[TUTORIAL] How to easily THEMES .apk (for DEODEXED ROM only) - Galaxy S II I9100G Android Development

[TUTORIAL] How to easily THEMES .apk (for DEODEXED ROM only) - Galaxy S II I9100G Android Development

After few days surfing, asking & testing. I decide to make a easily tutorial for theming in Windows, I think as long you know to use computer, they is nothing much difficult to theming/modifying the .apk yourself.
My guide only cover:
De-compile & compile of .apk
changing the .png file inside .apk
Modifying tricky .9.png file.
Modifying .xml file.
Zip Align the .apk
What you need:
Your phone must be ROOT and DEODEXED.
CWM pre-install recommended, you can simply get this function by installing superatmos / Lucifr kernel.
7-zip - for replacing file inside .apk
JRE (Java Runtime Environment) - required to run the APKtool
Android-SDK - must install before APKtool & Zipalign work.
APKTool Download the apktool & also apktool-install-windows.
Before Start:
Always remember make a backup for any .apk file you plan to change or amend.
Recommended make a flash-able version of origin not amend .apk in-case something went wrong, you can always flash back the original file via CWM. Example if you did something wrong in your systemUI.apk (for statusbar) it will probably make your phone nearly impossible access any part due to unstop FC.
I also like to take this opportunity to THANKS the following user help, without them, all this is not possible.
ronhoover88
superatmos
tarunagg
Vertumus

De-compile & Compile of .apk
Why this step is required:
You need to de-compile the .apk before you can correctly modified the tricky .9.png and also to see a readable .xml for amending.
Step:
Install JRE (Java Runtime Environment) & Android-SDK.
Download the apktool & also apktool-install-windows, extract the file and put inside your Windows Folder.
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"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Open command prompt (Start - Run - CMD)
Before de-compile the .apk, make sure you copy out your current phone framework-res.apk & twframework-res.apk, lidroid-res.apk only required if you using lidroid-res.apk in your framework.
Code:
[B]apktool if [location of .apk][/B]
Example:
apktool if D:\APK\framework-res.apk
apktool if D:\APK\twframework-res.apk
apktool if D:\APK\lidroid-res.apk
Now, De-compile the .apk
Code:
[B]apktool d [filename.apk] [directory][/B]
Example: apktool d D:\framework-res.apk D:\De-compile
If sucess, you will seen the following line in your CMD.
The De-compile folder will be generate as seen below.
Now you can amend whatever you like to amend, after done, proceed to following step.
Compile back:
Code:
[B]apktool b [directory][/B]
Example: apktool b D:\De-compile
Extra build folder will appear inside your De-compile folder, all file inside here already compile and can use later in your Android phone.

Changing/Replacing the .png file inside .apk
Amending normal .png no need to de-compile, just extract the file and modified using any photoshop tools or simply replace the .png
Just right click any .apk file and select 7-zip extract to, as seen below:
Now go to the extracted folder and amend / replace any .png file you like to replace. (Remember .9.png file cannot just simply replace, check following post for instruction.)

Modifying tricky .9.png file.
The .9.png cannot just simply amend using any photoshop and put back, because by doing so, either the amend .9.png won't appear or just simply give you FC in your phone when running it.
What to do:
De-compile the .apk.
Below showing the different between before and after de-compile of .9.png, as you can seen on right image,they is extra 4 black dot + 1 black bar and surrouding with transparent bar, all this area must be keep and not amend during photoshop. The de-compile image will auto increase 1 x pixel + 1 y Pixel.
Just amend without touching those area, save it and then put back to correct folder and compile back.

Modifying .xml file
After you have de-compile the .apk, now all inside .xml is readable where you can make some changes on the color selection, clock position and etc. by just simply open with notepad and modified.
Before de-compile, the .xml look like below which is not readable and understand by human.
After de-compile, now the .xml is readable and understand by human.
Now you can amend what ever you like, Google/Search XDA forum for which .XML to amend.
Use this color code checker site for getting your desire color code.
After done, don't forget, you must compile back the .xml before it is understandable by Android OS.
Screenshot below showing modifying the sub text .xml to ICS blue color.
Change all
Code:
from android:color="#ffffffff to [B]android:color="#ff3f9bbf[/B]
at zzz_tw_secondary_text_sub.xml

Zipalign the .apk
Why this step is required:
You need to align the .apk to let the Android phone run the modified .apk perform much smoother and better, if you have more not align .apk file in your phone, it will eventually drag down your entire phone performance.
This step is not necessary but recommended.
Step:
Open command prompt at your Android-SDK Tools folder
Type following command and run
Code:
[B]zipalign -fv 4 [filename.apk] [filename-new.apk][/B]
Example: zipalign -fv 4 framework-res.apk framework-res-new.apk
A new Zipalign .apk will be generate as seen below, highlight in blue.
Zipalign in batch, save following code in .bat and put in your folder that contains .apk file. It will batch running zipalign all .apk inside, this guide I found from user Grumpy Old Man post at RootWiki. Thanks for this easier method.
Code:
@echo off
REM Batch file to recursively zip align *.apk files in a directory
REM and its sub-directories. This is significantly easier and faster
REM than manually zip aligning them.
@echo Zip aligning now...
for /R %%X in (*.apk) do zipalign 4 "%%X" "%%~dpX%%~nX.new"
@echo Replacing non-aligned files with zip aligned files...
for /R %%X in (*.new) do move /Y "%%X" "%%~dpX%%~nX.apk"
@echo Zip aligning done, press any key to exit
pause

Final Step
OK, done everything? now you need to put back to your phone with 2 method
Flash via CWM - highly recommended
Root Explorer - not recommended as it may not properly change for Statusbar theming.
Using CWM
Make a flash-able .zip to flash at CWM
Not sure how to do, let use a easier way, take any flash-able .zip, use 7-zip and choose open archive as seen below:
Now just drag and drop all your modified .apk inside the .zip file, choose YES when ask "Confirm File Copy" as seen below:
Copy the modified .zip to your root SDCARD and restart to CWM and install. Done!
Using Root Explorer
Temporary copy your modified .apk to your /system/csc
Right click choose permission and set as below:
Move your current .apk to correct directory /system/app
Done! This method is not recommended for framework-res.apk & systemUI.apk, better way still flashing via CWM.
ENJOY HAPPY THEMES!

My Achievement
Below is what you can get after themes. Enjoy!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM BELOW, NOT RELATED TO S II - i9100G
CENTER CLOCK for SONY XPERIA Z phone.
De-compile the SystemUI.apk, then change some code at status_bar.xml in /res/layout
Step 1 - Find
Code:
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock"
android:gravity="left|center" android:id="@id/clock" android:paddingLeft="6.0dip"
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" />
Step 2 - Replace Step 1 code with
Code:
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center_horizontal|center"
android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:singleLine="true" />
Step 3 - Then search for
Code:
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
and now cut Step 2 code and paste in bottom Step 3 code.
Step 4 - Lastly find
Code:
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/ticker"
and past following code beside it.
Code:
android:background="@drawable/status_bar_background"
Save the edited status_bar.xml
Sony Xperia Z Center Clock Screenshot.

Very nice tutorial!i'm too lazy to type/make a tutorial..lol its good for sharing the idea..:thumbup:
Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk 2

fauzi_91 said:
Very nice tutorial!i'm too lazy to type/make a tutorial..lol its good for sharing the idea..:thumbup:
Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I am still learning.

u forget to mention the deleting of edited xmls file and resources.arsc

samyam2002000 said:
u forget to mention the deleting of edited xmls file and resources.arsc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My final step is drag back and save using 7-zip, the file will automatic replace, no need manual delete.
By the way, thanks for highlighting removing of resources.arsc, add-in this step at final step now.

i dont know if i am doing it right what what exactly does a build folder contain a folder or .apk file

samyam2002000 said:
i dont know if i am doing it right what what exactly does a build folder contain a folder or .apk file
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The build folder contain all the files you had de-compile just before but in compile format back.

Andrewtst said:
The build folder contain all the files you had de-compile just before but in compile format back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so i just replace them or what on the original .apk
definnately apkmanager is easier

samyam2002000 said:
so i just replace them or what on the original .apk
definnately apkmanager is easier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Just replace to your origin .apk and remember always do a backup for any .apk you want to amend.

thanks for ur tutorial bro..

Mybe u can add a lil bit intro/tutor about uot kithen too if u want..can introduce to people out there who never used it b4..they also can get so many icons in there..
Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk 2

fauzi_91 said:
Mybe u can add a lil bit intro/tutor about uot kithen too if u want..can introduce to people out there who never used it b4..they also can get so many icons in there..
Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I never try before that, wait I try first, before I can add-in.

Andrewtst said:
Oh, I never try before that, wait I try first, before I can add-in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uot kitchen is the easier way to make a theme as long as we know how to use it..there are a lot of option there..n we juz need to upload the systemui.apk n framework-res.apk..but for contact,phone etc will remain stock..that one we can use ur tutor to modify..
Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk 2

Related

[HOW TO] Manuals for creating a theme

In the following 3 manuals, you will be shown/told how too create a theme.
Thank you to the authors. Most of all to Stericson for he is the first to figure out HOW to create a theme for your phones.
Thank You Again
Restore your G1 back to it's original theme and fonts!

To create themes, or to edit themes to your liking, you will need a working knowledge of android, adb, how to resign apk's, knowledge of your own O/S.
Things you will need:
The rom you intent to create a theme for... Now a days there are so many to choose from so none of this will be rom specific.
You will also want to get the latest and greatest bootloader installed on your phone and to HIGHLY suggest everyone trying your theme to install it as well.
You'll find this on Android Development
You will also need the latest SDK and java:
Link to Java: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
Downloading SDK: http://code.google.com/android/intro/installing.html
You can also use any zipping archive to extract files from and to the update.zips. I believe there are links below to some of these.
Very Important!
You do not usually need to resign every apk that you change! Usually you only need to resign the update.zip! However there may be times that you may need to resign an apk. So dont sign the apks...if you have problems with the update then try to resign the apks.
JesusFreke was kind enough to build a custom signing tool for me that would allow me to right click on an apk and resign it from there. I am posting it here for others to use as well. Note that this is a courtesy of JF, so thank him for it. I cannot stress how much time this has saved me and will save you.
Automatic version!
Do not use this to sign APK files in Vista or windows 7! It will cause your theme to loop phones when placed on a device. Only use this to sign update files if your using those O/S's
Note, this will not work if your SDK or the path that you place this in has any spaces in the dir name!
An Example of this is c:\users\Nikki and Stephen\sdk\tools
Try to put the SDK and the contents of the zip in a dir where the names are all together and not like the one above.
I have made a batch file that will automate the entire process of setting up to use the signing tool made by JF. This batch file will set the CLASSPATH, set the PATH, install the registries, and will even allow you to sign files manually if you wish. I plan on building onto this batch file to include other things. However, for the moment, it will only include what you see here.
In order to use this you should have downloaded the sdk already. Simply extract all of the files into the tools dir of your sdk, and run autosign.bat follow the instructions and go through the options one by one, starting with 1 working through 4. You can however, put the contents of this zip anywhere on your computer and it will work. It is just better to put them into the tools dir of your SDK. Especially for the consideration of future versions.
Autosign .zip: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5...MTEyMi00NzI4LWJkMDQtZTUzNjBjMTZlMWNj&hl=en_US
Want to set up the signing tool manually?
Before using this you need to know how to set this up:
Now you will need to add the tools dir of your sdk to the environment variable CLASSPATH.
FOR XP:
Right click on My Computer click properties, then choose the tab that says advanced.
Click the button that says environmental variables.
Go to system variables find the one that says CLASSPATH
double click it
go to the end of variable value.
There should be a semicolon ; at the end, type in the path to the testsign.jar located in the tools directory of your SDK
for example the path to my testsign.jar was c:\sdk\android-sdk-windows-1.0_r1\tools\testsign.jar
If CLASSPATH is not in your system variables then create it.
Secondly, Find the system variable called PATH and add to the end of it, the full path to your sdk directory.
For example, mine was c:\sdk\android-sdk-windows-1.0_r2\tools
FOR VISTA:
Open a cmd prompt.
Replace THEEXACTPATHTO-TESTSIGN with the path to the dir that holds the file testsign.jar.
Type:
echo %CLASSPATH%
If it is returns %CLASSPATH%
Type the following:
set CLASSPATH=THEXACTPATHTO-TESTSIGN\testsign.jar
If it comes back with something else then
Type the following:
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;.;THEXACTPATHTO-TESTSIGN\testsign.jar
For Example, when I type this it looks like:
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;.;c:\Android\SDK\tools\tests ign.jar
To set the PATH
Replace THEEXACTPATHTO-SDK with the path to the tools dir of your SDK.
Now type:
set PATH=%PATH%;.;THEXACTPATHTO-SDK\tools
For example, when I type this out it looks like this:
path-%PATH%;.;c:\Android\SDK\tools
Now through doing this you have done two things, first off you have made the resigning process extremely easy, secondly you will not have to cd to the tools dir of the sdk to use adb or any other tool in the sdk.
Signing the Files:
Now right click the reg file that you extracted and choose to install it, or merge.
Now, right click an apk, do you see an option that says ResignApk? That's how you will resign your .apks and .zips.
When you choose it a cmd window should open for a few seconds and then close. the file you signed will be overwritten with the new resigned file.
If you find the right click menu not working for some reason you can type the following in cmd to sign your files: java testsign whateverfiletosign
General Info:
You will need to be specific in addressing what version your theme is for, RC8, RC30, or ADP1. Make sure you test the update.zip before you release it.
Every .apk contains the images relating to itself. However, every apk has the ability to use the images in framework-res.apk. The images for every apk is located inside of itself. To find these images open up the apk, you can rename it to .zip or open it with an archiver of your choice, winrar, winace, etc. Then after opening the apk open the folder called res and inside of that there are folders that are named Drawable, drawable-land, drawable-port, etc. This is where the images are stored.
There are some things you cannot edit unless you rebuild the entire apk from source, which we will not go into here.(another tutorial, another time) Just know that at this time you SHOULD NOT edit, or even open images with the extension .9.png doing so will corrupt the .9.png and cause the image to distort. You can however compile the images with eclipse.
Editing .9.png's - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=487001
Be aware, messing with .9.png's can cause problems if they are not done correctly.
If your going to build your own update.zip from scratch:
To simplify this process for you though, most rom devs provide a theme template with their roms now. You can also download someone elses theme and use their files, since they are resigned already. It may also be easier to see what files do what and go where since they have already been edited and are easy to point out.
Now, your ready to start changing things up.
You will now need to open the apk, which you can do by adding .zip after .apk, effectively changing it to a zip. or you can use your favorite archive opener.
I dont use the archive process because it can lead to very aggravating problems such as things not getting signed correctly and have heard reports of it interfering with the signing tool above. Anyways I just add zip and it works great for me.
For those renaming the .apk's to .zips
Note that if you are using windows you will need to unhide known file extension types. you can also use your favorite archiver such as winrar, winzip, etc.
See here to unhide known file extension types for Xp: http://www.mediacollege.com/microsof...on-change.html
See here to unhide file extension types for Vista: http://maximumpcguides.com/windows-v...ile-extension/
Tips:
After opening the apk copy the folder called res.
Go to your desktop, or wherever, create a new folder called Images, or whatever.
Open the folder, paste the res in there.
Now you can see what the files look like without opening them, by using thumbnails to see what they are.
Btw, you may also want to add -frame, or -launcher, to the end of the res folder you copy over to keep them separated from others.
Almost Done
So now your theme is done and your ready to make an update.zip for others to install your theme.
Update script
The update script is in a Unix format, while you do not need linux you must save it in a Unix format. I suggest using Textpad to edit this script and saving it in the Unix format.
Link to Textpad: ftp://download.textpad.com/pub/textpad5.2/txpeng520.exe
XML Edits
I have provided some additional support for the process of hex editing xml files to change things like text color, size, and more things not easily changeable.
You can find this thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=479019
Final Notes:

