Related
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.
ok... status_bar_close_on_cust.9.png
i believe i have followed all the guides i have seen correctly. sorry. i've been stuck on this for almost 4 hours.
i opened the apk in 7zip, exported the image.
removed the 9 from the file name
edited the png in PS
opened draw9patch,
added the full bottom and right side lines.
added the 2 dots i need on top and made the leftside work after eclipse failure
did the eclipse project thing
pulled new status_bar_close_on_cust.9.png from the eclipse created apk
opened framework-res.apk in 7zip again
i tried both..
- deleting the original image and then adding the new to the archive
- drag-drop the new image thus replacing the original
resign the rom's zip
when i install on system i get the bootloop with each loop getting shorter.
i have tried converting framework-res.apk to a zip, resigning it, and then back to an apk
i know this is a much descussed subject on this forum and all the other's i googled looking for the missing step or something i'm doing wrong
i have tried apkmanager, apktools, shorter suggested methods i've seen, and full drawn out methods.
i dont know if i'm messing something up in the png edit, the draw9patch, eclipse, signing or not the apk, or somewhere else.
i've tried pulling a logcat/boot.log from the device but i get some sort of error. i dont know if it's not creating one or i'm trying to pull it from the wrong place.
i'm sure a ton of you guys have had this happen to you. please offer some advice
Do you get an error when importing into eclipse? If so what does it say?
im sorry shoulda clarified that. originally i failed to put the patches on the left side. it failed when trying to make the apk. put thos there and the apk was created. my proplem is with the framework-res.apk i guess.
i put it back in the rom, sign it, and boot-loops.
i guess it has something to do with adding the image to the framework-res.apk. apparently it doesnt like the new image, so to speak. i have tried finding out how to re-build the framework-res.apk, to no avail. hell, i may be using the wrong terminology when searching. at this point, i have no idea.
If i change any images i use metamorph, free from the market. You dont need to sign and flash full apk's, just the files that need changing, a lot quicker and easier.
You could create your ***.9.png as a full size png and remove the 9 patch data, eg. instead of having a 5x32.9png make it 320x32.png(depending on your resolution).
In fact come to think of it ive never seen the "status_bar_close_on_cust.9.png" on my screen, just "status_bar_close_on.9.png".
EDIT: If you've used apktool or other to decompile, crop the the edges by 1 pixel each side, this will remove the 9 patch data, edit your image, then use your draw9 tool, and recompile with eclipse.
You may have been adding another 1 pixel 9patch border to the already existing 9patch border, hope that makes sense.
this is the custom pull down notification bar in gingerfly-1.7.0 based on cm6.1 i believe with some gingerbread looks.
This is how I do it:
1. Extract image from framework-res.akp. You can right click on the framework > 7-zip > open archive and extract the image this way or just extract the whole apk.
2. Edit the image. Open the image in Photoshop and do what you want. Don't worry if you don't have the border. Save the image as a .png file.
3.Add the border. Open draw9patch and add the image. A border for the dots should be created automatically so just do what you need to do and save it as the same file name. It should automatically change the file type to .9.png.
4. Compile the image.9.png. Download the file attached. In the zip, you should see a file called 'xUltimate-d9pc' and a folder called 'Original'. Put the image into the folder 'drawable inside 'res' inside 'Original'. Then open the file named 'xUltimate-d9pc' and wait. When it has finished, there should be a new folder and inside should be the compiled image.
5. Replace the image in framework. Right click framework-res.apk > 7-zip > open archive. Drag the new image into the framework, make sure you have the same file name. You shouldn't need to sign it.
Now you should have a framework-res.apk working with no problem.
I'm not sure if it will work for a custom rom as I use the framework-res.apk from my X10
Hope this helps.
that worked! thanks much!!! the one step i did add to this is to re-sign the rom. i have had nothing but problems anytime i have not signed it after making any changes. it may be an un-needed step, but it worked. thanks again!!!
Can I bump this real quick?
This is my first post here and I'm sorry if I shouldn't bump this thread but my problem is closely related and I hope someone out there knows what I'm doing wrong.
First things first, I'm using the EVO, that's probably important information.
