[Tutorial] White Notification Bar [Updated 5/13/10] - Droid Eris Themes and Apps

Here is a pack of 3 files that, if pushed to your rom will give you the white task bar. This will change status icons and is just a work in progress "fill in the the gap" type of thing until I can write a proper update script for an update.zip. Currently this has only been tested to work 100% with:
Evil Eris 2.0.1 (It will, however, break the Sense launcher. So if you want the white bar, use another launcher)
Ic3Rom 2.0
It DOES NOT work on
TaintedVanilla 1.3.1
Or any rom that has it's System/Framework apk's and jar's odexed.
Please let me know if it works with any others.
Also, please not that this will change the status bar highlights to green.
http://www.multiupload.com/4YV5D61YRX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just push the three files and reboot. Reboot will take about 5 min, so don't freak out if it takes forever. If you get into a boot loop, however, it didn't work.
DISCLAIMER: I'm not responsible if this bricks your phone. Please don't yell at me if it does. Also, be smart: do a nandroid backup before you try this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This tutorial is for a white menu bar. It's still kind of a work in progress, but it works for the most part. When done, it looks like this:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Ok. Here is the extremely long way to do this, but it should work with any rom and will give you a full (date/time/notifications) white/vanilla task bar.
(Seriously, this may take 30 minutes or more if you're unfamiliar with some of these commands)
DOWNLOAD: http://www.multiupload.com/VZWCE0A0FN
Unzip the files and there should be 4 folders and 1 file: framework-res, com.htc.resources, PCSCII, Tools, and StatusBarIcon.smali.
Also included are the tools needed to crack open the .dex file from services.jar, smali.jar and backsmali.jar
First you'll need to pull the proper files to modify from whatever rom you're using. Open up your command line program of choice and do this:
cd [your tools folder in the android sdk]
adb remount
adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk framework-res.apk
adb pull /system/framework/com.htc.resources.apk com.htc.resources.apk
adb pull /system/app/PCSCII.apk PCSCII.apk
adb pull /system/framework/services.jar services.jar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Copy all these files into a new folder.
Things can get messy so name them whatever you'd like to keep things organized.
After all this you can start copying files. First we need to open up services.jar. Easiest way is to change the .jar ending to .zip and expand it with whatever program you'd like. Copy the classes.dex into a new folder. Keep the original folder of the expanded services.jar, it makes things easier in a few minutes.
Here is where things get a little complicated. You'll need to open up the classes.dex file with backsmali.jar. First, make sure Backsmali.jar is in the same folder as classes.dex. Next enter this command into the terminal:
cd [the folder with backsmali and classes.dex file]
java -Xmx512M -jar baksmali.jar -o classes/ classes.dex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will expand classes.dex into a folder. Click through this folder until you find a folder called Status. Now drag the StatusBarIcon.smali into the Status folder. Allow the replacement.
Now we need to close the classes.dex file back up. Make sure smali.jar is in the same folder as the classes folder (make a new folder just to avoid a conflict with your original files) and use these commands:
cd [the folder with smali and the classes folder]
java -Xmx512M -jar smali.jar -o classes.dex classes/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have a fresh classes.dex file now. Now put this new classes.dex file into the original services.jar folder (that you expanded from a zip) and rezip that file. Then change the name from a .zip to .jar.
Step 1: done.
The next few parts are a lot easier, so stick with me here.
Now we need to open up the Framework-res.apk and replace all of the image files needed for a sexy white menu bar. All of the needed files are in the folder named (you guessed it) framework-res. First, you'll need to expand this .apk, do so by changing it into a .zip. After you expand it, copy the files from my folder to the matching folders. Don't drag and drop the folders, it won't work. Select all inside them and paste/drag/whatever over to the one from your phone. There should be a folder of image files, and a folder with two xml files. Once done return to the top folder of the framework-res.zip you expanded and re-zip the contents. Make sure you select the contents and zip them.
**DO NOT ZIP THE FRAMEWORK-RES FOLDER ITSELF, SELECT THE FILES INSIDE THE FOLDER AND RE-ZIP THEM**
You should now how have a new archive. Rename it to framework-res.apk and set it aside for later use.
The last parts are essentially the same things, but with the other two folders I've included: PCSCII and com.htc.resources. Copy the files, and re-zip them into .apk files.
Ok. Almost done.
Now it's time to send the files back to your phone. Place the new versions of these files into your Tools folder in the Android SDK.
Now let's push them back to your phone:
cd [your tools folder... again]
adb remount
adb push PCSCII.apk /system/app/PCSCII.apk
adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework/framework-res.apk
adb push com.htc.resources.apk /system/framework/com.htc.resources.apk
adb push services.jar /system/framework/services.jar
adb reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reboot can take a while, so be patient. I'm thinking rebooting into recovery and clearing your dalvik cache may help, but haven't tried it.
If everything worked correctly, you should have a brand spankin' new notification bar.
Just a note, I have tested this on Evil Eris 2.0 and IceRom 2.0 and it works perfectly. However, it should work with whatever rom you're using. Also, this will change some of your icons to Vanilla ones. If you don't want them changed, don't copy the files that will change them. Those should be apparent when copying the image files from the folders I've included.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Also, if anyone knows how to wrap this all up into a nice little update.zip, please do it or let me know how to do it. It would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, I appreciate the tutorial! I'm attempting to get this set up for my Tainted Vanilla rom and ran into a snag at the beginning. Our services.jar file contains no classes.dex file. All it contains is MANIFEST.MF. Any ideas about how I should proceed?

Ok, I think I've figured it out.
The .odex file is basically the .dex file in an uncompressed format. To break it open you do the same thing you would do with a dex file. Plug it into baksmali and it should yield you a Classes folder. You do have to reassemble it though, which requires you to first deodex it... and it's kind of a pain in the ass. I've figured out the first portion of it, but deodexing the file is decently complicated for a n00b like me. I'll continue to work on it and will hopefully have a solution tomorrow.
Here's where I'm stuck if anyone wants to figure it out:
$ java -Xmx512m -jar baksmali.jar -x services.odex
Error while disassembling method Lcom/android/server/ConnectivityService;-><init>(Landroid/content/ContextV. Continuing.
org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ValidationException: class Lcom/htc/connectivity/DummyStateTracker; cannot be resolved.
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ClassPath$UnresolvedClassDef.unresolvedValidationException(ClassPath.java:535)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ClassPath$UnresolvedClassDef.getClassDepth(ClassPath.java:543)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ClassPath.getCommonSuperclass(ClassPath.java:383)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.RegisterType.merge(RegisterType.java:274)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.AnalyzedInstruction.mergeRegister(AnalyzedInstruction.java:199)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.propagateRegisterToSuccessors(MethodAnalyzer.java:479)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.setPostRegisterTypeAndPropagateChanges(MethodAnalyzer.java:459)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyzeInvokeDirectCommon(MethodAnalyzer.java:2968)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyzeInvokeDirectRange(MethodAnalyzer.java:2927)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyzeInstruction(MethodAnalyzer.java:856)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyze(MethodAnalyzer.java:202)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.MethodDefinition.getMethodItems(MethodDefinition.java:290)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.MethodDefinition.writeTo(MethodDefinition.java:130)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.ClassDefinition.writeMethods(ClassDefinition.java:322)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.ClassDefinition.writeDirectMethods(ClassDefinition.java:291)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.ClassDefinition.writeTo(ClassDefinition.java:135)
at org.jf.baksmali.baksmali.disassembleDexFile(baksmali.java:187)
at org.jf.baksmali.main.main(main.java:277)
opcode: invoke-direct/range
CodeAddress: 811
Method: Lcom/android/server/ConnectivityService;-><init>(Landroid/content/ContextV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that in order for successfully deodex, all the file paths have to be correct. I, however, do not have them yet.
More info here for anyone interested: http://code.google.com/p/smali/wiki/DeodexInstructions

Good work, this should be an update.zip once we have confirmed it working successfully.....

stopxstart said:
Ok, I think I've figured it out.
The .odex file is basically the .dex file in an uncompressed format. To break it open you do the same thing you would do with a dex file. Plug it into baksmali and it should yield you a Classes folder. You do have to reassemble it though, which requires you to first deodex it... and it's kind of a pain in the ass. I've figured out the first portion of it, but deodexing the file is decently complicated for a n00b like me. I'll continue to work on it and will hopefully have a solution tomorrow.
Here's where I'm stuck if anyone wants to figure it out:
I know that in order for successfully deodex, all the file paths have to be correct. I, however, do not have them yet.
More info here for anyone interested: http://code.google.com/p/smali/wiki/DeodexInstructions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get the same error. I posted a issue about this on the project page.
EDIT: Figured it out. Add -c :com.htc.resources.jar
You will need to deodex it first thou.

Can we see screenshots of this notification bar

If you look at the IC3 rom screenshots, this should be the same.
Also, stopxstart, thanks for the hard work! Really appreciate it. Should the phone be connected this whole time? Thanks!

gritts said:
If you look at the ICQ rom screenshots, this should be the same.
Also, stopxstart, thanks for the hard work! Really appreciate it. Should the phone be connected this whole time? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ICQ ROM do you mean IC3 ROM?

Yes, thanks, I corrected it.

gritts said:
If you look at the IC3 rom screenshots, this should be the same.
Also, stopxstart, thanks for the hard work! Really appreciate it. Should the phone be connected this whole time? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's easy just to keep it connected but it's not required. Just make sure you adb remount before pushing and pulling the files.

Going to try out a workaround for all of this, I'll report back sometime tonight.
Also, if this works it will allow me to write a sufficient update.script for a standalone zip.

For those following the progress of this, I am currently testing some standalone files to push that should make this whole process easier.
So far works on: Evil Eris 2.0 and Ic3Rom 2.0 (well, fixes it).
Testing others now.

I'm looking forward to your testing on Tainted Vanilla

hoban_eris said:
Hello, I appreciate the tutorial! I'm attempting to get this set up for my Tainted Vanilla rom and ran into a snag at the beginning. Our services.jar file contains no classes.dex file. All it contains is MANIFEST.MF. Any ideas about how I should proceed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that.

ok so these are the things i can't get
the verizon wireless text is white
and the clear button is black with white text
how can i fix these

Re: [Tutorial] White Notification Bar
Did you follow the tut
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App

gritts said:
Did you follow the tut
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok ive tried several times and failed every time could someone put up the final zip I could flash

iloveandroid said:
ok so these are the things i can't get
the verizon wireless text is white
and the clear button is black with white text
how can i fix these
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me double check the XML files in the Framework-res.apk to make sure I put the right ones in. I literally have 60 folders filed with the same file from different testing so I could have easily posted the wrong one.
Also, there isn't a zip to flash because I haven't written the update script for it. If you would like to, please do.

stopxstart said:
Let me double check the XML files in the Framework-res.apk to make sure I put the right ones in. I literally have 60 folders filed with the same file from different testing so I could have easily posted the wrong one.
Also, there isn't a zip to flash because I haven't written the update script for it. If you would like to, please do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would make a flashable but i dont know how

Ok, I fixed the button problem.
You're using Ic3Rom right? Pretty sure the files I have will work with it straight up but let me test it.
Also, I added screenshots to first page.

