[Q] Changing launcher foreground - Android Themes

Trying to customize the bottom ("launcher"?, you know, it has "phone", + and the app list) on htc sense (for now). I've made the background for the launcher transparent but now I want to get rid of the text "Phone". I can't find any image in either framework-res.apk or com.htc.resources.apk that correspond with those foreground icons.
How do I go about changing them? Am I just looking at the wrong set of images or is it time to get into some scripting/layout editing?
And, a much more important question, what's the best resource for me to go about solving future problems like this on my own? Searches don't really turn up good resources (ie, a description of what each folder contains, where to find status bar resources, etc). I'm a rather independant learner but this particular platform is leaving me a little on my knees.

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Programmatically Changing the Theme

Hi everyone,
I'm having great difficulty in programmatically altering the current WM theme in a CESetup dll (C/C++). There seem to be a whole raft of registry values which need altering in order to reset the theme from T-Mobile/T-Mobile2 to the Windows Default. To give you an idea of what I'm on about, the one's I've tracked down so far which appear to influence it include:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Today\Skin
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Today\UseStartImage
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Color\BaseHue
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Color\SHColor
HKLM\System\GWE\SysColor
I also remove a couple T-Mobile's gifs in the \Windows dir which are removed when you switch themes through the Settings -> Today screen.
However, all these changes only seem to change *most* of the theme elements, images and colours to the Windows Defaults. The background image on the today screen and the background colour of the start menu are a couple of the obvious remnants.
I seem to have looked everywhere, but is there a simpler way to achieve a theme change, perhaps through a Windows Mobile Configuration Service Provider or some other less than obvious way? Not only would this be a benefit in actually changing the theme correctly, but hopefully it would make maintaining this dll much easier as WM versions advance.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Adrian
I Use Theme GenCE to modify or create a theme. It is very user friendly, works great and a freeware.
Download HERE
There is a tutorial on how to use Theme GenCE in the wiki...
Thanks for your reply, Reaper. I've looked over the tutorial and grabbed the program; it looks like a possibility.
However, I really wanted to avoid creating a theme; after all, I simply want to invoke the Windows Default, which I understand is stored on ROM. I am however running out of options and time; creating a theme to emulate the Windows Default theme may be the easiest and quickest way out of this, although it seems ridiculous that it's this difficult to change the theme to the default programmatically.
If anyone's got any other suggestions I'm all ears. Also, if anyone has any suggestions as to where to acquire all the parts required to build such a theme to emulate the Windows Default theme (such as background images, colour schemes) I'd be grateful too.
The only other solution I can think of is to enumerate all registry keys, and all files on the filesystem, prior to changing themes through the settings menu, and again afterwards, and doing a diff of the two, so I can see exactly what needs changing. However, even this isn't ideal, given that hardcoding all these locations isn't easy to maintain, and there are so many keys and files that need changing.
I'm really struggling to believe there isn't a simple one-stop switch to revert to default...

