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Is there a way to change the name and icon of an app that has already been installed on a nonrooted G1?
Get BetterCut.
I knew bettercut worked for creating icons on the desktop but does it also work in the menu?
I would like to know about the name changing also. There's been some apps that just have long ass names! I don't need to see "Chee Wee's Screen Timeout App" when "Screen Timeout" or even "Timeout" would be much better to me
I am looking for this as well. Is there a way? Some of the apps I have installed just have their names cut in the menu and end with "...".
Is this possible without the source? I would like to change my security apps, the ones that I text and it gives me the location? I think a theif would see these apps and delete them after he steals the phone.
IIRC...
you need to unpack the .apk of the file and edit the part to change (icon or name [ i have no idea what they are called] and then rezip and resign and then install again.
Here's a link on how to do it for the ICONs:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=503007
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
Customizing an app with icons of choice:
App considered in example: Settings.apk
Archive software: winrar
Image editor: GIMP Portable
Download and install software needed, if not already present:
An image editor that lets you work on images, a little advanced preferred so the transparency of icons is not lost. I used GIMP portable version since this won't create any registry entries and would be un-intrusive on my system.
Winrar to extract files from the app.
Copy the Settings.apk from /system/app folder to some temp folder, say /sdcard/temp using an app like Root Explorer
Connect the phone to computer and copy this app from temp folder to computer
Download and install winrar on computer
Note: I used winrar, you can use any archive manager of your choice as long as you can open the apk file with it
Open Settings.apk with winrar
Enter the folder "res"
You will find a few folders here. Copy the folder "drawable-hdpi" to desktop.
Open this folder and turn on image previews.
This folder contains the icons used in the app. Select the icons you want to update.
Creative part here: Search for icons that appeal to you, or you feel would appeal to public if you plan to release it public. Don't worry abt the size, but ensure they are atleast 96x96.
Sizes as per my preference:
App icon as seen in app drawer: 96x96
Internal icons in settings: 64x64
The (b) above may not always hold good. You could try with one size, and then try resizing to best fit the app you are working on.
Open the icon you downloaded in GIMP and resize it.
On toolbar: Image --> Scale Image --> Type in the width and height you want (pref in pixels to be accurate) and click "Scale"
Save the file.
Give this file the same name as the icon you want to replace.
Repeat steps 11 through 13 to resize all the icons you want to replace.
Please make sure the icon that is visible in app drawer is atleast 96x96.
Copy these new icons into the "drawable-hdpi" folder overwriting the existing files.
Open Settings.apk with winrar
Enter the folder "res"
Enter the folder "drawable-hdpi"
Drag and drop all the icons in our "drawable-hdpi" on desktop into this folder in winrar
Close winrar (it is auto saved).
Move the "drawable-hdpi" to recycle bin (do not delete it at this point)
Open Settings.apk again in winrar, and extract the "drawable-hdpi" folder to desktop.
Open this folder and make sure all the icons are present in it as per the updating you just did.
Move this file to phone to some location say /sdcard/temp
Open root explorer and move this file to /system/app
You might consider backing up the current Settings.apk file to Settings.bak before copying the new file there (it is always recommended to backup the existing app in case you wanted to revert)
Thats' it. You now have a new look settings app.
*** All standard 'messing with system outcomes' disclaimers apply ***
Word of caution. Non stock apps may not update correctly in the market after doing this.
whiteguypl said:
Word of caution. Non stock apps may not update correctly in the market after doing this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think this could cause an issue 'cos all I am updating here are some images, not any XML or anything.
Edit: I haven't so far tried it on any apps I bought from market so far.
Great write up...
Thanks for doing this...It takes the mystery out of changing things around some.
Mac
I was actually looking into this and am very glad you put up a tutorial. Thanks a lot!
If you simply want to change the app icon on the homescreen as opposed to the app drawer, download Desktop VisualizeR. Great and simple app that allows you to pick and choose icons for different apps. Really fast to do if all you want is home screen and don't care about app drawer.
danrubi said:
I was actually looking into this and am very glad you put up a tutorial. Thanks a lot!
If you simply want to change the app icon on the homescreen as opposed to the app drawer, download Desktop VisualizeR. Great and simple app that allows you to pick and choose icons for different apps. Really fast to do if all you want is home screen and don't care about app drawer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea. Changing just the home screen icon can be done even through Launcher Pro shortcuts. This changes the icon whole. This way it gets changed with the new one in the drawer, and retains the new one even when u create a shortcut wherever u want.
nice write up diablo.
this will help people who might want to make a theme, or customize their phone or whatever, but have no idea where to start.
di11igaf said:
nice write up diablo.
this will help people who might want to make a theme, or customize their phone or whatever, but have no idea where to start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks dilli.
Did u like my settings app customizations? Would it be worth considering to put them into our green and blue themes?
Nice write up but for making only minor changes, such as with swapping out a few images, isn't it much easier and faster to just use ninjamorph?
newter55 said:
Nice write up but for making only minor changes, such as with swapping out a few images, isn't it much easier and faster to just use ninjamorph?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is assuming with no tools. Just the basic editors. And like I said, this is my first step, and I don't even know any tools.
im trying to install these signal bars.
ive tried following these steps but going into framework-res instead of apps for the signal bars, but when i went to paste the folder back into the framework-res / res folder it just made a copy outside of the framework-res and nothing has changed
bignate78 said:
ive tried following these steps but going into framework-res instead of apps for the signal bars, but when i went to paste the folder back into the framework-res / res folder it just made a copy outside of the framework-res and nothing has changed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open framework-res.apk in winrar. Browse to the folder u want within winrar. Drag and drop the files there.
