Database Develop

[DEV ADVICE NEEDED] Considering Casual ROM-building

Let me explain what I mean by "casual". I've come to find that I always end up removing stuff from custom ROMs that I don't like/don't use and end up with something much much better.
With NFX's permission (should he give it) I'd like to make a custom ROM based on my slimmed down approach, one that left me with tons of free space, lots of free RAM, great battery life, and smooth operation. I'm looking at the ROM right now, and I'm wondering; is there anything special I need to know about adding my own apks to be preinstalled with the ROM? I'd like to add Fancy Widget and LauncherPro since I stopped using the Sense Launcher. My ideal setup is one where the app is recognized by the market so that it can be updated as and when needed. Also, what can I do to ensure that LauncherPro is the default launcher?
I'd love to get into this. I'm not big on code editing but have no issue with doing so when needed, can anyone nudge me in the right direction?
Update #1: My first attempt failed . I was using Nfinite's Odexed NFX Rom. I tried to just change around the apps in the data/app/ folder. Also attempted to delete all the HTC Sense Widgets beforehand. (I do this after install, but I wanted to do it before.) Should I not be working with an odexed ROM, and is there some sort of signature process that I need to be using?

Pretty sure you need deodexed.
CM6 Android 2.2.1 Froyo Darchstar
Radio 2.42.01.04.27
*Bite me Sprint!

Search for avabox on these forums. It has the zip signing tool to make the zip flashable after editing it. And many other helpful tools
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

davec1234 said:
Pretty sure you need deodexed.
CM6 Android 2.2.1 Froyo Darchstar
Radio 2.42.01.04.27
*Bite me Sprint!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
danaff37 said:
Search for avabox on these forums. It has the zip signing tool to make the zip flashable after editing it. And many other helpful tools
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys! I'll give this a shot and see what happens

LiquidSolstice said:
Let me explain what I mean by "casual". I've come to find that I always end up removing stuff from custom ROMs that I don't like/don't use and end up with something much much better.
With NFX's permission (should he give it) I'd like to make a custom ROM based on my slimmed down approach, one that left me with tons of free space, lots of free RAM, great battery life, and smooth operation. I'm looking at the ROM right now, and I'm wondering; is there anything special I need to know about adding my own apks to be preinstalled with the ROM? I'd like to add Fancy Widget and LauncherPro since I stopped using the Sense Launcher. My ideal setup is one where the app is recognized by the market so that it can be updated as and when needed. Also, what can I do to ensure that LauncherPro is the default launcher?
I'd love to get into this. I'm not big on code editing but have no issue with doing so when needed, can anyone nudge me in the right direction?
Update #1: My first attempt failed . I was using Nfinite's Odexed NFX Rom. I tried to just change around the apps in the data/app/ folder. Also attempted to delete all the HTC Sense Widgets beforehand. (I do this after install, but I wanted to do it before.) Should I not be working with an odexed ROM, and is there some sort of signature process that I need to be using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like some else said you'll need the deodexed rom. Also if your altering the rom for personal purposes there is no need to ask nfinite... if you post the rom then you'll need to ask and give props.
Next you need some kind of rom manager tools so that you can sign and zip align your apk and have a flashable after you make your changes. maybe read threw the rom cooking guide on the hero wiki page also.

You most definitely what an odexed ROM. Its been a while since I messed with it, but i think you will want to place apps you want updated in /data/app. As for the default launcher, it should ask which one you want as default when you first boot into the ROM.

unCoRrUpTeD said:
You most definitely what an odexed ROM. Its been a while since I messed with it, but i think you will want to place apps you want updated in /data/app. As for the default launcher, it should ask which one you want as default when you first boot into the ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@[email protected] Confusion. A few people above have said I need deodexed?

