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I'm trying to theme android.
I know that I can extract the APK's and edit the images, but what do I do after that?
how do I pack them back into APK files?
Learn to use either metamorph or ninjamorph. Their both apps by stereicson that let you change every image from an apk from within the phone.
what I meant was how would I create my own theme.
I'm not trying to apply themes that were already made, I'm trying to create a new theme.
but I've found that ubuntu lets me edit the images without extracting the apk
swee08315 said:
what I meant was how would I create my own theme.
I'm not trying to apply themes that were already made, I'm trying to create a new theme.
but I've found that ubuntu lets me edit the images without extracting the apk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
creating your own theme is very really easy. but it can be very time consuming depending on what you are trying to accomplish and edit.
After you edited your .png file (NOT .9.ping because that requires a much more advance and complicated method) simply sign the apk file, create the update-script to place in the /META-INF/com/google/android directory and then sign the update.zip file. You will need to use the search feature to lookup.
"update-script"
"signing tool"
Good luck
mejorguille said:
Learn to use either metamorph or ninjamorph. Their both apps by stereicson that let you change every image from an apk from within the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would suggest the metamorph as well instead of flashing. Flashing seems like it would just take too much time.
Also, Android Commander and Droid Explorer (maybe a few others) offer easy signing tools/transferring the apk without the need of any metamorph or flashing.
Thank you Binary100100
that's exactly what I needed
and also to r3s-rt:
I need to create an update .zip for this task.
swee08315 said:
Thank you Binary100100
that's exactly what I needed
and also to r3s-rt:
I need to create an update .zip for this task.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For ANY themeing, you don't need an update.zip. I'm just saying look into metamorph a bit; it really is easier than flashing and reflashing if it doesn't come out right. If updates are easier for you, though, go for it. =]
thanks again.
but where exactly would I look to modify the widgets?
specifically the music and clock widgets?
swee08315 said:
thanks again.
but where exactly would I look to modify the widgets?
specifically the music and clock widgets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music widget is in Music.apk. Clock widget is in DeskClock.apk.
Though metamorph is convenient, in my opinion it is a better tool to test parts of a theme. Learn how to sign update.zip files (with ubuntu it is as simple as a right click), there will be less errors this way (and you can theme the market,....).
p.s. Do learn metamorph also, it is great.
thanks, but where is the search widget?
and yes, I will learn
swee08315 said:
thanks, but where is the search widget?
and yes, I will learn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
launcher.apk
creating a black softkey menu pop up with white text.
Hello everyone! I posted something like this and got no real answers. I'm not trying to create a full theme just edit what I already have. I'm trying to change the stock cyanogenmod softkey menu pop up. If gotten my images in place and got the background and icons the way I want them but I don't know which values XML file I need to edit in order to change the text color. Does anyone have any insight on which file I need in order to edit the menus text to white? Already decompiled the framework-res.apk.
Thanks
This is awesome, I'm just trying to get started with customizing android and theming seemed like the logical starting point. Thanks for the input guys/gals.
I came across these two great threads for the X10 and the Epic 4G and thought that it might be good for the fascinate themers/prospective themers to have a kind of community repository for theme help/links edits/how tos...while these 2 (and many others) are great resources for themes...i felt that actual edits/knowledge specifically for our phone would be a help.
i guess just based on the amount of themes i port i tend to get a ton of pms across xda/androidforums/irc on how to get started, what programs to use, how to make what edits, etc
i really dont know a whole lot relative to "real" themers from other phones and most of what i know i either picked up from reading endless links or begging for help.
whether this catches on and proves useful, or it goes down in flames like others things ive tried...i figured its worth a shot
rather than post endless links that dont always pertain directly to our phone, perhaps a good format would be me maintaining the op with small write ups of whatever edits/how tos and linking the the original. ill gradually start putting up the edits i know of that work with touchwiz and aosp (over the next few days)...but would GREATLY appreciate it if some smarter people would help out and post edits im mssing....also feel free to ask questions of how to edit what, where something is, and if i dont know/can't find out, then hopefully someone else can
Post away.........
***If anyone is interested in writing up brief tutorials on whatever or contribute links/edits, it would help out a lot***
Fascinate Contributors (directly or indirectly through posts or help along the way in some form):
dtachtd
thatdudebutch
sbrissen
andmer
retrokid223
adiliyo
oldmanjames
tiger4life
adrynalyne
s44
Credit to these threads/posts/links for much of the info
Want To Learn To Theme?
How to Theme Your Droid
Theme Help Tutorial
Installing the Android SDK (especially for adb) is mentioned below..however (imo): DO NOT BOTHER THINKING ABOUT GETTING INTO THEMING WITHOUT FIRST INSTALLING AND HAVING SOME BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF ADB. Far too many people that have issues doing theme related stuff (mostly irc) do not even have adb installed or know what it is. To me this is appalling! /end rant
Getting Started (much of this info grabbed from DtatchD http://androidforums.com/android-themes/174669-how-theme-apks.html)
What do I need (tools) to theme with?
-Umm obviously you need to be rooted
-Have the Android SDK installed
*If you've never done this before, follow Adrynalyne's awesome ADB Tutorial/Workshop
-Some form of editing software
*if you have photoshop, great...if you want a free (and imo awesome) program, then gimp is the way to go!
