PSU's guide to PS3 Themes

  • Posted November 15th, 2007 at 09:16 EDT by PSU Staff
  • 45,687 views
  • 27 Comments

With the launch of PSU’s own PS3 themes section, we felt obliged to provide our users with this handy guide to show you exactly how to go about creating, uploading and installing your own themes with as little hassle as possible. Read on to find out how to get the best out of your theme endeavours with PSU!

CREATING THEMES:

Step 1: You will need to download the official PS3 Theme Tool by visiting Sony Australia's official website, then clicking on the button in the bottom right.

Step 2: Extract the file to a folder on your computer

Step 3: Open command prompt and navigate to the folder.

Step 4: The folder should contain a sample folder, a GrimConv folder, a p3tcompiler.exe and other assorted files. To create your theme you will need to run the p3tcompiler.exe passing in the sample.xml.

Example: If you are in the p3tcompiler_v101 folder, you run: p3tcompiler .sample�1sample.xml

Step 5: This creates a number of .gim files and a sample.p3t files in the sample /01/ directory. Take the sample.p3t file and transfer it to a memory stick in the following location: PS3->THEME

Step 6: Plug the memory stick into your PS3 and select the theme setting, where you will be given an option to install; do so, and you will have your sample theme.

Step 7: To construct your own custom theme, it’s a case of editing all of the .png files in the sample directory, and re-run all of the above.

UPLOADING YOUR THEME:

To upload your theme, point your browser to our upload themes page here, and simply fill out the required information:

Theme title: The name given to your theme
Author name: The original author of the theme; do not upload unless you have permission from the author.
Description: A basis description on the theme itself.

Next, simply upload the required information in the ‘Theme file’ and ‘Theme preview’ boxes to complete the process. Users can download the PS3 Theme Previewer, which allows you to make .jpg images for your theme.

Over the next few days, PSU.com will be adding new additions and upgrades to the PS3 themes section such as "Credit to original author", " ability to add multiple screenshots of theme", and a "rating system”.

INSTALLING YOUR THEME:

All themes files (.p3t) need to be saved to a memory card/HDD/USB thumbstick, in the following directory structure:

/PS3/THEME/<theme file>

1. Create a folder titled: PS3
2. Inside the PS3 folder, make another folder titled: THEME
3. Put all the themes you have inside the THEME folder.
4. Plug your USB drive to your PS3 and on the XMB, select:

Then go to: Settings>Theme Settings>Theme>Install (hidden at the top)> and then select your theme you wish to install.

PSU would also like to note that you’ll soon be able to download themes straight to your PS3’s hard drive via the consoles web browser – bare with us on this, as we’ll have it working very soon.

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What are your thoughts?

  1. blachaze | blachaze213

    • 10:07am GMT - November 15th, 2007

    This is looooooooooooooooooong.

  2. Xomaniac2

    • 10:42am GMT - November 15th, 2007

    its looks complicated but it really isnt,
    takes a while though...took me 2 hours per theme

  3. gingo | gingo

    • 12:16pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    psn id: gingo... song should have made it easier so the average joe could make them but at least they have given people a chance to make them

  4. ssengnihton

    • 2:49pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    ok, ok..How do I "editing all of the .png files in the sample directory, and re-run all of the above. "...I can do every step EXCEPT STEP 7...i DONT understand want they mean by edit and re-run....help please, I REALLY want to edit my own theme.

    I hope anyone can help me with this

    Xomaniac22...you said you know how, can you write a theme quide for dummies or something "LOL". i REALLY NEED HELP

  5. McGriddles | McGriddles

    • 3:21pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    ssengnihton4
    ok, ok..How do I "editing all of the .png files in the sample directory, and re-run all of the above. "...I can do every step EXCEPT STEP 7...i DONT understand want they mean by edit and re-run....help please, I REALLY want to edit my own theme.

    I hope anyone can help me with this

    Xomaniac22...you said you know how, can you write a theme quide for dummies or something "LOL". i REALLY NEED HELP
    -------------------------------------------------------

    basically that means that you make your own pictures or get them from the internet, save them to your  folder where all your images is for the sample theme, then open the the theme code, paste it in note pad from the website and replace the background images and icon image with your own, then recompile the code

  6. wiggsj

    • 3:21pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    I am not a programmer and most of this is over my head - PSN -how about just adding some more themes rather than having to create them ourselves.  And seriously whats up with the current themes??????Who developed them a chick? pink and hearts and rainbows really? I have a PS3 not a wii!!!!

  7. TRIPLEACE | GODSACE

    • 4:05pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    my computer wont let me do it

  8. Tzanido | kritikos8

    • 5:08pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    doesnt anyone know i .png picture editor? i cant open the .png file b/c i got nothing to read it

  9. shaka_ | R0N1N_

    • 6:33pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

     

    It's very easy to do here i'll break it down for ya'll

     

    1) download the Theme Tool 

    while it's downloading lets make the files needed on the memcard

    Create a folder titled: PS3

    Inside the PS3 folder, make another folder titled: THEME (PS3 is case sensitive must be caps)

     

    2) Extract the theme tool when finished (desktop would be fine)

    3) go to start--> run

     

    4) type cmd hit enter it opens a console window

     

    5) navigate to your folder (extracted Theme tool folder)

    For me the folder was located on my desktop so i typed:

    cd des* (* for not typing the hole word)

    cd (change dir)

    continue doing so till you reach your folder where the p3tcompile.exe is located so for me it was

    see the second picture from thr article

    leave it there for a while.