I just flashed Warm Z TwoPointTwo and I love it, except... I really want the vanilla lockscreen. No problem, right? Just rename or delete HtcLockScreen.apk and you're good to go.
That works, and the vanilla lock screen appears upon hot reboot, but the images aren't right; they are all transparent in Warm Z. I have been trying basically all day to get the stock images back into framework-res.apk and nothing has worked; I bootloop every time.
The images are jog_tab_* except that the images in MY framework-res.apk have for example jog_tab_bar_left_end_confirm_gray.png (for all of the left and right end confirm images), whereas the AOSP framework-res.apk has 9patches for all of those.
I've tried deleting the jog_tab_* images in mine and placing in the ones from AOSP, I've tried placing the AOSP images in alongside the ones already in my copy, but nothing works.
I've tried apktool, apk manager, xultimate... I've read about 25 xda threads on this and tried every new suggestion. It bootloops no matter what I do. I think I'm missing something.
I've done the 7zip replacement without re-signing, I've re-signed, I've done xultimate with compression 0, and I've tried creating my own metamorphs. Something about Warm Z is conflicting with the vanilla images, but I'm too inexperienced in themes and the Android OS to know what's up.
Perhaps Warm Z changes definitions elsewhere as to which images are used, or perhaps something else isn't lining up properly with the vanilla lockscreen code. I hope someone out there knows what on earth I'm talking about.
Index
post 1: Introduction
Post 2: Simple image swap
Post 3: Decompiling and recompiling files
Post 4: Image locations in Sense ROMS
Post 8: How to use the kitchen
Post 9: Advanced modification: Add / Remove alarm notification
Post 10: Advanced modification: Add / Remove Location indicator
Introduction
There are several resources available with information about theme creation, however I find that information is usually scattered on many different threads. It is also not always newbie friendly. In this thread I would like to give a quick summary for the newbie to help start making your phone look the way you like it. Before I go into the actual details, I would like to suggest some shortcuts. You don’t always need to do things the hard way. The options that you have are:
Use the Ultimate online Kitchen . For those not familiar, this is an online tool that lets you pick and choose components and then packages them for you into the base files you supply. You can get very far using the kitchen with lots of options for customizing your phone.
Start with the kitchen and add some images. The kitchen is great to get a good baseline without going into code. You don’t have to worry about finding where color definitions sit, or what hex values are good to use. Most of the time, however, we want icons that are not available in the kitchen. The solution a lot of themers are using is to create a good base in the kitchen, then add modifications of their own.
Replace individual images, but keep everything else the same. This is a solution for those who want to manually swap battery files, or create their set of notification items and move it from ROM to ROM. You can use this either on the stock files from your ROM, or on files you generated in the kitchen.
Going into the guts – this is the advanced version. You decompile the files and modify the source code to get what you want. This is the only way to get the non-standard stuff done. Once again, you can start with a stock ROM, or you can run it through the kitchen to do some of the tedious work and then go into the guts.
I will describe the methods for both 3 (post 2) and 4 (post 3). I also have a list of where you can locate icons on the phone in post 3, that I will expand in the future.
Background
System Icons and background images sit in two main files: framework-res.apk (in system/framework) and system-ui.apk (in system/app). Additionally, sense ROMs have com.htc.resources.apk (in system/framework Within these files there is a res directory, and under that you have the folders containing data. Google has guidelines on icon design, although themers usually ignore those in order to get a different from stock look. One thing you would notice is that there are sometimes repeated folders of icons. This is usually baggage from different android versions (2.1, 2.2, 2.3). One thing to remember, it’s usually easy to add images, but you can get into all sorts of trouble if you ake things out.
Each application has its own res folder where the launcher icon and other visuals are kept. There are, however, a lot of applications that reference the framework.apk for visuals. For example the my location in maps, or google talk notification.
There are 2 types of images that you would encounter. Normal icons and images are non-scalable. They take a certain amount of real estate on the phone, and that’s it. Example of these are the battery levels and notification icons. The other type is the .9 images. These are images that are going to be stretched to fit whatever space is needed. An example of that are the menu backgrounds. The .9 images have a special format. The one pixel border around them defines how they stretch and how content is displayed in them. It is highly recommended to follow the standards in order to get repeatable and consistent look. Android SDK has a tool to help with .9 file design: draw9patch.bat.