Related

[HOW TO] Manuals for creating a theme

In the following 3 manuals, you will be shown/told how too create a theme.
Thank you to the authors.​ Most of all to​ Stericson​ for he is the first to figure out HOW to create a theme for your phones.
Thank You Again
Restore your G1 back to it's original theme and fonts!​
To create themes, or to edit themes to your liking, you will need a working knowledge of android, adb, how to resign apk's, knowledge of your own O/S.
Things you will need:
The rom you intent to create a theme for... Now a days there are so many to choose from so none of this will be rom specific.
You will also want to get the latest and greatest bootloader installed on your phone and to HIGHLY suggest everyone trying your theme to install it as well.
You'll find this on Android Development
You will also need the latest SDK and java:
Link to Java: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
Downloading SDK: http://code.google.com/android/intro/installing.html
You can also use any zipping archive to extract files from and to the update.zips. I believe there are links below to some of these.
Very Important!
You do not usually need to resign every apk that you change! Usually you only need to resign the update.zip! However there may be times that you may need to resign an apk. So dont sign the apks...if you have problems with the update then try to resign the apks.
JesusFreke was kind enough to build a custom signing tool for me that would allow me to right click on an apk and resign it from there. I am posting it here for others to use as well. Note that this is a courtesy of JF, so thank him for it. I cannot stress how much time this has saved me and will save you.
Automatic version!
Do not use this to sign APK files in Vista or windows 7! It will cause your theme to loop phones when placed on a device. Only use this to sign update files if your using those O/S's
Note, this will not work if your SDK or the path that you place this in has any spaces in the dir name!
An Example of this is c:\users\Nikki and Stephen\sdk\tools
Try to put the SDK and the contents of the zip in a dir where the names are all together and not like the one above.
I have made a batch file that will automate the entire process of setting up to use the signing tool made by JF. This batch file will set the CLASSPATH, set the PATH, install the registries, and will even allow you to sign files manually if you wish. I plan on building onto this batch file to include other things. However, for the moment, it will only include what you see here.
In order to use this you should have downloaded the sdk already. Simply extract all of the files into the tools dir of your sdk, and run autosign.bat follow the instructions and go through the options one by one, starting with 1 working through 4. You can however, put the contents of this zip anywhere on your computer and it will work. It is just better to put them into the tools dir of your SDK. Especially for the consideration of future versions.
Autosign .zip: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5...MTEyMi00NzI4LWJkMDQtZTUzNjBjMTZlMWNj&hl=en_US
Want to set up the signing tool manually?
Before using this you need to know how to set this up:
Now you will need to add the tools dir of your sdk to the environment variable CLASSPATH.
FOR XP:
Right click on My Computer click properties, then choose the tab that says advanced.
Click the button that says environmental variables.
Go to system variables find the one that says CLASSPATH
double click it
go to the end of variable value.
There should be a semicolon ; at the end, type in the path to the testsign.jar located in the tools directory of your SDK
for example the path to my testsign.jar was c:\sdk\android-sdk-windows-1.0_r1\tools\testsign.jar
If CLASSPATH is not in your system variables then create it.
Secondly, Find the system variable called PATH and add to the end of it, the full path to your sdk directory.
For example, mine was c:\sdk\android-sdk-windows-1.0_r2\tools
FOR VISTA:
Open a cmd prompt.
Replace THEEXACTPATHTO-TESTSIGN with the path to the dir that holds the file testsign.jar.
Type:
echo %CLASSPATH%
If it is returns %CLASSPATH%
Type the following:
set CLASSPATH=THEXACTPATHTO-TESTSIGN\testsign.jar
If it comes back with something else then
Type the following:
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;.;THEXACTPATHTO-TESTSIGN\testsign.jar
For Example, when I type this it looks like:
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;.;c:\Android\SDK\tools\tests ign.jar
To set the PATH
Replace THEEXACTPATHTO-SDK with the path to the tools dir of your SDK.
Now type:
set PATH=%PATH%;.;THEXACTPATHTO-SDK\tools
For example, when I type this out it looks like this:
path-%PATH%;.;c:\Android\SDK\tools
Now through doing this you have done two things, first off you have made the resigning process extremely easy, secondly you will not have to cd to the tools dir of the sdk to use adb or any other tool in the sdk.
Signing the Files:
Now right click the reg file that you extracted and choose to install it, or merge.
Now, right click an apk, do you see an option that says ResignApk? That's how you will resign your .apks and .zips.
When you choose it a cmd window should open for a few seconds and then close. the file you signed will be overwritten with the new resigned file.
If you find the right click menu not working for some reason you can type the following in cmd to sign your files: java testsign whateverfiletosign
General Info:
You will need to be specific in addressing what version your theme is for, RC8, RC30, or ADP1. Make sure you test the update.zip before you release it.
Every .apk contains the images relating to itself. However, every apk has the ability to use the images in framework-res.apk. The images for every apk is located inside of itself. To find these images open up the apk, you can rename it to .zip or open it with an archiver of your choice, winrar, winace, etc. Then after opening the apk open the folder called res and inside of that there are folders that are named Drawable, drawable-land, drawable-port, etc. This is where the images are stored.
There are some things you cannot edit unless you rebuild the entire apk from source, which we will not go into here.(another tutorial, another time) Just know that at this time you SHOULD NOT edit, or even open images with the extension .9.png doing so will corrupt the .9.png and cause the image to distort. You can however compile the images with eclipse.
Editing .9.png's - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=487001
Be aware, messing with .9.png's can cause problems if they are not done correctly.
If your going to build your own update.zip from scratch:
To simplify this process for you though, most rom devs provide a theme template with their roms now. You can also download someone elses theme and use their files, since they are resigned already. It may also be easier to see what files do what and go where since they have already been edited and are easy to point out.
Now, your ready to start changing things up.
You will now need to open the apk, which you can do by adding .zip after .apk, effectively changing it to a zip. or you can use your favorite archive opener.
I dont use the archive process because it can lead to very aggravating problems such as things not getting signed correctly and have heard reports of it interfering with the signing tool above. Anyways I just add zip and it works great for me.
For those renaming the .apk's to .zips
Note that if you are using windows you will need to unhide known file extension types. you can also use your favorite archiver such as winrar, winzip, etc.
See here to unhide known file extension types for Xp: http://www.mediacollege.com/microsof...on-change.html
See here to unhide file extension types for Vista: http://maximumpcguides.com/windows-v...ile-extension/
Tips:
After opening the apk copy the folder called res.
Go to your desktop, or wherever, create a new folder called Images, or whatever.
Open the folder, paste the res in there.
Now you can see what the files look like without opening them, by using thumbnails to see what they are.
Btw, you may also want to add -frame, or -launcher, to the end of the res folder you copy over to keep them separated from others.
Almost Done
So now your theme is done and your ready to make an update.zip for others to install your theme.
Update script
The update script is in a Unix format, while you do not need linux you must save it in a Unix format. I suggest using Textpad to edit this script and saving it in the Unix format.
Link to Textpad: ftp://download.textpad.com/pub/textpad5.2/txpeng520.exe
XML Edits
I have provided some additional support for the process of hex editing xml files to change things like text color, size, and more things not easily changeable.
You can find this thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=479019
Final Notes:
Editing market apps
With market apps, if you make changes you usually need to make sure you dont resign their apk because you will overwrite their signature keys with the test keys.
If anyone has any questions please try asking for help in this thread before emailing me for help Usually I will respond to questions in this forum.
I hope this Tutorial has been helpful. I will add on to it as needed.
Any questions can be directed to me at [email protected]
Stericson
Links of interest:
Using ADB: http://code.google.com/android/reference/adb.html
How To Theme Develop for Windows For Dummies in 10 easy steps (( no your really not a dummy its just an easy name for a how to lol))
well i'm going to give this a shot in the dark on how to create this how to be as easy as possible
1st
download these files if you don't already have them
JAVA
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
download the JDK
Winrar
http://rarlabs.com/rar/wrar380.exe
and Auto-sign.zip
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?uwzjjydnm2r
2nd
Download my included Auto-sign files.
what it contains.
the Test keys file..
and an update.zip file
and a batch file i created called auto-sign to make things easier to sign
3rd
after you have downloaded my Auto-sign
then you extract it to where ever you want.
4th.
use the update.zip included if your a Beginner it includes my windows 7 theme .. i edit so many files that it's easier to tell what does what and whats goiing to go where. now open that zip file DON'T EXTRACT just open it using winrar..
5th
When it is open go to Framework.. and open Framework-res.apk
NOW IF THE APK. POPS UP AND SAYS IT CANT OPEN BLAH BLAH SELECT A PROGRAM AND THEN SELECT WINRAR.
6th
Once you open Framework-res.apk KEEP THIS WINDOW AND UPDATE.ZIP WINDOW OPEN!!
then just extract the whole Res Folder to where ever you like this makes it easier to see what files you wish to edit.. most of the files will be in the folder called Drawable
7th
open up your favorite photo editor .. i use photoshop along with 90% of the people who Graphic Design... Edit your pictures Remember a file with a .9 can mess up your phone so edit those carefully.. and save what ever pictures you have
8th
Now drag the whole Res Folder .. back into the Framework-res.apk
now your update.zip file is going to say files has been changed to framework-res blah blah do you wish to save it . click yes .. now your framework has been updated you can close everything out
9th
go to the Auto-sign folder.. and open Auto-sign this will now sign your update.zip .. and rename it to update_sign.zip .. now just delete your old update.zip.. rename update_signed.zip to update.zip
10th
put it on the root of your memory card.. reset using green call + menu + end
then hold home and end .. until the recovery mode shows up .. then press Alt+S and hope your device isn't bricked
Disclaimers
I'm not responsible if your brick your device.. but i will help to the best of my abilty and if i can't help i'm sure XDA will
i don't sign every file in my update.zip i just sign update.zip .. and hey it works lol..
For ADP or RC 8 versions .. just download your favortie ADP theme or RC 8
put it in the Auto-sign folder.. and rename it to update.zip if it isn't already then just follow my steps
ToDo:
1. Explain about the files that make up themes
a. Explain update.zip and folder structure
b. Explain about pngs and apks
2. Explain the tools
a. WinRaR
b. Auto-sign
c. Java JRE and JDK
d. Draw9patch tool
e. Editing tool
3. Setting up your phone for themes
a. Choosing which JF firmware to use
b. Using the Eng Boot Loader and why
4. Explain the process to get the files
5. Explain which files to edit
6. Explain how to import modified files
7. Explain about auto-sign and how to use it - I am building a program that will making signing files easier. check it out as i build it! here
1. When you download a theme it comes in the form of an update.zip file. Basically the same as the full update looks, but it is a watered down version. All of the operating system, boot loader and radio files have been removed.
a. If you check the file size of JF’s RC30 1.31 and compare it to any of the themes, you will notice that the theme file is about a 3rd the size. JF’s update.zip contains data, META-INF and system folders it also contains a boot.img file. Where as a theme update.zip contains app, framework and META-INF folders. The theme update.zip only contains the folders and files that are necessary for changing the Android theme. If you were to dig deeper into JF’s RC30 1.31 update.zip you will find the folders that are in the theme’s update.zip. For example, double click the system folder and you will see 11 folders and 2 files. The only ones we are concerned about are app and framework. So when you flash a theme it doesn’t bother rewriting all of the OS and boot loader, but only the app and framework folders.