    ====next part custom theme====

    if you don't want to make custom theme skip this part

    open the theme folder and go to sample folder and then the 01 folder

    open one of png file with any edit tool (i use Photoshop) but i'll gues paintshop or illustrator will do work to or any other

    example  open Icons1.png in Photoshop ( or your favorite edit tool )

    edit it by replacing it with a new picture you want or change the color BUT DON'T CHANGE THE FILE FORMAT OR THE FILE SIZE.

    when you are finished save it back in the same folder you open it (01 folder)

    do this for all the png's you want to change and or the backgrounds.

    ======end  custom theme part==========

    6) type: p3tcompiler .sample1sample.xml

    in the console window

    7) Copy the new made .gim files and a sample.p3t from your sample directory to a memory stick in the following location: PS3->THEME

    8) Plug the memory stick into your PS3 and select the theme setting, where you will be given an option to install select your memcard there you'll see sample select it and it will install your theme enjoy

  10. catamountalum2004

    • 7:17pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    i did what you guys said to do i made a file called ps3 and then a file called themes inside that and then went into install but it will not show any themes as being on the jump drive, what am i doing wrong

  11. SpikeDX

    • 7:26pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    for some eeason it doesnt work on psp's memory stick when i go to install them, my ps3 doesnt detect them

  12. SNzoom

    • 10:19pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    I have the same problem with it not reading the memory card  on the ps3

     

  13. kingiceeater | The_Fifth

    • 11:06pm GMT - November 15th, 2007

    Thanks guys, I appreciate this it's something I've wanted to do but didn't want to take the time to figure out.

  14. shaka_ | R0N1N_

    • 4:01am GMT - November 16th, 2007

    Did You make the foldername all caps on your jump stick?

    And you must not put them in psp or root folder on your psp memstick. just open your psp memstick and make the folder PS3 and inside that you make the THEME (all caps)

    I've just finished tested on my ps3 it installed just fine

  15. Warmix

    • 4:14pm GMT - November 16th, 2007

    Ok this is how you guys do it. If you have a psp (i dont know if it works with a memory stick) Plug it in your ps3, copy a save file and paste it in the psp/stick.

    take the psp/stick out and plug ontop your pc, and it will make a folder called ps3. In the folder PS3, make another called THEME, type it in call capitals.

    Now place all your themes into the folder PS3>THEME.

    After you place them there, plug your psp/stick back onto the ps3 and go to Settings and Theme Settings and choose install.

  16. subversive1

    • 11:26pm GMT - November 16th, 2007

    I downloaded a couple of themes and did what it said above to install them to the PS3.I am using a USB stick ,but the PS3 didn't see it.Any suggestions?

  17. cowman285 | cowman285

    • 1:46pm GMT - November 17th, 2007

    same here it just doesn't read them

     

  18. THE_NEXUS | nexus321

    • 9:32pm GMT - November 17th, 2007

    LISTEN UP GUYS
    I NEED HELP
    i cant change the icons u know when u download the mario theme and u c the icons and they r really cool.So i tried and all That Shows is ? icon instead.I can edit the icons, but to replace the icon's i cant??? any ideas??????

  19. royboy | bigfreezy1975

    • 10:00pm GMT - November 17th, 2007

    well i don't have a pc so i guess im out i'm only using the ps3 browser woe is me

  20. motzo

    • 11:48pm GMT - November 17th, 2007

    make us a user friendly editing tool there are too many opertunities to go wrong

  21. justintime59

    • 7:38pm GMT - November 25th, 2007

    What is the actual website where to find the download at, i went to the austrailian website and no luck.

  22. divinitythewinged

    • 9:25pm GMT - November 26th, 2007

    everytime i try to open the compiler it imediatly closes

  23. Bigswede773

    • 2:50am GMT - December 7th, 2007

    how do i install other themes, i have on my usb drive?

  24. prosecondbase7 | prosecondbase7

    • 1:19am GMT - December 8th, 2007

    so I finally got the sample.pt3 file saved under PSE-THEMES-sample.pt3. but when I put the sd card in my ps3 and go to themes and install all it says is no themes found.  I dont know.

  25. 2kBoss

    • 10:17pm GMT - January 15th, 2008

    do u have to download the whole theme creator just to upload themes to your ps3 or can i just download current themes to a flash disk

  26. Teched

    • 4:38pm BST - June 13th, 2008

    I am a Newbie to the PS3 40GB (WalMart is selling them for $399 and they throw in a $100 gift card. Bringing the cost down to $299).

    It is good to finally find a place that tells me how to install Themes onto the PS3. It would be nice to have the memory slots, but a thumbdrive will work fine for what I am looking to do.

  27. Over9my9Head

    • 1:02pm BST - August 4th, 2008

    god it wont let me make a theme

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