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?

Help with editing apk files on MAC osX!

As the title says can someone show me how to do this strictly on a mac!
I have failed miserably at it!
All the tools are for windows..
I have the sdk for mac all set up and I can push an pull files!
but everything I edit on the mac and push to the phone crashes the phone with force closes and stuff...
-kitt050383

I came across this in a google search for the same thing. Can someone post a how-to step by step for modding .apk files with adb commands to push to the phone? Thanks in Advance.

Me as well please, been searching for a good 30 minutes now and cant find any tools to do this on a MAC, especially to edit the .9.png's

I just pull the apk and open it with BetterZip. APKs are pretty much like zip files. Then after I'm done, I sign it and push it back to the phone.

ajones7279 said:
I just pull the apk and open it with BetterZip. APKs are pretty much like zip files. Then after I'm done, I sign it and push it back to the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, i change the extension to .zip double click and it unzips it. Open the folder, edit the files... and then i just switch the extension back to .apk?
I dont get what you are saying.

If you're using the default archiver, you may have to change it to .zip. Since I use betterzip, I just associated the .apk extension with BetterZip so it automatically opens it like an archive. Now, extract the contents of the apk, make whatever changes you please, put the contents back into the archive, sign the apk, then push it back to the phone. I'm typing this from my Hero so I'll try to make a more detailed post when I get off.

ajones7279 said:
If you're using the default archiver, you may have to change it to .zip. Since I use betterzip, I just associated the .apk extension with BetterZip so it automatically opens it like an archive. Now, extract the contents of the apk, make whatever changes you please, put the contents back into the archive, sign the apk, then push it back to the phone. I'm typing this from my Hero so I'll try to make a more detailed post when I get off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip! I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

Didn't know Betterzip was out there. I'll give it a try later tonight as well.

almost there...
ok i can transform an apk to a zip and unzip for editing, but how do i change it back? i just did a bunch of editing work, and now i am stuck. please help me....

So pretty much we all want to know the same thing...
Once we get the apk open... and we change files around how do we get it back to an apk file.
anyone gonna help?

ipeench said:
So pretty much we all want to know the same thing...
Once we get the apk open... and we change files around how do we get it back to an apk file.
anyone gonna help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
someone did.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5849463&postcount=6

Better Zip works great for this. Now, if there was a way to do zero compression like the APK Manager. Without that, the sounds for lock/unlock won't work.

Me too have the same problem. I think installing windows on your mac will work fine with all .exe tools. if you don't wanna do anything o your osx then you can run a virtualbox and run windows without affecting os x.

NO WAY
ajones7279 said:
I just pull the apk and open it with BetterZip. APKs are pretty much like zip files. Then after I'm done, I sign it and push it back to the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I have tried to extract the APK with BetterZip.
I can extract files. But, XML file are like unable to open.
The image files are quite OK.
My purpose is to check out Manifest File and other XML Files.
So, if you can actually do those things after extracting with BetterZip, do let me know.
Thanks in advance.

The most useful way is install Windows via Bootcamp or Virtual Machine...

While I don't have a Mac, I should be able to help. First, rename the extension from .apk to .zip so it can be viewed and extracted from whatever archive manager you use. Doing this won't decompile the apk but it will at least let you modify the images. If you want to modify the xml's in the apk file. You can use Apktool which will decompile and recompile apk's, and sign the apk if it's a non-system app. You will also need to have JDK installed to do this.
JDK: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk8-downloads-2133151.html
Apktool: https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/downloads/list

apks, zips, and hdpi - mdpi questions

Ok, just a few questions quick hdpi images for say a theme for bigger phone like the evo can they be tossed into a drawable-mdpi and be fine? Or do you have to go through them and resize them? My second question is regarding signing, I've got the htc kitchen running which seems to do fine so I'm using the AutoSign to sign my res folder which i zip'ed as framework-res.zip then signed using the AutoSign tool and renamed to framework-res.apk which I think is correct, but then I throw that into a presigned zip for a theme that I pulled apart using the htc kitchen and rebuild it and sign it and it should be good to go. It gave me some nonsense about an updater script and it can only make an update script. But when I tried flashing the rom it failed.
Basically I think I'm missing some parts of the puzzle if anyone who knows more about this than me could give me a pointer or two I'd be eternally grateful. Thanks.

I'm not sure if you have to resize the png images. I always do, however it takes a while so you may want to try doing it with the hdpi images. As far as signing goes some extract the apk and then edit the png's and then with 7zip use the open archive option and drop the png's into the zip. And then resign.
Here is what i do..
I extract the apk
Go in and make changes
Go back to the main folder where it has the META-INF, res, AndroidManifest, etc and select all of those and zip them. It should then name it (whatever_app_your changing).zip
I use the Auto-sign from Avabox and sign it. This should also change the extension to apk
When editiing an apk you want to make sure you keep everything as it is when rezipping and signing. Do not delete any folders.
To make a flashable zip you need an update script. If you pull apart a theme and look in it there should these folders META-INF\com\google\android. The update script is located in android. It tells it where to install everything and to show a progress bar. If you look in a theme you can easily see the strcuture and what needs to be zipped.