b. Inside the app and framework folders are apk files, apk files are like zip files or containers. There are many folders and files inside the update.zip but we are only going to cover a few for now.
(app folder) - This folder contains all of the apps that will be installed during an update or wipe. You will need to extract only the apks of the apps you wish to change the icon and graphics for.
(Launcher.apk) - This file is in the app folder and contains the menu launcher tab, clock, Google search widget, wallpapers and a few other things.
(framework) - This folder contains framework-res.apk, this is where the bulk of your editing will take place.
When you open a apk you will see:
(assets) - This will contain images, sounds and other content used by the programs. Not always used!
(META-INF) - This contains the encryption data for the update.zip.
(res) - This folder contains all of the png and xml files. The xml files are used to format the UI, these can be used to change the locations of things on the screen. They need to be unencrypted first.
Depending on the apk there can be a bunch of folders under the res folder but we will only concentrate on the drawable ones.
-drawable - The png files in this folder are displayed wheather the keyboard is open or closed. The majority of the files are here.
-drawable-land - These are the files that will show when the keyboard is open. There won't be as many files in these folders. Most of the time the programmer will re-organize the layout with an xml file.
Basically the interface of Android is a bunch of pictures; the programmer links these to certain actions. As someone making themes you do not have to worry about any programming, in the future when people start unlocking the xml files to change the way things look. Then you will have to learn some basic programming, but for now we will only talk about changing the picture files.
2. The tools you use for creating themes are very basic and you might already have 3 out of 4 installed.
a. WinRaR is a must have for everyone, it allows you to create and open compressed files (i.e. Zips, RaRs and about 25 other file types) It would best if you associate WinRaR with zips and apks, the zips can be associated during the install of WinRaR. To associate apks you can right click on an apk and choose “Open With…” make sure to check off the box that says “Always use this program to open this kind of file”
b. Auto-Sign was released by Dave da illest 1, to make signing the apks and update.zip an easier process. Before you can flash an update or theme the phone checks to make sure the update.zip is signed by google or by JesusFreake. I will explain this more in Section 3.
c. Android apps are built on Java, hence the need for JRE and JDK, You will not be working directly with these apps but part of the signing process uses Java. You can get both files here: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp you will want to grab the first and second downloads.
d. The draw9Patch tool comes with the Android SDK, it is located in the tools folder. This tool is used to edit stretchable images. There is still a lot of research that needs to be done on using this tool. So for now let’s just say do not touch any files with .9.png as an extension. Dave da illest 1 has changed a few of these .9.png files without issue so maybe we can get him to explain them better. I have also edited some of these files but it made some of the images stretch weirdly.
e. I am not sure what other photo editors you can use, but everyone I have spoken to about modding the theme uses Adobe Photoshop. I am sure you can use other programs. But I am not aware of any at the time of this writing.
3. Before changing the theme on your phone you will need to gain root access which is explain here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=442480
a. As you look through all of the different themes, you will notice some say they are for RC30, RC8 or ADP1.
i. RC30 – Is the US version
ii. RC8 – is the UK version
iii. ADP1 – Stands for Android Developers Phone and was produced for programmers. This version is completely unlocked and does not have any of T-Mobile’s software or locks.
b. So your phone is rooted and you’re wondering why you should have the engineering boot loader. Well one reason is because of the 3 Androids on skateboards, the other reason is if your phone bricks during a flash you can fully recover your OS with the fastboot option. More about this can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=455860
4. You have a few options here, you can either get the files from RC30 update.zip, one of the other theme’s update.zip or you can use the themes template at the bottom of this thread. All 3 methods you will need to open the update.zip go into the framework folder (if you get it from RC30 you will need to go into system\framework) Extract the framework-res.apk to a folder of your choosing. Most of your editing will take place on the files from this apk. When you are looking at these files in Windows explorer it is best to change the view to Thumbnails and look at all of the images and see if you can figure out where they are placed on your phone’s screen.
::TIP1:: Your best bet is to create a Themes folder on your desktop or in My Documents, somewhere simple to find. You will be dealing with a lot of files and it can get very confusing quickly.
The other file you will want to change is Launcher.apk; this file is in the app folder and contains the menu launcher tab, clock, Google search widget, wallpapers and some other things.
::TIP2:: When you open Launcher.apk from inside the update.zip file, WinRaR may default to a temp folder...(i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\bobbyd\Local Settings\Temp\Rar$DI71.579\framework-res) double check the location of where WinRaR wants to extract the files, this is how I ended up flashing the original files after spending a decent amount of time photoshopping.
5. Now the only files you will want to edit are png image files. There are also xml files, they are used to format the UI, you can change the locations of things on the screen but the xmls need to be unencrypted before you can edit them. I have not done this process yet and will update more information later.
6. Importing the files is very simple, as long as you know the layout of the update.zip. Once you have edited all of the files you plan to or just want to test to see how your theme looks. Open the update.zip in WinRaR and go to the location of the files (i.e. Say you changed the 3G icons, you would go to the framework folder and double click on framework-res.apk. This will open another WinRaR window, open Windows Explorer where your edited files are and hold the Ctrl key while clicking the files you want to copy. Now drag them onto the open WinRaR window from the framework-res.apk. When it asks to replace the files choose “Yes” or Yes to All”. Close that WinRaR window and the one from update.zip will tell you “Files have changed would you like to save this file now” click “Yes” again and now your update.zip will contain your modified files.
7. Download and install Stericson's auto-signing tool here.
I have been slacking on this guide, I will update soon again.
[HOW TO] Easy steps for creating a theme
I know there are a million and 1 walkthroughs on here for creating themes but after doing it for a while I have really refined my process and made it as easy as possible. Im just hoping to clear up some of the confusion so after you know how to sign your files you will know how to finish making them into your own custom theme.
First you need to get signing setup properly. This topic is covered in many places and my recommendation is to use the Stericson walkthrough or the Stericson auto-signing setup tool. Once you can click on any zip or apk file and get the option to Resign it you are ready to proceed with making your own theme.
1. Download an archive manager that allows you to open archives inside of archives without creating new windows. My recommendation for this is the application 7-zip. It is tiny, free, easy to use, and on all my computers it has replaced winzip and winrar.
2. Now take a blank theme from Stericson to use as your starting point, in my case I use the ADP1.1h version since I am building for JFv1.43 which uses ADP1.1h this will be the minimum needed to change your theme and will contain all the original artwork.
3. Open the update.zip and inside are typically 3 files, framework, system or app, and META-INF. Leave META-INF alone, you wont be touching that. Inside framework and system/app is where the files are that you can change. In this case we will open update.zip, then double click framework and then double click framework-res.apk (this is where the next archive will open inside the same window, your life just got a little easier).
4. Now you are looking at assets, META-INF, res, and a couple other random files, the resources.arsc can be edited but I will show you that in another tutorial. Now open up the folder res and you will see the treasure we are searching for, folders with the name drawable. All of the folders that start with the name drawable are where we can edit the themes, this includes drawable, drawable-land, drawable-port, and drawable-finger.
5. Now drag and drop the folders drawable and drawable-land onto the desktop. Once they are on the desktop you can edit the .png files in those folders until you are ready to put your theme together.
6. Now in your still open window at \framework\framework-res.apk\res\ you will open the drawable folders one at a time and drag and drop your edited files into the archive, only dragging and dropping the files you edited and not just everything inside the folder.
7. Once you have your new images copied into the archive in the correct place you can just hit the close button or browse up a couple directories and find other files to edit. Any time you edit an apk and browse out of it or close it you will be prompted to update it in the archive by 7-zip (this is my secret shortcut), always press ok.
8. Now you have a freshly created theme ready to install, all you have to do is right click, chose to Resign the file, and once its done you can copy it to your SDcard, make sure its named update.zip, and flash your new theme.
Its literally that easy! And you use this same technique in the system/app folder to edit the apk files for the individual apps on the phone. Explore around in the update.zip and see what you can find, I only told you about the major items but there is plenty more to find and change. You can always copy a folder out of the archive and if you cant edit anything just toss it but if you can find something to edit, do so and throw it back in the archive. You guys now have all the info I had when I started plus all my tricks to making that process 10x easier.
I Just Want To Change My Clock. I want everything else stock. Sorry for asking but when i search so much comes up. I know its really simple to do. If anyone can just point me in the right direction or give me a quick how to that would me AMAZING!
Read:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=482205
notifi
jut want to change notification to white on statusbar
Before I tried to setup the autosign tool, when I double clicked on zip files it opened them up, which was how I wanted it. After trying to setup the autosign, when I double click on zip files nothing happens, except a java command prompt window pops up, same happens when I right click and hit resign zip, how can I fix this?
Edit: I reinstalled Java which fixed my issue
i got this tryin to update
E:No digest for framework-res.apk
i edited someone else theme, did not edit no .9 file.. i right click on the update.zip and resigned it. what went wrong?
EDIT: nevermind i got it.. i followed the one for dummies, guess i am dumb lol
What the image file for the tab on the bottom of the screen called? I couldn't find it searchin throguh the framework-res.apk
its in launcher.apk. Check in drawable portrait and drawable landscape.
Stericson
thanks i should of explore more before posting
Hi,
I've got 99% of my theme done although I can't find where the bottom of the notification bar is and the white bit where the notifications would be.
I've done a little picture below to help me explain.
Bottom notification bar is the arrow.
The white bit where the notifications would be is the hatched.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Thanks for help in advance.
Also could someone tell me how to put icons in for well know apps from the market. At the moment I have put the full apk in the update and change the icon. But this increases the theme size. Thanks again!
NO DIGEST? Failed?
what does it mean when I try to flash the new update.zip and it fails because it says NO DIGEST? What does this mean? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
parmenti said:
what does it mean when I try to flash the new update.zip and it fails because it says NO DIGEST? What does this mean? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
means it hasn't been properly resigned.
thanks, that's what I thought. Can't seem to get it right. Does the image, the apk, and the zip all have to be resigned? Or just one or the other? THanks for your help.
parmenti said:
thanks, that's what I thought. Can't seem to get it right. Does the image, the apk, and the zip all have to be resigned? Or just one or the other? THanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just the update.zip needs to be resigned.