Important note: The .9 files show the borders ONLY when de-compiled. If you grab a file from the framework directly you will not see that line. It is therefore required to compile the .9 files after you make them. You can use apk manager or ThemePro-JAVA to recompile the framework apk after modifying the files.
Definitions for which image is used where sit in the xml files under the drawable folder. These are compiled xml files, you can’t edit them with a text editor. For this introduction I will not go into modifying xml files, but I’ll describe it in a later post. Each apk also has a resources file that describes what is in there. If you add, remove, or rename files in the apk you will have discrepancy with the resource file and the theme will not work (more likely you will be stuck in an infinite bootup loop). To add, remove, or rename files you have to go through full apk decompile.
Before you start:
Warning: frameworks are highly linked with other files. You can’t just take a framework from one ROM and put it in another. Always keep a backup of the original files ready to be installed (see below), otherwise you may need to re-flash the ROM. Frameworks are also sensitive to compression. DO NOT use winzip to handle the files, it can cause problems with the final apk file.
There are several things you would need before you start
A rooted phone
SDK installed on the computer
A zip handling software other than winzip (winRAR and 7-zip are both good options)
Amend2edify . If you are on a mac you will need auto sign for mac instead
For advanced work - APK manager
These are mostly windows tools, with some support for linux, so if you're on a mac you need to find the equivalent program.
Create a backup
Grab the framewor k-res.apk, com.htc.resources.apk and system-ui.apk from your phone. They are located in the system/framework and system/app folders. You would need them as a starting point for your modification and you need them for a backup
If you plan to modify any other files, grab them and note where you took them from (most likely /system/app for things like dialer, email, etc)
Create a clockwork installation file of the original files (see post below)
Name the installation framework-original.zip, or something else that would be easily recognized in case of trouble, and then copy it to your internal sd card.
Create installation and test it
After you have finished modifying the files, the best way to get them to the phone is through clockwork installation. You can push files to the phone using adb, but in my experience it's not worth it.
Create install file
I am calling the parent folder “main”
Create a folder main\framework
Place your modified files (framework-res.apk and com.htc.resources.apk) in that folder
Create a folder main\app
Place the modified files (system-ui.apk + any other apps you modified) in that folder
Create the following folder tree:main \META-INF\com\google\android
In the android folder create a text file named update-script
Edit the update-script file content “copy_dir PACKAGE:app SYSTEM:app copy_dir
PACKAGE:framework SYSTEM:framework”
From the main folder add the three folders you created to a new zip file
Use amend2edify to convert and sign the zip file you created
WARNING: Do not name your framework file "update.zip"! Do not name your file “PG05IMG.zip”!
Testing
Give the file a name that is easy to recognize and copy it to your internal sd card
Reboot into recovery
Select install zip from card -> choose zip from sdcard
Select the installation of the new framework and confirm the installation
Reboot
If you are stuck in an infinite boot-up cycle reboot back to recovery
You can try to send “adb reboot recovery” to the phone over usb
You can battery pull then use power + volume key to boot into recovery
Install your original framework backup and reboot
hint: if you are like me and have a lot of files, name your test file z_filename.zip That way in recovery you use the up volume and get to it quickly.
Simple image swap
Simple image swap
If all you want to do is swap some images, all you need is a zip handling application (I recommend not using windows built in zip, it does not have the flexibility to properly do everything you need).
Select the apk file you want to modify and open it using a zip program
Inside the opened go to \res\drawable-hdpi\
You can extract all the images from that folder as a starting point
Modify the images you want
Copy the modified images back into the \res\drawable-hdpi\ folder in the apk file
A few things to watch for
Do not try to modify any file that ends in .9.png using this method. You are likely to create weird looking visuals on the phone
If you already know which files you want to copy over (let’s say you have a set of images that you are moving from one ROM to another) you don’t need to extract the images from the apk. Please note, however, that not all base versions use the same file names. Double check the filenames in the new apk before copying over your existing images.