[Q] ?s about themeing

I really want to theme my phone, is there any tips to make it easyier
an also theres no meny png files that im not sure what changes what, is there a guide of any sort for that or anything.
I got editing images down but im still gettin lost on changing things
an out of curioisy is there a good themer out there that would be willing to work with me personally so im not gettin mixed results
here ya go..this should get you a start
http://www.google.com/cse?q=how+to+...ub-2900107662879704:fs7umqefhnf&ie=ISO-8859-1
Great resource here
im not sure if im wording this right, but to theme an app u open that apps apk. to theme a widget u open that widgets apk. right?
So what all does framwork control?
still tring to get it togather what png's edit what on my phone
Essentially yes. Most of the app's .png's will be in the respective .apk, although if it's a Sense ROM then a lot is stored in the 'com.htc.resources.apk'
The 'framework-res.apk' holds all the files for like the notification area, the pull down menu, status icons, buttons, tick boxes, radio buttons etc...
The best way to familiarise yourself with it all is just to have a look through the image folders and see what you see.
not much luck, im gettin lost, so ill be back in a cuple days let u knw if i got it yet, if i cant come up with it, ill just make a list of things i want done an see where it goes.
Are you on a Mac or PC?
Keep in mind, you have to sign it to get it to install if you unpack it. After weeks of failed signing attempts (I still cant get them to sign) I found a way around this though...just don't unpack it Use 7zip on PC or I am on a Mac so I use Springy. Replace what you want and you are good to go.
Let me know if you need more help with this method. It isn't the way everyone else does things, but it works for editing things and making it what you want.
@reanger91878 I was just looking into start some theming and was trying to figure out if using a Mac put me at a disadvantage... but I guess since I found you I'll know who to ask if I run into a problem. So I guess I'm gonna get Springy and see what I can figure out. (I've never done this crap before).
:edit: boo it costs money, any free options? or will the non-licensed version work for me?
Alright
heres what i want done
I have NFX Sprint 2.31.651.7 STOCK Odex Update3.
Lock screen bar where its grey i want black
All screens under settings an phone options like device1 pic 1 want there its white to be black an the black letters white with a green boarder.
Device2 pic: want top an bottom where its grey to be black save with bookmark widget an calander app
Device3: white section black an the letter white
Device4: change all screens from white to black an white lettes an the grey buttons at the bottom to green same with clock, messages, music and photos
Device5: i want the ui buttons at the bottom like that but for it to be Phone in the middle app drawer on the left an add to home on the right
Invert all menus uder browser
so if some one would be willing to help with what xml an pic files i edit to do it, or some one helps me put it togather it would be awsome an id be very thankful
BuddahWolf01 said:
@reanger91878 I was just looking into start some theming and was trying to figure out if using a Mac put me at a disadvantage... but I guess since I found you I'll know who to ask if I run into a problem. So I guess I'm gonna get Springy and see what I can figure out. (I've never done this crap before).
:edit: boo it costs money, any free options? or will the non-licensed version work for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using a Mac does not put you at a disadvantage per se...kind of, but there are workarounds
You don't have to use Springy, that is just what I use. The key is to find an Mac application that can open up a .zip file without extracting it, because once you extract, you need to resign (no big deal really, but for whatever reason my computer won't properly sign). I think the free version of Springy lets you open up a ROM of a certain size? Can't remember...but if you are editing a theme, they should open, because most are under 15MB. You can also just search around for other Mac apps that handle zip files and find one that does not extract. Let me know what you come up with and what you need help with...I gained much knowledge here, and will gladly pass on what I have gleaned.
DubsideWICKED said:
heres what i want done
I have NFX Sprint 2.31.651.7 STOCK Odex Update3.
Lock screen bar where its grey i want black
All screens under settings an phone options like device1 pic 1 want there its white to be black an the black letters white with a green boarder.
Device2 pic: want top an bottom where its grey to be black save with bookmark widget an calander app
Device3: white section black an the letter white
Device4: change all screens from white to black an white lettes an the grey buttons at the bottom to green same with clock, messages, music and photos
Device5: i want the ui buttons at the bottom like that but for it to be Phone in the middle app drawer on the left an add to home on the right
Invert all menus uder browser
so if some one would be willing to help with what xml an pic files i edit to do it, or some one helps me put it togather it would be awsome an id be very thankful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big tasks Don't know if anyone will actually be able to do it for you, but check the resources above to get an idea where to start. It's the whole "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime" idea.
Open up your ROM and check the framework-res.apk and see what you find...but you are looking to do more than just framework edits...
ranger61878 said:
Big tasks Don't know if anyone will actually be able to do it for you, but check the resources above to get an idea where to start. It's the whole "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime" idea.
Open up your ROM and check the framework-res.apk and see what you find...but you are looking to do more than just framework edits...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of what all i want edited what is controlled by frame work an then would the rest be Apk files in the system app
my biggest problem is im not understanding what xml files change what an some of the pngs idk what they change
edit: I found post that said this, is that a pretty good way to descride it.?
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 some 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 contain the encryption data of 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. The xmls 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.
so basically everything is a picture that i want changed an xml files control text color an placement of where things are or what?,
im try my best to but thoes darn xml files are messing with me lol
To start, don't mess with the XML files. Just make changes to the PNG files. Once you get familiar with changing icons and status bar colors, then you can start messing with XML files. Let's say you want a different alarm icon.
Look in the DeskClock.apk under res/drawable-mdpi. You would find an icon(PNG) you want to substitute with, size it to the same size as ic_launcher_alarmclock.PNG, name it the same name and replace the original in the apk.
Use adb to push the apk back to your phone. I would then reboot and then enjoy your new icon.
Some icons will be in drawable-mdpi and some just in drawable. No need to change hdpi on our phones.
The majority of your status bar icons and base OS icons will be in framework-res.apk.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
poashll said:
To start, don't mess with the XML files. Just make changes to the PNG files. Once you get familiar with changing icons and status bar colors, then you can start messing with XML files. Let's say you want a different alarm icon.
Look in the DeskClock.apk under res/drawable-mdpi. You would find an icon(PNG) you want to substitute with, size it to the same size as ic_launcher_alarmclock.PNG, name it the same name and replace the original in the apk.
Use adb to push the apk back to your phone. I would then reboot and then enjoy your new icon.
Some icons will be in drawable-mdpi and some just in drawable. No need to change hdpi on our phones.
The majority of your status bar icons and base OS icons will be in framework-res.apk.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said.
You can also do it on your computer...don't extract, just open, replace, close, put on SD and flash (after you nandroid...just in case )
iv been looking an looking, but cant seem to find a black stock theme
with stock htc green when a button is pressed, any one kno off a stock black theme i might be over looking
still havent figured ths out, an im having problems because im odexed?
DubsideWICKED said:
still havent figured ths out, an im having problems because im odexed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes more than likely your only have trouble theme and odexed rom. Try a rom that is deodexed or I heard the have some deodex sripts that will do it.
ASimmons said:
Yes more than likely your only have trouble theme and odexed rom. Try a rom that is deodexed or I heard the have some deodex sripts that will do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright is there a performance or memory difference between odex an deodex
Does this same process apply with adw? If so, does that mean theming aosp and cm6 are equally as easy?
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