*another free alternative (some prefer to gimp) is paint.net
-Something akin to winzip
*or my preference (again free) 7-Zip
-Tools for editing/decompiling xml (also for cheating on .9's..but more on that later)
*look no further than either apktool, or apkmanager (automated version of apkt)
*i personally use notepad ++ to edit the decompiled xml files
-a program to *deal* with .9 images
*if you follow any how-to guide, its going to tell you that you have to patch the images in the Draw-9 Patch tool in the SDK, and then compile the images in eclipse. I'm going to tell you its a lot easier than that. Make sure you have apk(tool, manager) and then get the super awesome Draw9 Patch tool from xeudoxus here (might as well grab the full xultimate as well to deodex with)
-something to edit the service.jar with
*2 ways to go about this. one is installing smali/backsmali in your sdk (if you plan on removing things like the clock from the status bar, you need this as well) or another ridiculously awesome program Ohsaka's colorchanger program
-other REALLY important tools/programs
*Theme Kitchen (ever wonder where most of us get all those battery images/data + signal icons?)
*RGB Color Picker (one of many resources to get color codes, or you can do it in gimp from color picker too)
Drop by IRC Freenode: #fascinate-themers for help/discussion
*3.31.11*
Ok, I have the tools...now what???
I. Working with regular images in your framework-res (and in a TW Rom, tw-framework-res)
A. Where do I get a stock framework-res.apk and twframework-res.apk?
-a few options here...in an "ideal" scenario a dev or someone else has put out a stock but deodexed rom that you can just unzip and remove the frameworks/system apps/jars from...ie i generally grab mine out of something like jt1134's super clean roms or the equivalent. if a new os/update is out and that hasnt happened yet then move onto:
B. How do I deodex my framework so I can theme it?
have you downloaded xultimate
-I'm not going to further update this, as xultimate is kinda self explanatory and virtually all of our releases are predeodexed. 3.18.11
C. Where are most of the images in a theme located??? (touchwiz-based roms)
-For some stupid reason, Samsung thought it would be a good idea to split the framework-res.apk into 2 files: framework-res.apk and twframework-res.apk (in all fairness htc kinda does this with htc.resources.apk and now gingerbread does this with systemui.apk). Therefore there are *2* places that the framework images are generally located.
II. Working with the magical/infamous .9's
A. What is a .9 image exactly?
-Well heres google's explanation
-My less technical breakdown: basically .9 images are ones that are used either more than once in an .apk. If android had to define every single thing with a unique image, there would be a whole lot more going on in the framework and quite repetitive (it already is cluttered enough). By making an image that can be used in several places and stretched/resized in more than one way, it solves that issue.
1.
{
"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"
}
2.
1=Image with defined "patches" telling where to stretch/resize
2=stock/compiled .9 image
In example 1 we see a png image that is "patched" (but not compiled) the black lines on the very outside of the frame are telling android where it is allowed to stretch the image to make it fit where its needed. General rule of the thumb is a line all along the bottom of the frame where the image is and all along the right side, with a single dot in the top middle and the middle left of the frame. This differs depending on the shape. If you are patching in draw 9, on the right side of the screen it will show you the possible shapes the image can be stretched based upon your patches.
***Most of the force close problems people report when first getting into theming are a direct result of not understanding .9s. They simply try and edit the compiled 9 and then replace it in the framework, not understanding that when you edit the image in gimp/ps/whatever it strips the patches from the image and make it a standard png image, which does not tell the os the information it needs.
B. Now that I know what .9s are (hopefully) how do i work with them?
-Well there are a few ways of going about this. For simplicity sake, I'm going to outline the method that I personally use. At some point if someone who does things the other way(s) wants to do a write up, I'll include that as an addendum.
1. Editing pre-existing pngs.
a. You've opened up your framework/apk and taken a look at the images in there...you see a bunch that you want to change the color of or edit in some manner but you release that many of them have the .9 honor. best way to deal with these suckers is to decompile the framework with the images.
-put the apk in apkmanager...decompile it (see my write up on using apkmanager..coming soon)...and go into projects...navigate to the folder with the images and you ll notice that they now have their 9 patches showing....
feel free to now edit these images accordingly while preserving the patches. however...depending on your image software changing transparency levels will change the black patches as well.
*example* here is an .9 image that was decompiled (notice the black patches already there). in this instance ive used the rectangle tool in gimp to select the area inside of the 9 patches to colorize/color change to fit my theme. this is one way to edit .9s without using draw9 patch.
C. Now that I've edited my .9 pngs (either cheating them or patching them) How Do I compile them?
1. The previously accepted method required using eclipse....but thanks to xeudoxus we have the awesome xUltimate Draw9Patch Compiler !
a. Download the program....and unpack it somewhere that you'll remember where it is (if you have adb/java in your PATH it doesn't have to be in the SDK-tools folder).
b. You will see examples (1, 2, and music) on how how to work with the program. Basically (after getting rid of the examples, but not the folders there in) put the .9s in one of the folders..(I use example1 generally, but it doesn't matter)..then run the program
3.12.11
Wait...So not everything I have to change in a theme is an image???