Sense and AOSP roms sometimes use images from different locations (sense may use system-ui.apk for signal and AOSP may use framework-res for signal). If you try changing one place and it doesn’t work, try the other. Over time you will learn what sits where.
Different ROMS and different themes make changes to the xml files, telling the system which images to use. This means that copying files over may not be enough. This is mostly an issue with battery and battery charging, but other status bar animations can be affected. For example, if you start with a stock based rom that only uses 5 levels of battery indication you can copy over 100 images to show accurate progress, but on the phone you will still see only 5 (and probably the wrong 5). Similarly, charge animation can be 5 icons, 30 icons, or 100 icons. It can include the current battery level or not. Copying images from one type of animation to another will result in something that does not make sense on the phone. You have two options to solve this. You can take the full mod way and modify the xml, or you can try to run the framework through the kitchen and select a battery mod that has the behavior you want. After that you can modify the files.
Decompiling and recompiling files
Modifying files by decompile/recompile
What is APK manager?
APK manager is a tool for decompiling / recompiling apk files. If you want to change anything other than images, it is a must have. EDIT: A new thread for APK manager 5 is out, make sure you don't get the old 4.9 version.
The basics
The basic flow when using APK manager is
Place apk file in place-apk-here-for-modding folder
run the Script.bat file
Type 22 and select the file you want to work with
For AOSP based: Type 9 and wait for it to finish decompiling
For Sense based: Type 10. When prompted, drag your com.htc.resources.apk onto the script window, then hit enter
Modify the items you want modified (they will be in the projects folder)
type 11 to recompile
When prompted about system file answer YES
When prompted about copying files over answer NO
Item 6 is where all the magic happens. Go to the projects folder and you will find a sub-folder with the apk name. Inside you have res, where you can replace images and work on xml files.
Bad starting file
This is mostly true for framework files that went through several cycles of modifications. The framework is forgiving to having extra items, or having bad .9 images (see post above about .9 images). Some people may have replaced images without recompiling the framework in a way that breaks the .9 format. The program saves an empty file with the .9.png extensions and a copy of the original without .9 in it. If this happens you will very likely see warning messages during the decompile stage, but you don't see warnings unless you look at the log. This means that you would actually catch it only at recompile. See this post for more details and how to solve this.
Things may not always be "fixable", so the best approach is to get the original framework that is the base for the one you need. Having a clean start can save a lot of headaches later on.
Overwriting your changes
When you recompile, assuming everything worked ok, you are prompted if this is a system file. Most likely you want to say yes. This ensures that the original signature is copied over. You will also be prompted if you want to copy some files over from the original. BE CAREFUL!. There are people who say you reduce the risk of errors if you copy things that didn't change. Personally, if I changed anything that required recompilation (mostly added new images or modified xml files) I always choose not to copy extra files. If you do choose to copy some files over, pay attention to the next step. Do not hit any key until you remove the modified files. You will need to go to the newly created "keep" folder (in the top apk manager directory) and remove any image that you changed and any xml that you modified. Also, if you modified xml files to add new images you need to delete "resources.arsc".
Failed rebuild
APK manager is trying to minimize work by only compiling newly changed items. If you built an apk and realized you have an error, or want to add more changes, I recommend removing the cached build. Go to the projects folder and delete the "build" folder. I've had cases where the new items didn't catch.
Removed items
I highly recommend to leave icons that you do not need. I've had occasions where I removed things that I thought had no more reference, but then ended with endless boot-loops. For example, if you modify the xml to only show 6 out of the 101 battery charge animations, leave the remaining icons in your project.
If you're stuck
Look at the log file. That would usually give you an answer. Also, if you are working on a recent GB ROM you probably need to get the beta 5 version. Version 4.9 will have problems compiling the newer files.