Changing battery meter?

ok so i like the android shaped battery meter thats in the froyo 2.2 cm6 extreme blue and vanilla rom,right, so my question is it possible to import that into the rom im running and change my regular battery to that one, is there a specific file i can swap
You have to pull your framework-res.apk file from your phone, extract the images from the original framework-res.apk (in this case the one in CM6 extreme), then add those files to your framework-res.apk and push it into the phone. It's 3:15 A.M. here and I'm not in conditions to explain that with detail, tomorrow if noone has explained it I'll tell you how to do it, you only need WinRAR or 7zip and the SDK to pull/push the modified file into your phone
well i do appreciate the lil bit of insight you provided me ill see if i can try to figure it out but i would like some help when you get a chance tomorrow if i cant figure it out
My girlfriend will kill me tonight...
Okay, excuse my bad english, I'll do what I can... Grab the ROM you want to take the battery icons from in the update.zip and download somewhere to your computer, then unzip it and in the folders you just have created navigate to /system/framework/
Here select the framework-res.apk file and open it with WinRAR (you can do that with 7zip I think but I use WinRAR), once opened navigate inside the zip to /res/drawable-mdpi/ folder and extract all the images there to a new empty folder.
Once extracted all the images, search for the images called
stat_sys_battery_0.png
stat_sys_battery_10.png
stat_sys_battery_20.png
stat_sys_battery_40.png
...
stat_sys_battery_charge_anim4.png
stat_sys_battery_charge_anim5.png
stat_sys_battery_unknown.png
There are 14 battery images in total, at least in my ROM. You can delete all the other images as they have nothing to do with battery status and it will be more easy to do the next step if you only have the battery images.
Connect your phone to your PC, boot your phone into recovery and select "USB-MS toggle". In your computer open a CMD (MS-Dos) prompt window, navigate to the 'tools' directory of your SDK folder (I recommend to unzip SDK in C:/AndroidSDK or something like that for easy access) and write
Code:
adb
adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk framework-res.apk
DON'T CLOSE THE CMD WINDOW, if you do, you will have to start ADB again for the "push" step.
That will take the framework-res.apk file from your phone and download it into your computer.
Next you have to do is to open the file you have pulled from your phone with WinRAR, navigate inside that file into /res/drawable-mdpi/ and drag&drop the battery images you have extracted from the original framework-res.apk to that folder.
Close the file, go back to the CMD prompt window and type
Code:
adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework
Once done, the only thing left to do is typing
Code:
adb reboot
And when your phone finishes rebooting you should see the new battery icons you just uploaded to the phone.
I think I've explained it well, as I said I'm kinda sleepy
I'll be back tomorrow, hope to read you have succeed on changing the battery icons
hells yeah, thank you that worked for me just like you explained it. now i just need to make it fit in with my black theme. but thanks again hope i didnt get cursed out by your girl
She didn't noticed, or so I hope Now I'm leaving to work but you have two options now, change all the rest of your icons and also your current statusbar background so the icons fits with the statusbar or edit the battery icons so it fits with your background.
Here's how my screen looks this morning (thanks UltraLinx for the walppaper) to give you an idea of the background bar thing, I changed mine to a full black bar, If I can help you with your customization I'll be back in like 6 hours or so
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Coming from the incredible I have a circle battery meter from the desire ported over and there are 100 ,pngs in the framework , 1 for each % as battery dies. But the phone is only showing only the 20% increments like the normal battery indicator shows. any idea how I can get it to show each percent as phone dies?
Sent from my Htc Incredible
lolingu said:
My girlfriend will kill me tonight...
Okay, excuse my bad english, I'll do what I can... Grab the ROM you want to take the battery icons from in the update.zip and download somewhere to your computer, then unzip it and in the folders you just have created navigate to /system/framework/
Here select the framework-res.apk file and open it with WinRAR (you can do that with 7zip I think but I use WinRAR), once opened navigate inside the zip to /res/drawable-mdpi/ folder and extract all the images there to a new empty folder.
Once extracted all the images, search for the images called
stat_sys_battery_0.png
stat_sys_battery_10.png
stat_sys_battery_20.png
stat_sys_battery_40.png
...
stat_sys_battery_charge_anim4.png
stat_sys_battery_charge_anim5.png
stat_sys_battery_unknown.png
There are 14 battery images in total, at least in my ROM. You can delete all the other images as they have nothing to do with battery status and it will be more easy to do the next step if you only have the battery images.
Connect your phone to your PC, boot your phone into recovery and select "USB-MS toggle". In your computer open a CMD (MS-Dos) prompt window, navigate to the 'tools' directory of your SDK folder (I recommend to unzip SDK in C:/AndroidSDK or something like that for easy access) and write
Code:
adb
adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk framework-res.apk
DON'T CLOSE THE CMD WINDOW, if you do, you will have to start ADB again for the "push" step.
That will take the framework-res.apk file from your phone and download it into your computer.
Next you have to do is to open the file you have pulled from your phone with WinRAR, navigate inside that file into /res/drawable-mdpi/ and drag&drop the battery images you have extracted from the original framework-res.apk to that folder.
Close the file, go back to the CMD prompt window and type
Code:
adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework
Once done, the only thing left to do is typing
Code:
adb reboot
And when your phone finishes rebooting you should see the new battery icons you just uploaded to the phone.
I think I've explained it well, as I said I'm kinda sleepy
I'll be back tomorrow, hope to read you have succeed on changing the battery icons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im getting this error: device not found?
Anyone know why?
stifler05 said:
Im getting this error: device not found?
Anyone know why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you installed the adb drivers for your phone?
Coolsaber57 said:
Have you installed the adb drivers for your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything was installed, but there was some problem, fixed now.
Now Im getting new error: remote object /system/framework/framework-res.apk does not exist.
stifler05 said:
Everything was installed, but there was some problem, fixed now.
Now Im getting new error: remote object /system/framework/framework-res.apk does not exist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you resolved the issue? Care to share?
JokerAce said:
How did you resolved the issue? Care to share?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure mate.
I uninstalled all Android drivers(cause mass storage) with USBDeview(Ill post this software if you want), connected the phone while it was running then manually installed drivers that you get with SDK. And everything is working. But cant fix second error now
I'm trying to do the same thing, but I get a different error:
Code:
C:\Users\Eric\Desktop\Android Dev\AndroidSDK\tools>adb push framework-res.apk /s
ystem/framework
failed to copy 'framework-res.apk' to '/system/framework/framework-res.apk': Per
mission denied
Fix? I'm rooted, what do I need to do to get permission? adb noob.
E_man5112 said:
I'm trying to do the same thing, but I get a different error:
Code:
C:\Users\Eric\Desktop\Android Dev\AndroidSDK\tools>adb push framework-res.apk /s
ystem/framework
failed to copy 'framework-res.apk' to '/system/framework/framework-res.apk': Per
mission denied
Fix? I'm rooted, what do I need to do to get permission? adb noob.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/system is mounted read-only. "adb shell mount" will show that.
Code:
adb remount
This will fix it. Note, no "shell" there, alternative:
Code:
adb shell mount -o remount,rw /system
I do use this one, instead, because I then do whatever and issue that command again, changing rw to ro, to clear write permission.