III. Editing the Framework(s) XML for text and progress bar *color* changes
*note, some edits can be made in multiple ways, ie both through service.jar and framework edits*
A. Why would I want to screw around with xml files at all? Looks complicated!
-I'll admit I put off working with the xml a lot longer than I should have when I got into this stuff. I think i released 2/3 themes without any edits whatsoever...and frankly theres no comparison between a theme that has been properly edited, and a theme that is just using the stock settings. This is especially true in touchwiz, as samsung went with that absolutely hideous aqua color as its secondary text.
B. How To Decompile Frameworks to Make Edits (APKM/APKTOOL). *3.12.11*
1. First things first: if you havent downloaded both APKMANAGER and APKTOOL...do so now, ya really need both....also, apktool 1.3.2 will not work right for everything (you will need it for working with gmail though if you theme that). Here is apktoo1 1.3.1 (replace apktool.jar in "other" folder in apkm).
-For apkmanager you can really unzip/set it up anywhere (I keep it on the desktop, and I have a 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 version set up)
-For apktool unzip "windows installer" and place apktool.jar in your /tools folder in the sdk
-by default an aosp framework-res.apk is installed in your directory...this is fine for *most* edits...however to work with certain apks that call on the system (contacts, dialer, etc)..this is a problem...so once everything is installed...we will want to then install our twframework-res.apk and framework-res.apk from a stock deodexed rom.
Code:
cd your tools folder
apktool if framework-res.apk
apktool if twframework-res.apk
***Tbc
IV. Ya know, I'd really like to have accurate battery and reboot options in my theme!
*tbc*
V. Working with the service.jar
A. Why would I want to mod the services.jar?
-Well theres a few reasons: remapping the status bar images and removing the status bar clock are big....and changing carrier/date/notifications title colors
B. How would i do it?
1. Well you can *cheat* and use our friend apkmanager *2.25.11*
a. rename the service.jar to service.apk
b. insert the renamed file into your "for modding" folder in apkmanager
c. open the script and select 9 to decompile
d. navigate to your "projects" folder and find the file to edit (again I use notepad ++)
e. when done, reopen the apkm script and compile with 11 (if any errors come up, you did something wrong)
-yes to system.apk, no to copy over
f. in your "for modding" folder you now have a file named "unsignedservice.apk"
g. rename this to service.jar and you are gtg
2. you can smali/backsmali it (my prefered method for dealing with classes.dex) *2.25.11*
***Thatdudebutch put together a zip with instructions for using smali (and the commands) as well as the most up to date backsmali/smali (download an unzip to see example..ill post another example below)
a. How to backsmali (decompile) the service.jar
*(i rename smali-1.2.6.jar and backsmali-1.2.6.jar to just smali.jar and backsmali.jar for simplicity in terminal use):
-use 7zip/winzip to extract the classes.dex file from the .jar...and extract it to the folder where smali/backsmali is (again i assume you would want to put it in your sdk-tools folder)
-cd your sdk-tools folder (or wherever smali/backsmali is located, but ideally thats where you put it) then:
Code:
java -Xmx512M -jar baksmali.jar -o classes/ classes.dex
-you now will have created a "classes" folder inside your sdk-tools (might as well leave your terminal open and set to your tools folder for the later steps)
-navigate inside this folder to whatever file you want to edit (i use notepad ++ to edit)
-once those edits and saved and done:
b. How to smali (compile)
Code:
java -Xmx512M -jar smali.jar -o classes.dex classes/
-you now have a new classes.dex file
-use 7zip to open up your service.jar and delete the old classes.dex in there and copy the new one in. close 7zip
-you now have a new service.jar....insert it into your theme and you *should* be good to go (assuming something didnt go wrong )
3. if you just want to change colors (not remove clock or anything..or for that matter change clock color on touchwiz {sammy fail on clock location}), then you can use the super awesome clockchanger program I mentioned above.
*info originally from this wonderful post on androidforums)
*2.22.11*
1. locate the services.jar you are planning to edit (pull with adb from your phone or rip out of a rom)
2. make a folder called framework and move services.jar into that folder
3. create a zip file of the framework folder and call it theme.zip
4. move your "theme.zip" file into your android sdk tools folder
5. open up a terminal (cmd/powershell/whatever)
6. navigate to your tools directory
6a.*example*
Code:
cd c:\android-sdk-windows\tools
7. what needs to be entered to edit the service.jar: (plus whatever you want to edit) (aarrggbb color code)
Code:
java -Xmx512M -jar colorChangev3.jar theme.zip
7a. example of changing date color, carrier color, notificatons, etc
Code:
java -Xmx512M -jar colorChangev3.jar theme.zip date=FF000000 ongoing=FF00000000 network=FF000000 latest=FF000000 none=FF000000 roam=FF000000 clear=FF000000
8. hit enter and let program run (see below)
9. you will now have a "theme-new.zip" file in your tools folder
10. use 7zip to extract the service.jar from it and and insert it into your theme
3.4.11
FAQs
Q: Is theming AOSP-based roms different than TW-based roms?
A: Significantly different in some aspects...The same in others. Obviously many images are going to have different names, and certain images/features are different. Biggest difference is one framework, versus two in TW. Many of the xml edits are different as well.