Image loactions in Sense ROMS
Image locations for Sense roms
Framework-res:
1. Progress bar information. Some is in xml files (just color definitions), but there is progressbar_indeterminate*.png that has the progress bar with diagonal lines
2. Spinning processing indicator: spinner_black*.png and spinner_white*.png
3. Most notifications (stat_notify_*.png) including the sync animation (stat_notify_sync*.png)
4. Battery (stat_sys_battery*.png) and battery animation (stat_sys_battery_charge_anim*.png). There are also the stat_sys_battery_unknown.png and stat_sys_battery_charge_animfull.png (this one does not show up on sense)
System-ui:
1. Signal related notifications (Bluetooth, wifi signal, network signals) in stat_sys_data_*.png. Note that connection type is usually named like stat_sys_data_connected_3g.png, but I’ve seen those with different naming conventions
2. Alarm, location, and the “more” stat_notify_alarm.png, stat_notify_more.png, sym_gpsone*.png.
3. GPS: stat_sys_gps_acquiring*.png, although gps on is usually in framework-res (stat_sys_gps_on.png)
Elsewhere:
1. Email and Gmail notifications (in mail.apk and gmail.apk)
2. USB connection (in pcsII.apk)
3. Google voice (in gvoice.apk)
How to use the kitchen
Link: http://uot.dakra.lt/kitchen/
The kitchen's XDA UOT page has all the information on how to get started. I will just give a quick introduction here specific to the TB roms.
When you go to to the web site you have several tabs. go through one at a time and select the modifications you want. The simplest example would be to change the stock battery of the ROM so I'll use that.
1. Select the tab of interest
2. Check the "use this mod" box and the options appear. You can choose the preview option, but don't have to.
3. Once you're done select the File upload tab.
4. In the section Select your rom from kitchen's list, or upload your own files check the "system files" radio button
5. Upload framework-res.apk, SystemUI.apk, and com.htc.resources.apk (for sense ROMs). You will need to extract them from the ROM's installation file if you are on stock view or from the theme install file if you are using a theme. You can also get it from your phone (copy the files to the sdcard using root explorer and then to your computer, or use adb pull if you know how). twframework-res.apk is for Samsung phones only.
IMPORTANT: Some mods require SystemUI.apk and some require framework-res.apk. If you are not sure which one you need upload both. In any case ALWAYS upload com.htc.resources.apk for a sense ROM, without it the kitchen will fail to compile your mod (AOSP based roms don't have the com.htc.resources.apk)
6. Go to the summary page and select "submit work to kitchen"
7. Wait patiently for your files to be ready. It can take a while when the server is busy.
8. Install your modified files and enjoy
Advanced modification: Add / Remove alarm notification
For this modification you will need to decompile SystemUI.apk (see above post).
Go to the SystemUI.apk\smali\com\android\systemui\statusbar\policy folder created by apk manager. Find StatusBarPolicy.smali
search for the text
const-string v1, "alarmSet"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a line before that that starts with .line and a line after that starts with .line. This is the section you need to change.
Note: The line numbers can vary from ROM to ROM. DO NOT change those two lines. Replace the entire content between them.
Show Alarm Clock:
const-string v1, "alarmSet"
const/4 v2, 0x0
invoke-virtual {p1, v1, v2}, Landroid/content/Intent;->getBooleanExtra(Ljava/lang/String;Z)Z
move-result v0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hide Alarm Clock:
const/4 v0, 0x0
const-string v1, "alarmSet"
const/4 v2, 0x0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Recompile the apk and install.
Advanced modification: Add / Remove Location indicator
This will add or remove the general location indicator. It does not affect the GPS indicator.
For this modification you will need to decompile SystemUI.apk (see above post).
Go to the SystemUI.apk\smali\com\android\systemui\statusbar\policy folder created by apk manager. Find HtcCdmaStatusBar.smali
search for the text
.method private updateMtGpsIcon()V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The section you are interested in is
.method private updateMtGpsIcon()V
.locals 7
.prologue
const/4 v5, 0x3
const/4 v4, 0x1
const/4 v3, 0x0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Show location indicator
const/4 v4, 0x1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hide location indicator
const/4 v4, 0x0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure where I have missed it but when I download the newest APK manager and open the zip there isn't a folder that says place apk here or anything like it in any part of the apk manager. Did I miss something in the instructions about this folder being somewhere else?