Editing market apps
With market apps, if you make changes you usually need to make sure you dont resign their apk because you will overwrite their signature keys with the test keys.
If anyone has any questions please try asking for help in this thread before emailing me for help Usually I will respond to questions in this forum.
I hope this Tutorial has been helpful. I will add on to it as needed.
Any questions can be directed to me at [email protected]
Stericson
Links of interest:
Using ADB: http://code.google.com/android/reference/adb.html

How To Theme Develop for Windows For Dummies in 10 easy steps (( no your really not a dummy its just an easy name for a how to lol))
well i'm going to give this a shot in the dark on how to create this how to be as easy as possible
1st
download these files if you don't already have them
JAVA
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
download the JDK
Winrar
http://rarlabs.com/rar/wrar380.exe
and Auto-sign.zip
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?uwzjjydnm2r
2nd
Download my included Auto-sign files.
what it contains.
the Test keys file..
and an update.zip file
and a batch file i created called auto-sign to make things easier to sign
3rd
after you have downloaded my Auto-sign
then you extract it to where ever you want.
4th.
use the update.zip included if your a Beginner it includes my windows 7 theme .. i edit so many files that it's easier to tell what does what and whats goiing to go where. now open that zip file DON'T EXTRACT just open it using winrar..
5th
When it is open go to Framework.. and open Framework-res.apk
NOW IF THE APK. POPS UP AND SAYS IT CANT OPEN BLAH BLAH SELECT A PROGRAM AND THEN SELECT WINRAR.
6th
Once you open Framework-res.apk KEEP THIS WINDOW AND UPDATE.ZIP WINDOW OPEN!!
then just extract the whole Res Folder to where ever you like this makes it easier to see what files you wish to edit.. most of the files will be in the folder called Drawable
7th
open up your favorite photo editor .. i use photoshop along with 90% of the people who Graphic Design... Edit your pictures Remember a file with a .9 can mess up your phone so edit those carefully.. and save what ever pictures you have
8th
Now drag the whole Res Folder .. back into the Framework-res.apk
now your update.zip file is going to say files has been changed to framework-res blah blah do you wish to save it . click yes .. now your framework has been updated you can close everything out
9th
go to the Auto-sign folder.. and open Auto-sign this will now sign your update.zip .. and rename it to update_sign.zip .. now just delete your old update.zip.. rename update_signed.zip to update.zip
10th
put it on the root of your memory card.. reset using green call + menu + end
then hold home and end .. until the recovery mode shows up .. then press Alt+S and hope your device isn't bricked
Disclaimers
I'm not responsible if your brick your device.. but i will help to the best of my abilty and if i can't help i'm sure XDA will
i don't sign every file in my update.zip i just sign update.zip .. and hey it works lol..
For ADP or RC 8 versions .. just download your favortie ADP theme or RC 8
put it in the Auto-sign folder.. and rename it to update.zip if it isn't already then just follow my steps

ToDo:
1. Explain about the files that make up themes
a. Explain update.zip and folder structure
b. Explain about pngs and apks
2. Explain the tools
a. WinRaR
b. Auto-sign
c. Java JRE and JDK
d. Draw9patch tool
e. Editing tool
3. Setting up your phone for themes
a. Choosing which JF firmware to use
b. Using the Eng Boot Loader and why
4. Explain the process to get the files
5. Explain which files to edit
6. Explain how to import modified files
7. Explain about auto-sign and how to use it - I am building a program that will making signing files easier. check it out as i build it! here
1. When you download a theme it comes in the form of an update.zip file. Basically the same as the full update looks, but it is a watered down version. All of the operating system, boot loader and radio files have been removed.
a. If you check the file size of JF’s RC30 1.31 and compare it to any of the themes, you will notice that the theme file is about a 3rd the size. JF’s update.zip contains data, META-INF and system folders it also contains a boot.img file. Where as a theme update.zip contains app, framework and META-INF folders. The theme update.zip only contains the folders and files that are necessary for changing the Android theme. If you were to dig deeper into JF’s RC30 1.31 update.zip you will find the folders that are in the theme’s update.zip. For example, double click the system folder and you will see 11 folders and 2 files. The only ones we are concerned about are app and framework. So when you flash a theme it doesn’t bother rewriting all of the OS and boot loader, but only the app and framework folders.
b. Inside the app and framework folders are apk files, apk files are like zip files or containers. There are many folders and files inside the update.zip but we are only going to cover a few for now.
(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 a few 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 contains the encryption data for 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. They 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.
Basically the interface of Android is a bunch of pictures; the programmer links these to certain actions. As someone making themes you do not have to worry about any programming, in the future when people start unlocking the xml files to change the way things look. Then you will have to learn some basic programming, but for now we will only talk about changing the picture files.
2. The tools you use for creating themes are very basic and you might already have 3 out of 4 installed.
a. WinRaR is a must have for everyone, it allows you to create and open compressed files (i.e. Zips, RaRs and about 25 other file types) It would best if you associate WinRaR with zips and apks, the zips can be associated during the install of WinRaR. To associate apks you can right click on an apk and choose “Open With…” make sure to check off the box that says “Always use this program to open this kind of file”
b. Auto-Sign was released by Dave da illest 1, to make signing the apks and update.zip an easier process. Before you can flash an update or theme the phone checks to make sure the update.zip is signed by google or by JesusFreake. I will explain this more in Section 3.
c. Android apps are built on Java, hence the need for JRE and JDK, You will not be working directly with these apps but part of the signing process uses Java. You can get both files here: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp you will want to grab the first and second downloads.
d. The draw9Patch tool comes with the Android SDK, it is located in the tools folder. This tool is used to edit stretchable images. There is still a lot of research that needs to be done on using this tool. So for now let’s just say do not touch any files with .9.png as an extension. Dave da illest 1 has changed a few of these .9.png files without issue so maybe we can get him to explain them better. I have also edited some of these files but it made some of the images stretch weirdly.
e. I am not sure what other photo editors you can use, but everyone I have spoken to about modding the theme uses Adobe Photoshop. I am sure you can use other programs. But I am not aware of any at the time of this writing.
3. Before changing the theme on your phone you will need to gain root access which is explain here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=442480
a. As you look through all of the different themes, you will notice some say they are for RC30, RC8 or ADP1.
i. RC30 – Is the US version
ii. RC8 – is the UK version
iii. ADP1 – Stands for Android Developers Phone and was produced for programmers. This version is completely unlocked and does not have any of T-Mobile’s software or locks.
b. So your phone is rooted and you’re wondering why you should have the engineering boot loader. Well one reason is because of the 3 Androids on skateboards, the other reason is if your phone bricks during a flash you can fully recover your OS with the fastboot option. More about this can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=455860
4. You have a few options here, you can either get the files from RC30 update.zip, one of the other theme’s update.zip or you can use the themes template at the bottom of this thread. All 3 methods you will need to open the update.zip go into the framework folder (if you get it from RC30 you will need to go into system\framework) Extract the framework-res.apk to a folder of your choosing. Most of your editing will take place on the files from this apk. When you are looking at these files in Windows explorer it is best to change the view to Thumbnails and look at all of the images and see if you can figure out where they are placed on your phone’s screen.
::TIP1:: Your best bet is to create a Themes folder on your desktop or in My Documents, somewhere simple to find. You will be dealing with a lot of files and it can get very confusing quickly.
The other file you will want to change is Launcher.apk; this file is in the app folder and contains the menu launcher tab, clock, Google search widget, wallpapers and some other things.
::TIP2:: When you open Launcher.apk from inside the update.zip file, WinRaR may default to a temp folder...(i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\bobbyd\Local Settings\Temp\Rar$DI71.579\framework-res) double check the location of where WinRaR wants to extract the files, this is how I ended up flashing the original files after spending a decent amount of time photoshopping.
5. Now the only files you will want to edit are png image files. There are also xml files, they are used to format the UI, you can change the locations of things on the screen but the xmls need to be unencrypted before you can edit them. I have not done this process yet and will update more information later.
6. Importing the files is very simple, as long as you know the layout of the update.zip. Once you have edited all of the files you plan to or just want to test to see how your theme looks. Open the update.zip in WinRaR and go to the location of the files (i.e. Say you changed the 3G icons, you would go to the framework folder and double click on framework-res.apk. This will open another WinRaR window, open Windows Explorer where your edited files are and hold the Ctrl key while clicking the files you want to copy. Now drag them onto the open WinRaR window from the framework-res.apk. When it asks to replace the files choose “Yes” or Yes to All”. Close that WinRaR window and the one from update.zip will tell you “Files have changed would you like to save this file now” click “Yes” again and now your update.zip will contain your modified files.
7. Download and install Stericson's auto-signing tool here.
I have been slacking on this guide, I will update soon again.

