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GCA Editor

Import and edit MIB2 and MIB3 .gca button/image/background configuration files (the GenericCarAdjuster screen layout format used for ambient lighting zones, climate and other generic car-adjuster HMI widgets).

Frequently asked questions

.gca stands for Generic Car Adjuster, a configuration file used by the MIB2/MIB3 infotainment HMI to describe on-screen button layouts, touch zones and related features — for example the ambient zones, buttons and images shown on climate control, and other "generic adjuster" screens. The Ambient Lighting GCA is the most useful, as it allows you to add new lighting zones that weren't present on your original vehicle; other GCA files are generally more limited, because you can't always magically add settings buttons that aren't there.

GCA files are shipped as part of a firmware distribution, under \hmi\Resources\skin0\Data\.

A GCA file is a small binary container made up of a handful of blocks — BTN (buttons/touch zones), IMG (images), BCKG (backgrounds), plus optional SVID/SVN/FN name tables depending on the file version (4, 5, or 51–53). Higher versions simply add more blocks on top of the same BTN/IMG/BCKG structure.

Each zone/button is a BTN entry (with a matching IMG entry for its icon). To add one, click the "+ New BTN Entry" button above the BTN table, pick a size in the dialog, then drag the new rectangle on the canvas into position. To remove one, use the remove/delete control on its row in the BTN (or IMG/BCKG) table — the tool will warn you if an IMG entry still references the button you're about to delete (via featureId), since that would leave it pointing at nothing.

BTN (button/touch zone): id (unique button id), imagePosX/Y (offset for its icon), validCoords (how many of the 8 vertex slots are used, forming the touch polygon), the 8 vertex points themselves, and aspectId (a style/asset reference).
IMG (image): id (unique image id), featureId (links the image back to a BTN entry with the same id, or into the file's FN feature-name table when present), posX/Y (position, can be negative to nudge relative to the button) and colored.
BCKG (background): id, aspectId, posX/Y and scale.

Mostly, yes — BTN vertex coordinates (drag on the canvas or via the table), IMG/BCKG positions, aspectId, featureId and similar numeric fields are all editable directly in the tables. A few structural fields (like a section's record count, or the file's header/version) are managed automatically by the tool as you add/remove entries and are not exposed as separate editable fields, so the file always stays internally consistent.

Every edit (drag, add, remove, field change) is applied immediately in your browser. Once you're happy with the result, scroll down to the "Save" section and click "Save / download file" to download the modified .gca under a fresh filename.

Load your .gca file below, then edit the BTN, IMG and/or BCKG entries in the tables that appear (drag button rectangles on the canvas, or remove/add entries). When you're done, use the "Save / download file" button to download your modified file. Put the modified file back on your car's infotainment system, and you should see changed buttons if the related features, or ambient zones are also enabled through the adaptation channels. I can't tell you how to put things back on your system, or how to modify your adaptation channels and coding, because that's different for each car.

  • Adding ambient lighting zones: give a new zone a button/control in the UI, provided the LEDs are actually present on the LIN bus and the matching adaptation channels are configured.
  • Changing A/C zone controls: adapt the layout to a different dashboard, moving climate features to where they actually belong on your car.
  • Button repositioning for aftermarket dashboards: move BTN/IMG entries to line up with a third-party or aftermarket dashboard bezel that doesn't match the OEM layout.
  • Retrofitting to a different car model: remap features when moving an infotainment unit into a car with a different physical control layout.
  • Custom interior modifications: reposition climate controls to match a customized interior or non-standard control placement.

Drop a .gca file here, or choose one below.