Search this site

Default

Newest

Oldest

Product Downloads: (view all)
GeoVision Downloads
Dahua Downloads

-- select page -- CCTV Forum News
Use our miniPSS tool to get
enhanced hotkeys in PSS.
miniPSS is an EXE wrapper
for PSS on Windows XP/7.
Visit the Forum Post

-- select page -- -- select page -- -- select page --

Dahua PSS Skins
Updated Sept 17th, 2011

Apply custom skins to an existing PSS installation or path.
The zip file contains 11 skins including the original.

Oct 25th, 2011: This currently only works with Windows XP

Supported DVRs
Supports most Dahua DVRs including some models from:
EyeSurv, QVis, AData, XTS, TechPro, EDGE, ICRealtime, MACE, GEN IV, Q-See, and others.
Contact us to add your DVR to this list.
Applying the Skins

The default PSS installation path is Program Files\Pro Surveillance System(EN) for 32 BIT Windows.
It is recommended to first back up your existing PSS folder.

To use the default installation path, just click on any of the skin CMD files to install the new skin. To specify a path for PSS other than the default, or make other changes to the way the skins are applied see Advanced Information below.

If PSS is running it will be terminated before the changes are made. Msiexec.exe is removed for all skins other than the original.

A new shortcut called PSSX will be placed on the user's desktop, and the old ones removed. Alternatively you can manually create a shortcut by right clicking PSSProject.exe, Send to Desktop. This is important as if you use the default installed shortcut which was created during PSS Setup, the skin changes will be removed and the default skin will be loaded.

The PSS Config file is replaced in each update with a custom setup with no user login and some other tweaks. If you have custom settings or want to make the user login each time, edit your existing PSS Config file with the text in the "skin.txt" file in each skin folder, save your updated PSS Config file for each skin overwriting our custom PSS Config. This does not effect devices or tasks.

Custom Skins for Clients

Skins can also be added to a custom PSS Setup file, along with devices and tasks.
Contact us to customize PSS for your clients!

We can remotely log onto your Windows or Mac computer and set up PSS for a small charge (coming soon)

Example Custom PSS Setup
Blue Skin with Default IP of 192.168.1.108, Default login, 4-way Multiview, Main/Substream Tasks.
This file is hosted on Mediafire due to its size (30mb). Download Skins (for PSS 4.04)
Download ZIP (17MB)


The included skins are as follows ...

Original Skin:


Skins from PSS Portable 2.0

Lite (Live only)


Basic (Live only)


Pro (Live and Playback)



Basic Skins for Live only
The size of these Skin folders are only 930kb, down from the default 55mb size.
Click images to Zoom+

Green Skin:


Blue Skin:


Red Skin:


Orange Skin:


Yellow Skin:


Grey Skin:



More Modified

Example for a 4-channel DVR - no need for multiview buttons.
In this skin the Video windows are bigger, but they are the same aspect ratio.

Plain Skin:


Advanced Information

The process of changing the skin is as follows:

1) Terminate PSSProject.exe and Msiexec.exe if they are open.
2) Delete the existing PSS skin files from the PSS Skin path.
3) Delete the Msiexec.exe file from the PSS path, if it exists.
4) Copy the new skins from the Default folder to the Default folder in the PSS Skin path.
5) Copy the new PSS_Config.ini file to the PSS path.
6) Copy Msiexec.exe to the PSS path if it exists (for the original skin only)
7) Update shortcuts for PSS by removing existing shortcuts and installing new ones.
8) Start PSS with the new skin installed.

Note: If you update the skin then use the original shortcuts installed with PSS,
it will be reverted back to the original setup.

Advanced Editing

This is for advanced users and those that wish to add their own skins.

This skin package contains a folder called $$$ which contains system files used to apply the skins; these files should not be edited.

The system files are:

1) INSTALL-SKIN.cmd - the main setup file that does all the work.
2) Shortcut.exe - a 3rd party tool that creates shortcuts.
3) Shortcut.vbs - a script that interacts with Shortcut.exe.
 
Each skin is in its own folder and is named accordingly. Each Skin folder contains the following:

1) PSS_Config.inf - the main PSS Config file which includes the login section as well as a section for the skin colors. When creating a skin one would change the colors under the section called [SkinStyle] [copied to the PSS path].
2) Default - the folder containing all the skin images and setting files [copied to the PSS Skin path].
3) Msiexec.exe - optional, this should only be used for the original skin [copied to the PSS path].
4) INSTALL.cmd - optional, a copy of the top CMD files which can be run within the skin folder.
5) Skin.txt - optional, this is an inactive file and is only there for information.

The individual CMD files have one line which is a call to the main Skin Install file in the $$$ folder.

This is the call to the install file and it waits for it to complete:
start /b /wait $$$\INSTALL-SKIN.cmd

The switches come after that and contain spaces between them, example:
start /b /wait $$$\INSTALL-SKIN.cmd "" "basic" 1 1 0 0

There are 6 switches and they are in this order:

1) PSS Path (str) - Specify an exact path to PSS or leave it blank ("") for default. [default=Program Files\Pro Surveillance System(EN)]
2) Skin Path (str) - If you are running this from the skin folder leave it blank (""). [default=""]
3) Load PSS (int) - Set to 1 to Start PSS after the skin has been applied.  [default=1]
4) Task Kill (int) - Set to 1 to terminate PSSProject and Msiexec before applying the skins.  [default=1]
5) Debug Enable (int) - Set to 1 to show messages with delays. This can be used to debug any errors you may encounter when adding your own skins.  [default=0]
6) Delay Time (int) - This is a delay in seconds for the Debug message and is only active when Debug is enabled.  [default=n/a]

For information on actually changing the skin images and settings please see the following articles:
http://www.bahamassecurity.com/articles/dahua-pss-tweaks.asp
http://www.bahamassecurity.com/articles/tweaking-pss-skins.asp

Further Thoughts

If there is much interest in this I may follow up with an actual program such as a downloadable Skin Gallery. But will have to wait and see where this goes first.

Contact us to customize PSS for your clients!

Also see:
Search Results for Dahua
Dahua PSS Software
Dahua's Website