[HOW TO] Easy steps for creating a theme
I know there are a million and 1 walkthroughs on here for creating themes but after doing it for a while I have really refined my process and made it as easy as possible. Im just hoping to clear up some of the confusion so after you know how to sign your files you will know how to finish making them into your own custom theme.
First you need to get signing setup properly. This topic is covered in many places and my recommendation is to use the Stericson walkthrough or the Stericson auto-signing setup tool. Once you can click on any zip or apk file and get the option to Resign it you are ready to proceed with making your own theme.
1. Download an archive manager that allows you to open archives inside of archives without creating new windows. My recommendation for this is the application 7-zip. It is tiny, free, easy to use, and on all my computers it has replaced winzip and winrar.
2. Now take a blank theme from Stericson to use as your starting point, in my case I use the ADP1.1h version since I am building for JFv1.43 which uses ADP1.1h this will be the minimum needed to change your theme and will contain all the original artwork.
3. Open the update.zip and inside are typically 3 files, framework, system or app, and META-INF. Leave META-INF alone, you wont be touching that. Inside framework and system/app is where the files are that you can change. In this case we will open update.zip, then double click framework and then double click framework-res.apk (this is where the next archive will open inside the same window, your life just got a little easier).
4. Now you are looking at assets, META-INF, res, and a couple other random files, the resources.arsc can be edited but I will show you that in another tutorial. Now open up the folder res and you will see the treasure we are searching for, folders with the name drawable. All of the folders that start with the name drawable are where we can edit the themes, this includes drawable, drawable-land, drawable-port, and drawable-finger.
5. Now drag and drop the folders drawable and drawable-land onto the desktop. Once they are on the desktop you can edit the .png files in those folders until you are ready to put your theme together.
6. Now in your still open window at \framework\framework-res.apk\res\ you will open the drawable folders one at a time and drag and drop your edited files into the archive, only dragging and dropping the files you edited and not just everything inside the folder.
7. Once you have your new images copied into the archive in the correct place you can just hit the close button or browse up a couple directories and find other files to edit. Any time you edit an apk and browse out of it or close it you will be prompted to update it in the archive by 7-zip (this is my secret shortcut), always press ok.
8. Now you have a freshly created theme ready to install, all you have to do is right click, chose to Resign the file, and once its done you can copy it to your SDcard, make sure its named update.zip, and flash your new theme.
Its literally that easy! And you use this same technique in the system/app folder to edit the apk files for the individual apps on the phone. Explore around in the update.zip and see what you can find, I only told you about the major items but there is plenty more to find and change. You can always copy a folder out of the archive and if you cant edit anything just toss it but if you can find something to edit, do so and throw it back in the archive. You guys now have all the info I had when I started plus all my tricks to making that process 10x easier.

I Just Want To Change My Clock. I want everything else stock. Sorry for asking but when i search so much comes up. I know its really simple to do. If anyone can just point me in the right direction or give me a quick how to that would me AMAZING!

Read:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=482205

notifi
jut want to change notification to white on statusbar

Before I tried to setup the autosign tool, when I double clicked on zip files it opened them up, which was how I wanted it. After trying to setup the autosign, when I double click on zip files nothing happens, except a java command prompt window pops up, same happens when I right click and hit resign zip, how can I fix this?
Edit: I reinstalled Java which fixed my issue

i got this tryin to update
E:No digest for framework-res.apk
i edited someone else theme, did not edit no .9 file.. i right click on the update.zip and resigned it. what went wrong?
EDIT: nevermind i got it.. i followed the one for dummies, guess i am dumb lol

What the image file for the tab on the bottom of the screen called? I couldn't find it searchin throguh the framework-res.apk

its in launcher.apk. Check in drawable portrait and drawable landscape.
Stericson

thanks i should of explore more before posting

Hi,
I've got 99% of my theme done although I can't find where the bottom of the notification bar is and the white bit where the notifications would be.
I've done a little picture below to help me explain.
Bottom notification bar is the arrow.
The white bit where the notifications would be is the hatched.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Thanks for help in advance.

Also could someone tell me how to put icons in for well know apps from the market. At the moment I have put the full apk in the update and change the icon. But this increases the theme size. Thanks again!

NO DIGEST? Failed?
what does it mean when I try to flash the new update.zip and it fails because it says NO DIGEST? What does this mean? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

parmenti said:
what does it mean when I try to flash the new update.zip and it fails because it says NO DIGEST? What does this mean? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
means it hasn't been properly resigned.

thanks, that's what I thought. Can't seem to get it right. Does the image, the apk, and the zip all have to be resigned? Or just one or the other? THanks for your help.

parmenti said:
thanks, that's what I thought. Can't seem to get it right. Does the image, the apk, and the zip all have to be resigned? Or just one or the other? THanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just the update.zip needs to be resigned.

[Tutorial] White Notification Bar [Updated 5/13/10]

Here is a pack of 3 files that, if pushed to your rom will give you the white task bar. This will change status icons and is just a work in progress "fill in the the gap" type of thing until I can write a proper update script for an update.zip. Currently this has only been tested to work 100% with:
Evil Eris 2.0.1 (It will, however, break the Sense launcher. So if you want the white bar, use another launcher)
Ic3Rom 2.0
It DOES NOT work on
TaintedVanilla 1.3.1
Or any rom that has it's System/Framework apk's and jar's odexed.
Please let me know if it works with any others.
Also, please not that this will change the status bar highlights to green.
http://www.multiupload.com/4YV5D61YRX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just push the three files and reboot. Reboot will take about 5 min, so don't freak out if it takes forever. If you get into a boot loop, however, it didn't work.
DISCLAIMER: I'm not responsible if this bricks your phone. Please don't yell at me if it does. Also, be smart: do a nandroid backup before you try this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This tutorial is for a white menu bar. It's still kind of a work in progress, but it works for the most part. When done, it looks like this:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Ok. Here is the extremely long way to do this, but it should work with any rom and will give you a full (date/time/notifications) white/vanilla task bar.
(Seriously, this may take 30 minutes or more if you're unfamiliar with some of these commands)
DOWNLOAD: http://www.multiupload.com/VZWCE0A0FN
Unzip the files and there should be 4 folders and 1 file: framework-res, com.htc.resources, PCSCII, Tools, and StatusBarIcon.smali.
Also included are the tools needed to crack open the .dex file from services.jar, smali.jar and backsmali.jar
First you'll need to pull the proper files to modify from whatever rom you're using. Open up your command line program of choice and do this:
cd [your tools folder in the android sdk]
adb remount
adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk framework-res.apk
adb pull /system/framework/com.htc.resources.apk com.htc.resources.apk
adb pull /system/app/PCSCII.apk PCSCII.apk
adb pull /system/framework/services.jar services.jar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Copy all these files into a new folder.
Things can get messy so name them whatever you'd like to keep things organized.
After all this you can start copying files. First we need to open up services.jar. Easiest way is to change the .jar ending to .zip and expand it with whatever program you'd like. Copy the classes.dex into a new folder. Keep the original folder of the expanded services.jar, it makes things easier in a few minutes.
Here is where things get a little complicated. You'll need to open up the classes.dex file with backsmali.jar. First, make sure Backsmali.jar is in the same folder as classes.dex. Next enter this command into the terminal:
cd [the folder with backsmali and classes.dex file]
java -Xmx512M -jar baksmali.jar -o classes/ classes.dex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will expand classes.dex into a folder. Click through this folder until you find a folder called Status. Now drag the StatusBarIcon.smali into the Status folder. Allow the replacement.
Now we need to close the classes.dex file back up. Make sure smali.jar is in the same folder as the classes folder (make a new folder just to avoid a conflict with your original files) and use these commands:
cd [the folder with smali and the classes folder]
java -Xmx512M -jar smali.jar -o classes.dex classes/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have a fresh classes.dex file now. Now put this new classes.dex file into the original services.jar folder (that you expanded from a zip) and rezip that file. Then change the name from a .zip to .jar.
Step 1: done.
The next few parts are a lot easier, so stick with me here.
Now we need to open up the Framework-res.apk and replace all of the image files needed for a sexy white menu bar. All of the needed files are in the folder named (you guessed it) framework-res. First, you'll need to expand this .apk, do so by changing it into a .zip. After you expand it, copy the files from my folder to the matching folders. Don't drag and drop the folders, it won't work. Select all inside them and paste/drag/whatever over to the one from your phone. There should be a folder of image files, and a folder with two xml files. Once done return to the top folder of the framework-res.zip you expanded and re-zip the contents. Make sure you select the contents and zip them.
**DO NOT ZIP THE FRAMEWORK-RES FOLDER ITSELF, SELECT THE FILES INSIDE THE FOLDER AND RE-ZIP THEM**
You should now how have a new archive. Rename it to framework-res.apk and set it aside for later use.
The last parts are essentially the same things, but with the other two folders I've included: PCSCII and com.htc.resources. Copy the files, and re-zip them into .apk files.
Ok. Almost done.
Now it's time to send the files back to your phone. Place the new versions of these files into your Tools folder in the Android SDK.
Now let's push them back to your phone:
cd [your tools folder... again]
adb remount
adb push PCSCII.apk /system/app/PCSCII.apk
adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework/framework-res.apk
adb push com.htc.resources.apk /system/framework/com.htc.resources.apk
adb push services.jar /system/framework/services.jar
adb reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reboot can take a while, so be patient. I'm thinking rebooting into recovery and clearing your dalvik cache may help, but haven't tried it.
If everything worked correctly, you should have a brand spankin' new notification bar.
Just a note, I have tested this on Evil Eris 2.0 and IceRom 2.0 and it works perfectly. However, it should work with whatever rom you're using. Also, this will change some of your icons to Vanilla ones. If you don't want them changed, don't copy the files that will change them. Those should be apparent when copying the image files from the folders I've included.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Also, if anyone knows how to wrap this all up into a nice little update.zip, please do it or let me know how to do it. It would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, I appreciate the tutorial! I'm attempting to get this set up for my Tainted Vanilla rom and ran into a snag at the beginning. Our services.jar file contains no classes.dex file. All it contains is MANIFEST.MF. Any ideas about how I should proceed?

Ok, I think I've figured it out.
The .odex file is basically the .dex file in an uncompressed format. To break it open you do the same thing you would do with a dex file. Plug it into baksmali and it should yield you a Classes folder. You do have to reassemble it though, which requires you to first deodex it... and it's kind of a pain in the ass. I've figured out the first portion of it, but deodexing the file is decently complicated for a n00b like me. I'll continue to work on it and will hopefully have a solution tomorrow.
Here's where I'm stuck if anyone wants to figure it out:
$ java -Xmx512m -jar baksmali.jar -x services.odex
Error while disassembling method Lcom/android/server/ConnectivityService;-><init>(Landroid/content/ContextV. Continuing.
org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ValidationException: class Lcom/htc/connectivity/DummyStateTracker; cannot be resolved.
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ClassPath$UnresolvedClassDef.unresolvedValidationException(ClassPath.java:535)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ClassPath$UnresolvedClassDef.getClassDepth(ClassPath.java:543)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.ClassPath.getCommonSuperclass(ClassPath.java:383)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.RegisterType.merge(RegisterType.java:274)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.AnalyzedInstruction.mergeRegister(AnalyzedInstruction.java:199)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.propagateRegisterToSuccessors(MethodAnalyzer.java:479)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.setPostRegisterTypeAndPropagateChanges(MethodAnalyzer.java:459)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyzeInvokeDirectCommon(MethodAnalyzer.java:2968)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyzeInvokeDirectRange(MethodAnalyzer.java:2927)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyzeInstruction(MethodAnalyzer.java:856)
at org.jf.dexlib.Code.Analysis.MethodAnalyzer.analyze(MethodAnalyzer.java:202)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.MethodDefinition.getMethodItems(MethodDefinition.java:290)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.MethodDefinition.writeTo(MethodDefinition.java:130)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.ClassDefinition.writeMethods(ClassDefinition.java:322)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.ClassDefinition.writeDirectMethods(ClassDefinition.java:291)
at org.jf.baksmali.Adaptors.ClassDefinition.writeTo(ClassDefinition.java:135)
at org.jf.baksmali.baksmali.disassembleDexFile(baksmali.java:187)
at org.jf.baksmali.main.main(main.java:277)
opcode: invoke-direct/range
CodeAddress: 811
Method: Lcom/android/server/ConnectivityService;-><init>(Landroid/content/ContextV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that in order for successfully deodex, all the file paths have to be correct. I, however, do not have them yet.
More info here for anyone interested: http://code.google.com/p/smali/wiki/DeodexInstructions

Good work, this should be an update.zip once we have confirmed it working successfully.....

stopxstart said:
Ok, I think I've figured it out.
The .odex file is basically the .dex file in an uncompressed format. To break it open you do the same thing you would do with a dex file. Plug it into baksmali and it should yield you a Classes folder. You do have to reassemble it though, which requires you to first deodex it... and it's kind of a pain in the ass. I've figured out the first portion of it, but deodexing the file is decently complicated for a n00b like me. I'll continue to work on it and will hopefully have a solution tomorrow.
Here's where I'm stuck if anyone wants to figure it out:
I know that in order for successfully deodex, all the file paths have to be correct. I, however, do not have them yet.
More info here for anyone interested: http://code.google.com/p/smali/wiki/DeodexInstructions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get the same error. I posted a issue about this on the project page.
EDIT: Figured it out. Add -c :com.htc.resources.jar
You will need to deodex it first thou.

