Database Develop

General Questions about Themes GO HERE!!!!!

Hello, I am a little new here. I am kind of a newb with a lot of things. I did root my device and replaced the boot images.. but i do not know how to make themes. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help by making a theme for me?
I added some images as to what i am looking to have done, that is of course anyone is willing to help. it is fairly simple i am looking to get the color scheme and kids icons if possible... maybe have a little fun with the clock or not if its too much work.
If anyone could help me out I would appreciate it... i am a graphic designer more than a programmer.. a lot of this is confusing to me.
I really like this site and hopefully i can be of some help at some point. This is my first post but i plan on posting a lot more.

Nice concept...but I`m not sure if you have looked at this topic http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=467639 It describe how to make a theme and stuff, good starting point anyways. Hope it helps!

Yeah ive seen that thread but it scares me...lol
I really dont know what I am doing with all that stuff. I dont really know if I understood everything in it either :-\
thanx though I will try to follow it and make a theme myself but it might take me a while...lol

RandumAccess said:
Yeah ive seen that thread but it scares me...lol
I really dont know what I am doing with all that stuff. I dont really know if I understood everything in it either :-\
thanx though I will try to follow it and make a theme myself but it might take me a while...lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahaha I would offer help but unfortunately I am no programmer

Im teaching myself how to make themes as well. I have found it best to read through that walkthrough a million times and then PM a couple of the dev guys to answer specific questions.
Basically this is the process:
- Take a theme that you like for RC30 or ADP1 or whatever you wanna make it in
- Extract 2 folders inside, app, and framework into a new folder on your computer
- Rename add a .zip to the end of the apk files and extract them all so you have a bunch of folders with your app names
- Go into res and find any folder that says drawable and inside of there are the files to edit for your theme. Make sure not to edit the .9.png files.
- Once all your editing is done get into linux and turn all the folders back into zip files, then turn them back into apk files.
- Then take your app folder and framework folder that contain the new files and in linux create it into one zip file.
- Then you send the file back to windows, get the SignAPK files, put your zip in the folder with the SignAPK files and run some commands in the CMD to resign the file.
- Then rename that file update.zip and put it on the SDcard and give it a whirl.
This is how I understand the process after talking to a couple people for the last few days. I am hoping to release my own theme soon and if it works you will know that these steps are right. LOL And dont follow those directions, they are just to give you an idea of the steps involved.

Agusta - haha s ok thanks anyway :-D

@brandenk
why do we need to zip the files in linux? By the way thanks for the theming for dummies guide.

trying it out
brandenk said:
Im teaching myself how to make themes as well. I have found it best to read through that walkthrough a million times and then PM a couple of the dev guys to answer specific questions.
Basically this is the process:
- Take a theme that you like for RC30 or ADP1 or whatever you wanna make it in
- Extract 2 folders inside, app, and framework into a new folder on your computer
- Rename add a .zip to the end of the apk files and extract them all so you have a bunch of folders with your app names
- Go into res and find any folder that says drawable and inside of there are the files to edit for your theme. Make sure not to edit the .9.png files.
- Once all your editing is done get into linux and turn all the folders back into zip files, then turn them back into apk files.
- Then take your app folder and framework folder that contain the new files and in linux create it into one zip file.
- Then you send the file back to windows, get the SignAPK files, put your zip in the folder with the SignAPK files and run some commands in the CMD to resign the file.
- Then rename that file update.zip and put it on the SDcard and give it a whirl.
This is how I understand the process after talking to a couple people for the last few days. I am hoping to release my own theme soon and if it works you will know that these steps are right. LOL And dont follow those directions, they are just to give you an idea of the steps involved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey thanks... i am gonna try it now

Geo411m said:
@brandenk
why do we need to zip the files in linux? By the way thanks for the theming for dummies guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know why, something about how linux packages zip files opposed to windows, and yes once I figure it out and find all the problems people can have I am going to make up a nice walkthrough on making themes. But I wouldn't be surprised if there were already some theme manager apps in the works to make this whole process easier.