[Guide/Reference] The Basic APK & Theming Thread... {15/11/15}

Hi there.
The greatest thing about Android is that you can change just about every element of the U.I, and if all you want to do is change a few images it's as simple as copying and pasting, but this guide will teach you how to...
[*]Use ADB Commands
[*]Deodex
[*]Decompile
[*]Recompile
[*]Sign
[*]Zipalign
...in an easy to follow manner that will have you theming your own apks in no time. There are many many GUI programs which I'll link to below that automate the following process but experience has taught me that it's important to know the basic process for when those programs don't work, are no longer maintained or you just don't like them for whatever reason etc, and to be honest command line editing for me is just as quick, and I personally prefer the ability to have everything in one folder. So lets begin.
Some Requirements:
A Rooted Phone.
A BACKUP OF YOUR PHONE!
Java - Do this first if you don't have it installed already.
Notepad++ - An essential program for xml editing!
Photoshop or Gimp - You'll need one of these for image editing.
7-Zip or WinRar - Required for apk editing.
Patience. :silly:
Use Linux or a Mac? See the following threads for more information on using apktool on other Operating Systems...
[WIN/LINUX][Decompile/Compile] Quick Mod Tool 4.0 [decompile and compile with speed]
APK Manager for Mac OS X
[Linux][UTILITY][TOOL] APK Multi-Tool
[tutorial] decompiling,recompiling and signing in linux (27-01-2013)
How to install and use Apktool with Ubuntu
​
Quick Tips;
.apk files are applications on your Phone, but when they''re on your computer you can browse them exactly like you would a .zip file, so set your default zip program as the default program for handling apks which will makes things much easier when working with them.
Download themes for your Phone, for other Phones too even and compare the res folders and screen shots of the theme as that will give you a good idea of what image you need to look for when modding your own apks.
If all you want to do is change images then you don't even necessarily need to decompile, you can just drag and drop images in to an apk to replace a stock image so long as they have the same file name.
For more complex mods like changing text colors and layouts (.xml files) and editing .9 png images then you will have to decompile.
​
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Most of us will have Java already installed, but if you don't then get it installed before doing anything else. To save you the time and hassle of figuring out what else you need to download etc I've made a zip for you to download which contains Apktool and ADB.
Download APKTool_CMD.zip to a location of your choice, preferably the C:\ drive which will give you a folder to work from. This is how mine currently looks...
Once your folder is setup, java and other tools installed, you're going to want to get any apks you want to theme off your Phone and there are numerous different ways to this, but we're going to use adb commands to pull files to your computer so we need to open a command prompt window in your Apktool folder. To do this simply hold the shift key then right click your mouse in the Apktool folder and select "open command window here", or just click on the included command prompt.bat.
I like to pull the whole system as soon as I'm rooted as it gives me a backup of stock files which I can then copy and deodex to be themed.
The command to pull your whole system is...
Code:
[B]adb pull /system/ Z1C_368[/B]
...you can choose something other than Z1C_368 as your folder name but it will create that folder in your Aktool folder. Alternatively you can just download individual folders, the commands are as follows...
Code:
[B]adb pull /system/app/ Z1C_368 app
adb pull /system/priv-app/ Z1C_368 priv-app
adb pull /system/framework/ Z1C_368 framework[/B]
...or pull individual files...
Code:
[B]adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk[/B]
...so now you should have a APKTool_CMD folder with another folder within it and at least your app, priv-app and framework folders in that, which we can use for the next step.
The tool I use is this - [Tool/Utility] JoelDroid Lollipop Batch Deodexer. While I will deodex all the files I've pulled to my computer experience and battery life has taught me to only deodex the apps I've themed on the phone, rather than run a fully deodexed ROM.
Before you can do anything else you need to install your framework-res.apk and SemcGenericUxpRes.apk/twframework.apk, which will put two apks at C:\Users\YourPCName\apktool\framework which are the resources apktool uses to work its magic. The two commands to install your two resource apks are...
Code:
apktool if framework-res.apk
apktool if SemcGenericUxpRes.apk
The command for decompiling is...
Code:
[B][U]apktool[/U] [U]d[/U][/B] framework-res.apk
...which will create a folder named like for like except for the .apk extension, and in this folder is where you'll find a couple of folders, the main one always being the res folder as it's in this folder that you'll find your images and xmls to edit. First glance of a decompiled res folder can be overwhelming, 596 folders in my frameworks, but we only need to focus on a handful in the majority of apks, and they are...
drawable
drawable-xhdpi-v4 (drawable-xxhdpi-v4 depending on your device)
layout
values
...you may need to delve into others sometimes but it's very rare that I've had to.
Once you've finished making your mods you need to recompile your apk using the following command...
Code:
[B][U]apktool[/U] [U]b[/U][/B] framework-res
...notice you only use the folder name here. If you get any errors here due to a bad edit apktool will usually tell you, in a roundabout way, you just need to read the code it throws up then retrace your steps, correct any bad edit and try again. If all goes smoothly you'll now have a new folder called dist, which contains your newly modified apk, but you can't use that just yet.
This is where 7-Zip or WinRar comes in to play. We need to extract from the original apk the Android.Manifest.xml and META-INF folder, into the dist folder, then from the new apk extract the resources.arsc also into the dist folder, then drag and drop all three files back into the new apk, but NOTE, it's important that you choose store as the compression method, any other will break the apk, and if you replace a broken framework-res.apk you will bootloop.
And signing is as simple as that. Alternatively you can use the following command...
Code:
[B]java -jar signapk.jar testkey.x509.pem testkey.pk8[/B] framework-res.apk.apk framework-resS.apk
...notice the extra "S", the output name has to differ from the input name otherwise it will give an error, if done right it will create a new apk called framework-resS.apk, just remember to rename it back to the original before using it on your Phone.
[TOOL] pySignare - Quickly Sign APKs [Windows]
Signing For The Play Store
If you plan on Publishing a Theme or any other app/apk to the Play Store then using the above method to sign your apks just wont work because you need to give it an individual signature that is unique to you, thankfully @AndroidGraphix has written a great guide that will show you how, it's a bit more fidgety than the above method but simple enough to follow...
AndroidGraphix said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Noobs guide to signing an APK with a Private Key​
DISADVANTAGES OF UNALIGNED APKs
Quite understandably, situation would be reserved for unaligned application packages. Resource reading would be slow and memory usage would be on the higher end of the spectrum. It would also depend on how many unaligned applications are present. For example, if less number of applications with an unaligned home application, you’d see slower application launch times. This is the best case scenario. For a worst case scenario, having a number of unaligned applications will result in the system repeatedly starting and killing processes, struggling with lags and huge battery drain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- SOURCE
Move your new signed apk into your APKTool_CMD folder, you can overwrite your original if you want, and use the following command...
Code:
[B][U]zipalign -v 4[/U][/B] framework-res.apk ZAframework-res.apk
...notice the ZA, zipaligning creates a new apk which has to be named different from the original, but use what you want, it'll need renaming again before you use it.
So now we need to transfer your apk back to your Phone, you can do it by copying to your SD, then to your system, change permissions, then copy to the right folder, but that's not only time consuming but highly tedious too, so a simpler method is to use adb using the push command as this allows us to push straight to the system overwriting the original with the correct permissions too. To use this method you'll need you'll need an unsecure kernel and/or Chainfires adbd Insecure app. Try the app first but if you still can't mount and push files read this thread - [HOW TO]Make your favorite kernel adbd insecure to run ADB as root on /system and try again.
Rename your zipaligned apk to it's original name, then we need to mount the system before we can push direct to the the system, and the command for that is...
Code:
adb remount
...then we need to make sure we're pushing our apk to the right folder on the Phone, so for the framework-res it's...
Code:
[B][U]adb push[/U][/B] D:\Xperia\Z1C_368\APKTOOL\framework-res.apk /system/framework
...yet for the SystemUI it's...
Code:
adb push D:\Xperia\Z1C_368\APKTOOL\SystemUI.apk[B][U] /system/priv-app/[/U][/B]SystemUI
...if it's any one of those two then generally you need to reboot, so just type...
Code:
adb reboot
...your Phone will restart and if you've done everything right your new mods should be displayed, happy days. So that's it for how to use command prompt for modifying apks.
So now you know how to prepare an apk for editing your going to want to theme it obviously, and the following links will help you with that.
XML 101 - XML Modding Made Easy!
How To Edit Resources
The Ultimate Android Themeing Guide
[GUIDE] Smali coding guide for beginners
[Reference] Interactive Phone Modification [GUIDE]
[TOOL] Android Drawable Resizer Tool
[GUIDE] Want to learn how to theme?
[Guide] demystifying build.prop [Valid entries]
General Questions about Themes GO HERE!!!!!
[INFO] Custom framework-res.apk resources.arsc using vendor overlays
[Tutorial][NICS Themer] Create Your Own Themed apk & Become a Themer
​
U.I Modding
Tutorial :- Changing App Icons
[TUTORIAL]How to Theme Your MMS
[How-to] Edit the "About Phone" display
[Tutorial][VIDEO] Add/integrate apps into Settings app!
[TUTORIAL] Where to find the colors for making a theme
[MOD][GUIDE]LockScreen Clock with seconds[ANY ROM]
[TUTORIAL] How to add various framework/Settings mods
[TUT][JB] HOW TO THEME SystemUI.apk for TOTALLY newbie!
[HOWTO] Integrating/Adding applications to the settings menu
[TUTORIAL][ICS][GB][JB]How to change Android's black background
[GUIDE][Ultimate]Theme Apps To Dark Theme | Theme Whole System | Newbies Here! 12/11
​
Text...
Text Color Guide
[GUIDE] Tips for themers
[GUIDE][REF]Changing System Text Settings
​
Statusbar...
[MOD][TUT] Merge The WiFi And Signal Icons
[GUIDE][MOD][SYSTEMUI] How to add 0.00KB/s meter on statusbar GB/ICS/JB
[TUT] How To Center The Clock On The Statusbar..And Move Other Icons As Well!
[How-To]Removing Battery Percentage, Adding Toggles,Battery Circles to Statusbar
[GUIDE][Mods][All Devices]How to add/ Change Clocks to Analog/ Digital with Seconds
​
The three best/most popular GUI programs are...
@Diamondbacks - Virtuous Ten Studio
@Ticklefishs - [TOOL] Tickle My Android
@BDFreaks - [Tool]Advanced ApkTool
...there are others but these are I what I tend to see referred to the most.
TIP:
Restoring modified files if you mess up is easier and quicker with a CWM.zip, especially if you're modifying any framework apks! Just because an apk might build with no errors doesn't mean it won't give you any when installed to the Phone.
I hope after reading this explanation you're left wondering what all the fuss is about, as it really is quite simple. I'll use the following two images, btn_default_pressed_holo.9 & status_bar_close_off.9 to illustrate the basic point of the borders...
Decompiled .9pngs:
Recompiled .9pngs:
Those borders control which part of the image is stretched (Left & Top) and where on the image content will be displayed (Right & Bottom). We'll use Draw 9-patch which is for editing the borders of decompiled .9pngs and lets you see how the image, when stretched, will be displayed on the Phone. Notice that the borders are different sizes, well that's because I only want/need a certain part of the image to stretch to get the desired look on the Phone.
...in the image below the left side shows the stretched image and desired effect should look on the Phone and the right side shows how it would look if I had edited the borders incorrectly or used none at all...
You can get away by not using a border but you would need to edit your image to specific dimensions to accommodate for the stretching, for example it might look fine for a simple OK button but it might not look right if you used the same .9png for a screen press which stretches the whole length of the screen, so you're better off just using them to begin with, plus you'll more than likely get errors down the line while decompiling or recompiling your apk.
The use of the border is made even more clear when you add text to an image. For my status_bar_close_off.9 I've filled all four sides of the image (except for an empty pixel in all four corners as that is the max amount of border you can use) as I need it to stretch the image just how I've edited it...
