, try to use unqiue ones
mimetype - Depending on the type of your picture you can have image/png for png image/gif for gif and well, you get the idea.
file - the filename of your icon that will be in the .cab file with the content.xml
displayname - The name that will show up when users browse their custom backgrounds

NOTE:
A custom content file that is going to be installed using the MessengerInstallerLibrary should be a cab file and should contain the following:
-content.xml which lists all content
-The images you are using which are referenced in the content.xml
To create cab files, first create a zip file with the content in and use the utility here to convert it:
http://www.paehl.de/english.php

Also, to add more than one emote in a content pack, the code would look like this, and you can see, it is easily done with display pictures:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<package xmlns="http://messenger.msn.com/messengercontent/1.0" version="1.0" type="theme">
<item xmlns:emoticon="http://messenger.msn.com/emoticon/1.0" contentid="Pack1" contenttype="P" type="emoticon" emoticon:namespaceprefix="Pack1" mimetype="image/gif" file="whatever.gif" emoticon:displayname="Letter A" emoticon:keysequence="loll" />
<item xmlns:emoticon="http://messenger.msn.com/emoticon/1.0" contentid="Pack1" contenttype="P" type="emoticon" emoticon:namespaceprefix="Pack1" mimetype="image/gif" file="whatever2.gif" emoticon:displayname="Letter B" emoticon:keysequence="lol2" />
</package>

You can even mix two types of content like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<package xmlns="http://messenger.msn.com/messengercontent/1.0" version="1.0" type="theme">
<item xmlns:emoticon="http://messenger.msn.com/emoticon/1.0" contentid="Pack1" contenttype="P" type="emoticon" emoticon:namespaceprefix="Pack1" mimetype="image/gif" file="whatever.gif" emoticon:displayname="Letter A" emoticon:keysequence="loll" />
<item xmlns:background="http://messenger.msn.com/background/1.0" contentid="Name" contenttype="P" background:version="1.0" type="background" mimetype="image/jpg" file="back.jpg" background:displayname="Name" />
</package>

WINKS:
You cannot create custom winks, this is due to them requiring keys that only microsoft have or can be purchased for 400 dollars

Forgot to add extra info and credits:
Thanks to those at msnfanatic for the code, I forgot where I actually got it from but thanks to all those involved, pm me and I'll add our name gladly.

This post has been edited by BluePheenix: 16 May 2005 - 12:30 PM

[Daniel]

This is a great overview, so I've pinned it.

[sousoulebarbu]

There is an easier way to create .cab files. Download alpha zip here: http://www.alphazip.com/download.php and select all the files you want to put in the cab, right click > Alpha-Zip > Compress into > *.cab
Rename it *.mco
That's all

[TheSteve]

Here is the format for Dynamic Display Pictures and winks (For those of you who decided to buy that $400 signature)

DDP:

<package xmlns="http://messenger.msn.com/messengercontent/1.0" version="1.0" type="theme">
 <item contentid="contentid" type="dynamicpicture" contenttype="P" mimetype="application/messengercontent" file="TFRXX.cab" stamp="...Signature from microsoft goes here..." />
</package>

Where contentid, file, and stamp need to be changed accordingly

Winks:

<package version="1.0" type="theme">
   <item contentid="contentid" type="wink" contenttype="P" mimetype="application/messengercontent" file="TFRXXXX.cab" stamp="...Signature from microsoft goes here..."/>
</package>

Where contentid, file, and stamp need to be changed accordingly

[bgp]

BluePheenix, on May 16 2005, 09:24 AM, said:

WINKS:
You cannot create custom winks, this is due to them requiring keys that only microsoft have or can be purchased for 400 dollars

Where can one purchase one of those keys?
I couldn't find any information on Microsoft's site, but may not know where to look...
Thanks in advance.

[Doggie]

Try emailing Microsoft's Tech Support.

[ali veli 4950]

Thanks...

[FRUiT94]

Hello I'm new here,

I would like to know, if I can add a flash swf animated picture when using the "usertile" method in content.xml ?

Thanks in advance.

FRUiT

[Dody]

FRUiT94, on Dec 6 2005, 03:15 PM, said:

Hello I'm new here,

I would like to know, if I can add a flash swf animated picture when using the "usertile" method in content.xml ?

Thanks in advance.

FRUiT

no there is just no way, otherwise you would have seen such a program for a time ago...

[FRUiT94]

Thanks Dody. so if I understand you there's no way to animate a customized display picture, even using the usertile functions?

:boo:

Or "could" gifs or pngs be animated?

Thanks for replying me so fast this site is really interesting!

This post has been edited by FRUiT94: 06 December 2005 - 06:46 PM

[TheSteve]

Yup, no wait to create your own animated display picture, unless you're a company on good terms with microsoft ($$).

As for animated GIF and PNG images, As of Messenger 7.5 they don't work, however it may be eventually possible in a future version.

[szkane]

thanks~!

[freddy1787]

Hi all,

How you find the "Keysequence" from a .dat file? :huh:

Thanks in advance,

Freddy

[TheSteve]

freddy1787, on Mar 24 2006, 03:40 AM, said:

How you find the "Keysequence" from a .dat file?

First read the article I just posted about how the messenger content stoarage system.
Then Grab the Emoticons' MapFile XML. The emoticon mapfile follows this format.

Keysequence tab emoticon name tab messenger object tab
if there is no emoticon name, it is replaces by the char 0xD (\n)

So all you need to do is split the string by \t (tabs) and you'll get a new keyboard shortcut every third index.

EDIT: Oops, I fogot to post the link :P
http://forums.fanati...showtopic=14837

This post has been edited by TheSteve: 24 March 2006 - 02:09 AM

[Aximili]

Hi,

This is an old topic... but does anyone know the code for dynamic background? Everything is here except dynamic background :P

Also, where can I find this MessengerContentInstallerLibrary?

Thank you

[TheSteve]

Aximili, on Jul 2 2006, 02:57 PM, said:

Does anyone know the code for dynamic background?

I can't tell you for certain, however I imagine it would be very similar to the winks. Try changing the type "dynamicbackground" or something similar

Aximili, on Jul 2 2006, 02:57 PM, said:

Also, where can I find this MessengerContentInstallerLibrary?

msnmsgr.exe type library number 7

[Aximili]

I didn't expect a reply that quick :P
Thanks a lot TheSteve :D
Actually I tried changing the winks one to dynamicbackground but it didn't work.
I'll tell you more details later, don't have much time now. Thanks again!

[atlantis11500]

I just wonder if I can use some existing certificate to sign the cab file....such as MSN Winks...although it's illegal.

[TheSteve]

atlantis11500, on Jul 5 2006, 10:12 AM, said:

I just wonder if I can use some existing certificate to sign the cab file

Do you have the private key for the certificate? If so, go ahead...

[Aximili]

Hi TheSteve,

This is what I did.
I tried putting a default wink, ddp, and dynamic background, each into separate cab files.
I got the stamp by decrypting the map files.
Then I tried installing them using your Pack Creator.
The wink and ddp installed successfully. But the background didn't.

Here is the code I used for content.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<package xmlns="http://messenger.msn.com/messengercontent/1.0" version="1.0" type="theme">
<item contentid="TFR2A5.cab" type="dynamicbackground" contenttype="P" mimetype="application/messengercontent" file="TFR2A5.cab" stamp="MIIIng..(and so on)" />
</package>

Then I got the message:
The content installation failed. Please try again later.

Followed by:
Event Recieved 0x80004005

Any idea...?
Thanks...

This post has been edited by Aximili: 09 July 2006 - 09:26 AM