Database Develop

Editing APK's w/ Mac and Betterzip?

Ok so i've been easing into learning how to edit apk's, theming I guess you can call it. I'm in the exploratory early stages, here's my question. I use BetterZip on my Mac to edit the apk's (zips). So I copied the facebook.apk from Super D 1.10.3 (built in?) and move the apk to my sdcard and renamed it with a .zip extension. Edit some png's, save it. Return to Root Explorer and rename with the .apk extension again, and install. Install comes back successful but my image changes do not show up? I havent gotten creative with it because I want to know the steps first before getting creative. So i just turned random icons black and such and they remain the same. It "overwrites" the FB app that is installed initially in system/app, should there not be two apk's around? prob not right? If someone could just briefly tell me their steps, and obviously you'd have to have a mac to help. Thanks.
And for the record, i've checked out other threads about editing apk's on a mac and its just too difficult it seems, creating keystores and whatnot? I feel like my method is pretty close, I'm just missing something.

joe.kerwin said:
Ok so i've been easing into learning how to edit apk's, theming I guess you can call it. I'm in the exploratory early stages, here's my question. I use BetterZip on my Mac to edit the apk's (zips). So I copied the facebook.apk from Super D 1.10.3 (built in?) and move the apk to my sdcard and renamed it with a .zip extension. Edit some png's, save it. Return to Root Explorer and rename with the .apk extension again, and install. Install comes back successful but my image changes do not show up? I havent gotten creative with it because I want to know the steps first before getting creative. So i just turned random icons black and such and they remain the same. It "overwrites" the FB app that is installed initially in system/app, should there not be two apk's around? prob not right? If someone could just briefly tell me their steps, and obviously you'd have to have a mac to help. Thanks.
And for the record, i've checked out other threads about editing apk's on a mac and its just too difficult it seems, creating keystores and whatnot? I feel like my method is pretty close, I'm just missing something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know much about mac's but I'm pretty good at theming. How are you signing your modified .apk files? If you don't sign them then they will fail to install.

Double post - sorry

Have you seen this thread - it's a droplet for your mac to sign apks.....maybe it will help?

yeah I have that droplet app to sign apps. Maybe it's just a bad apk to start with? I used the FB apk and edited it, signed it, and tried installing it on a fresh install of Superfast (facebook isn't included in system apps) and it still says "This program will overwrite a system blah blah blah" So maybe i'm just messing with the wrong apk? I haven't tried anything else, I just really wanted to tweak the FB widget, haha. Any advice?

[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] 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!

Theming on a Mac

Alright so I've finally gotten the hang of simple theming on a mac, I use Better Zip to edit the APKs, and then TommyTomatoe's Android Utility to Sign the APKs. But I'm trying to figure out how to edit XML files and also when I try to decompile APKs I get an error that the command is not found. Also is there anything else I should know when theming on a mac?

Modifying a CM12 Theme

I am probably posting this in the wrong section and this question has probably been asked and answered 1000 times but I have been trying for weeks and reading tutorials with no luck. So I'm going to ask..
I am trying to modify a CM12 theme for my own use and I am having issues. I have decompiled the apk with apktool and modified the png images to my liking. I then recomplile the apk using apktool and try to resign the apk. The apk installs but then fails to be recognized by the theme chooser and gets deleted automatically.
I have tried deleting the meta_inf folder and resigning but nothing seems to work.
Anyone feel like helping me out?

bwar85 said:
I am probably posting this in the wrong section and this question has probably been asked and answered 1000 times but I have been trying for weeks and reading tutorials with no luck. So I'm going to ask..
I am trying to modify a CM12 theme for my own use and I am having issues. I have decompiled the apk with apktool and modified the png images to my liking. I then recomplile the apk using apktool and try to resign the apk. The apk installs but then fails to be recognized by the theme chooser and gets deleted automatically.
I have tried deleting the meta_inf folder and resigning but nothing seems to work.
Anyone feel like helping me out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe my error is in editing the png images in the apk. I am using good ole photoshop 7 to invert the colors then save. Shouldn't that work?

Here is the modded apk with a log cat

Well solved my problem. Messed up the .9.pngs. I was unware you must keep the black lines unchanged, I inadvertantly inverted them to white. Now everything works great. Guess you admins could delete this thread if you want. Sorry to have wasted the space.