Q: Is there any etiquette to theming?
A. Umm, yeah there really is .
1. for porting themes: always credit the original creator of the theme in your op, preferably with a link to their post (or donate link if they have one). its cool if you check with the original themer ahead of time before porting, but generally speaking (unless specified by the themer) as long as you aren't claiming it as your own or they now own the device you have (and could possibly be bringing it over on their own) its cool. IMO, simply saying its a port isn't good enough, a link to the original or the website of the creator must be included.
-also credit everything else you don't do on your own (apps/mods) to the people responsible
-example of a themer who *doesn't want anyone working on/porting his themes*: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/928droid/69199-theme-928droid-black-glass-x-droid-x.html#post723150
2. for making your own themes: if you use anything at all from someone else, you have to credit it. and BE HONEST about it (big problem in the android world imo)
-example: if you are using 5 lockscreen mod/reboot options/accurate battery for an EB01 theme you plan to release, credit that to sbrissen. even if you used someone else's theme as a "base" (ie kanged their framework with those built in) you can't simply credit the themer you got it from, you must credit those behind the mods they use.
-example 2: if you are using dialers/apps/images from someone else's theme, credit them for specifically what you are using (best practice would be: google search widget and dialer from bendbowden for example)
Q: What about donations?!?!
A: Yeah this is a tricky one...but let me share *my personal* thoughts on it: let me start out by saying I dont accept donations for porting themes or even making quasi-original ones (gb themes). i dont feel right accepting money from people ...that being said i probably wouldnt accept donations even for a completely original work i did from scratch. anyway....i think that themers that make an original theme from scratch or do something almost completely original are entitled to have a donate button...and if someone wants to donate a few bucks, then have at it ....
i think soliciting donations for straight theme ports (even if they take a lot of time) or just modifying/merging/doing mashups of others themes isn't really kosher so to speak. again this is my *own* opinion and not gospel obviously, but i think that far too many people feel the need to release slightly modified themes with a rebranded name and then accept money for it. really, unless you are changing a significant portion of a theme (imo at least a few hundred pngs) then it really doesnt warrant its own thread and name. if (for example) you modified JAMT's status bar, then best practice would be just to post it in the original thread as a post like "heres my own modification to jamt with an alternate status bar and icons, that i thought some might like"...not "Phoenix Unleashed" or something.
again just *my* take
***tbc***
Useful Links
Finding Colors for a Theme
How to Black Menus
Quickpanel Text Colors (credit andmer) *new 2.17.11*
How to Theme the Android Market *4.12.11
I think this will open up a lot of ideas for people to try it! Nice post nit. I was gonna ask how you get started themeing.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Bob-o said:
I think this will open up a lot of ideas for people to try it! Nice post nit. I was gonna ask how you get started themeing.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed. I have been trying to learn a bit through reading and whatnot. I have all the tools and am teaching myself how to use them. This guide will be EXTREMELY helpful compared to bouncing between all the pages I currently have bookmarked.
nitsuj17 said:
I. Working with regular images in your framework-res (and in a TW Rom, tw-framework-res)
A. Where do I get a stock framework-res.apk and twframework-res.apk?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Such an important point. You must work from a stock (or as close to stock as possible) deodexed framework-res.apk and twframework-res.apk when making xml edits (although I realize this section is dealing with image editing). You can't use one already themed because when you recompile stupid **** will happen. I had to figure this out the hard way (and had to dig to do so).
BTW: awesome guide, nitsuj17! If the ***tbc*** 's are as detailed as what you have already done, this guide will be one of the best and most comprehensive/non-technical guides out there. Keep up the good work!
You sir, are the man! Been looking for exactly this!
sorry ive been neglecting this the last few days...its gonna be a wip/add as i go thing for awhile
I liked you for porting matted blue.. now I love you for making this lol. Was looking for a guide and stumbled on this.
THANK YOU for starting this guide!
I realize I could have searched endlessly to learn this stuff, but in reality I have more skills than time and learning yet another thing the hard way isn't in the cards.
I'm impatiently waiting for more on the TW framework specific section, as I have no idea what edits work for what in each.
Also, some real work examples would be excellent.
e.g.: The required xml file edits for changing all text to #5555FF.
An image reference would be awesome, as well.
e.g.: The most commonly themed images and what their framework.res names are.
I find myself trying to make a theme and giving up simply because 50% of the images look very similar, and I don't have the time to edit an image, flash it, boot the phone, figure out what changed, then move to the next random-looking image.
Also, is there a faster method to test theme changes?
Booting the phone, copying the theme over, rebooting to CWM, flashing the theme, then booting to see the changes is extremely time consuming, especially when you're not even sure where the change will occur and find yourself randomly pulling up menus and dropdowns trying to see what your change affected.
Cheers for the help.
You really did fill a deep void and I thank you bunches for the help. You will also see a beer or two coming your way for the effort. Community support like this really does get rewarded, in more than just new themers making themes.
Ill be getting to more and more in depth answers and faqs as I go along....dl30 kinda dropped in the middle of my work on this and theres a lot of themes to do. ....but thank you for specific questions id like to see more from everyone so I know what are some more commonly asked questions and what people are looking to do.
lowkee said:
An image reference would be awesome, as well.
e.g.: The most commonly themed images and what their framework.res names are.
