i looked at centrufuse (and Streetdeck) and its a good product, but i settled on Ride runner becuase it seemed easier to work with and i wasnt happy that i would get all i needed from it, and the input without touchscreen didnt seem as good, also the ride runner option is open source so if i really got stuck i could add to the code.

im in the same boat as far as touchscreens go, there no room in the D3 without detroying the look of the interior, and besides we already have the MMI screen. which is why i have decided on mmi type buttons as controlls.

if you manage to find a single din touchscreen it wont have much of a display on it, so you will need to make your own cut down skin the amount of controls you will be able to add is also limited so wouldnt give you much advantage. im sure i saw a single din unit with full motorised touchscreen display somewhere, might be your best option, i had a link to it but ive had a crash and have to get my system reloaded today, so will lose all my links.

as for the bluetooth phone option, i already have audi bluetooth fitted in the car, Im going to add BT support and skins to the project but only becuase others may need it, and i see it as a first step to get my blackberry mails to synch up and be read by the auto voice, there shouldnt be a problem getting it to work though. tell me more about how far youve got with the bluetooth and i will see if i can suggest something.

I played around with BT in a RR setup but having spent quite a lot of time trawling through the MP3Car forums I came to the conclusion that there is a bit of licensed software needed that is no longer for sale so I kind of hit a dead end.

In Linux I have failed even to get a reliable connection to allow me to the basics like file transfer.

My minimal software skills do not enable me to create my own solution. I have dabbled with Java but I never found any good references on BT communications, especially those for hands free control or audio.

I like the idea of the rotary control and button(s) and was considering this myself. With a knotchy rotary swict it should with practice and familiarity be possible to carry out routine actions, change radio channel, select playlists etc, the system without looking at the screen. I was thinking of using a PIC to mimic TAB, SHIFT TAB and ENTER. How are you doing it?

I know I said matching the Audi one was not important but now I am on my home PC and can see your skin it really is very beautiful. Cracking work. Have you got a thread for this on MP3Car?

The rotary controls are the same as we have in the D3 anyway, you get used to it quickly. im going to use a bluetooth mouse as a basis, and break it up and make it into buttons etc for the moment as the pc will be in the boot for a while. once it gets to the front i will use a u-hid device, but any thing will work you can configure the buttons a number of ways.

I'm amazed the mp3car boys havent got an easy solution for the BT, I will take a look when ive got a chance, and if nothing jumps out i will have to make one from scratch.

i started a thread on mp3car under Ride runner > Skins >Skins in Progress

Just seen a new bluetooth app for riderunner on the mp3car appmart, will give it atry once ive got this machine reloaded again

made some changes, it is now a flash version of the skin, still running on riderunner, but is now configurable, and thanks to piccys of MMI , is even closer to the real MMI. added bar at the bottom for indicators, and almost everything you see is configurable

Attachment 1907

For those with touchscreen, you just add a line to the config file and it will behave slightly differently, and will give an option of more buttons.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1306152855

Nice work. +++