to tell everybody the truth i do all my themes in windows lol and only windows and it has worked on other peoples devices but shhhh thats out lil secret

package it for me?
Hey I was wondering if anyone could package my files for me?
I don't know linux commands at all and am lost... I did manage to edit the files but I can't put them back together.
If anyone could help with my New problem I would be very grateful!
randumaccess.com/r.a%20rc30.zip
That is the zip with the folders I edited.
Thanks
RandumAccess

Dave Da illest 1 said:
to tell everybody the truth i do all my themes in windows lol and only windows and it has worked on other peoples devices but shhhh thats out lil secret
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can make the update.zip in Windows as long as you have the update script I wrote in linux and you do not edit, or open it in Windows. If you do it will get corrupted.
Stericson

Stericson said:
Yes, you can make the update.zip in Windows as long as you have the update script I wrote in linux and you do not edit, or open it in Windows. If you do it will get corrupted.
Stericson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So as long as we take that empty update.zip and just throw the apk's in their respective folders and resign the zip when we are done it should be good to go?

brandenk said:
So as long as we take that empty update.zip and just throw the apk's in their respective folders and resign the zip when we are done it should be good to go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct it should be good to go.
Stericson

I guess I need to start learning how to create some themes

I did something wrong (theme newb)
Dave Da illest 1 said:
to tell everybody the truth i do all my themes in windows lol and only windows and it has worked on other peoples devices but shhhh thats out lil secret
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you do the themes in windows?
heres what i did:
1. I unzipped a theme
2. renamed apk's to zip's
3. unzipped each folder
4. edited the drawable files
5. zipped the folders with winrar
6. renamed them back to apk's
7. then i took the update script from Stericson and opened it with winrar and threw them in the app/framework folders
it didnt work for me.
I dont know linux and use windows, i am a newb with a lot of this stuff. I would like to know so i can create themes to my liking.
any help you could give me would be great!
i have all the files edited i just need to package them now.
thanks,
RandumAccess

make sure you zip the folders inside the main folder. If you're working on launch folder, zip the folder inside the folder named launch not the launch folder itself.

Dave Da illest 1 said:
to tell everybody the truth i do all my themes in windows lol and only windows and it has worked on other peoples devices but shhhh thats out lil secret
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about a how-to using the Windows only method??

Geo411m said:
make sure you zip the folders inside the main folder. If you're working on launch folder, zip the folder inside the folder named launch not the launch folder itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah that didnt work either :-(
I would like to see a "Windows Only Theme Tutorial: Super-Newb Edition" ...lol

did you sign each of the edited apk's? and your update.zip file?

[Q] rom porting question

Alright....I've tried searching and searching but I can't find exactly what I need. I'm wanting to try to port blue echo to cm6.1. Now I'm still a little new at this but I've learned how to smali and baksmali, use flashboot, sdk, sign zips, create flashable zips, zip align, optimize, pretty much all the ends and outs of the basic. I've only been at this 4 months but I love android and want to learn to become a dev. Now I'm trying to learn how to theme roms. There are a million guides that I've found but now will tell me how to do this . Could someone point in the right direction to a thread explaining how to port a sense theme to cm6.1. Ive tried replacing the images in the drawables folders from framework-res . Repackaged zip aligned optimized signed and flashed. Nothing took. So I opened the zip all the images had copied over in the cm6 rom zip. So I wiped and flashed the modded zip it still reverts to the original framework of cm6. I don't understand how that is. I need a way to just copy the colors and images. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong or know of a how to with just the steps .I already have all the programs on my pc.