Can we see screenshots of this notification bar

If you look at the IC3 rom screenshots, this should be the same.
Also, stopxstart, thanks for the hard work! Really appreciate it. Should the phone be connected this whole time? Thanks!

gritts said:
If you look at the ICQ rom screenshots, this should be the same.
Also, stopxstart, thanks for the hard work! Really appreciate it. Should the phone be connected this whole time? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ICQ ROM do you mean IC3 ROM?

Yes, thanks, I corrected it.

gritts said:
If you look at the IC3 rom screenshots, this should be the same.
Also, stopxstart, thanks for the hard work! Really appreciate it. Should the phone be connected this whole time? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's easy just to keep it connected but it's not required. Just make sure you adb remount before pushing and pulling the files.

Going to try out a workaround for all of this, I'll report back sometime tonight.
Also, if this works it will allow me to write a sufficient update.script for a standalone zip.

For those following the progress of this, I am currently testing some standalone files to push that should make this whole process easier.
So far works on: Evil Eris 2.0 and Ic3Rom 2.0 (well, fixes it).
Testing others now.

I'm looking forward to your testing on Tainted Vanilla

hoban_eris said:
Hello, I appreciate the tutorial! I'm attempting to get this set up for my Tainted Vanilla rom and ran into a snag at the beginning. Our services.jar file contains no classes.dex file. All it contains is MANIFEST.MF. Any ideas about how I should proceed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that.

ok so these are the things i can't get
the verizon wireless text is white
and the clear button is black with white text
how can i fix these

Re: [Tutorial] White Notification Bar
Did you follow the tut
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App

gritts said:
Did you follow the tut
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok ive tried several times and failed every time could someone put up the final zip I could flash

iloveandroid said:
ok so these are the things i can't get
the verizon wireless text is white
and the clear button is black with white text
how can i fix these
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me double check the XML files in the Framework-res.apk to make sure I put the right ones in. I literally have 60 folders filed with the same file from different testing so I could have easily posted the wrong one.
Also, there isn't a zip to flash because I haven't written the update script for it. If you would like to, please do.

stopxstart said:
Let me double check the XML files in the Framework-res.apk to make sure I put the right ones in. I literally have 60 folders filed with the same file from different testing so I could have easily posted the wrong one.
Also, there isn't a zip to flash because I haven't written the update script for it. If you would like to, please do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would make a flashable but i dont know how

Ok, I fixed the button problem.
You're using Ic3Rom right? Pretty sure the files I have will work with it straight up but let me test it.
Also, I added screenshots to first page.

[Guide/Reference] The Basic APK & Theming Thread... {15/11/15}

Hi there.
The greatest thing about Android is that you can change just about every element of the U.I, and if all you want to do is change a few images it's as simple as copying and pasting, but this guide will teach you how to...
[*]Use ADB Commands
[*]Deodex
[*]Decompile
[*]Recompile
[*]Sign
[*]Zipalign
...in an easy to follow manner that will have you theming your own apks in no time. There are many many GUI programs which I'll link to below that automate the following process but experience has taught me that it's important to know the basic process for when those programs don't work, are no longer maintained or you just don't like them for whatever reason etc, and to be honest command line editing for me is just as quick, and I personally prefer the ability to have everything in one folder. So lets begin.
Some Requirements:
A Rooted Phone.
A BACKUP OF YOUR PHONE!
Java - Do this first if you don't have it installed already.
Notepad++ - An essential program for xml editing!
Photoshop or Gimp - You'll need one of these for image editing.
7-Zip or WinRar - Required for apk editing.
Patience. :silly:
Use Linux or a Mac? See the following threads for more information on using apktool on other Operating Systems...
[WIN/LINUX][Decompile/Compile] Quick Mod Tool 4.0 [decompile and compile with speed]
APK Manager for Mac OS X
[Linux][UTILITY][TOOL] APK Multi-Tool
[tutorial] decompiling,recompiling and signing in linux (27-01-2013)
How to install and use Apktool with Ubuntu

Quick Tips;
.apk files are applications on your Phone, but when they''re on your computer you can browse them exactly like you would a .zip file, so set your default zip program as the default program for handling apks which will makes things much easier when working with them.
Download themes for your Phone, for other Phones too even and compare the res folders and screen shots of the theme as that will give you a good idea of what image you need to look for when modding your own apks.
If all you want to do is change images then you don't even necessarily need to decompile, you can just drag and drop images in to an apk to replace a stock image so long as they have the same file name.
For more complex mods like changing text colors and layouts (.xml files) and editing .9 png images then you will have to decompile.

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Most of us will have Java already installed, but if you don't then get it installed before doing anything else. To save you the time and hassle of figuring out what else you need to download etc I've made a zip for you to download which contains Apktool and ADB.
Download APKTool_CMD.zip to a location of your choice, preferably the C:\ drive which will give you a folder to work from. This is how mine currently looks...
Once your folder is setup, java and other tools installed, you're going to want to get any apks you want to theme off your Phone and there are numerous different ways to this, but we're going to use adb commands to pull files to your computer so we need to open a command prompt window in your Apktool folder. To do this simply hold the shift key then right click your mouse in the Apktool folder and select "open command window here", or just click on the included command prompt.bat.
I like to pull the whole system as soon as I'm rooted as it gives me a backup of stock files which I can then copy and deodex to be themed.
The command to pull your whole system is...
Code:
[B]adb pull /system/ Z1C_368[/B]
...you can choose something other than Z1C_368 as your folder name but it will create that folder in your Aktool folder. Alternatively you can just download individual folders, the commands are as follows...
Code:
[B]adb pull /system/app/ Z1C_368 app
adb pull /system/priv-app/ Z1C_368 priv-app
adb pull /system/framework/ Z1C_368 framework[/B]
...or pull individual files...
Code:
[B]adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk[/B]
...so now you should have a APKTool_CMD folder with another folder within it and at least your app, priv-app and framework folders in that, which we can use for the next step.
The tool I use is this - [Tool/Utility] JoelDroid Lollipop Batch Deodexer. While I will deodex all the files I've pulled to my computer experience and battery life has taught me to only deodex the apps I've themed on the phone, rather than run a fully deodexed ROM.
Before you can do anything else you need to install your framework-res.apk and SemcGenericUxpRes.apk/twframework.apk, which will put two apks at C:\Users\YourPCName\apktool\framework which are the resources apktool uses to work its magic. The two commands to install your two resource apks are...
Code:
apktool if framework-res.apk
apktool if SemcGenericUxpRes.apk
The command for decompiling is...
Code:
[B][U]apktool[/U] [U]d[/U][/B] framework-res.apk
...which will create a folder named like for like except for the .apk extension, and in this folder is where you'll find a couple of folders, the main one always being the res folder as it's in this folder that you'll find your images and xmls to edit. First glance of a decompiled res folder can be overwhelming, 596 folders in my frameworks, but we only need to focus on a handful in the majority of apks, and they are...
drawable
drawable-xhdpi-v4 (drawable-xxhdpi-v4 depending on your device)
layout
values
...you may need to delve into others sometimes but it's very rare that I've had to.
Once you've finished making your mods you need to recompile your apk using the following command...
Code:
[B][U]apktool[/U] [U]b[/U][/B] framework-res
...notice you only use the folder name here. If you get any errors here due to a bad edit apktool will usually tell you, in a roundabout way, you just need to read the code it throws up then retrace your steps, correct any bad edit and try again. If all goes smoothly you'll now have a new folder called dist, which contains your newly modified apk, but you can't use that just yet.
This is where 7-Zip or WinRar comes in to play. We need to extract from the original apk the Android.Manifest.xml and META-INF folder, into the dist folder, then from the new apk extract the resources.arsc also into the dist folder, then drag and drop all three files back into the new apk, but NOTE, it's important that you choose store as the compression method, any other will break the apk, and if you replace a broken framework-res.apk you will bootloop.
And signing is as simple as that. Alternatively you can use the following command...
Code:
[B]java -jar signapk.jar testkey.x509.pem testkey.pk8[/B] framework-res.apk.apk framework-resS.apk
...notice the extra "S", the output name has to differ from the input name otherwise it will give an error, if done right it will create a new apk called framework-resS.apk, just remember to rename it back to the original before using it on your Phone.
[TOOL] pySignare - Quickly Sign APKs [Windows]
Signing For The Play Store
If you plan on Publishing a Theme or any other app/apk to the Play Store then using the above method to sign your apks just wont work because you need to give it an individual signature that is unique to you, thankfully @AndroidGraphix has written a great guide that will show you how, it's a bit more fidgety than the above method but simple enough to follow...
AndroidGraphix said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Noobs guide to signing an APK with a Private Key
DISADVANTAGES OF UNALIGNED APKs
Quite understandably, situation would be reserved for unaligned application packages. Resource reading would be slow and memory usage would be on the higher end of the spectrum. It would also depend on how many unaligned applications are present. For example, if less number of applications with an unaligned home application, you’d see slower application launch times. This is the best case scenario. For a worst case scenario, having a number of unaligned applications will result in the system repeatedly starting and killing processes, struggling with lags and huge battery drain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- SOURCE
Move your new signed apk into your APKTool_CMD folder, you can overwrite your original if you want, and use the following command...
Code:
[B][U]zipalign -v 4[/U][/B] framework-res.apk ZAframework-res.apk
...notice the ZA, zipaligning creates a new apk which has to be named different from the original, but use what you want, it'll need renaming again before you use it.
So now we need to transfer your apk back to your Phone, you can do it by copying to your SD, then to your system, change permissions, then copy to the right folder, but that's not only time consuming but highly tedious too, so a simpler method is to use adb using the push command as this allows us to push straight to the system overwriting the original with the correct permissions too. To use this method you'll need you'll need an unsecure kernel and/or Chainfires adbd Insecure app. Try the app first but if you still can't mount and push files read this thread - [HOW TO]Make your favorite kernel adbd insecure to run ADB as root on /system and try again.
Rename your zipaligned apk to it's original name, then we need to mount the system before we can push direct to the the system, and the command for that is...
Code:
adb remount
...then we need to make sure we're pushing our apk to the right folder on the Phone, so for the framework-res it's...
Code:
[B][U]adb push[/U][/B] D:\Xperia\Z1C_368\APKTOOL\framework-res.apk /system/framework
...yet for the SystemUI it's...
Code:
adb push D:\Xperia\Z1C_368\APKTOOL\SystemUI.apk[B][U] /system/priv-app/[/U][/B]SystemUI
...if it's any one of those two then generally you need to reboot, so just type...
Code:
adb reboot
...your Phone will restart and if you've done everything right your new mods should be displayed, happy days. So that's it for how to use command prompt for modifying apks.
So now you know how to prepare an apk for editing your going to want to theme it obviously, and the following links will help you with that.
XML 101 - XML Modding Made Easy!
How To Edit Resources
The Ultimate Android Themeing Guide
[GUIDE] Smali coding guide for beginners
[Reference] Interactive Phone Modification [GUIDE]
[TOOL] Android Drawable Resizer Tool
[GUIDE] Want to learn how to theme?
[Guide] demystifying build.prop [Valid entries]
General Questions about Themes GO HERE!!!!!
[INFO] Custom framework-res.apk resources.arsc using vendor overlays
[Tutorial][NICS Themer] Create Your Own Themed apk & Become a Themer

U.I Modding
Tutorial :- Changing App Icons
[TUTORIAL]How to Theme Your MMS
[How-to] Edit the "About Phone" display
[Tutorial][VIDEO] Add/integrate apps into Settings app!
[TUTORIAL] Where to find the colors for making a theme
[MOD][GUIDE]LockScreen Clock with seconds[ANY ROM]
[TUTORIAL] How to add various framework/Settings mods
[TUT][JB] HOW TO THEME SystemUI.apk for TOTALLY newbie!
[HOWTO] Integrating/Adding applications to the settings menu
[TUTORIAL][ICS][GB][JB]How to change Android's black background
[GUIDE][Ultimate]Theme Apps To Dark Theme | Theme Whole System | Newbies Here! 12/11

Text...
Text Color Guide
[GUIDE] Tips for themers
[GUIDE][REF]Changing System Text Settings

Statusbar...
[MOD][TUT] Merge The WiFi And Signal Icons
[GUIDE][MOD][SYSTEMUI] How to add 0.00KB/s meter on statusbar GB/ICS/JB
[TUT] How To Center The Clock On The Statusbar..And Move Other Icons As Well!
[How-To]Removing Battery Percentage, Adding Toggles,Battery Circles to Statusbar
[GUIDE][Mods][All Devices]How to add/ Change Clocks to Analog/ Digital with Seconds