The only problem you will run into with odexed vs deodexed is changes to any jar files within an apk on system. Only really applies to framework level edits. Things like removing haptic or rotary lock screen or battery percentage mods, etc.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

LiquidSolstice said:
@[email protected] Confusion. A few people above have said I need deodexed?
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Click to collapse
I meant to type deodexed. I was so tired and doing ten things at once. Didn't even reread what I was posting.

danaff37 said:
The only problem you will run into with odexed vs deodexed is changes to any jar files within an apk on system. Only really applies to framework level edits. Things like removing haptic or rotary lock screen or battery percentage mods, etc.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah. Nah, the only thing I'd love to experiment with is to swap out images and png files. The functionality of the ROM and its inner workings are fine . Assuming that I can remove all the HTC widgets and a few of the apps I won't be using (using LP, so Sense Widgets are unneeded), and that I can set a default launcher, and perhaps mess around with all the status bar icons/button images, that's all I want to do

LiquidSolstice said:
@[email protected] Confusion. A few people above have said I need deodexed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will need deodexed

You can always re-Odex it afterwards.
I assume you've realized this, as you have a stable odexed ROM out, but I'm putting it up for reference's sake. Don't want someone reading the thread and getting the wrong idea.

How do I pull themes from one rom and apply to another?

I am looking to switch over to Doc's new xxjpu 2.0 rom as soon as it gets posted, at least temporarily to check it out. I also love the theming and animations from Di11igaf's rom. I'm familiar with using 7zip to switch out icons or even the kernal and making changes before flashing, but I'm not sure how to do it with animations and menu themes. I think xml files have to be adjusted to get disired effects. Are xml files firmware specific? Or can I switch them?
Still a noob, but trying to learn here.
Thanks.

PuffinNugz said:
I am looking to switch over to Doc's new xxjpu 2.0 rom as soon as it gets posted, at least temporarily to check it out. I also love the theming and animations from Di11igaf's rom. I'm familiar with using 7zip to switch out icons or even the kernal and making changes before flashing, but I'm not sure how to do it with animations and menu themes. I think xml files have to be adjusted to get disired effects. Are xml files firmware specific? Or can I switch them?
Still a noob, but trying to learn here.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Xmls are version specific. I am also learning as I go and trying to get a working theme from different parts. I would open the framwork-res and swap the anima folder for the transitions and go by one by one and change the icons with their new counterparts and hope you dont get a boot lool or FC city lol. Trial and error

zelendel said:
The Xmls are version specific. I am also learning as I go and trying to get a working theme from different parts. I would open the framwork-res and swap the anima folder for the transitions and go by one by one and change the icons with their new counterparts and hope you dont get a boot lool or FC city lol. Trial and error
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right on, Thanks. Kind of what I figured. I'll give it a go.

[Q] Is it possible to change the lockscreen on 2.1?

Just as the title says... I'm running a rooted stock ROM with sideloading enabled and was wondering if there was a way to change the lockscreen. I saw a couple floating around but they look like they required specific ROMs or 2.2 installed.

Demonic240 said:
Just as the title says... I'm running a rooted stock ROM with sideloading enabled and was wondering if there was a way to change the lockscreen. I saw a couple floating around but they look like they required specific ROMs or 2.2 installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt it. You could try fiddling around with the framework but I believe different lockscreens come from specific roms.

Demonic240 said:
Just as the title says... I'm running a rooted stock ROM with sideloading enabled and was wondering if there was a way to change the lockscreen. I saw a couple floating around but they look like they required specific ROMs or 2.2 installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on the lockscreen. I know you can get the AOSP lockscreen for 2.1. If you want the glass lockscreen from one of the other SGS phones you would have to see about it. I have seen an app that was a lockscreen switcher, but I took a quick look in the market and didn't recognize which name it would have been. I attached the android.policy.odex for the AOSP 2.1 lockscreen.

Hey flashman2002,
Could you explain how to use that file?
Thanks

Would I run that .zip as a normal update.zip file?

One app (that costs unfort) that will do this is Widget Locker. It isn't 100% bug free though and your results may vary.
I know Design Gears had a stock lock screen posted on his site at one time for 2.1 ROMS but I dunno if it's there any more.

You would unzip the file I put up. You could the use a file manager like root explorer or astronomical and move the file to its proper place. Back up the original android.policy.odex incase you need it.
This is my captivate. There are many like it but this one is mine.