shawn328 said:
Alright....I've tried searching and searching but I can't find exactly what I need. I'm wanting to try to port blue echo to cm6.1. Now I'm still a little new at this but I've learned how to smali and baksmali, use flashboot, sdk, sign zips, create flashable zips, zip align, optimize, pretty much all the ends and outs of the basic. I've only been at this 4 months but I love android and want to learn to become a dev. Now I'm trying to learn how to theme roms. There are a million guides that I've found but now will tell me how to do this . Could someone point in the right direction to a thread explaining how to port a sense theme to cm6.1. Ive tried replacing the images in the drawables folders from framework-res . Repackaged zip aligned optimized signed and flashed. Nothing took. So I opened the zip all the images had copied over in the cm6 rom zip. So I wiped and flashed the modded zip it still reverts to the original framework of cm6. I don't understand how that is. I need a way to just copy the colors and images. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong or know of a how to with just the steps .I already have all the programs on my pc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simplest way, if you just want the icons, pics and notification bar things is to use 7zip for PC. Don't extract the theme, just open it. Navigate to the framework-res.apk file of the new ROM you want the theme to work on, open but don't extract, copy all the .png files from the theme into the ROM or new theme you are making. It will ask you to replace, obviously you say "yes" When you are done, just close it all back up, no recompressing or signing needed because you didn't extract anything. Just put it on your SD card and it will flash.
Let me know if you need more help. This by and large the simplest method for making minor edits to a theme.

Download the CyanogenSense theme by mrinehart93 found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=723224
It's a working Sense-looking theme on CM6. Download it, unzip it on your PC, pick it apart, etc. to see how he changed and compiled it to make it work. Hopefully that will help you figure out how to do what you want to do. Good luck.

chromiumleaf said:
Download the CyanogenSense theme by mrinehart93 found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=723224
It's a working Sense-looking theme on CM6. Download it, unzip it on your PC, pick it apart, etc. to see how he changed and compiled it to make it work. Hopefully that will help you figure out how to do what you want to do. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Good idea!

ranger61878 said:
Simplest way, if you just want the icons, pics and notification bar things is to use 7zip for PC. Don't extract the theme, just open it. Navigate to the framework-res.apk file of the new ROM you want the theme to work on, open but don't extract, copy all the .png files from the theme into the ROM or new theme you are making. It will ask you to replace, obviously you say "yes" When you are done, just close it all back up, no recompressing or signing needed because you didn't extract anything. Just put it on your SD card and it will flash.
Let me know if you need more help. This by and large the simplest method for making minor edits to a theme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did this but had to flash clockword because i was using ra, it wasn't verifying the update. So i turned off signature verification. But I'm using firerat mtd and forgot that i have to repatch the clockword for this so I did'nt really get to see if it worked yet. But thanks all of you responding I appreciate it. Ill let you know if these methods work.

I fixed the prob. Did everything suggested by copying the png's between the zips without extracting them. Even doubled checked all the png's everything looked like it was a go . But I only got 3 of my new icons. Everything else was still stock cm6 even the notification bar was stock. Do I got to do more than just transfer the png's cause it seems like maybe the xml's are reverting them back to stock?

[Q] How to change default contact picture

Hi,
I need to change default contact pictures. Its for our customer who finds the green droid infinitely iritating . Anyway, I rooted the Desire HD and did s-off, Clockwork recovery is in place. Bud I didnt find any themes or even adress where those pictures are in the phone.
I will be happy for any advice what image to create, how big, format etc...
And ofcouse where to flash it.
Update:
Actually, no one solved it, i found numerous questions about this and no definitive answer. So any pro here who wants to get extra thanks ?

This is my exact wish!
Fullscreencaller works as windows... unusable

I know where the Dancing Android lives
You need 7zip installed and your chosen ROM saved on your PC.
Right click on ROM and choose
7zip>Open Archive (don't just double click to open it)
Now browse to:
\system\app\
Right click on Phone.apk and choose:
Open
Now browse to:
\res\drawable-hdpi\
Extract the folder so you can view them all as thumbnails. Then you will see 4 files called:
phone_default_270.PNG
phone_default_300.PNG
phone_default_incall_270.PNG
phone_default_incall_300.PNG
There are other contact pictures in there too, as it's the dialler so just have a look and see what you want to change.
Now, for the contact picture that appears in your contact list in HTC People, follow the same as above but go to:
\system\app\HtcContacts.apk\res\drawable-hdpi\
Then look for:
people_home_defaultphoto.PNG
It might also be worth a look in:
\system\framework\framework-res.apk\res\drawable-hdpi\
Now for the disclaimer:
This is all at your own risk. I'm not sure what limitations / consequences there are for modifying these files as I have only used this method to swap icons from other ROMs into my own. You might need some kind of special editor for the PNGs, but at least you now know where to look