[Q] Icon text grey oval background removal

Hey,
I'm looking for a way how to delete those ugly greyish oval backgrounds (or shadows) behind the icon text on homescreen. I know that some launchers already has it (TW 4.5 by Fr4gg0r), but I want to go with stock TW 3.0 launcher, because Fr4gg0r's is too slow and not really stable. I use slightly modified TW 3.0 Stock+, which is included in Simplicity 1.6.
It reduces the length of the text to one line. I also saw few launchers with the background deleted, but the text still shortened on one line. So I don't want that.
I want it to look like this on the right, not on the left:
img232.imageshack.us/img232/5285/sc20110629133850.png
(left: TW 3.0, right: TW 4.5 by Fr4gg0r)
Any ideas please?
I don't believe that noone knows the answer.
I browsed the .png files in the .apk, but I didn't noticed any files which belongs to the text background. I thought I'd just make it transparent so it would disappear, but the text would be still shortened.
Any idea, where the .png could be?
done kapow10

[Q] Need help finding an image for HTC apks (contacts, clock)

Alright, so here's my problem...
I'm a newbie themer, and I've been working on making a theme for my HTC Merge. The problem is that I can't seem to find the location of a certain image that I want to modify. The image I'm looking for is used for the bottom background in HTC apps that have a scroller along the bottom... ie: htccontacts, clock, the launcher itself.
I've decompiled com.htc.resources.apk, framework-res.apk and SystemUI.apk searching but I can't seem to find it anywhere. The majority of HTC images I've found have been in the com.htc.resources, but unless I'm crazy, this one isn't there.
I attached an image that shows which part I'm talking about. I've already found the image for the scroller (common_subnav_selector_tab.png) but I can't find the background for the life of me. Does anyone know which image this is? Thanks in advance!

[Q] Modifying SystemUI

I am looking for some information and assistance with attempting to modify the SystemUI.apk or in creating a custom Theme for my HTC One M7 on Android 4.4.3 with Sense 6. I am running the ARHD Rom but I would like a method independent of using Custom ROMs or Xposed framework if possible, requiring root is fine. I have seen some packages that do some of this which contain a vrtheme folder in them but haven't been able to find a tutorial on building one of these and which files are for which icons.
I have tried modifying the background color in res/values/drawable.xml and in res/layout/status_bar.xml files to #ff000000 but the status bar still appears grey on the home screen. This seems to match with the theme I selected from the Personalize menu in Settings. It's my guess that somehow, these theme settings override the systemUI settings. So I would like a way to create my own theme to select which will hopefully also allow me to change the color for selected notifications and the like.
In addition to this, I have a set of icons for the status bar such as battery power, battery charge, wifi signal, cellular signal, mobile data quality, etc.. which I would like to use to replace the systemUI icons for these. However, there seem to be several versions of icons in various drawable folders. So if I could find out the requirements for these files (size, naming, location to replace them at) or if there is a way to replace them as part of a theme that is, again, independent of custom rom or xposed framework if possible.
If anyone knows of a tutorial that already exists for any of these things simply pointing me to that is answer enough, I just didn't have luck finding it when trying to search for it.

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