TDubKong said:
I am not sure where I have missed it but when I download the newest APK manager and open the zip there isn't a folder that says place apk here or anything like it in any part of the apk manager. Did I miss something in the instructions about this folder being somewhere else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will be in the directory you installed it to, so something like, c://ApkManager/
Sent from my TBolt using my f***king thumbs...
TDubKong said:
I am not sure where I have missed it but when I download the newest APK manager and open the zip there isn't a folder that says place apk here or anything like it in any part of the apk manager. Did I miss something in the instructions about this folder being somewhere else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it isn't there as a subfolder when you extracted it, it should be created the first time you run the script
Sent from a gingerbread thunderbolt
tsachi said:
For this modification you will need to decompile SystemUI.apk (see above post).
Go to the SystemUI.apk\smali\com\android\systemui\statusbar\policy folder created by apk manager. Find StatusBarPolicy.smali
search for the text
There is a line before that that starts with .line and a line after that starts with .line. This is the section you need to change.
Note: The line numbers can vary from ROM to ROM. DO NOT change those two lines. Replace the entire content between them.
Show Alarm Clock:
Hide Alarm Clock:
Recompile the apk and install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would this tutorial work for removing the clock and battery from the status bar?
sent from my mecha using XDA Premium App
warmonster said:
Would this tutorial work for removing the clock and battery from the status bar?
sent from my mecha using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the file you need, but the changes are different from what I described here. I'll try to look them up and add them
Sent from a gingerbread thunderbolt
tsachi said:
This is the file you need, but the changes are different from what I described here. I'll try to look them up and add them
Sent from a gingerbread thunderbolt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks man, I want to learn how to do this but right now this looks very confusing. Also I downloaded apk manger but some vgrabber program installs and I cant find apk manger.
warmonster said:
thanks man, I want to learn how to do this but right now this looks very confusing. Also I downloaded apk manger but some vgrabber program installs and I cant find apk manger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are the instructions http://forums.miuiandroid.com/showthread.php?5603-Q-Removing-the-clock-from-the-status-bar, .should work on our ROM too, but I haven't tried it yet.
In terms of apk manager, it is a zip file that you extract, should not install anything else. I think you clicked on a wrong download somewhere. I updated the link to the new apk manager 5 thread, try from there.
Awesome write up!!! Just found this this morning while at work. I've been stubbing my toes all weekend through trial and error to accomplish what you've summed up here. Thank you so much! Subscribed for a more thorough read when I get home.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Hey my man, I'm trying to use the kitchen from my phone Inspire 4g..and when I try to upload files to kitchen I don't know where it looks for them at in my phone. It will open my upload folder but I can't find it on my phone anywhere? Dose anyone know what parent folder the upload folder is in...
Sent from my Inspire4G using xda premium
Towboat_man said:
Hey my man, I'm trying to use the kitchen from my phone Inspire 4g..and when I try to upload files to kitchen I don't know where it looks for them at in my phone. It will open my upload folder but I can't find it on my phone anywhere? Dose anyone know what parent folder the upload folder is in...
Sent from my Inspire4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, I think it mentions somewhere on the site or on the kitchen XDA page that they are generally not compatible with phone browsers. Not sure what the compatibility issue is, but you may want to look it up. If you do get it to work from the phone you need a way to browse the system folders. If you can't see the /system/ when you browse for files I would suggest using root exlorer (paid) or file expert (free) to first copy the files over to the sdcard, and then go through the web site and grab them from the card. A lot of the basic explorers, especially those that weren't designed for rooted phones, don't have access to the /system/ so that may be your problem. The files are in /system/framework/ and in /system/apps
Hello A little while ago I managed to learn how to theme totally from scratch. I knew nothing of anything before I started, but now I know how to port themes As I still see myself as a n00b there may be some weird things I've done, but at least I manage to create the themes This might not be the best way to theme, or the easiest, but it works
Overview PNGS
1) Getting the files
2) Getting the images
3) Port
4) Package and Sign
The only programs I've used is 7zip and autosigner download them and install 7zip and extract autosigner to a nice location for example your desktop
Getting the files
The first you need to do (after getting the programs) is to find the file you will mod (edit). This will mostly be the framework-res.apk because this decides most of looks of phone (for example the statusbar). Download the .zip of the rom your going to theme. Open it up (shouldn't require any programs, if does, use 7zip: either drag it onto the 7zip icon or right click and choose open with). Open system -> app and copy the framework-res.apk (or any other apk you would like to theme, for example the settings). Now paste it into an appropriate folder.