@sviftcz: If you need help with creating a flashable zip, you could upload your Phone.apk and the pictures you want and I'll make one for you.

sigurd_LU said:
@sviftcz: If you need help with creating a flashable zip, you could upload your Phone.apk and the pictures you want and I'll make one for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are the missing steps from my post above? I'm keen to do this myself now we're speaking about it!
Do the pngs have to be saved a specific way or is it simply a case of creating a file with the same dimensions and swapping them over? As I said, I've only ever swapped over files that were from one ROM into another rather than adding in files I've created myself.
Thanks

Your guide is awesome! But it misses the steps how you get it on your phone
You'll have to take your original phone.apk, open it with winrar or 7zip (don't extract, just open it), and drag and drop your edited images from the previously extracted apk in the right folders.
When you're done, exit winrar/7zip and put the phone.apk into system/app of this flashable update zip: http://www.multiupload.com/THCTLMRDBU
And that's it. If you want more details or if I didn't explain it well, just tell me.

Haha, yeah... I forgot to say that I do it before I flash the ROM!
Using your flashable zip is way easier though.
The only other thing is, do you have to save the PNGs with specific settings, other than them being the same size obviously?
Cheers

CitizenLee said:
Haha, yeah... I forgot to say that I do it before I flash the ROM!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay
The color depth (expressed in bits) doesn't matter as long as the png has the right dimensions, as you said.
btw, I didn't make this zip, it's from he_stheone64.

IS there any temporary rooting available for the new version of Desire HD?
I dont want to update any FW, nor root image. Thanks the help!

[REQ] [froyo] BLACK/TRANSPARENT notification pull down bar

Searched and couldn't find just this...a black notification pull down. I think I am one of the few that likes the stock look just want a black/ transparent pulldown and don't want a whole new theme to get it. I am running dl30 BTW. I KNOW THAERE ALOT OF REQUEST BUT HOPEFULLY MINE IS EASY TO FULL FILL WITH A COUPLE OF OPTIONS TO ADD AS A ZIP FOR THOSE THAT LIKE A SEMI-STOCK LOOK. HOPE TO SEE A COUPLE SOON.
THANKS IN ADVANCE

A little FYI...I really like the midnight pulldown and buttons....many others are nice as well..

This can be done by modifying the png images in the framework i believe. If you use 7zip to extract it and then edit with photoshop or gimp and save the png and put back into the framework file.
If i am wrong somebody can correct me though.

bump....seems easy but I am an idiot with this phone?!?

I want it also
I pulled out the files and changed everything and put it back into the apk file. When I put it back on my phone I didnt get any changes. I thought I read that if your only changeing pics, this is all that was needed.
I posted asking if there was something I was missing but no answer.
I have the changes if I could get the phone to take them.

Yeah i tried ti compile it too just now....fail.

MSHancock said:
I pulled out the files and changed everything and put it back into the apk file. When I put it back on my phone I didnt get any changes. I thought I read that if your only changeing pics, this is all that was needed.
I posted asking if there was something I was missing but no answer.
I have the changes if I could get the phone to take them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Attach your framework-res.apk & twframework-res.apk and let me look at it. It will be hard to give an accurate explanation without first doing this.
EDIT: Or do what nitsuj said below and it should work. Your probably having problems with .9 pngs