[THEMES] Cognition 4.1+: Gingerbread, Honeycomb

Make sure you backup before flashing in case something goes wrong. I am not responsible in any way if you brick your phone. You accept all risk that comes with flashing your phone.
With this theme I decided to go for a more genuine GB look. Which is why there are more files to flash. Also after some trial and error and help from people around the forum I finished my bootanimation.
Here are some GB themed apps. These are not required for the theme to work but do make the theme look good as a whole. *note the Dialer were pulled from Serendipity and can be found on the Serendipity site.
All of the files are Clockwork Mod flashable except the "Icons and Dock.zip"
*NOTE*
This theme will not change the look of your launcher. There are Gingerbread styled icons and dock attached if you want to theme your launcher. This is not a CWM file. Download it, unzip it and pick what you want.
Credits:
DesignGears: Cognition 4.1+
arcardinal: Larger font in the battery mod
MikeyMike01: Help with the twframework, themed Swype and dialer
Kaik541: More GB like Signal bar and fixed wifi icons

Guide to Themeing
The attached guide is information I use to theme the Cognition ROMs. If there is additional information that you would like to know you can ask me and I'll try to answer.

Honeycomb Theme
Attached is the Honeycomb theme that received of 70% of the vote in the poll. This Honeycomb theme has been ported from PuffinNugz's theme he created.
*UPDATE
The battery icons in PuffinNugz's theme didn't port over properly. I tried everything I could think of to get them to work but could not. So what I have done is recolor the GB battery icons to match the blues in the rest of the HC theme.
*Note
If you want your lock screen to look like the one in the screenshot you have to use the puzzle lock in the settings.

Hmmm, I'm using Cog. 3.03 and it seems that this theme only changed certain properties of the theme. For example the notification bar is from this theme, but when in settings or any other menu, the font color and type is still from my previous theme.
Otherwise great work, thanks

adrian18w said:
Hmmm, I'm using Cog. 3.03 and it seems that this theme only changed certain properties of the theme. For example the notification bar is from this theme, but when in settings or any other menu, the font color and type is still from my previous theme.
Otherwise great work, thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I observed this as well during testing. I had flashed one of the other themes available to Cog3 and found that after applying my theme that certain things were still unchanged. This is due to the apps such as settings, dialer, browser and so forth were also themed by the developer. My theme only changes the framework and twframework files in the rom itself. Not in each individial app...for now.

Ahhhh, I see. So I'm guessing that flashing a fresh copy of Cog. 3.03 and applying your theme should work?
Thanks.

adrian18w said:
Ahhhh, I see. So I'm guessing that flashing a fresh copy of Cog. 3.03 and applying your theme should work?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct. I will start working on themeing the apps later on in my free time to get the overall GB look with a little of my own customization.

Sounds great man. Keep up the good work

How do you uninstall this
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

jojomoulder said:
How do you uninstall this
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the OP for the revert file.

Thanks
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Why is this different than your Gingerbread for Cognition 2?

AmandeepG said:
Why is this different than your Gingerbread for Cognition 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cog2 uses JI6/JJ4 framework.
Cog3 is based of the Rogers 2.2 and uses JL1 framework. Other users tried to use my other GB theme on Cog3 and it didn't work. So I made one that would. Supply and demand is what will drive my themes mostly.

CB650 Wolf said:
Cog2 uses JI6/JJ4 framework.
Cog3 is based of the Rogers 2.2 and uses JL1 framework. Other users tried to use my other GB theme on Cog3 and it didn't work. So I made one that would. Supply and demand is what will drive my themes mostly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I think l was unclear. I meant to ask why the theme on Cog3 looks different than on Cog2 (like I notice some icons are different)
Sent from my Rogers Samsung Captivate

AmandeepG said:
Sorry, I think l was unclear. I meant to ask why the theme on Cog3 looks different than on Cog2 (like I notice some icons are different)
Sent from my Rogers Samsung Captivate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which one of the Cog2 themes are you referring to? I know there are differences in the extended power menu and the status bar pull down. I'm not aware at anything else blatantly different. The reason behind the icons being different is that I didn't have new icons when I made for first two themes. If there is a request to update the old themes with the newer icons I will update them. Like I said before supply and demand.