The three best/most popular GUI programs are...
@Diamondbacks - Virtuous Ten Studio
@Ticklefishs - [TOOL] Tickle My Android
@BDFreaks - [Tool]Advanced ApkTool
...there are others but these are I what I tend to see referred to the most.
TIP:
Restoring modified files if you mess up is easier and quicker with a CWM.zip, especially if you're modifying any framework apks! Just because an apk might build with no errors doesn't mean it won't give you any when installed to the Phone.
I hope after reading this explanation you're left wondering what all the fuss is about, as it really is quite simple. I'll use the following two images, btn_default_pressed_holo.9 & status_bar_close_off.9 to illustrate the basic point of the borders...
Decompiled .9pngs:
Recompiled .9pngs:
Those borders control which part of the image is stretched (Left & Top) and where on the image content will be displayed (Right & Bottom). We'll use Draw 9-patch which is for editing the borders of decompiled .9pngs and lets you see how the image, when stretched, will be displayed on the Phone. Notice that the borders are different sizes, well that's because I only want/need a certain part of the image to stretch to get the desired look on the Phone.
...in the image below the left side shows the stretched image and desired effect should look on the Phone and the right side shows how it would look if I had edited the borders incorrectly or used none at all...
You can get away by not using a border but you would need to edit your image to specific dimensions to accommodate for the stretching, for example it might look fine for a simple OK button but it might not look right if you used the same .9png for a screen press which stretches the whole length of the screen, so you're better off just using them to begin with, plus you'll more than likely get errors down the line while decompiling or recompiling your apk.
The use of the border is made even more clear when you add text to an image. For my status_bar_close_off.9 I've filled all four sides of the image (except for an empty pixel in all four corners as that is the max amount of border you can use) as I need it to stretch the image just how I've edited it...
...but if I used the same sized left side border as the btn_default_pressed_holo.9 then this is how it would look on the Phone...
...which is obviously not the look I'm trying to achieve, as the left side border is causing the image to stretch incorrectly.
So that's basically it, depending on the image you're editing you can usually leave the borders alone but if you create one from scratch then you might need to play about with them if your images doesn't look quite right when used on the Phone. Here's a few links that will assist you further, especially the batch editing...
How to edit .9.pngs
[TUTO] Create your 9.png !
[UTILITY][TOOL] 9patchPngSuite [Windows&Linux]
How to draw NinePatch images with Photoshop - .9.PNG
[TOOL][Multi-Platform][.9.png][ALL DPIs] Android Resizer Tool
[Tutorial][Commentary] How To Batch Edit .9PNG/PNG Images
[tool] 9compiler - batch process for themers android
ClockworkMod Recovery zips are used for flashing individual files to whole ROMS and can be a life saver if you push a badly edited apk to your Phone that results in a bootloop. There's also a few programs that can assist you with that too, but if all you're doing is replacing a few files all you really need is a template, then it's just a matter of creating the Phones folder setup in the zip which is simply creating folders: system\app - system\media\audio etc then dragging and dropping your files into it. A basic understanding of the updater script is essential, a ROM.zip will more than likely wipe your Phone whereas a Theme.zip may just replace files but it might delete some also.[/QUOTE]
See below for a CWM.zip Template but first some helpful links...
[Tool]easy flasher v4 (ur own update.zip)
[Tool][Windows/Linux] Android Flashable Zip Creator
[Utility-Tool][DEVandThemers]CWMflashpack.zipCreatorV1{TheCollective}w/EdifyScripting
ERRORS encountered in CWM Recovery
[TUT] [for NOOB] editing updater-script for noobs!
[TUTORIAL] Making Flashable ZIPs, EDIFY Script, ZIP Signing & Key Creation

This is my Restore_zip which is set up so you can add your own files to the framework and apps folders in the main system location, but you can easily add other folders to it if you want to add things like fonts, tones or anything else, just remember to add folders within folders if that's where the files you want to include are such as tones, media\audio\alarms for example.
If you navigate to META-INF\com\google\android you will find the updater-script which controls how the zip works and the text you see when you run it in CWM. As this zip is just for basically over writing files you don't need to edit anything except for a few lines...
...this is how I've edited it for my theme...
...so just edit it using Notepad++ to your liking.
When adding files to your zip add them using Normal as the Compression Method...
...Remember to remove the text files I've added otherwise they will be flashed to your folders too.
And that's pretty much it, the only way you're really going to learn is by reading then putting into practice what you've read and picking stuff up along the way, fortunately there are numerous guides for numerous mods and tools to help with a variety of tasks.
Notable credits and thanks to @iBotPeaches and @Brut.all for making it possible with - Apktool

Useful Suff...
rovo89 said:
In this thread, I'm presenting a framework which gives you the possibility to modify your ROM - without modifying any APK (developers) or flashing (users)!
...
Advantages:
No need to modify any APKs. This means:
No need to decompile, change things in smali, compile, sign, ...
It will work for odexed and deodexed ROMs.
Your mod is not bound to a specific version of the ROM. Unless there is a major change in the methods called for a certain functionality, your mod will continue to work even when you upgrade your ROM. Hell, it will probably even work with different ROMs.
Multiple mods can be installed at the same time, even if they change the same package. So you can use these battery icons and those quick toggles. Even hooking the same method twice is possible. Of course, this only works properly if the mods are not trying to do incompatible things.
It does its magic at runtime. That means you can implement options to let the user decide if they prefer the bikeshed to be painted in red or blue. Or you can have some extra logic for certain ROMs without building different mod versions.
It can be disabled easily without having to reflash.
It's open source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [FRAMEWORK ONLY!] Xposed - ROM modding without modifying APKs
Annex1 said:
CM10.1-THEME_BOOK
Theme book was created by Annex and Ebs512. I've been asked alot of questions from how to get started? what do I need to get started? to What Graphics program do I use? etc. We made a real simple theme guide to help get you started. This is in Layman Terms.. Nothing fancy.
ONLY THING FANCY IS MY FLASH BOOK
YOU MUST HAVE A FLASH PLAYER INSTALLED TO VIEW THIS!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [GUIDE] HOW TO THEME CM10.1 - Animated Book
[Guide] Porting XTheme themes
[How to] XMLGenerator.jar + batch script v2.0
[Guide] Xposed Framework/TabletUI (Noob-Friendly)
[Tool] Drawable XML generator for CM7 theme chooser
[Guide] How to port themes to T-Mobile Theme Chooser
[Tool] [Theme Creator] [CM/Avatar] Theme creator tool
[INDEX][WiP] List of APPs & MODs that use XPOSED Module
[Tool] nhnt11's XML Generator Revived V2+Extended UPDATED!
[DEV/GUIDE]Creating APKs for use with TMobile Theme engine
[Tool][PortCx] Port CM Themes to Xtheme Engine in One Click!
Theme-Porter [v1.0] [Any Firmware / Rom Compatible] [WINDOWS]
[GUIDE] T-mobile theme engine for the faint at heart (non-linux users)
[1/30/2013] Mega 4.2.1 BlackBean Theme Template [XXHDPI/XHDPI/HDPI/TVDPI]
[MOD][XPOSED][4.0+] XThemeEngine beta5 - Theme engine for any rooted phone
[APK][Xposed] ResXploit : Theming your android the easiest way! No decompiling APKs!
-·=»‡«=·-[JB][CM10] Theme Engine Template Updated To V4 [8-7-12][XHDPI/HDPI]-·=»‡«=·-

Hi Guys, I tried to do a small tweak to my ROM like just a color change to signal bars, as mentioned in the XDA university, but once the apk is pushed to system/app and restarted, it went to bootloop. I just changed the color of a image file using GIMP (as mentioned), then dint work, so just tried decompiling SystemUI.apk and then recompiling then folder without any changes and push to system folder, even that dint work, then i saw this thread, i tried the replacing the resources.arsc from old apk (opened using winrar, and dragged to my folder), the opened my new recompiled SystemUI.apk with winrar and added this resources.arsc file which i extracted with compression option as Store, then pushed it bcak to /system/app folder , every time i pushed i connected the phone in recovery mode. But still in bootloop, the moment i replace the apk with original one, it works, can some one pls point out what am I doing wrong ?
Hardware - I9100 - galaxy S2
ROM - JellyBAM 3.3
Kernel - Siyah 5.1+
thanks,
merin

merin_83 said:
Hi Guys, I tried to do a small tweak to my ROM like just a color change to signal bars, as mentioned in the XDA university, but once the apk is pushed to system/app and restarted, it went to bootloop. I just changed the color of a image file using GIMP (as mentioned), then dint work, so just tried decompiling SystemUI.apk and then recompiling then folder without any changes and push to system folder, even that dint work, then i saw this thread, i tried the replacing the resources.arsc from old apk (opened using winrar, and dragged to my folder), the opened my new recompiled SystemUI.apk with winrar and added this resources.arsc file which i extracted with compression option as Store, then pushed it bcak to /system/app folder , every time i pushed i connected the phone in recovery mode. But still in bootloop, the moment i replace the apk with original one, it works, can some one pls point out what am I doing wrong ?
Hardware - I9100 - galaxy S2
ROM - JellyBAM 3.3
Kernel - Siyah 5.1+
thanks,
merin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi There
Try using 7zip to update the apk instead of winrar. if that doesn't work, post your logcats,
Thanks

trevd said:
Hi There
Try using 7zip to update the apk instead of winrar. if that doesn't work, post your logcats,
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try that when i get back home today, and is there any option i need to set when using 7zip like store mode ?
thanks,
merin

hi, I tried with 7zip, 1st i just opened the recompiled zip with 7zip and dragged and dropped the resources file from original apk to this archive, and pushed to phone , still boot looping, and then tried to right click on the resource file from original apk, and selected add to 7zip archive, and changed the archive format to .zip/compression mode to Store and saved, then pushed to phone, still boot looping. So here i have attached the logcat, hope that is correct how i have done it, after rebooting the phone, i typed in consle logcat > log.txt and it was waiting for device, once in boot loop i did ctrl + c, then it exited. Please let me know if you need more info, do i need to attach my original SystemUI.apk and framework-res.apk ??
Happy New Year !!!
thanks,
merin

Nice tuts I will try at home :thumbup:
Sent from my ST18i using xda premium

merin_83 said:
then i saw this thread, i tried the replacing the resources.arsc from old apk (opened using winrar, and dragged to my folder), the opened my new recompiled SystemUI.apk with winrar and added this resources.arsc file which i extracted with compression option as Store, then pushed it bcak to /system/app folder , every time i pushed i connected the phone in recovery mode. But still in bootloop, the moment i replace the apk with original one, it works, can some one pls point out what am I doing wrong ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi.
Are you copying the AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF folder from the original to the new apk too?

Actually i did the exact thing you said yesterday, when i found in the youtube, and it worked thank you!, but dint copy the resource file (but had some fc's when opening camera 1st time), may thats the reason,,, so i should copy AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF and resource file ?, and is this a standard procedure when we do a recompile every time ? or it varies with situation ?
thanks,
merin

Hey hi guys....can any 1 tell me how to set boot image which i want hmmmmm
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda app-developers app

merin_83 said:
so i should copy AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF and resource file ?, and is this a standard procedure when we do a recompile every time ? or it varies with situation ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's how I do it every time and never have an issue (unless I've screwed up somewhere), so yes.
sagar4all007 said:
Hey hi guys....can any 1 tell me how to set boot image which i want hmmmmm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

oh okey thank you XperienceD, does it make a difference if we just use apktool or Androidsuite for decompiling and building ?
thanks,
merin

merin_83 said:
oh okey thank you XperienceD, does it make a difference if we just use apktool or Androidsuite for decompiling and building ?
thanks,
merin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think androidsuite uses apktool for its decompiling and build it just uses it through a ui as apktool is command line so its more a preference of use for you
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium HD app

ttibbetts83 said:
I think androidsuite uses apktool for its decompiling and build it just uses it through a ui as apktool is command line so its more a preference of use for you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said. I've set this up for when such programs don't always work.