I find myself trying to make a theme and giving up simply because 50% of the images look very similar, and I don't have the time to edit an image, flash it, boot the phone, figure out what changed, then move to the next random-looking image..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a really good idea, I talked about making one a while back but never really got around to it. Maybe I can talk to some of the guys and we can throw something together.
lowkee said:
Also, is there a faster method to test theme changes?
Booting the phone, copying the theme over, rebooting to CWM, flashing the theme, then booting to see the changes is extremely time consuming, especially when you're not even sure where the change will occur and find yourself randomly pulling up menus and dropdowns trying to see what your change affected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB is probably the quickest and least painful way to test a theme. When you have completed it adb push <path/to/file/locally> <destination/on/phone>. Then adb reboot.
e.g.: adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework/
N00b here with theme question for Fascinate
I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place also if this has been asked before. I have searched the web and also the forum and I was looking for step by step instructions on how to install a theme ( like myst v3.3) because prior to downloading DL30 I was running supah clean and tried installing dark-myst ( on DL09- Samsung Fascinate) and I placed it on the SD card ( yes clockword is installed) and I went to update.zip then to install zip from sd card and loacted it. it installed, cleared the cache and then it went to the SAMSUNG screen and I had to restore the phone in order to get it functioning again. I am hoping that someone can provide step by step instructions on installing a theme onto Samsung Fascinate with DL30? Thank you !!!!!
tennisjunkie said:
I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place also if this has been asked before. I have searched the web and also the forum and I was looking for step by step instructions on how to install a theme ( like myst v3.3) because prior to downloading DL30 I was running supah clean and tried installing dark-myst ( on DL09- Samsung Fascinate) and I placed it on the SD card ( yes clockword is installed) and I went to update.zip then to install zip from sd card and loacted it. it installed, cleared the cache and then it went to the SAMSUNG screen and I had to restore the phone in order to get it functioning again. I am hoping that someone can provide step by step instructions on installing a theme onto Samsung Fascinate with DL30? Thank you !!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you saying it got stuck on the "SAMSUNG" screen? If you used a DJ05 theme on a DL09 rom, you have to apply the DL09 theme fix otherwise your phone will get stuck on "SAMSUNG".
DL09 Theme Fix: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17566514/DL09 Theme Fix.zip
Edit:
Install DL30: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=937499
Flash only DL30 themes after installing DL30! Here's a list: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=922455
Installing a DL30 theme is the same as on a DL09 but you need the new CWM to do it.
Sorry for all the info. I hope somewhere in there you got an answer to your question.
DtatchD said:
This is a really good idea, I talked about making one a while back but never really got around to it. Maybe I can talk to some of the guys and we can throw something together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a totally new at this but if I can help do some legwork on it I'd be willing to try. I was just thinking about looking for a list like this...
Samsung Fascinate DL30 and installing themes
letmehearucaw said:
Are you saying it got stuck on the "SAMSUNG" screen? If you used a DJ05 theme on a DL09 rom, you have to apply the DL09 theme fix otherwise your phone will get stuck on "SAMSUNG".
DL09 Theme Fix: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17566514/DL09 Theme Fix.zip
Edit:
Install DL30: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=937499
Flash only DL30 themes after installing DL30! Here's a list: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=922455
Installing a DL30 theme is the same as on a DL09 but you need the new CWM to do it.
Sorry for all the info. I hope somewhere in there you got an answer to your question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to all my scattered questions. So to install a theme I put it on my SD card then flash through ROM Manager, then boot into recovery and apply theme from SD card? DO I need to backup and clear data? I dont want to uninstall the ROM. I ended up installing Rubiks DL30 ROM. It is pretty nice looking.
tennisjunkie said:
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to all my scattered questions. So to install a theme I put it on my SD card then flash through ROM Manager, then boot into recovery and apply theme from SD card? DO I need to backup and clear data? I dont want to uninstall the ROM. I ended up installing Rubiks DL30 ROM. It is pretty nice looking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Place the theme you want (should be .zip file) onto your SD card. So if you already have the rom installed, then you reboot into CWM recovery (when I upgraded to DL30, I never even used Rom Manager).
I've read on a couple of forum that its good to clear data and wipe caches (I've done it and not done it without noticing any difference). From there, you flash the theme ("apply .zip from SD card" is the actual command in CWM) and then reboot the phone (this is an option in CWM).
Personal preference, I always make a backup (I use Titanium Backup, but I hear nandroid is good too) before I re-theme.
Samsung Fascinate DL30 and installing themes
Ok. I apologize for all the questions. I tried to do exactly as you described above and it places me at the "Samsung" screen where it has installed the package then looks as if it is going to boot up but does not boot so I have to start back at stock again. I am trying to use DL30 Midnight V1.1 - (midnight for 2.2) as my theme and my ROM is 2.2 Roms
RubikS 0.3 DL30
Is it possible it is not compatible, any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks again.
Hello XDA,
I've gotten a request to make a guide about theming. I am not going to make this an expert guide because there are many other guides out there that might suit others better. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916814 <- That is a good resource for theming.