Getting the images
Now you need to find the images you want to use in your new theme. Find either an update.zip with a theme or an .apk with a theme chooser theme (if there is both a version for Froyo and GB, use the Froyo version as this will make it easier ) Open it up with 7zip (drag it into the 7zip icon). Now you can do either of two options:
1) You can take the whole drawable-mdpi folder and copy it out. You should probably don’t do this with a Themechooser apk, as they usually don’t have all icons in this folder, as they often lend a few from HDPI.
2) Take only the images you want and copy them to a folder. For example if you want the signal icons, copy the “stat_sys_signal_0” (-4 of course) and copy them out. If you want the statusbar background, copy “statusbar_background”. This way you can mix several themes, take the best of several themes and make your personal theme
When you’re done getting your icons, close the window.
Porting
Now open the Rom’s default framework-res.apk with 7-zip. If you’re going to port a whole theme, delete the /res/drawable-mdpi folder and copy in your own. If you’re going to port just a few icons, open the /res/drawable-mdpi folder and paste your icons. You might want to check if the icons have the same names in the different framework. For example the headset icons can be both “stat_sys_headset” and “stat_notify_headset”. Also if you port from a theme chooser theme, you will have to rename every single .png you port. This is really boring, but necessary. You need to remove the “framework_res” and the “android_systemui” from the beginning of all the names. So “framework_res_activity_title_bar.9.png” needs to be changed to “activity_title_bar.9.png”. Because this is so boring you better keep your renamed icons, so it’s easier to port it to another rom
This is kind of off-topic: my carrier lends network of another carrier. Therefor my phone is allways roaming. This puts a stupid “r” with my signal icons. To avoid this I allways take normal signal icons, copy them, and rename one of the two .pngs from for example “stat_sys_signal_1” to “stat_sys_r_signal_1”. This way I get rid of this stupid “r” and it will always show the normal icons
Packing and signing
Now the porting is done and the next job is to push the new framework to your phone. If you are familiar with adb, you can push it to system/framework on your phone. You don’t need to anything more with the apk before pushing it. Else you can create a flashable .zip for your theme. I’ve attached a .zip with update script (I haven’t created it. Just stole it from one of Elelinux’ add-ons ). Download the zip. Create a folder named system and a folder named framework. First drag the new, modded framework_res.apk to the framework folder, then drag the framework folder into the system folder, before you drag the system folder into the attached zip. If you use Clockworkmod recovery, you can just flash the zip right as it is, but if you use Amon_Ra or want it to be compatible with every recovery because you want to post it, you need to do something.
Unpack autosigner and launch the exe file inside. Drag the .zip into the new window and press sign. It will now appear a new file in the same folder as the file you wanted to sign. Its name is the same, but with “_signed” at the end. You can rename the file as you wish both before and after the signing.
XML Editing:
I decided to add a little section about XML editing as well I really don't know all about this myself, but i can tell how to set it up and some examples to what you can do Even though this may seem really complicated, it's not written in a completely different language, like Java in the smali files, so often it is possible to use logic to get what you want
Tools needed: APK Multi-tool. as well as Java, if you don't have it installed.
Overview:
1) Setting up
2) Examples
3) Finish
Settings up
Download APK Multi-tool and extract/ unzip it to wherever you want ( I have it on my desktop). Now you can place the apk you want to modify (usually the framework_res.apk) in the "Place_apk_for_modding" folder. Then you open the script. If you don't get an error, proceed to b), if you do get an error proceed to a)
a)) If you do get an error where it says something like "java not found" you need to correct the Java path (or install Java if you haven't done that, which you should have) . I had to do this to get it working. First open my computer and click disk C, or D if you have installed Java there. Open programfiles (or whatever it's called in your language) and scroll to the Java folder. Now open the folder there jdk folder or whatever you have there and open the "bin" folder. Look at the top of your window, where it says where on you're computer you are (like Windows: C to the left, and then Programfiles and so on). Right click it and click copy address. Mine is "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_01\bin . Now you can close the window.