Thanks. Thats the missing step I think, I'm about to crash as I work nights and probably shouldn't be up yet lol, but when I get up I'm gonna test some more things out but I think thats what I needed to know. I've been trying to rezip everything so it fits back together when i should be pulling them out of the zip changing them and then putting them back in. I'll try it tomorrow lol when my brain works again. Thanks for the reply though.

ok first of all download 7zip
do not unzip the whole app
open the app with 7zip. take out the res file
edit the png files that you want
edit the .9 files that you want
use draw9patch that comes inside of android sdk folder
in draw9patch u put one dot on top one dot on left and full lines on bottom and right. thats the easy way. u can watch the right window to figure out what the results will be. play with it and you will get the hang of it.
download eclipse and set up eclipse and android sdk to work with android. there a number of instructions on how to do this. google in or search in xda
use eclipse to recompile the .9 files
if u r finding files in the hdmi files and want to use them u have to make sure they are the right size for our phones.
best guess is that if its from a different phone they are the wrong size. compare the size of the file to the mdmi folder and resize where needed.
when done editing the res file drag and drop it back into the app that is open in 7zip.
it can then be pushed via adb in the command promt by putting the apk in the tools folder of sdk and typing
make sure your in the directory of ur sdk/tools folder
adb remount
adb push (app name).apk system/app
(app name)=app for example facebook.apk
if u want to make it into a flashable update than you can put into a zipped file that im sure uve downloaded from here before. make sure its the only app in the folder and use avabox as described above.

Awesome thanks papasmurf, I think I figured out the big issue was having before and thats that I have to use 7zip to pull, edit, and replace files I want to change. the .9 stuff I haven't messed with yet but I've always known they are a bit of a pain in the ass. Gotta learn sooner or later lol. Thanks for the responses guys I'm gonna mess with this stuff and see where I get.
What are the rules on signing? Now if I'm in a framework-res.apk and pull and push some files do I need to sign it again?

PlagaDeRock said:
Awesome thanks papasmurf, I think I figured out the big issue was having before and thats that I have to use 7zip to pull, edit, and replace files I want to change. the .9 stuff I haven't messed with yet but I've always known they are a bit of a pain in the ass. Gotta learn sooner or later lol. Thanks for the responses guys I'm gonna mess with this stuff and see where I get.
What are the rules on signing? Now if I'm in a framework-res.apk and pull and push some files do I need to sign it again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While when building a rom it is sometimes but very rare to sign an app...when editing pngs and such there is no need to resign the app. ..also if u do have to resign an app u can't resign the Google ****s. They don't like work if u resign them cause the only way we have to resign with r with test keys. By resigning apps ur r messings with the manifest and there is about a 99.9% chance there is no need for it.
Its different if ur trying to flash an app via recovery. Then it has to be put into a zip file and signed. My suggestion is to find a basic mod that someone else already made a signed zip of and put ur app in it and take out the other mod. Just make sure u put it in the right folders. For example
Most apps go in /system/app
Framework and com.resources go in /system/framework
Uncanny make those folders and drop the app in there then drag to the zip or if those folders exist in the zip just drag the app in.
As long as its a mod zip the update script is prob just very basic and u don't have to mess with it. Just use avabox (search for it on xda) and drag the zip into to autosign folder inside of avabox. Rename it update and click k on the sign icon. After its done signing u delete the update file and can rename the update-signed file to what ever u like. Just remember if renaming that if u r using more than one word the u must add a _ between words rather than a space. For example
Gmail_signed.zip
Hope that helps a little
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

Awesome. Just made my first flashable zip that worked. I'm almost finished porting over the sculpted theme from the evo section. Thanks for the help guys, its making way more sense now.

PlagaDeRock said:
Awesome. Just made my first flashable zip that worked. I'm almost finished porting over the sculpted theme from the evo section. Thanks for the help guys, its making way more sense now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anytime man. Just remember if ur changing even the size of a .9 file it has to be fixed as explained above. Only saying cause ur porting a theme from the evo and I'm sure there r .9 files in there
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

Papa Smurf151 said:
Anytime man. Just remember if ur changing even the size of a .9 file it has to be fixed as explained above. Only saying cause ur porting a theme from the evo and I'm sure there r .9 files in there
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eclipse is intense. I think I downloaded the right one. I'm dead tired though so I'm gonna pick it up again tomorrow. I got enough of it together that it functions so I'm happy for now, but definitely going to have to work on the .9 files tomorrow lol.

PlagaDeRock said:
Eclipse is intense. I think I downloaded the right one. I'm dead tired though so I'm gonna pick it up again tomorrow. I got enough of it together that it functions so I'm happy for now, but definitely going to have to work on the .9 files tomorrow lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah eclipse is def overkill at times but when u get it set up its easy to just compile .9 files.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

[HELP] Making my apk an apk again lol

ok so I finally got my brain to open this apk and change the 9pngs, just to change the colors a little...
How do I make it an apk again? its all in a folder, but i tried ziping it and chnaging the name to apk, and didnt work lol

Rosco911 said:
ok so I finally got my brain to open this apk and change the 9pngs, just to change the colors a little...
How do I make it an apk again? its all in a folder, but i tried ziping it and chnaging the name to apk, and didnt work lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all... if you change a 9.png file then it may not work very well since a lot of 9.png files need guides. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you'll probably end up with a messed up app.
If you want to try it anyway, why don't you just take the original apk file and open it up with winrar, replace the png files (or 9.png files in your case), sign the apk file then install it.
I'm assuming that you didn't actually develop the app since you don't even know how to make the apk file.
So based on that assumption I'm going to warn you not to distribute the app unless you have the developers permission.

Oh no no no, I wont distribute.. is just for my personal use, to make my theme match lol
And yeahhh I suck at all of this, so im just gonna leave it for the good.. lol I dont even know how to sign an app.. lol

[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...