Anyways, I want to share how I themed my theme. I made a theme that was to be used with the Theme Chooser found in many roms.
Since I was new to theming, I decided that I was going to use another theme that worked with my xoom as a base for my theme. So for me, I downloaded jasonevil's Xperia S theme. It came in the form of an apk, as most theme chooser themes do.
So if you plan to do what I did and base your theme off of someone else's theme, here's what you do: Please read through the entire post first.
Before you begin, familiarize yourself with .png files and .9 files too. Also, prepare yourself for fustration. You may also want to print this out, unless you are using a multi-monitor setup.
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NOTE: Throughout this guide, you should take regular backups. You can find "backups" under the "Extas" tab in VTS. Don't do that now, because you probably don't have VTS yet.
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1. Download a theme that you would like to use as your base. It should be made for the Theme Engine and should come in an apk. And it might be nice to work with a theme that works with your device.The theme should also theme everything (or more) of what you want to theme.
2. If you find the theme on a forum, remember to thank the author of the theme.
3. Ask the themer, preferably through a PM, for permission to use ANY part of their work in your theme, if you plan to distribute your theme to the public.
4. Make sure you have the Android SDK setup and ready to go. It should be in your path and ready for use.
5. Download a software called "Virtuous Ten Studio". We'll call it VTS. VTS is an amazing piece of software that makes theming and modifications very easy, and it comes with many tools that make it a must have. It's not required, but you might want to familiarize yourself with the software on the website.
6. Take a breath, you are in for a ride!
7. Open up VTS
8. Hit File>New Project
9. Give your new project a name. Make the project name something like template or the name of the theme you are theming. Don't worry, the name you give here will not be the name of your theme, infact, this isn't your theme at all. We are just going to keep this as a reference, you may not even use it at all.
10. Give your new solution name . Make the name of the solution something that you can understand, the name of your solution will not affect the theme directly. Think of the solution as your desk. It holds everything that is related to your final goal: the finished theme. This should probably be reflective of the theme you are going to make.
11. DON'T hit OK yet. OK? Before you do that, In the Create new project window, go to the second tab that says "Apk-Tool".
12. Make sure that "Generate Java Sources" is checked on. I don't really know why I have it checked off, but things worked when it was on.
13. Where it says "File:", navigate to where you have downloaded your template apk.
14. You have been patient enough, you can finally click the ok button!
15. On the left of the screen in VTS, you should see a structured layout of your solution and theme. On the top of that structure, you should see your solution name. Right click on that solution name and click add project.
16. Oh no! Not another screen like before! Not to worry, unless you are combining themes, this should be the last time you see this screen. In the dialog, where it asks for a project name, put a name that resembles your final theme, perhaps the name of your theme.
17. Repeat steps 11-14
18. Take a second to breathe, you'll need it!
19. Now take a look at the final theme project at the left. That project is exactly the same as the other one (template theme) in your solution. Right-Click on the final theme project's name and hit "Properties".
20. You'll see a window with a bunch of stuff, but the only thing you should change is the "APK-Name". In that field, delete everything that is already there and type the name of the final product. This is the name of the file that people will download from wherever. It doesn't have to be the name of the theme itself, but make it fairly short and descriptive. At the end of the name, put ".apk" at the end. It's better to not put any punctuation and spaces in that field. If you want to put spaces in between words, try a "-" or an underscore "_" instead. Click OK when done.
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From now on, "your project" referrs to the final project. The other project that you named after the template theme is there in case you want some inspiration. And "your theme" referrs to essentially the same thing. The "original theme" referrs to the theme you are basing your theme off of.
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Now lets understand what makes up our theme chooser theme:
Under your final project, you should see a file called "AndroidManifest.xml". This is an important file because this is how the Android system sees your final apk, sees it as a theme, and knows what to do with the theme. RIght now, the AndroidManifest tells the Android system that your theme is exactly the same theme as the one you are using as a base. You need to change that. BE REALLY CAREFUL when changing things in the AndroidManifest, as it can render the entire project useless if something is done improperly.
"res" is a folder where all of your theme's resources are stored. When I say resources, I mean all the images that you are using that make up your theme. The folder also has other .xml files that make up your theme. The xml files stored in the "values" folder are core components to your theme. The xml files in the "xml" folder are bits that are specific to certain apps.
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21. If you are using someone else's theme as the base of your theme, it is imperitive you give them credit. I did that in my AndroidManifest. In the AndroidManifest.xml file, after "</manifest>" at the vert end, hit enter a couple times and then start the line with "<!--" This is important as "<!--" to the Android system means that the text that follows is not code, and is human language. Therefore it will skip it. With that, you should give credit to the work of the themer whose work you base yours off of. At the end of your note, put "-->". That closes off the comment.
22. In the AndroidManifest.xml you should see the word "package" in red. Next to that, you will see an "=" and a pair of quotation marks. Inside those quotation marks, change what ever is there to "com.[whatever]", What you put in there must be unique, as you want to make sure no other project, theme, or application in the world has that name. For me, I had package="com.yosterwp.theme.honeycombICS". I decided to put my username and the name of my theme in the name of the package. You may wish to put your username and theme name in, but anything else can work too. Don't put the theme in someone else's name.