How about some links for how to guide for Ubuntu user and some links on .XML file editing I was doing .apk mods on windows then started messing around with Ubuntu and find its I little more work to get it setup but all an all it to me is a better environment for android then windows IMOA
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium HD app

ttibbetts83 said:
How about some links for how to guide for Ubuntu user
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a quick search for android theming ubuntu there doesn't seem to be a lot of information for it, and this post...
Nikkopt said:
What and where have you heard about Ubuntu helping on theming? It depends on personal taste and choice. You also have much more tools to help you graphically on windows and mac os.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from this thread - Which version of Ubuntu is recommended for theming? suggests why.

here are some links for ubuntu installs that will help with .apk modding on ubuntu for those who want it
how to setup apktool on ubuntu
http://my.opera.com/ubuntunerd1/blog/2012/08/20/how-to-apktool-with-ubuntu-under-construction
ubuntu version of paint.net
http://pinta-project.com/
xaraxtreme looks to be a good program from what i have read but i have not tryed it out yet
http://www.xaraxtreme.org/download.html
gimp is avalable through ubuntu software center and for .xml ubuntu has built in editer software just by right click and open with text editer

hex color website http://www.procato.com/rgbfind/

Nice guide my friend :good:
if anyone get apktool doesn't work on apk JB 4.2.2 ROM you can use this Latest apktool http://d-h.st/cze

Rizal Lovins said:
Nice guide my friend :good:
if anyone get apktool doesn't work on apk JB 4.2.2 ROM you can use this Latest apktool http://d-h.st/cze
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Rizal.

[Advice/Reference/Guide] The Definitive APK Modding & Theming Thread... {06/07/13}

[Advice/Reference/Guide] The Definitive APK Modding & Theming Thread... {06/07/13}
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XperienceD said:
This is why I love Virtuous Ten, as you can install multiple resources.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jacknb1ack said:
wow, i didnt know there is tools like that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading jacknb1ack's comment I felt compelled to re-write this whole thread to accommodate for the various PC Programs that you use to do all of your apk modding which can and do make things a hell of a lot quicker. I've wrote this as something I would have liked to have come across when I first joined because I know there is a lot to take in, and hearing you need to decompile, edit this or that xml, recompile, sign etc etc etc can be off putting for some especially if you struggle to get a program or apktool setup to begin with.
Knowing how to use command prompts will be beneficial in the long run so I've wrote a detailed guide below which covers it from start to finish along with how to Sign and Zipalign your apks, pulling them from the computer and so on. I've also covered some Theming basics with links to everything you're ever going to need, which will be extra handy if you're just getting started.
Minimum Requirements:
A Rooted Phone.
Java SE Runtime Environment
Java SE Development Kit
Any of the apk modifying methods below.
7-Zip or WinRar
Theming Requirements:
Notepad++
Photoshop, GIMP or any other image editing software.
Patience. :silly:
To avoid any java not found issues you need to set up the PATH for it in Environment Variables, you can find a short Guide on how to HERE. This is how mine looks...
Code:
[B]C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\bin;[/B]
I would advise that you also install the Android SDK but if you don't want to you can download this APK_Mod.zip that you can extract to a folder and place it anywhere you want on your Computer (I recommend C:\APK_Mod) and run any adb, apktool, zipalign or signing command prompts from it. You can find a more detailed guide for this method below.
But first off all here are some of the most common Programs that you can use to modify and theme your apks, and I'll start with one of the best...
Virtuous Ten Studio (VTS)
Virtuous Ten Studio (VTS) is the ultimate solution for the modification of android applications.
This program allows you to manage entire Android projects within an easy to use and familiar environment.
The intended group of users covers anyone from a themer over ROM devs up to the smali gods known for their awesome mods of existing apks.
The modifcation of smali code is one of the biggest features in VTS. You can easily decompile, edit and recompile any apk or jar file.
However, the application is not limited to smali files. You can edit almost any file found inside an apk or jar.
Virtuous Ten Studio is also the official successor to the highly important M10Tools released last year by the Virtuous Team.
You can easily edit any m10 file from Sense apps in order to resize or change them.
Additionally VTS brings support for un- and repacking of boot images (boot.img), a job that previously required a cygwin installation with the dsixda kitchen.
Since VTS' own implementation is a native windows solution, which means you don't need dsixda or cygwin anymore.
VTS has been designed to run on Windows, has been in development for nearly two years and has gone through many stages of testing.
Today VTS is a highly respected full blown Android IDE (Integrated Develoment Environment) suited for all your reverse engineering tasks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- www.virtuous-ten-studio.com
AndroidSuite 2013
AndroidSuite 2013 what it does
Decodes and encodes Dex files
Decodes and encodes APK files (Previously bugged in APKManager)
Gives a console output
Flash boot.img (fastboot)
Flash update.zip (fastboot)
reboot/reboot fastboot mode
Sign unsigned apks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- (App) Androidsuite 2013 v117 (01/04/2013) Jelly Bean Support!
Tickle My Android 5.4
Tickle My Android, or TMA for short, is a command line tool for Windows that uses apktool to help you pull and decompile files from your Android phone or tablet.
But it can also:
change the battery icon,
change the WiFi icon,
change the signal icon,
change the emoticons,
change the notification toggles,
change the transparency of the statusbar (if the rom allows it),
add Ice-Cream Sandwich-style transitions
zipalign apk files,
sign new apk files,
sign recompiled apk files in the same way as the original,
deodex apk and jar files,
backup personal data and transfer to a brand new device,
resize and change boot animations,
change fonts,
add sounds from other devices,
create backup-generating flashable zip files
..and now comes in Portuguese and French!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [TOOL]Tickle My Android 5.4 - DE/RECOMPILE APPS, CHANGE ICONS...AND MORE!!!!
ApkManager V6.1
1. Based on ApkManager 4.9 by Daneshm90 (Big thanks to him)
2. Updated Apktool V1.5.2 by iBotPeaches & Brut.Alll
3. Updated Aapt v0.2
4. Default compression level set to “0?
5. 512Mo as default allowed heap size
6. 3 ready for use fake frameworks : “other\wanam1.apk”… (for Lidroid framework editing)
7. Add a “Decompile all files” feature (option 25)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- wanamlite.com
Command Prompt Editing
Basically this is just manually doing what all of the programs above need to do in order to decompile, recompile, sign and zipalign apks so it's worth knowing how to modify apks this way for occasions when the above programs for whatever reason gives you issues.
Use Linux or a Mac?
See the following threads for more information on using apktool on other Operating Systems...
APK Manager for Mac OS X
[Linux][UTILITY][TOOL] APK Multi-Tool
[tutorial] decompiling,recompiling and signing in linux (27-01-2013)
How to install and use Apktool with Ubuntu
Getting APKs To Your PC
You have two options here...
1. Use a file manager on your Phone to copy and paste files to your SD, then connect to your PC and use Windows Explorer to copy and paste to your desired location.
2. ADB. Open a command prompt window in the ADB folder (see below) and type/copy the following command...
Code:
adb pull /system/app/ Original_apps
...which will pull the whole app folder to your computer and create a new folder called Original_apps, which you can then simply copy apps to the main folder ready to be modified (keep the Original_apps folder as a backup). Then do the same for your framework folder...
Code:
adb pull /system/framework/ Original_framework
...want to pull your Phones whole system...
Code:
adb pull /system/ Xperia_Z_System
...you can rename "Xperia_Z_System" to whatever you want.
Further Information: [WINDOWS][TUT]ADB tutorial, setting up ADB, usefull commands, collecting debug info.
This is a zip of the apktool folder I currently use - APK_Mod.zip - which as said above also contains the ADB files needed to pull and push apps from your Phone, or you can check out the following links...
[Tool] ADB Fileexplorer
[TOOL][WINDOWS] Android Apktool
Installing Resources
For apktool to work you need to install the resources needed by your apks for de and recompiling, and those resources are other apks, the first apk regardless of your Phones manufacturer is going to be your framework-res.apk. The second apk you need is dependent on the manufacturer so you need to check your framework folder for another apk such as twframework.apk or SemcGenericUXpres.apk, in some cases it might even be the SystemUI.apk but you would need to check if you have issues with the other two. Put those two apks in the APK_Mod folder to begin with then open a command prompt window. The easiest way for me is holding the shift key then right clicking the mouse and selecting Open command window here, but if you're not able to do that then click your Start button and search for Command Prompt, then open it. You then need to point it to the relevant folder, so type cd then copy and paste the location of the folder (cd C:\APK_Mod) and hit enter.
The install commands are...
Code:
[B]apktool if[/B] framework-res.apk
...and for the second...
Code:
[B]apktool if[/B] SemcGenericUXpres.apk
Decompiling
The command for decompiling is...
Code:
[B]apktool d[/B] framework-res.apk
...and so on for each individual apk you want to modify. A new folder will be created that is named after the apk you are modding, then you can edit xmls, smali files and .9png images. You'll notice that there are a lot more folders when you decompile an apk, that's normal as those folders are from the resources.arsc and where you'll find the xml files you may need to edit to make the changes you want.
Recompiling
When you've done editing it's time to recompile, using the command...
Code:
[B]apktool b[/B] -insert folder name-
...and if you've edited your files correctly then it should compile with no errors and create a folder named dist in the decompiled folder along with a new apk.
Signing
Before using the new apk you will need to sign it, to do this you need to extract (open the apk and simply drag and drop them to the dist folder) from the original apk the resources.arsc (only if you haven't changed anything in the values folder, the AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF folder (if it exists), then copy them into the new apk. In WinRar it will give you the option to choose the compression method, and it's vital that you choose Store as the compression method because if you don't then you WILL BOOT LOOP after restarting your Phone!
NOTE: If you have edited anything in the values folder then extract the resources.arsc from the new apk and copy (drag and drop) it back in the same manner described above.
Alternatively you can use the following command...
Code:
[B]java -jar signapk.jar testkey.x509.pem testkey.pk8[/B] framework-res.apk.apk framework-resS.apk
...notice the extra "S", the output name has to differ from the input name otherwise it will give an error, if done right it will create a new apk called framework-resS.apk, just remember to rename it back to the original before using it on your Phone.
Zipaligning
DISADVANTAGES OF UNALIGNED APKs
Quite understandably, situation would be reserved for unaligned application packages. Resource reading would be slow and memory usage would be on the higher end of the spectrum. It would also depend on how many unaligned applications are present. For example, if less number of applications with an unaligned home application, you’d see slower application launch times. This is the best case scenario. For a worst case scenario, having a number of unaligned applications will result in the system repeatedly starting and killing processes, struggling with lags and huge battery drain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- SOURCE
The command for zipaligning is...
Code:
[B]zipalign -v 4[/B] framework-res.apk ZAframework-res.apk
...notice the "ZA", again that can be anything you want so long as it differs from the original name, I use ZA for an obvious reason, and again don't forget to rename it before using on your Phone.
Getting apks back to your Phone
It's just a reversal of how you got them off your Phone to begin with, use a file explorer and put your apk on your SD Card, then move it to the Phones System folder and change it's permissions to rw-rw-r, then move and replace it with the original. Most apps should continue to work but if you change your framework-res or SystemUI you will most likely need to reboot. Or you can use adb to push and install them. Check the previous link for the commands.
If all the above has worked correctly you should now have your modified apk installed with the changes you've made displayed on your Phone.
Theming & Modifying
This is where the fun begins, once you've got setup to decompile your apks then obviously you're going to want to mod them, so here's a few pointers to clear up what seems like a daunting process to new comers...
To start with you'll probably just want to start with replacing images, so if that's all you want to do for now then here's a quick tip, you DON'T need to decompile or sign your apks!, simply edit and rename your replacment images on you computer, preferably using the same or similar dimensions then drag and drop them back into the right folders in the apk, always using Store as the compression method, but PLEASE NOTE; .9 pngs can be replaced in the same way, but if you want to edit them in Photoshop for example then you need DO need to decompile them.
A few things to note...
Smali code is real Developer territory, it's Matrix code to me , thankfully there's usually a guide to follow so you can simply copy and paste code without having to fully understand how it works, so don't fret about this.
.9pngs are simply png images with a 1 pixel border. You can edit anything within that border but anything on or over will give errors when building. Unless you're creating an image from scratch then you can leave the border as it is, it's that simple! Sure there's a bit more to .9png editing but you can find a few links below that go into more detail about .9s and how they work.
xmls are relatively simple and edited with Notepad++, much simpler to understand than smali and again, there's usually a guide to be found for most mods you may want to make yourself, but if you're feeling brave you can experiment with it when you have a basic understanding of how it works.
Restoring modified files if you mess up is easier and quicker with a CWM.zip, especially if you're modifying any framework apks! Just because an apk might build with no errors doesn't mean it won't give you any when installed to the Phone.
.9png Editing
I hope after reading this explanation you're left wondering what all the fuss is about, as it really is quite simple. I'll use the following two images, btn_default_pressed_holo.9 & status_bar_close_off.9 to illustrate the basic point of the borders...
Decompiled .9pngs:
Recompiled .9pngs:
Those borders control which part of the image is stretched, and we'll use Draw 9-patch which is for editing the borders of decompiled .9pngs and lets you see how the image, when stretched, will be displayed on the Phone. Notice that the borders are different sizes, well that's because I only want/need a certain part of the image to stretch to get the desired look on the Phone.
...in the image below the left side shows the stretched image and desired effect should look on the Phone and the right side shows how it would look if I had edited the borders incorrectly or used none at all...
You can get away by not using a border but you would need to edit your image to specific dimensions to accommodate for the stretching, for example it might look fine for a simple OK button but it might not look right if you used the same .9png for a screen press which stretches the whole length of the screen, so you're better off just using them to begin with, plus you'll more than likely get errors down the line while decompiling or recompiling your apk.
The use of the border is made even more clear when you add text to an image. For my status_bar_close_off.9 I've filled all four sides of the image (except for an empty pixel in all four corners as that is the max amount of border you can use) as I need it to stretch the image just how I've edited it...
...but if I used the same sized left side border as the btn_default_pressed_holo.9 then this is how it would look on the Phone...
...which is obviously not the look I'm trying to achieve, as the left side border is causing the image to stretch incorrectly.
So that's basically it, depending on the image you're editing you can usually leave the borders alone but if you create one from scratch then you might need to play about with them if your images doesn't look quite right when used on the Phone. Here's a few links that will assist you further, especially the batch editing...
How to edit .9.pngs
[TUTO] Create your 9.png !
[UTILITY][TOOL] 9patchPngSuite [Windows&Linux]
How to draw NinePatch images with Photoshop - .9.PNG
[TOOL][Multi-Platform][.9.png][ALL DPIs] Android Resizer Tool
[Tutorial][Commentary] How To Batch Edit .9PNG/PNG Images
Xposed Framework
rovo89 said:
In this thread, I'm presenting a framework which gives you the possibility to modify your ROM - without modifying any APK (developers) or flashing (users)!
...
Advantages:
No need to modify any APKs. This means:
No need to decompile, change things in smali, compile, sign, ...
It will work for odexed and deodexed ROMs.
Your mod is not bound to a specific version of the ROM. Unless there is a major change in the methods called for a certain functionality, your mod will continue to work even when you upgrade your ROM. Hell, it will probably even work with different ROMs.
Multiple mods can be installed at the same time, even if they change the same package. So you can use these battery icons and those quick toggles. Even hooking the same method twice is possible. Of course, this only works properly if the mods are not trying to do incompatible things.
It does its magic at runtime. That means you can implement options to let the user decide if they prefer the bikeshed to be painted in red or blue. Or you can have some extra logic for certain ROMs without building different mod versions.
It can be disabled easily without having to reflash.
It's open source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [FRAMEWORK ONLY!] Xposed - ROM modding without modifying APKs
[Guide] Porting XTheme themes
[Guide] Xposed Framework/TabletUI (Noob-Friendly)
[INDEX][WiP] List of APPs & MODs that use XPOSED Module
[MOD][XPOSED][4.0+] XThemeEngine beta5 - Theme engine for any rooted phone
And that's pretty much it, the only way you're really going to learn is by reading then putting into practice what you've read and picking stuff up along the way, fortunately this far into the history of Android there are numerous guides for numerous mods and tools to help with a variety of tasks and the following links are going to be a big help...
U.I Modding
Text Color Guide
Tutorial :- Changing App Icons
[TUTORIAL]How to Theme Your MMS
[How-to] Edit the "About Phone" display
[GUIDE][REF]Changing System Text Settings
[TUTORIAL] How to add various framework/Settings mods
[TUTORIAL] Where to find the colors for making a theme
Some Extra Theming and Moving the Power Widget Down
[HOWTO] Integrating/Adding applications to the settings menu
[TUT][JB] HOW TO THEME SystemUI.apk for TOTALLY newbie!
[GUIDE][MOD][SYSTEMUI] How to add 0.0K/s meter on statusbar ICS/JB
[GUIDE] How to get Transparent App Drawer [Launcher2.apk or Trebuchet.apk]
[TUT] How To Center The Clock On The Statusbar..And Move Other Icons As Well!
[How-To]Removing Battery Percentage, Adding Toggles,Battery Circles to Statusbar
[GUIDE][Mods][All Devices]How to add/ Change Clocks to Analog/ Digital with Seconds
Various Tools...
[TOOL][BETA]Miui Theme Converter/Convert apk Themes!!!
[TOOL][JAVA]"The Rom Fumbler" aka "The Battery Icon Creator"[V29.0]
[TOOL]Boot Animation Factory-Create,Preview and Manage Boot Animations
Useful Links
findicons.com
colorschemer.com
[GUIDE] Tips for themers
Ultimate Online Theme Kitchen
[GUIDE] Want to learn how to theme?
General Questions about Themes GO HERE!!!!!
[Guide] How to port themes to T-Mobile Theme Chooser
[Collection] ICON SETS | Over *750* different Icon Packs
[DEV/GUIDE]Creating APKs for use with TMobile Theme engine
[GUIDE] T-mobile theme engine for the faint at heart (non-linux users)
[TEMPLATE] Icon Packs/Themes for Apex, Nova, Holo, ADW, and more!!
[INFO] Custom framework-res.apk resources.arsc using vendor overlays
If you feel something more should be added to this thread please feel free to suggest it.
Credits & Thanks:
@_calum_
@Diamondback
@ebs512
@Rizal Lovins
@Ticklefish
@wanam
@rovo89
And not forgetting @iBotPeaches and @Brut.all for making it possible with - [UTIL][Feb 02 2013] Apktool v1.5.2 - a tool for reverse engineering apk files