...but if I used the same sized left side border as the btn_default_pressed_holo.9 then this is how it would look on the Phone...
...which is obviously not the look I'm trying to achieve, as the left side border is causing the image to stretch incorrectly.
So that's basically it, depending on the image you're editing you can usually leave the borders alone but if you create one from scratch then you might need to play about with them if your images doesn't look quite right when used on the Phone. Here's a few links that will assist you further, especially the batch editing...
How to edit .9.pngs
[TUTO] Create your 9.png !
[UTILITY][TOOL] 9patchPngSuite [Windows&Linux]
How to draw NinePatch images with Photoshop - .9.PNG
[TOOL][Multi-Platform][.9.png][ALL DPIs] Android Resizer Tool
[Tutorial][Commentary] How To Batch Edit .9PNG/PNG Images
[tool] 9compiler - batch process for themers android
ClockworkMod Recovery zips are used for flashing individual files to whole ROMS and can be a life saver if you push a badly edited apk to your Phone that results in a bootloop. There's also a few programs that can assist you with that too, but if all you're doing is replacing a few files all you really need is a template, then it's just a matter of creating the Phones folder setup in the zip which is simply creating folders: system\app - system\media\audio etc then dragging and dropping your files into it. A basic understanding of the updater script is essential, a ROM.zip will more than likely wipe your Phone whereas a Theme.zip may just replace files but it might delete some also.[/QUOTE]
See below for a CWM.zip Template but first some helpful links...
[Tool]easy flasher v4 (ur own update.zip)
[Tool][Windows/Linux] Android Flashable Zip Creator
[Utility-Tool][DEVandThemers]CWMflashpack.zipCreatorV1{TheCollective}w/EdifyScripting
ERRORS encountered in CWM Recovery
[TUT] [for NOOB] editing updater-script for noobs!
[TUTORIAL] Making Flashable ZIPs, EDIFY Script, ZIP Signing & Key Creation
​
This is my Restore_zip which is set up so you can add your own files to the framework and apps folders in the main system location, but you can easily add other folders to it if you want to add things like fonts, tones or anything else, just remember to add folders within folders if that's where the files you want to include are such as tones, media\audio\alarms for example.
If you navigate to META-INF\com\google\android you will find the updater-script which controls how the zip works and the text you see when you run it in CWM. As this zip is just for basically over writing files you don't need to edit anything except for a few lines...
...this is how I've edited it for my theme...
...so just edit it using Notepad++ to your liking.
When adding files to your zip add them using Normal as the Compression Method...
...Remember to remove the text files I've added otherwise they will be flashed to your folders too.
And that's pretty much it, the only way you're really going to learn is by reading then putting into practice what you've read and picking stuff up along the way, fortunately there are numerous guides for numerous mods and tools to help with a variety of tasks.
Notable credits and thanks to @iBotPeaches and @Brut.all for making it possible with - Apktool
Useful Suff...
rovo89 said:
In this thread, I'm presenting a framework which gives you the possibility to modify your ROM - without modifying any APK (developers) or flashing (users)!
...
Advantages:
No need to modify any APKs. This means:
No need to decompile, change things in smali, compile, sign, ...
It will work for odexed and deodexed ROMs.
Your mod is not bound to a specific version of the ROM. Unless there is a major change in the methods called for a certain functionality, your mod will continue to work even when you upgrade your ROM. Hell, it will probably even work with different ROMs.
Multiple mods can be installed at the same time, even if they change the same package. So you can use these battery icons and those quick toggles. Even hooking the same method twice is possible. Of course, this only works properly if the mods are not trying to do incompatible things.
It does its magic at runtime. That means you can implement options to let the user decide if they prefer the bikeshed to be painted in red or blue. Or you can have some extra logic for certain ROMs without building different mod versions.
It can be disabled easily without having to reflash.
It's open source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [FRAMEWORK ONLY!] Xposed - ROM modding without modifying APKs
Annex1 said:
CM10.1-THEME_BOOK
Theme book was created by Annex and Ebs512. I've been asked alot of questions from how to get started? what do I need to get started? to What Graphics program do I use? etc. We made a real simple theme guide to help get you started. This is in Layman Terms.. Nothing fancy.
ONLY THING FANCY IS MY FLASH BOOK
YOU MUST HAVE A FLASH PLAYER INSTALLED TO VIEW THIS!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [GUIDE] HOW TO THEME CM10.1 - Animated Book
[Guide] Porting XTheme themes
[How to] XMLGenerator.jar + batch script v2.0
[Guide] Xposed Framework/TabletUI (Noob-Friendly)
[Tool] Drawable XML generator for CM7 theme chooser
[Guide] How to port themes to T-Mobile Theme Chooser
[Tool] [Theme Creator] [CM/Avatar] Theme creator tool
[INDEX][WiP] List of APPs & MODs that use XPOSED Module
[Tool] nhnt11's XML Generator Revived V2+Extended UPDATED!
[DEV/GUIDE]Creating APKs for use with TMobile Theme engine
[Tool][PortCx] Port CM Themes to Xtheme Engine in One Click!
Theme-Porter [v1.0] [Any Firmware / Rom Compatible] [WINDOWS]
[GUIDE] T-mobile theme engine for the faint at heart (non-linux users)
[1/30/2013] Mega 4.2.1 BlackBean Theme Template [XXHDPI/XHDPI/HDPI/TVDPI]
[MOD][XPOSED][4.0+] XThemeEngine beta5 - Theme engine for any rooted phone
[APK][Xposed] ResXploit : Theming your android the easiest way! No decompiling APKs!
-·=»‡«=·-[JB][CM10] Theme Engine Template Updated To V4 [8-7-12][XHDPI/HDPI]-·=»‡«=·-
Hi Guys, I tried to do a small tweak to my ROM like just a color change to signal bars, as mentioned in the XDA university, but once the apk is pushed to system/app and restarted, it went to bootloop. I just changed the color of a image file using GIMP (as mentioned), then dint work, so just tried decompiling SystemUI.apk and then recompiling then folder without any changes and push to system folder, even that dint work, then i saw this thread, i tried the replacing the resources.arsc from old apk (opened using winrar, and dragged to my folder), the opened my new recompiled SystemUI.apk with winrar and added this resources.arsc file which i extracted with compression option as Store, then pushed it bcak to /system/app folder , every time i pushed i connected the phone in recovery mode. But still in bootloop, the moment i replace the apk with original one, it works, can some one pls point out what am I doing wrong ?
Hardware - I9100 - galaxy S2
ROM - JellyBAM 3.3
Kernel - Siyah 5.1+
thanks,
merin
merin_83 said:
Hi Guys, I tried to do a small tweak to my ROM like just a color change to signal bars, as mentioned in the XDA university, but once the apk is pushed to system/app and restarted, it went to bootloop. I just changed the color of a image file using GIMP (as mentioned), then dint work, so just tried decompiling SystemUI.apk and then recompiling then folder without any changes and push to system folder, even that dint work, then i saw this thread, i tried the replacing the resources.arsc from old apk (opened using winrar, and dragged to my folder), the opened my new recompiled SystemUI.apk with winrar and added this resources.arsc file which i extracted with compression option as Store, then pushed it bcak to /system/app folder , every time i pushed i connected the phone in recovery mode. But still in bootloop, the moment i replace the apk with original one, it works, can some one pls point out what am I doing wrong ?
Hardware - I9100 - galaxy S2
ROM - JellyBAM 3.3
Kernel - Siyah 5.1+
thanks,
merin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi There
Try using 7zip to update the apk instead of winrar. if that doesn't work, post your logcats,
Thanks
trevd said:
Hi There
Try using 7zip to update the apk instead of winrar. if that doesn't work, post your logcats,
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try that when i get back home today, and is there any option i need to set when using 7zip like store mode ?
thanks,
merin
hi, I tried with 7zip, 1st i just opened the recompiled zip with 7zip and dragged and dropped the resources file from original apk to this archive, and pushed to phone , still boot looping, and then tried to right click on the resource file from original apk, and selected add to 7zip archive, and changed the archive format to .zip/compression mode to Store and saved, then pushed to phone, still boot looping. So here i have attached the logcat, hope that is correct how i have done it, after rebooting the phone, i typed in consle logcat > log.txt and it was waiting for device, once in boot loop i did ctrl + c, then it exited. Please let me know if you need more info, do i need to attach my original SystemUI.apk and framework-res.apk ??
Happy New Year !!!
thanks,
merin
Nice tuts I will try at home :thumbup:
Sent from my ST18i using xda premium
merin_83 said:
then i saw this thread, i tried the replacing the resources.arsc from old apk (opened using winrar, and dragged to my folder), the opened my new recompiled SystemUI.apk with winrar and added this resources.arsc file which i extracted with compression option as Store, then pushed it bcak to /system/app folder , every time i pushed i connected the phone in recovery mode. But still in bootloop, the moment i replace the apk with original one, it works, can some one pls point out what am I doing wrong ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi.
Are you copying the AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF folder from the original to the new apk too?
Actually i did the exact thing you said yesterday, when i found in the youtube, and it worked thank you!, but dint copy the resource file (but had some fc's when opening camera 1st time), may thats the reason,,, so i should copy AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF and resource file ?, and is this a standard procedure when we do a recompile every time ? or it varies with situation ?
thanks,
merin
Hey hi guys....can any 1 tell me how to set boot image which i want hmmmmm
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda app-developers app
merin_83 said:
so i should copy AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF and resource file ?, and is this a standard procedure when we do a recompile every time ? or it varies with situation ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's how I do it every time and never have an issue (unless I've screwed up somewhere), so yes.
sagar4all007 said:
Hey hi guys....can any 1 tell me how to set boot image which i want hmmmmm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh okey thank you XperienceD, does it make a difference if we just use apktool or Androidsuite for decompiling and building ?
thanks,
merin
merin_83 said:
oh okey thank you XperienceD, does it make a difference if we just use apktool or Androidsuite for decompiling and building ?
thanks,
merin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think androidsuite uses apktool for its decompiling and build it just uses it through a ui as apktool is command line so its more a preference of use for you
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium HD app
ttibbetts83 said:
I think androidsuite uses apktool for its decompiling and build it just uses it through a ui as apktool is command line so its more a preference of use for you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said. I've set this up for when such programs don't always work.
How about some links for how to guide for Ubuntu user and some links on .XML file editing I was doing .apk mods on windows then started messing around with Ubuntu and find its I little more work to get it setup but all an all it to me is a better environment for android then windows IMOA
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium HD app
ttibbetts83 said:
How about some links for how to guide for Ubuntu user
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a quick search for android theming ubuntu there doesn't seem to be a lot of information for it, and this post...
Nikkopt said:
What and where have you heard about Ubuntu helping on theming? It depends on personal taste and choice. You also have much more tools to help you graphically on windows and mac os.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from this thread - Which version of Ubuntu is recommended for theming? suggests why.
here are some links for ubuntu installs that will help with .apk modding on ubuntu for those who want it
how to setup apktool on ubuntu
http://my.opera.com/ubuntunerd1/blog/2012/08/20/how-to-apktool-with-ubuntu-under-construction
ubuntu version of paint.net
http://pinta-project.com/
xaraxtreme looks to be a good program from what i have read but i have not tryed it out yet
http://www.xaraxtreme.org/download.html
gimp is avalable through ubuntu software center and for .xml ubuntu has built in editer software just by right click and open with text editer
hex color website http://www.procato.com/rgbfind/
Nice guide my friend :good:
if anyone get apktool doesn't work on apk JB 4.2.2 ROM you can use this Latest apktool http://d-h.st/cze
Rizal Lovins said:
Nice guide my friend :good:
if anyone get apktool doesn't work on apk JB 4.2.2 ROM you can use this Latest apktool http://d-h.st/cze
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Rizal.