If u can wait abt an hour, I can upload my version of customized 3.0 FF ROM. Incidentally I have customized a couple icons in framework-res.apk, and happen to include the same signal icons. U could use my framework apk if u wanted to.
Will this change anything on my phone besides the signal bars?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
bignate78 said:
Will this change anything on my phone besides the signal bars?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Only a few more icons here n there like changing some icons to green that were initially with no color. Changed the sync icon. Rest all the same.
Unrar the file and u will get an apk file. Copy this into /system/framework folder on ur phone using an app like root explorer, and reboot immediately (ignore any FCs).
Cause I dnt want to change what's done to my phone besides the signal bars.
And thanks a ton for the help!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
bignate78 said:
Cause I dnt want to change what's done to my phone besides the signal bars.
And thanks a ton for the help!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U can extract the files from the apk and compare the images between existing and this one. Hardly any changes.
Let me recall:
1. Sync icons
2. Wifi icons
3. Some icons color changed to green, and some error icons to orange (these were colorless earlier)
diablo009 said:
U can extract the files from the apk and compare the images between existing and this one. Hardly any changes.
Let me recall:
1. Sync icons
2. Wifi icons
3. Some icons color changed to green, and some error icons to orange (these were colorless earlier)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok cool let me look at them and if i like them could you possably change the colors?
bignate78 said:
ok cool let me look at them and if i like them could you possably change the colors?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10char
diablo009 said:
10char
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is there anyway i can send my framework and have you change the bars and basically change what would be green in yours to blue in mine?
Hello - trying to search, but only getting search down error. I have the captivate with root and am trying to locate where the icons are kept. I would like to keep the 4 programs on the bottom dock, but want to change the icon. I wanted to go into Photoshop, but I can't find where the icons are kept. Any help or advice would be great. I prefer not to use another launcher to change icons as I like the screen the way it is.
vtmorp said:
Hello - trying to search, but only getting search down error. I have the captivate with root and am trying to locate where the icons are kept. I would like to keep the 4 programs on the bottom dock, but want to change the icon. I wanted to go into Photoshop, but I can't find where the icons are kept. Any help or advice would be great. I prefer not to use another launcher to change icons as I like the screen the way it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an app called apk editor. Its on the i9000 themes and apps forum I believe.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
Thanks! Going to check it out now.
OK, I'll admit it - I have no idea what I am doing. I do not know how to use the edit apk or apk manager. Is there any way to mount my phone, open photoshop, find an icon and edit it? I really am most wanting to edit the app icon on the dock. Does any one know where to find this icon? Also, where are the other icons - are they in each individual program? Thanks. Peace. Michele
vtmorp said:
OK, I'll admit it - I have no idea what I am doing. I do not know how to use the edit apk or apk manager. Is there any way to mount my phone, open photoshop, find an icon and edit it? I really am most wanting to edit the app icon on the dock. Does any one know where to find this icon? Also, where are the other icons - are they in each individual program? Thanks. Peace. Michele
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. extract the app with root explorer to the sd card,
2. put it on your computer and change it to a .zip file
3. extract the res folder and go into the drawable-hdpi
4. replace the current icon with the icon that you want (should be named something similar to "homescreen_icon_musicplayer.png" which is the stock music player icon) it shouldnt be to hard to figure out which one it is. just make sure the names are the same when you replace it.
5. replace the original res folder inside the zip file with the modified version
6. cange the zip back into a .apk and put it back onto the sd card
7. Finally using root explorer replace the old apk with the new one from the sd card.
vtmorp said:
OK, I'll admit it - I have no idea what I am doing. I do not know how to use the edit apk or apk manager. Is there any way to mount my phone, open photoshop, find an icon and edit it? I really am most wanting to edit the app icon on the dock. Does any one know where to find this icon? Also, where are the other icons - are they in each individual program? Thanks. Peace. Michele
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes each app icon is built into the app. If all you really want to do is change the bar icon on your main screen then I would grab Launcher pro or another launcher that allows for custom Icons and use that or you will be editing each app one by one
Hi.
There is a way to change the background when I use the smart cover? I mean the window on the right I can see with the smart cover...
Thanks in advance.
Without root you have to change the design in the design app. You can also create your own with apps.
With root you can replace the file, I don't have the correct name, because I deleted it for having a black background, inside the directory "ROOT/data/themes/0/wallpaper"
Jannomag said:
Without root you have to change the design in the design app. You can also create your own with apps.
With root you can replace the file, I don't have the correct name, because I deleted it for having a black background, inside the directory "ROOT/data/themes/0/wallpaper"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone is no root: can you please tell me which is the design app and the apps I can use to create new ones?
Thanks again
The "Designs" app is a pre installed system app. There you can choose your lockscreen wallpaper, which should also change the smart lock background.
With EMUI Theme Editor you can make your own theme.
I've tried but it changes only the standard background and not the smart lock one, that's why I opened the 3d and made the question...
With the EMUI Theme Editor change the S-View image. You have to crop it to the right size inside the editor before you save the theme. This should work, I've tested it a few minutes ago.
This is another EMUI thing that should be fixed by Huawei, but they don't mind what they're users want to have in the next updates.
I've tried and it works!
Thanks a lot [emoji6]