ClockworkMod Recovery...
Flashable Clockwork Mod (CWM) zip
ClockworkMod Recovery zips are used for flashing individual files to whole ROMS and can be a life saver if you push a badly edited apk to your Phone that results in a bootloop. There's also a few programs that can assist you with that too, but if all you're doing is replacing a few files all you really need is a template, then it's just a matter of creating the Phones folder setup in the zip which is simply creating folders: system\app - system\media\audio etc then dragging and dropping your files into it. A basic understanding of the updater script is essential, a ROM.zip will more than likely wipe your Phone whereas a Theme.zip may just replace files but it might delete some also.
See below for a CWM.zip Template but first some helpful links...
[Tool]easy flasher v4 (ur own update.zip)
[TUT] [for NOOB] editing updater-script for noobs!
[TUTORIAL] Making Flashable ZIPs, EDIFY Script, ZIP Signing & Key Creation
[Utility-Tool][DEVandThemers]CWMflashpack.zipCreatorV1{TheCollective}w/EdifyScripting
This is my Theme_CMW_Template.zip which is set up so you can add your own files to the framework and apps folders in the main system location, but you can easily add other folders to it if you want to add things like fonts, tones or anything else, just remember to add folders within folders if that's where the files you want to include are such as tones, media\audio\alarms for example.
If you navigate to META-INF\com\google\android you will find the updater-script which controls how the zip works and the text you see when you run it in CWM. As this zip is just for basically over writing files you don't need to edit anything except for a few lines...
...this is how I've edited it for my Ice Green ResMods theme...
...so just edit it using Notepad++ to your liking.
When adding files to your zip add them using Normal as the Compression Method...
...and that's pretty much it. Remember to remove the text files I've added otherwise they will be flashed to your folders too.

[How To] AOSP Lockscreen...
[MOD][4.2.2][Z] AOSP Lockscreen
1. Decompile your framework-res.apk.
2. Go to your layout folder and open keyguard_screen_tab_unlock.xml then find and change the following lines...
Code:
<com.android.internal.widget.DigitalClock android:layout_gravity="right" android:id="@id/time" android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/keyguard_lockscreen_status_line_clockfont_top_margin" android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/keyguard_lockscreen_status_line_font_right_margin" android:layout_marginBottom="12.0dip">
...to...
Code:
<com.android.internal.widget.DigitalClock android:id="@id/time" android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal" android:layout_marginTop="100.dip" android:layout_marginBottom="3.0dip">
...then change this...
Code:
<LinearLayout android:layout_gravity="right" android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/keyguard_lockscreen_status_line_font_right_margin">
...to this...
Code:
<LinearLayout android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal" android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginBottom="6.0dip">
...also change this...
Code:
<Button android:layout_gravity="right" android:id="@id/emergencyCallButton" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginTop="4.0dip" android:layout_marginRight="16.0dip" android:text="@string/lockscreen_emergency_call" android:drawableLeft="@drawable/lockscreen_emergency_button" android:drawablePadding="4.0dip" style="?android:attr/buttonBarButtonStyle" />
...to this...
Code:
<Button android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal" android:id="@id/emergencyCallButton" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginTop="4.0dip" android:text="@string/lockscreen_emergency_call" android:drawableLeft="@drawable/lockscreen_emergency_button" android:drawablePadding="4.0dip" style="?android:attr/buttonBarButtonStyle" />
...then change this...
Code:
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:weightSum="2.0" style="?android:attr/buttonBarStyle">
...to this...
Code:
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center" android:visibility="gone" android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:weightSum="2.0" style="?android:attr/buttonBarStyle">
3. Recompile and sign your framework-res.apk
4. Go to system/app and either delete, rename or remove all permissions for UxpNxtLockScreen.apk.
5. Replace your framework-res.apk on your Phone with the new one, reboot, done....
To also remove the operator logo as I have change this line...
Code:
<TextView android:textAppearance="?textAppearanceMedium" android:textSize="@dimen/keyguard_lockscreen_status_line_font_size" android:textColor="?textColorSecondary" android:ellipsize="marquee" android:gravity="center_horizontal" android:id="@id/carrier" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginBottom="12.0dip" android:singleLine="true" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" />
...to...
Code:
<TextView android:textAppearance="?textAppearanceMedium" [B][COLOR="Red"]android:visibility="gone"[/COLOR][/B] android:textSize="@dimen/keyguard_lockscreen_status_line_font_size" android:textColor="?textColorSecondary" android:ellipsize="marquee" android:gravity="center_horizontal" android:id="@id/carrier" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginBottom="12.0dip" android:singleLine="true" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" />

Deodexing...
philos64 said:
The differences between Odex and Deodex Files...
In Android file system, applications come in packages with the extension .apk. These application packages, or APKs contain certain .odex files whose supposed function is to save space The odexed file structure works well as an optimization tool. Since these .odex files contain preliminary load information about each system app, the OS knows what to expect when it’s booting up, and consequently, loads all these apps faster.
On the other hand, it also makes hacking those applications difficult because a part of the coding has already been extracted to another location before execution.
For instance, on a non-rooted device you’ll find
system/app/Phone.apk ===> as well as ===> system/app/Phone.odex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [GUIDE] - The differences between Odex and Deodex Files
[TOOL][WINDOWS]Universal Deodexer[ALL DEVICES!!]
abcdjdj said:
Hi everyone,
Alokbina and I have created a tool which allows users to very easily deodex apks from a rom. This tool is very useful for Rom developers too. For now only windows is supported but we will try our best to make the same tool for linux too and make the tool as user friendly as possible. And, please don't forget to thank alokbina too.
Requirements:-
--->Java installed on your PC
--->system/framework folder from your rom
--->apks from that SAME ROM with the respective .odex file
--->Patience and a calm head (common sense included)
You can watch this video for setting up and using the tool -
- [FIXED][UPDATE - V3][TOOL][WINDOWS]Universal Deodexer[ALL DEVICES!!]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[GUIDE] How to DEODEX stock ODEXED ROM using dsixda's kitchen

Random Stuff...
edangel said:
Solution For 70 limit stock SMS Characters...
Well...for people who can't sent 160 sms characters on stock sms messaging app and they are limited to sent 70 characters here is the solution...
Simple...root needed!
with root explorer etc...
go to: /data/data/com.sonyericsson.conversations/shared_prefs
and open the file com.sonyericsson.conversations_preferences.xml.
find the line which says "semc_pref_key_character_conversion"value=false
and set it true..!
save the file and reboot your phone...and happy texting!
if i helped press thanks button!
:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
XperienceD said:
cickii said:
can someone please tell me which xml is responsible for the blue / gray colors in the picture below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally sussed it. It's LinearColorBar.smali found at Settings\smali\com\android\settings\applications, search for 0x99cc and -0xff6634 and change them for your own colours...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
XperienceD said:
Hi all.
Just a short write up as a follow on from THIS thread as this is relatively quite simple.
So you want to change your notification background from the plain dark color to something a bit more your style...
...well all you need to do is decompile your SystemUI.apk and navigate to the values folder and open up your drawables.xml and you should see something like this...
Code:
<resources>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_number_text_color">#ffffffff</item>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_item_background_color">#ff111111</item>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_item_background_color_pressed">#ff257390</item>
<item type="drawable" name="ticker_background_color">#ff1d1d1d</item>
<item type="drawable" name="status_bar_background">#ff000000</item>
<item type="drawable" name="status_bar_recents_background_solid">#e5000000</item>
<item type="drawable" name="status_bar_recents_app_thumbnail_background">#88000000</item>
<item type="drawable" name="status_bar_notification_row_background_color">#ff090909</item>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_header_bg">#ff000000</item>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_tracking_bg">#e5000000</item>
<item type="drawable" name="recents_callout_line">#99ffffff</item>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_item_background_legacy_color">#ffaaaaaa</item>
</resources>
Simply change these two lines...
Code:
[B]<item type="drawable" name="notification_item_background_color">#ff111111</item>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_item_background_color_pressed">#ff257390</item>[/B]
to...
Code:
[B]<item type="drawable" name="notification_item_background_color">[COLOR="Red"]@drawable/status_bar_item_background_normal[/COLOR]</item>
<item type="drawable" name="notification_item_background_color_pressed">[COLOR="Red"]@drawable/status_bar_item_background_pressed[/COLOR]</item>[/B]
...then add two .9 png images of the same name, status_bar_item_background_normal and status_bar_item_background_pressed to your drawable-hdpi folder, recompile, zipalign, push to your Phone, done.
Quick Tip: If you can't create a .9 from scratch just edit the first two in drawable_hdpi which in my folder is alert_bar_background_normal.9 and alert_bar_background_pressed.9, just remember not edit over the .9 borders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Hell man no posts from anyone??
Excellent excellent thread man.

dhirend_6d said:
Hell man no posts from anyone??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With 1500+ views hopefully it's because it's written that well People don't need to ask anything. :silly:
dhirend_6d said:
Excellent excellent thread man.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.