Not installing...
Gets stuck at Installing update for Icons and Dock. I've tried 3 times, re-downloaded the .zip twice
The GinCog3.xip installed fine.
Cog 3.04

dirtyballoonot said:
Gets stuck at Installing update for Icons and Dock. I've tried 3 times, re-downloaded the .zip twice
The GinCog3.xip installed fine.
Cog 3.04
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose I should have specified in the OP (will fix). The icon and dock zip file is just that, a zip file. download it and unzip the file to see the icons and dock. You will have to manually apply each one.

CB650 Wolf said:
I suppose I should have specified in the OP (will fix). The icon and dock zip file is just that, a zip file. download it and unzip the file to see the icons and dock. You will have to manually apply each one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Must be too complex for me. My phone looks NOTHING like yours

Thanks a lot I've been wanting to change the toggle icons in the notification tray on my perception theme for a while. I loved yours (but I changed the unpressed ones a tiny bit) and now it looks amazing, thanks for sharing!
before:
after:

Looks good...what font are you using in the screen shots?
Fort Rucker, AL...DO NOT miss that place lol!!

[Q] few questions

Hi there :}
- Is there a way to keep the Sense 5 app drawer with the clock and weather top in Nova launcher?
- I would like to change the multitasking window to the stock one. Like it is in the GE editions where you swipe to the right to kill an app. Can I do that somehow?
Thanks for the replies!

Terra_Oroboroz said:
Hi there :}
- Is there a way to keep the Sense 5 app drawer with the clock and weather top in Nova launcher?
- I would like to change the multitasking window to the stock one. Like it is in the GE editions where you swipe to the right to kill an app. Can I do that somehow?
Thanks for the replies!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Not possible.
2) Yes it's possible, just edit (with Notepad++) the default.xml file in /system/customize/ACC/default.xml. Inside the default.xml file search for:
<item type="boolean" name="isHtcStyleRecentApp">true</item>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And:
<item type="boolean" name="support_HtcStyleRecentApp">true</item>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's about 412 and 430 lines and it's the "values" for the HTC recent apps style.
Change "true" to "false", save, replace the file and set the correct permissions, like the original file, reboot and you're good.
You can also do that directly from your phone with a file explorer (like Root Explorer), edit the same file, save then reboot and you're good. You'll have the stock Android recent apps style.
Make a Nandroid backup before, just in case.

Thank you very much I will do this today. Also I would like to use the AOSP lockscreen and the Analogue clock from the GE edition. I dont want to use hololocker. What is the best way to do these?

Terra_Oroboroz said:
Thank you very much I will do this today. Also I would like to use the AOSP lockscreen and the Analogue clock from the GE edition. I dont want to use hololocker. What is the best way to do these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Re,
Sorry but for these... I don't know but I doubt it's possible (or at least with an app like Widgetlocker or something similar in the Playstore for the lockscreen).
Second solution is to use a custom rom that allows this -> dev section-> search in the OP for the different rom's... I'm sure I've seen some custom rom's with this option (Viper for example). It depends if you want keep a "stock-custom" rom with the closest look (with a tweak here and there, but it's "soft" or a rom with multiples tweaks...
Take a closely look on the rom in the dev section

Yeah, I installed Viper ROM today. I like it so far.

Terra_Oroboroz said:
Thank you very much I will do this today. Also I would like to use the AOSP lockscreen and the Analogue clock from the GE edition. I dont want to use hololocker. What is the best way to do these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
viking37 said:
Re,
Sorry but for these... I don't know but I doubt it's possible (or at least with an app like Widgetlocker or something similar in the Playstore for the lockscreen).
Second solution is to use a custom rom that allows this -> dev section-> search in the OP for the different rom's... I'm sure I've seen some custom rom's with this option (Viper for example). It depends if you want keep a "stock-custom" rom with the closest look (with a tweak here and there, but it's "soft" or a rom with multiples tweaks...
Take a closely look on the rom in the dev section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2400292
It is possible to get an AOSP lockscreen!