Open "My computer" again. On the top bar below the navigationbar, click Sytemoptions (sorry, not really sure what it's called in Englsih, as my computer is Norwegian, please correct me if I'm wrong). On the left click the "advanced" link and in the popup that appears click "environment variables". Scroll down to the "path" variable and edit it. Paste the address you copied and click OK. You should now be able to proceed to b). If you still get an error, please tell me and I'll try to help
b) type 25 and press enter to select current project. Here you will see all the apks in the "Place_apk_for_modding" folder. Select the appropriate number (in this case probably 1) and press enter to continue. Then you hit 9 and enter to decompile it. I cannot really explain it, but it enables you to edit the xmls in the apk. If you try to edit them by using 7Zip, the xmls will be just messed up. When it's done decompiling, you have gotten a new folder in the "projects" folder. In this case it is probably named framework_res.apk. Minimize the script (DON'T CLOSE IT) and you're ready to edit the xmls
Examples on edits:
COMING SOON
Finish:
When you're done editing, open the script again (remember what I said about not closing it? ). Click 11, unless you are editing a non system apk. If you are editing the framework or settings or such, use 11. If you get an error now, you have probably done something wrong, try to see in the log what you have done wrong. Every time I've had an error, I've ended up in bootloop when I've flashed, so it is probably better to just start over. Another tip is to do one thing at the time. For example: you decompile, edit the notification color in pulldown, compile. Take the compiled apk, decompile edit another thing and so on, this makes it easier to not mess up and it also shows what you are doing wrong.
On the "Is this a system apk?" you should probably say y, as I said above. I also usually copy over the files I didn't edit, as this seems safer. Follow the instructions and you should be fine. When you're done and the script is done compiling, you will find a unsigned_**** (for example unsigned_framework-res.apk) in the "place_apk_for_modding" folder. This is your modified apk, and you can try to push it to ur device with an update.zip or adb, if you know how to use that
Well this was the end of my guide for now If there's anything which is unclear or you have other suggestions, feel free to post I've probably forgotten something
Finally after all my attemps to modify the android framework before i have do it correctly. I have changed a couple of things, the lock screen and battery icons so far. The framework I'm modifying is the one on Ele's Gingerbread and i wonder how to get the battery icon percentage 1 by 1 as i saw in some other themes. What i mean is that in the original framework there is only battery icons for 15, 20, 25 and so on, and if i push the 16, 17, 18, 19 they won't work. Is Theme Chooser the one on charge of this? how can i get that? some help please?
(Also tryed to theme a sense rom, but everything was messed up, i guess because of sense or maybe I did something wrong)
So thanks for your guide, really helpfull
Yeah, I've never tried to theme Sense so I don't know. It is probably possible to make icons for every %, but then you'll have to decompile using APK tool, and it is harder. I don't know how. If you want to try, you could try asking a question here
thanks
so funny=))
i'm tried
Great guide helped me a lo thx.
Finally, someone who CAN explain it...
I'm now porting ICS to GB (no cm7), cause I think CM sucks.
mDroidd said:
Finally, someone who CAN explain it...
I'm now porting ICS to GB (no cm7), cause I think CM sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, ICS themes can be made really awesome, if you do some more advanced stuff. For example you want to remap the pulldownbar a bit, and change som text colors. But to do this you need to use a tool like APK multi-tool, and it is a bit more advanced. If you want to, I can create a new section where I show how to this
Thank you.
GUIDE UPDATED! Added a section about XML editing really quick, probably forgotten something and such, so just ask if there is something you don't understand This is for those who are getting used to the PNG editing and want to proceed to something slightly more advanced, for example you 7Tosta
Cheers
BTW: I should've reserved the 2nd post, this is getting messy
Edit: If there's anything specific you want me to add to the EXAMPLES section, tell me
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.
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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
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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 ?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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ttibbetts83 said:
How about some links for how to guide for Ubuntu user
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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.
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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
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Thanks Rizal.