Thanks for this!
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

Can you make a tutorial
1. How to port magnify glass to ics devices/mdpi
2.how to port small app to ics devices/mdpi
3. How to add internet speedo meter In pull down menu not in status bar for ics
A million thanks if you make it ......
Sent from my ST21i2 using xda app-developers app

[GUIDE][THEMING][BASICS] Let's get ready and theme Lollipop ROMs!

Let's get ready and theme/decompile Lollipop ROM APKs!
Hey all, it's me again. I might as well be posting my entire workstation/methods here for people to learn how to get into the theming world. This is the traditional method of theming, so this would be useful for prospective themers/ROM developers alike.
NOTE: I'll be doing this on an AOSP/CM/Google based ROM, and if you are wondering if it works on TW/Sense, I do not know, but it should work the same.
In this guide, I won't be going so in depth like @Vivek_Neel, so you can go check out his thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/themes/guide-t2978121 I'll be going over the BASICS of getting started to theme and how to go to his theme thread and start contributing.
Table of Contents
Setting up the Java SE Runtime Environment
Decompiling your first time
Compiling your first time
Creating a flashable zip
Repetitive? Let's simplify it using batch files.
Porting my themes or other themes to specific ROMs (WIP)
Please do note, this IS for beginners, so I'll try and respond to errors and problems when setting up your environment and using my compiling packages.

Setting up the Java SE Runtime Environment
Setting up the Java SE Runtime Environment
First of all, to make sure everything goes well, it is recommended that you set up your entire JRE on your computer.
I'm on Windows 8.1 so I'll be using screenshots from an 8.1 setup.
STEP 1: Install these two files:
- JRE8 (This is what I use): http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre8-downloads-2133155.html
- JDK8 (Install just in case): http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk8-downloads-2133151.html
STEP 2: Setting up JDK JAVA_HOME environment variable:
After installing the two files above, locate your JDK location, in my case, mine is C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_20.
Then open up your Control Panel and click into System (Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\System)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Click on Advanced system settings in the sidebar.
A popup will appear, click on the Advanced tab, then click on "Environment Variables..."
Another smaller popup, Environment Variables, will open up. Click on "New..."
According to the screenshot, click type in the Variable name (JAVA_HOME) and Variable value (Location of your JDK set up).
After everything is done, click OK on all popups, then reboot your computer.
You are now ready for apps like Virtuous Ten Studio and Android Studio, futureproofing yourself for now.

Decompiling your first time
Decompiling your first time
STEP 1: Create your working directory
- Make a directory wherever you want, for example on the desktop. Name the folder something easily memorable, e.g. WORKING AREA (C:\Users\Nicholas\Desktop\WORKING AREA\)
STEP 2: Download these two files:
- Latest APKtool.jar by @iBotPeaches: https://bitbucket.org/iBotPeaches/apktool/downloads/apktool_2.0.1.jar
- apktool-install-windows-r05-ibot.tar.bz2: https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/downloads/list
STEP 3: Place all files into the working folder
STEP 4: Rename apktool_2.0.1.jar to apktool.jar
STEP 5: Put your desired APK you want to decompile into directory (This can be framework-res.apk)
STEP 6: Put your ROM's framework-res.apk into the directory (If done in Step 5, skip this)
STEP 7: Installing the framework-res into apktool's resources.
- Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the working directory, then click "Open command window here..."
- Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
apktool if framework-res.apk
- Your framework will be installed, ready for apktool to use it.
STEP 8: Decompile your desired APK
- Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the working directory, then click "Open command window here..."
- Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
apktool d apkname.apk
- Your apk will be decompiled into your working directory -> apkname folder (e.g. C:\Users\Nicholas\Desktop\WORKING AREA\SystemUI)
- A small breakdown of the code is like this: apktool (calling the program) d (decompile) apkname.apk (apk input)
STEP 9: Edit your apk file!
- You can follow Vivek's thread for what to change in a specific APK file, linked here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/themes/guide-t2978121

Compiling your first time
Compiling your first time
To recompile, you need to have the android-sdk handy, as you'll need the zipalign.exe from it.
REQUIREMENTS
- 7-Zip installed: http://www.7-zip.org/
STEP 1: Install Android SDK from Android Studio
Android Studio: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
STEP 2: Copying zipalign.exe into your working directory
- Navigate into C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-studio\sdk\build-tools\android-4.4W and copy zipalign.exe into your working folder.
STEP 3: Compiling your decompiled app into an APK file
- Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the working directory, then click "Open command window here..."
- Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
apktool b appname appname.apk
- Your framework will be installed, ready for apktool to use it.
- NOTE: appname should be the same as the decompiled app's folder name.
STEP 4: Zipaligning your app
At this point, you should have your original APK located directly inside your working directory.
Your compiled app will be placed inside your working directory -> appname folder -> dist folder.
Double click your compiled APK and open it with 7-zip.
Double click your original APK and open it with 7-zip.
In your original APK opened in 7-zip, drag META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml into the compiled APK's 7-zip window. Click Yes to overwrite.
Take your compiled APK and place it in a new folder in your working directory (e.g. C:\Users\Nicholas\Desktop\WORKING AREA\ZIPALIGN)
Drag "zipalign.exe" into the new folder ZIPALIGN.
Paste the compiled APK with the original META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml into the ZIPALIGN folder.
Rename the apk from apkname.apk to apkname-t.apk (Just add a "-t" to distinguish from your output apk later)
Shift + Right Click on a blank spot in the ZIPALIGN directory, then click "Open command window here..."
Type this code in, then click enter
Code:
zipalign -v 4 appname-t.apk appname.apk
Your output APK will be available to flash now.

Creating a flashable ZIP for yourself
Creating a flashable ZIP for yourself
Download my Flashable ZIP template here: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95897840722644285
STEP 1: Designing your updater-script (What get's shown in TWRP/CWM when flashing)
This is my updater-script from the zip file:
Code:
ui_print(" =============================================");
ui_print(" Flashable ZIP Template by Nicholas Chum");
ui_print(" =============================================");
ui_print(" ");
sleep(1);
ui_print(" Now mounting the system writeable....");
sleep(1);
ui_print(" ");
run_program("/sbin/busybox", "mount", "/system");
ui_print(" Copying the files... ");
sleep(1);
package_extract_dir("system", "/system");
sleep(1);
ui_print(" ");
ui_print(" File copy complete. ");
unmount("/system");
sleep(1)
- This installs everything in the system folder of the ZIP file into the system folder on your phone.
STEP 2: Structure your APK into the correct directories of the ZIP according to your phone's layout
- If you want to install SystemUI.apk, you cannot install it like on KitKat due to different directory structure, so for example, the correct location to install SystemUI.apk would be /system/priv-app/SystemUI/SystemUI.apk, so you'll have to create your own subfolders in the zip according to the apk you want to install.
STEP 3: After you're done, flash and have fun!

Repetitive? Let's simplify it using batch files
Repetitive? Let's simplify it using batch files
I have a batch file collection here, check it out: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95897840722644292
To use my batch files, you may have to edit each batch file to confirm locations for directories on your computer.
These are the bat files you will have to edit: FRAMEWORK (Step 1) - Uninstall.bat, FRAMEWORK (Step 2) - Install.bat
You'll have to edit in your user account name, for example in FRAMEWORK (Step 1) - Uninstall.bat:
Code:
rd /s /q C:\Users\[COLOR="Red"]Nicholas[/COLOR]\apktool
Afterwards, it will work perfectly.
The point of Theming Tools.zip is to allow you to easily make new working directories and just copying everything in from the zip file to the working directory to save your time from moving files over (zipalign.exe, apktool.jar, apktool.bat...etc)
To use my batch files, use it in this order
Create working folder
Place framework-res.apk in the working folder
FRAMEWORK (Step 1) - Uninstall.bat
FRAMEWORK (Step 2) - Install.bat
Place your other APKs in, my batch only decompiles framework-res.apk, SystemUI.apk, Settings.apk, DocumentsUI.apk, TeleService.apk, so if you have another APK you want to automate, copy the structure of my calls in the batch file, then save it.
BUILD (Step 1) - Extract Starter 5 APKs.bat
Start theming your apps.
After you're done...
BUILD (Step 2) - Compile New 5 APKs.bat
Now open each of the original APKs in the working directory, then copy each META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml from the original to the new compiled ones.
Place each unzipaligned apks with the META-INF and AndroidManifest.xml into the BUILD ME folder - my batch only zipaligns framework-res.apk, SystemUI.apk, Settings.apk, DocumentsUI.apk, TeleService.apk, so if you have another APK you want to automate, copy the structure of my calls in the batch file, then save it.
After you're done...
BUILD - Zipalign All 5 APKs.bat
Place all files into a flashable zip.
Enjoy!

Last hold, just in case.

???Hold it right there .

looking forward to that!!!! nice work

Very nice my friend, we needed something like this for noobs. Sending them ALL your way..... Lol

djdarkknight96 said:
Very nice my friend, we needed something like this for noobs. Sending them ALL your way..... Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha.
+1.
Very nice and handy

djdarkknight96 said:
Very nice my friend, we needed something like this for noobs. Sending them ALL your way..... Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha I think I'll be the first "noob" to try and learn theming.. Haha what say @nicholaschum? ?
Edit - BTW can't wait for your inverted theme for L, Bryan. Always loved your theme.. ?

Khizar said:
Haha I think I'll be the first "noob" to try and learn theming.. Haha what say @nicholaschum? ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I think I missed a step then.
For you specifically, Step 0: Buy a new computer!!!

nicholaschum said:
Well, I think I missed a step then.
For you specifically, Step 0: Buy a new computer!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My brother ended up buying the tab and so the new laptop is just sitting there, might as well make it useful... ??

Khizar said:
My brother ended up buying the tab and so the new laptop is just sitting there, might as well make it useful... ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might change the last HOLD post to Porting themes to other ROMs, then you can start helping me do more nightly builds if theme chooser still doesn't function as well

nicholaschum said:
I might change the last HOLD post to Porting themes to other ROMs, then you can start helping me do more nightly builds if theme chooser still doesn't function as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am all for that bro. Told you I'd help and I'll try to help to the best of my abilities, while trying to learn. ?
BTW why isn't @fahadali2315 helping you out? He's become lazy since getting OPO and now shamu.. LOL

Khizar said:
I am all for that bro. Told you I'd help and I'll try to help to the best of my abilities, while trying to learn. ?
BTW why isn't @fahadali2315 helping you out? He's become lazy since getting OPO and now shamu.. LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's my official tester......only...... and he has like a dozen flagship phones. He should really do something with them.
Where's my Sense ROM on Nexus 6? XD

@nicholaschum so this was what you did when we had no Internet and I was napping? Lol....

BellaxMiu said:
@nicholaschum so this was what you did when we had no Internet and I was napping? Lol....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL....yes.....tethering.....and I'm still not done either

nicholaschum said:
He's my official tester......only...... and he has like a dozen flagship phones. He should really do something with them.
Where's my Sense ROM on Nexus 6? XD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In his defense, he keeps losing the phones so he wouldn't get far.. Haha JK
The OPO sense port... Makes my point.. ?
BellaxMiu said:
@nicholaschum so this was what you did when we had no Internet and I was napping? Lol....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He plans to do even more once you get Internet back... LOL

Database Develop

welcome