23. In the rest of the AndroidManifest, you will see the name of theme you are basing your theme off of in multiple places. Replace those names with the name of the theme you are making. This is important because this is the name of your theme.
24. If the original theme has a wallaper, but you do not want a wallpaper to be bundled with your theme, delete "pluto:wallpaperImage=[whatever is here]". Do not delete anything else or anything else that begins with "pluto".
25. Press CTRL+S to save the file.
26. Now, in your project, expand the "res" folder. Then expand the "values" folder under it. If you see a file called "public.xml". Here's the scoop: public.xml is a file that tells theme chooser what your theme will theme, and where it is. This is a file generated by VTS (for the tech-savvy, apktool does that). The file gets generated by the smali code that comes out of the decompiled apk. But that is not important. What is important is removing that file. To get rid of it, you should right-click on the folder and click "open in explorer". This will open up an oh-so-familiar explorer window, Here you can just select "public.xml" and simply delete it like you would any other file. When you are done, close the explorer window.
27. Now you want to refresh VTS. To do that simply press File and then click on the name of your solution.
28. Yay! Everything has loaded! You have just scratched the surface of the surface in theming. I advise you take a break for 5 minutes. Drink some beverage. Look outside, smell the fresh air. Look away from your computer screen to give your eyes a break. Trust me, things go wrong when you are not relaxed.
29. Now that you changed some of the AndroidManifest, you need to change some other things too. Go to your project, look for res>values>strings.xml. Once you find strings.xml, change every occurence of the original theme's name to the name of your theme.
30. In the same strings.xml, replace the name of the author who made the original theme with your name. And also change the copyright to what you want too.
31. Press CTRL+S to save the file.
32. Now, look for res>values>styles.xml. At around the 3rd line, you should see something like "<style name="blahblah". Change "blahblah" to the name of your theme.
33. From there, you can replace files and change values in some of the various xml files. Except for the files in the smali and values folders, you can remove, modify and/or replace files in any folder. Don't touch the AndroidManifest. Only modify it if you want to change the version of your theme. If you are replacing files, make sure that the new file has the same name as the old file. And make sure it is of the same type too. You can change as many files as you want at a time when you are theming, but as soon as you return to VTS, reload your project. You can do that by clicking File and then your solution.
34. Once you have done all the modifications that you have wanted to do, it's time to get all that stuff in VTS into one apk again. Reload your project in VTS and then click "Build All". If you do not want the original theme to build, by now you can either delete it, or right-click on your theme and click "Build Project".
TIP: Before building a project, it is a good idea to clear the logs, so you can read it later to see any errors. Go to View>Clear Logs.
35. If you encounter errors while building, you can assume something went wrong. If you want to know what went wrong, go to Extras>Logs. There you can see everything that VTS throws at you. It may seem like a foreign language, but if you read it, it will start making sense, and you will know what to do pretty soon.
36. If all goes well and you get "Build Successful!" CONGRATULATIONS! You have made your first theme! If you have adb set up and you have your phone/tablet connected to your computer, then you can use the built in "Push to device" option in VTS, that automatically installs your theme on your device.
37. Finally, if you have permission to distribute your theme from the developer of the original theme, make a thread on XDA (put it in an appropriate place), and upload your theme! Put some screenshots in there too.
38. GIVE CREDIT TO THE DEVELOPER OF THE ORIGINAL THEME ON YOUR THREAD.
It isn't the most professional guide out there, but I hope this guide helps people get into the world of theming. If this guide helped you, say thanks through the button!
Please don't quote the entire OP.
Virtuous Ten Studio Link: http://www.virtuousrom.com/p/ten-studio.html
A list of themes to go to try: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1673456
Tips
I guess I'll dedicate this post to tips.
Amazing! Thnx a ton!
Thanks a lot for this guide. It is very easy to follow and a great place to start if you have never themed before. VTS is awesome too.
I ran into one issue though. I followed the outlined steps thoroughly, and made just minor changes as a test to make sure everything worked. The apk installed fine, and I see the theme in theme chooser. When I apply it, I get the infamous "this theme was improperly compiled. please contact the themes author" error message. Looked all over for a fix before posting here, but have had no luck. I tried applying stock theme and rebooting but it did not help. I installed the original/base theme and it worked fine... Anybody have any ideas?
alexcolodner said:
Thanks a lot for this guide. It is very easy to follow and a great place to start if you have never themed before. VTS is awesome too.
I ran into one issue though. I followed the outlined steps thoroughly, and made just minor changes as a test to make sure everything worked. The apk installed fine, and I see the theme in theme chooser. When I apply it, I get the infamous "this theme was improperly compiled. please contact the themes author" error message. Looked all over for a fix before posting here, but have had no luck. I tried applying stock theme and rebooting but it did not help. I installed the original/base theme and it worked fine... Anybody have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
apply the stock theme reboot then apply your theme
daman215 said:
apply the stock theme reboot then apply your theme
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but as I said I tried that and it did not work in this case.
alexcolodner said:
Thanks, but as I said I tried that and it did not work in this case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have noticed that the folder where some pngs are stored makes a big difference. For example, if you want images that are made for mdpi tablets only, then you would place those images in res/drawable-sw600dp-mdpi.