[MULTITOOL]ROM Tools PC v3 [Updated 8 May 2013]

Hi guys,
Here is third version of my ROM Tools PC Version (Automatic decompile classes.dex file to edit smali content) exclusively for Galaxy Y and Galaxy Ace I
Totally tested for every feature and bug free, it is now loaded with new awesome features.
Screenshot:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Changelog :
Code:
Version 3
8 May 2013
-Added many new features
-Option to reboot
-Option to recovery
-Option to Hot Reboot
-Option to view and save logcat with nice integration of verbose and long command
-Option to fix permissions
-Option to RESET PASSWORD of pattern lock or passwork or pin
-Added a small Easter egg
Version 2
18 April 2013
- Changed it from a script to multi tool
- Added folders for convenience
- Made eye candy
- Made it noob proof
- It's like changing Baichung Bhutiya to Lionel Messi
Version 1
- Just one smali.bat file and one baksmali.bat file with one one line each of commands to Baksmaling and Smaling (duh!)
PHP:
I am not responsible for your device being dead,
you flashing stock ROM,
you using your device as a brick,
or the decrease in love of your Girlfriend because you use your mobile so much
What does it do?
As you are aware, there are smali files in jar files and apks you need to edit for adding 4-way boot into power menu, extending Power options, changing clock colour, adding CRT effect, changing the pop up that comes up when you touch the easter egg image, adding brightness slidebar, adding lidroid toggles, etc and so manyyyy things
In order to edit them, you need to decompile apk and classes.dex
It is not a problem in editing smali files of apk as they are decompiled itself by APK-Multitool(I use it)
But, it does not work for jar files
I know that there is smali.jar and baksmali.jar for it but I don't like repeatedly commading same operations when I can do it with one click
This program decompiles and recompiles classes.dex from any jar or apk in one click(very useful when you only need to decompile dex file only)
However, it's main objective is to recompile and decompile classes.dex only, but I added few more option to make it really a full fledged ROM Tool
Expect a few more features in upcoming releases
Pre-Requisites:-
*PC
*My Tool
*Java JDK(or JRE) (If you are running Windows 7 64 bit, you may need to add Java in environment variable)
*7-Zip (For in zip operations[pull out classes.dex])
*classes.dex file(on which you will operate)
*Android Phone to be connected to PC with USB Debugging on to use features other than decompiling and recompiling
Guide:-
Main Options
1. Download my Tool.
2. Extract it in any folder.
3. Place classes.dex in the input folder. DO NOT RENAME IT.
4. Run script.bat. Choose Option 1, Decompile classes.dex . In a few seconds, there will be a prompt that it is "Done. Press anykey to continue" (Note:- If you have UAC [User Account Control] on, you may run it as administrator or it might not be able to create folder if you have extracted it in System Drive)
5. Go to decompiled folder. There will BE classout folder. Make any changes in smali in classout folder(ALWAYS USE NOTEPAD++). DO NOT RENAME CLASSOUT FOLDER.
6. Again open script.bat if you had closed it or if not, then return to the window.
7. Choose 2 option "Compile classes.dex" . A new classes.dex will be formed in output folder.
8. Enjoy
Note:- Once you change things in classout folder, and you decompile another classes.dex, previous version in decompiled folder will be deleted. So if you want backup of it, move it somewhere else
Same thing will happen to classes.dex on output folder when you compile another one.
Other options
1. Connect you phone to PC with USB Debugging on and not on USB Tethering. Make sure you aren't using adb before using the tool. If so, Go to Alt+Ctrl+Del and to Task Manager and close adb.exe process
2. Choose the option what you want.
a) Logcat, either view or save it
If you view it, a window will appear with logcat in it. If you are done, just close that window
If you save it, it will be saved in the same folder where Script.bat is present. To stop saving it, Press Ctrl+C and type Y and press Enter
b) Reboot, may take some time in rebboting and rebooting in recovery.
c) Fix permissions and Reset password
3. Try to find Easter Egg
Download:-
ROMToolsPCv3.zip
Down below is attached v1
iamareebjamal said:
Hi guys,
This is sunday and I am here to post a new tool made by me.
(Actually making it was a piece of cake)
PHP:
I am not responsible for your device being dead, you flashing stock ROM, you using your device as a brick, or the decrease in love of your Girlfriend because you use your mobile so much
What does it do?
As you are aware, there are smali files in jar files you need to edit for adding 4-way boot into power menu, extending Power options, changing clock colour, adding CRT effect, changing the pop up that comes up when you touch the easter egg image, adding brightness slidebar, adding lidroid toggles, etc and so manyyyy things
In order to edit them, you need to decompile apk and classes.dex
It is not a problem in editing smali files of apk as they are decompiled itself by APK-Manager(I use it)
But, it does not work for jar files
I know that there is apktool for it but I don't like repeatedly commading same perations when I can do it with one click
Also, I get many errors in apktool.
This program decompiles and recompiles classes.dex from any jar or apk in one click(very useful when you only need to decompile dex file only)
Note:- This program is for those who either are very much newbie in this task or want one click solution
Any experienced person will know how easy it is to do it by himself/herself/itself.
Pre-Requisites:-
*PC
*My Tool
*Java JDK(If you are running Windows 7 64 bit, you may need to add Java in environment variable)
*7-Zip (For in zip operations[pull out classes.dex])
*classes.dex file(on which you will operate)
Guide:-
1. Download my Tool.
2. Extract it in any folder.
3. Place classes.dex in the folder
4. Run smali.bat. In a few seconds, you will see a classout folder made.(Note:- If you have UAC on, you may run it as administrator or it might not be able to create folder if you have extracted it in System Drive)
5. Make any changes in smali in classout folder(ALWAYS USE NOTEPAD++)
6. Delete classes.dex file.
7. Click on baksmali.bat. A new classes.dex will be formed
8. I did not make the folder very clean. Please bear with it.
9. Enjoy
Download:-
View attachment 1756046
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, i already made the thread for this but nice tool!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2160478
possible copy?
js2892 said:
Hey, i already made the thread for this but nice tool!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2160478
possible copy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean?
iamareebjamal said:
What do you mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm just saying two almost same threads within same section look weird!
I'm not claiming copyright over ur thread or tool..!
But you could have made a post in the older thread about ur tool instead of making new thread!:good:
js2892 said:
i'm just saying two almost same threads within same section look weird!
I'm not claiming copyright over ur thread or tool..!
But you could have made a post in the older thread about ur tool instead of making new thread!:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, yours is a guide.
Mine is a tool made by me
iamareebjamal said:
Man, yours is a guide.
Mine is a tool made by me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well...okay!:good:
Version 2 Uploaded
Man, AWESOME, it's so easy. Far Far better than typing each command over and over again.
Updated to version 3
Added many new options
Screenshot:
Changelog :
Code:
Version 3
8 May 2013
-Added many new features
-Option to reboot
-Option to recovery
-Option to Hot Reboot
-Option to view and save logcat with nice integration of verbose and long command
-Option to fix permissions
-Option to RESET PASSWORD of pattern lock or passwork or pin
-Added a small Easter egg
Version 2
18 April 2013
- Changed it from a script to multi tool
- Added folders for convenience
- Made eye candy
- Made it noob proof
- It's like changing Baichung Bhutiya to Lionel Messi
Version 1
- Just one smali.bat file and one baksmali.bat file with one one line each of commands to Baksmaling and Smaling (duh!)
iamareebjamal said:
Updated to version 3
Changelog :
Version 3
-Added many new features
-Option to reboot
-Option to recovery
-Option to Hot Reboot
-Option to view and save logcat with nice integration of verbose and long command
-Option to fix permissions
-Option to RESET PASSWORD of pattern lock or passwork or pin
-Added a small Easter egg
Version 2
18 April 2013
- Changed it from a script to multi tool
- Added folders for convenience
- Made eye candy
- Made it noob proof
- It's like changing Baichung Bhutiya to Lionel Messi
version 1
- Just one smali.bat file and one baksmali.bat file with one one line each of commands to Baksmaling and Smaling (duh!) [/CODE]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good work areeb....
abhi922 said:
good work areeb....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You
Works on linux?
Sent from my GT-S5830i using xda app-developers app
luteriace said:
Works on linux?
Sent from my GT-S5830i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. How can a bat file work in Linux!
luteriace said:
Works on linux?
Sent from my GT-S5830i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope (NO) ,
works only with windows....
Link not working for me :/
x3reme85 said:
Link not working for me :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's working fine for me
http://www.mediafire.com/download/1bmy46ed7qxhj67/ROMToolsPCv3.zip
you are a star
You arae a Star! thanks alot,
will i was struggling for about 50 hours untill i learned decompiling htc one camera apk, but your software helps alot what i am going to do is i extract apk then with your tools i extract classes.dex i make changes then without recompiling it i will replace com file with com file in decompiled folder, so i can edit xml file at once.
i have noticed com file in decompiled folder is 12.7mb and size on disk 15.8
while with your tool i get 12.8mb but size on disk is 15.8 so it is nearly the same but
i got little minor error while decompiling my apk but was working when i recompiling it, so i believe this methods will recompile with 0 error.
thanks again.
i do not know if you have knowledges of changing camera apk setting, i want to try break the limites size recording because i am restricted to 3.79GB then record stops and says maximum record size is reached, i am still searching and try to get solution.
another question is while the camera apk was stock camera apk i just modified few icons color, remember this is not extracted, so i have access to all xml file also but just quick test changed icon color when i replaced on system app it started but when i reboot phone it does go back to original stock camera and if i switch off and on then the camera will not start at all.
so if you have any idea please let me know.
it does not matter if you do not know by this software you served me alot thank you.
i may try to learn coding in java its good for everything
zindu said:
You arae a Star! thanks alot,
will i was struggling for about 50 hours untill i learned decompiling htc one camera apk, but your software helps alot what i am going to do is i extract apk then with your tools i extract classes.dex i make changes then without recompiling it i will replace com file with com file in decompiled folder, so i can edit xml file at once.
i have noticed com file in decompiled folder is 12.7mb and size on disk 15.8
while with your tool i get 12.8mb but size on disk is 15.8 so it is nearly the same but
i got little minor error while decompiling my apk but was working when i recompiling it, so i believe this methods will recompile with 0 error.
thanks again.
i do not know if you have knowledges of changing camera apk setting, i want to try break the limites size recording because i am restricted to 3.79GB then record stops and says maximum record size is reached, i am still searching and try to get solution.
another question is while the camera apk was stock camera apk i just modified few icons color, remember this is not extracted, so i have access to all xml file also but just quick test changed icon color when i replaced on system app it started but when i reboot phone it does go back to original stock camera and if i switch off and on then the camera will not start at all.
so if you have any idea please let me know.
it does not matter if you do not know by this software you served me alot thank you.
i may try to learn coding in java its good for everything
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You. *blush* *blush*
I recommend using APK2JAVA to decompile it to it's original source to learn more about coding of the app
You'll eventually get it done :good:
About Camera reverting to original or not working, I doubt I know why that's happening.
iamareebjamal said:
Thank You. *blush* *blush*
I recommend using APK2JAVA to decompile it to it's original source to learn more about coding of the app
You'll eventually get it done :good:
About Camera reverting to original or not working, I doubt I know why that's happening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you,
i found that tool, and also found that i have to use dx.bat on sdk folder to convert it back to classes.dex but i could not find how, but that's not a problem, because i am going to learn java and after that learn how to make apk apps, so i will learn that.
i have some knowledges like html, and i did try to learn phph but i gave up for learning photoshop and after effects, but this time i am persist i have to learn it because it make me different person. to me programmers are the base of live and any one know it have to be proud.
have a good day and thanks again
good job man

[GUIDE][THEMING][BASICS] Let's get ready and theme Lollipop ROMs!