MSHancock said:
I pulled out the files and changed everything and put it back into the apk file. When I put it back on my phone I didnt get any changes. I thought I read that if your only changeing pics, this is all that was needed.
I posted asking if there was something I was missing but no answer.
I have the changes if I could get the phone to take them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to do what you are trying to do.......grab the twframework-res.apk from your phone by pulling it with adb...or simple version just grab it out the rom you are currently using by moving the og rom file to your desktop and use 7zip to extract it.
now use 7zip again to extract the drawable-hdpi folder from the apk.
swap out status_bar_background.9 for a transparent one you grabbed from another theme...or you can make one by yourself...but its a .9 image so you ll have to patch it in 9 patch.
if you want to avoid that heres a transparent one for you http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15331201/rom/transparentbackground.zip (just extract it and swap it)
open up the twframework with 7zip again and copy this drawabl-hdpi folder over the old one....then you can push this framework back to your phone...or just take one of our theme update.zips and open it up with 7zip...go into the system folder, delete the app and font folders...go into the framework folder and delete whats theres and place the twframework-res.apk in it....put the zip file on ur sdcard...boot to recovery and flash it

Thanks
Thanks for the tips guys. I will work on this today and have something later.

as soon as I get back to my comp I am going to try and fix it...

[Q] Confused former Windows Phone 6.5 user/themer

Hi Guys,
I'm coming from Windows Mobile 6.5 where theming was a bit different:
When I started with 6.5 I used to think the only way to change the look of my phone interface was to flash a custom rom, but then I realized I could theme individual components (6.5 theme, Taskbar, Icons, Start Menu, ect) and it turned out to be pretty easy.
With Android I'm begining to think the opposite exists, is it basically true that in order for me to change the colors of the taskbar, or menus, taskbar icons - I have to use a custom rom?
I have been reading over these threads for the past three days and I have learned a lot, but I'm still confused...
I used to do M2D themes and change the xml and such, but when I read the Android theming guides ALL of it seems foreign to me...does't seem like I can just swap out pngs for pngs I made in Photoshop Am I making this seem more difficult than it is?
Are there individual themes for my taskbar, dialer, ect (not roms)? And if so can a former Windows Phone user explain them in comparison to installing a cab?
I know I have a ton of questions so any help at all would be appreciated
Thanks
MEGA MAN

There are MANY apps out there that will allow you to make these changes. Do some searches on the market and you'll find them. Do some research into rooting your phone (at your own risk) which will allow even more options.

You do not have to use a custom ROM to theme your phone, but it makes it a lot easier overall. AFAIK, you still have to have your phone rooted to theme more than icons.
To theme images, it really is just swapping out your images for the images already there as long as they contain the same dimensions, format (pretty much always .png), and name.
The .xml files are easiest to edit if you have decompiled the apk with a tool call apktool, because then they are in readable format.
Apktool is also really great for getting .9.png's in decompiled format with the stock guidelines intact.
You can theme various different components with an app called Metamorph or Ninjamorph, otherwise, you're going to have all your different parts together.
I've been theming android for getting close to two years now, so if you would like more help, you can PM/email (david1667jones gmail) me for more specific answers.

megaman - ain't it a trip coming from WM to android? yeah...WM seems such a simpler way. especially CHT2...that is really the best modding system ever.
been experimenting for the past 2-3 weeks and have been successful. (even have a usable CM7 theme that i may post...)
so let's hash this out. maybe teach eacho other a thing or two. if i am being too basic, let me know.
apk - like a cab. tricky thing is that (i believe) if you edit an apk, you replace the entire apk. unlike a cab where you can replace 1 single file. there are theme programs (metamorph - haven't used it, ADW and others that allow replacement with a single file...but they take a little work. nothing easy like cabs for WM.)
to begin you need 7zip (or winrar i hear works.) this will allow you to open apks, replace files and restore them in seconds:
http://www.7-zip.org/
i assume your rom is rooted (i really don't understand the term, but it allows freedom to mod your phone. i am using an HD2 - WM phone - running nand android so by default my phone is rooted.)
let's explore - take any apk and open it with 7zip. you will see 3 files (this is off of memory as i am at work right now.) open them and look around. ((want to find your installed apks and back them up? search market for Astro. (settings> backup and save your apks to your sd card)))
under res you will see drawable folders - this is the jackpot. in there you will see your images. there is a lot of redundancy in apks. the trick is finding the right image. try changing some, etc. this is the most basic of theming.
before moving on to xmls, etc (which there are quite good guides for this) just try the above. when you replace the files move up the folder hierarchy and it will ask you something about saving/restoring - cilck yes. the apk is now modded.
install the apk and see the changes.
however, if you are editing the core apks - system and framework-res, we will need to talk about how to do that (i use clockworkmod flashing...easy to do.)
let me know if this helps.