But I noticed that if you keep the theme icon in that folder, theme chooser will throw a "theme not compiled correctly" error.
Perhaps you have an image where an image shouldn't be...
Hope that helps
DId this guide work for anyone? Please let me know if there is any issue.
Thanks!
hi yosterwp, thanks for the tutorial.
Just to notice you that there is a CM theme template already by Ricardo Cerqueira here
https://plus.google.com/115049428938715274412/posts/Epq3Xt83Bpd
pier10 said:
hi yosterwp, thanks for the tutorial.
Just to notice you that there is a CM theme template already by Ricardo Cerqueira here
https://plus.google.com/115049428938715274412/posts/Epq3Xt83Bpd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up! I made this tutorial to help people who are interested in theming for the first time, dip their toes into the sea of theming.
Once a person is comfortable with theming, I'd definitely recommend using Ricardo Cerqueira's template to make even better themes, without using another user's theme.
pier10 said:
hi yosterwp, thanks for the tutorial.
Just to notice you that there is a CM theme template already by Ricardo Cerqueira here
https://plus.google.com/115049428938715274412/posts/Epq3Xt83Bpd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yosterwp said:
Thanks for the heads up! I made this tutorial to help people who are interested in theming for the first time, dip their toes into the sea of theming.
Once a person is comfortable with theming, I'd definitely recommend using Ricardo Cerqueira's template to make even better themes, without using another user's theme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The template provided by Ricardo requires linux. Can someone please guide me on how to use that template and build it? I'm still learning.
muzicfreako said:
The template provided by Ricardo requires linux. Can someone please guide me on how to use that template and build it? I'm still learning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, for starters, you'll need linux on your computer. I personally use Ubuntu Linux on a separate partition on my computer. But I know many people who prefer to use Linux in a virtual machine. It is just a difference of whether you want to boot Linux without booting Windows first or not. Anyways, I'd recommend Ubuntu because of its easy installer for this purpose. But . you can chooser any distribution of Linux you like, because they will all compile the theme in the same manner.
Once you have Linux ready, you'll need to grab the android sdk, and ant. There are guides out there that can explain waaay better than I can.
From there, you'd extract the theme, change some files, then you would use ant and build the file using it. Some amount of instructions are in the readme and in some of the xmls. Or, you could build the template immediately, and use my guide on modifying it in VTS. The effect should be the same.
These aren't great instructions for R.C.'s theme, I know. But I hope it points you somewhat in the right direction.
I am currently using GO Launcher for my themes on my phone. Is there ANY POSSIBLE WAY to convert my theme I have already created on my phone to an APK file rather than coding one from scratch? I have searched this site and have begun to learn how to use Android Studio in the likelihood that I will have to code my themes. If there is a way to just take what I have made in GO Launcher on my phone and export it to an APK file for others to use/put on google play, I would be grateful to whoever knows how to do it. Or if anyone is successfully using the Java based GO Theme Factory, I could use some help because I'm getting an error when trying to run the app. Java is working fine on my computer. Sorry for being a noob, but this site has helped me root and do all sorts of other stuff I didn't think was possible. Thanks for reading.
-Jim
Hi, i have couple of questions about theming cyanogenmod with android studio, I must say, i am novice and I don't understand some parts. First I install Android studio, Android SDK, JDK, and download all needed tools and packages for Android 5.x, Everything woks good i think, because i sucessful send my theme to mobile and override some parts od systemui. Only what I change was color, dimens, drawables, but i have some problems with layout override, in catlog show me error because I dont have source of some parts, but I dont know why is needed in theme when this sources are already in mobile in systemui, and if these source are not set/override in theme, may use original files. Another problem is with preview render, still show me errors eg..
Code:
Couldn't resolve resource @dimen/qs_detail_item_height
, .. because I think these files are not in res folder but are in folder
Code:
mytheme/assets/overlays/com.android.systemui/res
I am using this gradle template for theme https://github.com/cyngn/android_packages_themes_Template. How can I fix these issues. Thanks.
I am having trouble trying to understand what you mean, you're talking about an error and some sort of preview issues?
Could you split both of these factors into separate paragraphs explaining what you mean, only then I can understand and help you out bud.
Overriding layout won't work with CM12+.. This feature was disabled intentionally because it could possibly be abused for changing strings and tricking people.
And I didn't know that a preview feature for CM themes existed. Always create my themes by trial and error on my phone.
Hi guys, i will try explain deep my problems with my poor english, when I put gradle template for CM12 to android studio and start with some customization I dont see preview, what I change and what effect has my change in files. It is really hard something modify when you dont have preview. Preview doesnt work because my project files are not in res folder as is when you create new project, but this grande template has files in
HTML:
mytheme/assets/overlays/com.android.systemui/res
. I dont know if is some solution for this or jusr create another standart project with standart folder structure and there change my files and after if I am content with these changes, then put in my main gradle template. Another problem is I can only change some basic settings in theme as is color, drawable, but I cant change Layout. As I say before this doesnt work when I send to phone and get error from this, but in layout are some parts what I want change in my theme , as padding, margin, ..
Thnak you.