Let's get ready and theme/decompile Lollipop ROM APKs!​
Hey all, it's me again. I might as well be posting my entire workstation/methods here for people to learn how to get into the theming world. This is the traditional method of theming, so this would be useful for prospective themers/ROM developers alike.
NOTE: I'll be doing this on an AOSP/CM/Google based ROM, and if you are wondering if it works on TW/Sense, I do not know, but it should work the same.
In this guide, I won't be going so in depth like @Vivek_Neel, so you can go check out his thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/themes/guide-t2978121 I'll be going over the BASICS of getting started to theme and how to go to his theme thread and start contributing.
Table of Contents
Setting up the Java SE Runtime Environment
Decompiling your first time
Compiling your first time
Creating a flashable zip
Repetitive? Let's simplify it using batch files.
Porting my themes or other themes to specific ROMs (WIP)
Please do note, this IS for beginners, so I'll try and respond to errors and problems when setting up your environment and using my compiling packages.
Setting up the Java SE Runtime Environment
Setting up the Java SE Runtime Environment
First of all, to make sure everything goes well, it is recommended that you set up your entire JRE on your computer.
I'm on Windows 8.1 so I'll be using screenshots from an 8.1 setup.
STEP 1: Install these two files:
- JRE8 (This is what I use): http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre8-downloads-2133155.html
- JDK8 (Install just in case): http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk8-downloads-2133151.html
STEP 2: Setting up JDK JAVA_HOME environment variable:
After installing the two files above, locate your JDK location, in my case, mine is C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_20.
Then open up your Control Panel and click into System (Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\System)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Click on Advanced system settings in the sidebar.
A popup will appear, click on the Advanced tab, then click on "Environment Variables..."
Another smaller popup, Environment Variables, will open up. Click on "New..."
According to the screenshot, click type in the Variable name (JAVA_HOME) and Variable value (Location of your JDK set up).
After everything is done, click OK on all popups, then reboot your computer.
You are now ready for apps like Virtuous Ten Studio and Android Studio, futureproofing yourself for now.
Decompiling your first time
Decompiling your first time
STEP 1: Create your working directory
- Make a directory wherever you want, for example on the desktop. Name the folder something easily memorable, e.g. WORKING AREA (C:\Users\Nicholas\Desktop\WORKING AREA\)
STEP 2: Download these two files:
- Latest APKtool.jar by @iBotPeaches: https://bitbucket.org/iBotPeaches/apktool/downloads/apktool_2.0.1.jar
- apktool-install-windows-r05-ibot.tar.bz2: https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/downloads/list
STEP 3: Place all files into the working folder
STEP 4: Rename apktool_2.0.1.jar to apktool.jar
STEP 5: Put your desired APK you want to decompile into directory (This can be framework-res.apk)
STEP 6: Put your ROM's framework-res.apk into the directory (If done in Step 5, skip this)
STEP 7: Installing the framework-res into apktool's resources.
- Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the working directory, then click "Open command window here..."
- Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
apktool if framework-res.apk
- Your framework will be installed, ready for apktool to use it.
STEP 8: Decompile your desired APK
- Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the working directory, then click "Open command window here..."
- Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
apktool d apkname.apk
- Your apk will be decompiled into your working directory -> apkname folder (e.g. C:\Users\Nicholas\Desktop\WORKING AREA\SystemUI)
- A small breakdown of the code is like this: apktool (calling the program) d (decompile) apkname.apk (apk input)
STEP 9: Edit your apk file!
- You can follow Vivek's thread for what to change in a specific APK file, linked here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/themes/guide-t2978121
Compiling your first time
Compiling your first time
To recompile, you need to have the android-sdk handy, as you'll need the zipalign.exe from it.
REQUIREMENTS
- 7-Zip installed: http://www.7-zip.org/
STEP 1: Install Android SDK from Android Studio
Android Studio: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
STEP 2: Copying zipalign.exe into your working directory
- Navigate into C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-studio\sdk\build-tools\android-4.4W and copy zipalign.exe into your working folder.
STEP 3: Compiling your decompiled app into an APK file
- Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the working directory, then click "Open command window here..."
- Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
apktool b appname appname.apk
- Your framework will be installed, ready for apktool to use it.
- NOTE: appname should be the same as the decompiled app's folder name.
STEP 4: Zipaligning your app
At this point, you should have your original APK located directly inside your working directory.
Your compiled app will be placed inside your working directory -> appname folder -> dist folder.
Double click your compiled APK and open it with 7-zip.
Double click your original APK and open it with 7-zip.
In your original APK opened in 7-zip, drag META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml into the compiled APK's 7-zip window. Click Yes to overwrite.
Take your compiled APK and place it in a new folder in your working directory (e.g. C:\Users\Nicholas\Desktop\WORKING AREA\ZIPALIGN)
Drag "zipalign.exe" into the new folder ZIPALIGN.
Paste the compiled APK with the original META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml into the ZIPALIGN folder.
Rename the apk from apkname.apk to apkname-t.apk (Just add a "-t" to distinguish from your output apk later)
Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the ZIPALIGN directory, then click "Open command window here..."
Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
zipalign -v 4 appname-t.apk appname.apk
Your output APK will be available to flash now.
Creating a flashable ZIP for yourself
Creating a flashable ZIP for yourself
Download my Flashable ZIP template here: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95897840722644285
STEP 1: Designing your updater-script (What get's shown in TWRP/CWM when flashing)
This is my updater-script from the zip file:
Code:
ui_print(" =============================================");
ui_print(" Flashable ZIP Template by Nicholas Chum");
ui_print(" =============================================");
ui_print(" ");
sleep(1);
ui_print(" Now mounting the system writeable....");
sleep(1);
ui_print(" ");
run_program("/sbin/busybox", "mount", "/system");
ui_print(" Copying the files... ");
sleep(1);
package_extract_dir("system", "/system");
sleep(1);
ui_print(" ");
ui_print(" File copy complete. ");
unmount("/system");
sleep(1)
- This installs everything in the system folder of the ZIP file into the system folder on your phone.
STEP 2: Structure your APK into the correct directories of the ZIP according to your phone's layout
- If you want to install SystemUI.apk, you cannot install it like on KitKat due to different directory structure, so for example, the correct location to install SystemUI.apk would be /system/priv-app/SystemUI/SystemUI.apk, so you'll have to create your own subfolders in the zip according to the apk you want to install.
STEP 3: After you're done, flash and have fun!
Repetitive? Let's simplify it using batch files
Repetitive? Let's simplify it using batch files
I have a batch file collection here, check it out: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95897840722644292
To use my batch files, you may have to edit each batch file to confirm locations for directories on your computer.
These are the bat files you will have to edit: FRAMEWORK (Step 1) - Uninstall.bat, FRAMEWORK (Step 2) - Install.bat
You'll have to edit in your user account name, for example in FRAMEWORK (Step 1) - Uninstall.bat:
Code:
rd /s /q C:\Users\[COLOR="Red"]Nicholas[/COLOR]\apktool
Afterwards, it will work perfectly.
The point of Theming Tools.zip is to allow you to easily make new working directories and just copying everything in from the zip file to the working directory to save your time from moving files over (zipalign.exe, apktool.jar, apktool.bat...etc)
To use my batch files, use it in this order
Create working folder
Place framework-res.apk in the working folder
FRAMEWORK (Step 1) - Uninstall.bat
FRAMEWORK (Step 2) - Install.bat
Place your other APKs in, my batch only decompiles framework-res.apk, SystemUI.apk, Settings.apk, DocumentsUI.apk, TeleService.apk, so if you have another APK you want to automate, copy the structure of my calls in the batch file, then save it.
BUILD (Step 1) - Extract Starter 5 APKs.bat
Start theming your apps.
After you're done...
BUILD (Step 2) - Compile New 5 APKs.bat
Now open each of the original APKs in the working directory, then copy each META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml from the original to the new compiled ones.
Place each unzipaligned apks with the META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml into the BUILD ME folder - my batch only zipaligns framework-res.apk, SystemUI.apk, Settings.apk, DocumentsUI.apk, TeleService.apk, so if you have another APK you want to automate, copy the structure of my calls in the batch file, then save it.
After you're done...
BUILD - Zipalign All 5 APKs.bat
Place all files into a flashable zip.
Enjoy!
Last hold, just in case.
???Hold it right there .
looking forward to that!!!! nice work
Very nice my friend, we needed something like this for noobs. Sending them ALL your way..... Lol
djdarkknight96 said:
Very nice my friend, we needed something like this for noobs. Sending them ALL your way..... Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha.
+1.
Very nice and handy
djdarkknight96 said:
Very nice my friend, we needed something like this for noobs. Sending them ALL your way..... Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha I think I'll be the first "noob" to try and learn theming.. Haha what say @nicholaschum? ?
Edit - BTW can't wait for your inverted theme for L, Bryan. Always loved your theme.. ?
Khizar said:
Haha I think I'll be the first "noob" to try and learn theming.. Haha what say @nicholaschum? ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I think I missed a step then.
For you specifically, Step 0: Buy a new computer!!!
nicholaschum said:
Well, I think I missed a step then.
For you specifically, Step 0: Buy a new computer!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My brother ended up buying the tab and so the new laptop is just sitting there, might as well make it useful... ??
Khizar said:
My brother ended up buying the tab and so the new laptop is just sitting there, might as well make it useful... ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might change the last HOLD post to Porting themes to other ROMs, then you can start helping me do more nightly builds if theme chooser still doesn't function as well
nicholaschum said:
I might change the last HOLD post to Porting themes to other ROMs, then you can start helping me do more nightly builds if theme chooser still doesn't function as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am all for that bro. Told you I'd help and I'll try to help to the best of my abilities, while trying to learn. ?
BTW why isn't @fahadali2315 helping you out? He's become lazy since getting OPO and now shamu.. LOL
Khizar said:
I am all for that bro. Told you I'd help and I'll try to help to the best of my abilities, while trying to learn. ?
BTW why isn't @fahadali2315 helping you out? He's become lazy since getting OPO and now shamu.. LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's my official tester......only...... and he has like a dozen flagship phones. He should really do something with them.
Where's my Sense ROM on Nexus 6? XD
@nicholaschum so this was what you did when we had no Internet and I was napping? Lol....
BellaxMiu said:
@nicholaschum so this was what you did when we had no Internet and I was napping? Lol....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL....yes.....tethering.....and I'm still not done either
nicholaschum said:
He's my official tester......only...... and he has like a dozen flagship phones. He should really do something with them.
Where's my Sense ROM on Nexus 6? XD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In his defense, he keeps losing the phones so he wouldn't get far.. Haha JK
The OPO sense port... Makes my point.. ?
BellaxMiu said:
@nicholaschum so this was what you did when we had no Internet and I was napping? Lol....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He plans to do even more once you get Internet back... LOL

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