Thank you guys so much for your knowledge!
I do have my phone rooted and I have bootloader installed
The one reason I thought that I had to download a "ROM" is because I keep reading about having to be deodexed in order to modify...and I was underthe impression that most custom roms provide this deodexing?
on to APK's...I do have 7Zip and I have opened some up and found where the graphics are...now I am actually extracting the apk so I can manually go through each folder and see whats there including graphics...there does seem to be another way of opening the APK with 7Zip and not actually extracting it, but I don't thing I can actually see the image previews this way. >>>so I extract, change my desired images, re-zip and change the file extention back to .apk - BUT then I read about signing APK's? ...and signing zips?
After some researching I found a thread in which someone posted something like they make a copy of there current ROM "theme?" and then copy it in zip form on to their PC where they goe through all of the desired APKs and then Zip it back together and install it from the screen that you get to after holding the power button and home (recovery screen maybe?) <<< Anyway is this possible? This seem most like what we did in windows phone...but again I think where I'm getting caught up is the signing aspect...I've seen auto signers, but I feel like the ones I've seen were only for XP and I have Windows 7.
Woo... ok wrote a lot there - if you have anytime to elaborate on anything, I'd be happy to hear.
...and jsmccabe - that HD2 is one awesome device...I remember everybody asking if Windows 7 would everbe available and now you guys are dual booting with WP7 and Android - AWESOME!!! (if I didnt have Verizon

megaman...sorry it took a bit. "real life" and all that...
megaman 2 said:
The one reason I thought that I had to download a "ROM" is because I keep reading about having to be deodexed in order to modify...and I was underthe impression that most custom roms provide this deodexing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- not sure what deodexed means. is your rom cm7? if so, tmobile themes is an "easy" way to make a theme.
- are you theming to share or for yourself? if the latter just replace the the files in your rom and flashe the rom. if the former, what type of rom?
megaman 2 said:
on to APK's...I do have 7Zip and I have opened some up and found where the graphics are...now I am actually extracting the apk so I can manually go through each folder and see whats there including graphics...there does seem to be another way of opening the APK with 7Zip and not actually extracting it, but I don't thing I can actually see the image previews this way. >>>so I extract, change my desired images, re-zip and change the file extention back to .apk - BUT then I read about signing APK's? ...and signing zips?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- you can extract to make life easier. but when you are ready to make the changes just drag the new icons into the original apk. it will update it for you and you can install it and done.
megaman 2 said:
After some researching I found a thread in which someone posted something like they make a copy of there current ROM "theme?" and then copy it in zip form on to their PC where they goe through all of the desired APKs and then Zip it back together and install it from the screen that you get to after holding the power button and home (recovery screen maybe?) <<< Anyway is this possible? This seem most like what we did in windows phone...but again I think where I'm getting caught up is the signing aspect...I've seen auto signers, but I feel like the ones I've seen were only for XP and I have Windows 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CWM themes are pretty easy to do. i started with this, the problem is it replaces the entire apk to replace 1 image. which if you are modifying systemui or frameworks, may overwrite other things (colors that you didn't want to.) easiest thing to do....find an already established CWM theme and keeping the same structure, replace the images and flash via CWM.
let me know if you want more details...cheers and good luck!