Introduction
This tutorial helps you get started creating your own themes for Apex Launcher. Since themes are packaged and distributed in the form of APK files, you'll need to know the basics about Android app development to make themes.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, you need to set up your development environment. Please install the required software in the following order.
JDK 6
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
Android SDK
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
Eclipse IDE
http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/
ADT Plugin for Eclipse
http://developer.android.com/sdk/eclipse-adt.html
How to install these developer tools is not within scope of this tutorial, For details, make sure to read and follow the instructions in the links provided above.
Creating Your Theme
Apex Launcher supports different components in its theme engine. Icon packs replace app icons on the desktop, dock, and in the drawer. Apex skins allows the customization of the look and feel of the launcher itself, including dock background, folder background, icon label color, etc. You may also change the font of icon labels and provide a bunch of wallpapers along with your theme. Each theme may contain one or more components.
Here are two sample themes to help you get started. If you are just creating an icon pack, please use the icon pack sample as a base and follow the instructions below to add icons to the theme. If you want to go for a complete theme design, start with the other theme sample which includes all types of components.
Download Apex Icon Pack Sample
Download Apex Theme Sample
Regardless of which sample theme you choose, the first step is to import the sample project into Eclipse. Here are the instructions.
Extract the sample archive file to your hard drive.
Open Eclipse, choose "Import..." from the File menu.
In the Import dialog, choose "Existing Projects into Workspace" under General, and click Next. Then browse to the sample project directory and click Finish.
Change the package name. To do this, first expand the ApexIconPackSample (or ApexThemeSample) project in the Project Explorer and then expand the src folder. Now right click "com.yourname.iconpackname" (or "com.yourname.themename") and select "Refactor > Rename...". Enter your desired package name and click OK to save the change.
Right click on your theme project in the Eclipse Project Explorer and select "Android Tools > Rename Application Package". Enter the same package name (as used in the previous step) and click OK.
Navigate to and open "strings.xml" under "res/values" and change the theme information to your needs.
Replace the icon.png files under the drawable folders to use your own icons. Note that the sample projects are configured in a way such that they will not show up in the drawer. However, the icons are still visible in the Apex Launcher theme settings.
Provide a feature graphic and up to 5 preview images in your theme. These are optional, so you may just delete the entries from "strings.xml" and the corresponding image files if you decide not to provide these images.
Now, let's get down to the different components. Again, you may include any combination of the following components in your theme.
Icon Pack
First of all, please make sure config_iconpack is set to true in "strings.xml".
HTML:
<bool name="config_iconpack">true</bool>
This will let Apex's theme engine know that your theme includes an icon pack component.
Next, open the appfilter.xml file under the res/xml directory. (Note: This file used to be located under the assets directory, but the new app encryption feature in JellyBean made it impossible for the theme engine to access assets of paid themes.) You need to add an entry for each activity that you provide an icon for, in the following format:
HTML:
<item component="ComponentInfo{com.package.name/com.package.name.ActivityName}" drawable="icon_name"/>
For instance, here's how we provide an icon for the Browser app in the sample project:
HTML:
<item component="ComponentInfo{com.android.browser/com.android.browser.BrowserActivity}" drawable="com_android_browser_browseractivity" />
<item component="ComponentInfo{com.google.android.browser/com.android.browser.BrowserActivity}" drawable="com_android_browser_browseractivity" />
Some apps (Browser, Camera, etc.) may have different package names but they share the same activity name. Therefore, specifying both the package name and the activity name can help avoid any ambiguity if you need to provide separate icons for such apps. Please note that we do not include the file extension (.png) for the drawable attribute value.
When providing icons, please make sure they are of the right size (i.e., resolution) depending on the screen density you are targeting. Generally, Android supports these density buckets: ldpi, mdpi, hdpi, xhdpi, and xxhdpi. Please keep in mind that xxhdpi is supported starting from JellyBean, so devices running ICS may not pick it up properly. The screen resolution and icon size for each density bucket is listed below.
Code:
Density Screen Icon (px)
ldpi ~120dpi 36x36
mdpi ~160dpi 48x48
hdpi ~240dpi 72x72
xhdpi ~320dpi 96x96
xxhdpi ~480dpi 144x144
It is not required to support every density bucket listed above, as icons generally can be scaled to the right size automatically. If you are targeting higher-end devices, we recommend using xhdpi (96x96) as a starting point, which should provide enough detail on high resolution screens. After you decide on the density to support, export icons as transparent PNG files and put them in the correct folder (e.g., drawable-hdpi, drawable-xhdpi).
Since it is impossible to create a themed icon for every single app, you may provide default icon background images to achieve a uniform look and feel. If provided, these background images will be placed behind each icon that does not have a specific icon created for it. If you decide to take advantage of this feature, please declare your background images in the appfilter.xml file, like this:
HTML:
<iconback img1="iconback" />
<iconmask img1="iconmask" />
<iconupon img1="iconupon" />
<scale factor="0.75" />
The corresponding iconback image file (e.g., iconback.png) is placed under the proper drawable directory. The sample icon pack project only provides one iconback image, but you can have multiple iconback images as well, and the theme engine would randomly pick an image for each icon.
HTML:
<iconback img1="iconback1" img2="iconback2" img3="iconback3" img4="iconback4" img5="iconback5" />
All the unthemed icons will be scaled to fit atop an iconback. The scale factor is also declared in appfilter.xml, with 1.0 being the actual size (no scaling).
The Apex theme engine also allows you to mask icons using a transparent image (i.e., iconmask) or place an overlay (i.e., iconupon) on top of the icons. You may use a transparent iconupon image to decorate the icons (e.g., to achieve glossy effects).
The iconback, iconmask, iconupon, and scale tags described above are all optional, so if you do not want to use these features, just delete the tags from appfilter.xml and the corresponding image files from the sample project. In addition, the theme engine supports the icon shader feature for manipulating color values in icons.
For compatibility reasons, Apex also supports icon packs that do not use an appfilter. In this case, you must name the icon files properly so that Apex Launcher can detect and use them. Here's the naming convention:
Icon file name should be based on the full activity name
Always use lower case letters for file names
Replace dots with underscores
For example, to add an icon for the stock Android browser (com.android.browser.BrowserActivity) in your icon pack, add an icon with the name "com_android_browser_browseractivity.png" in the proper drawable directory. In case of conflicts, appfilter has higher priority and the icon file specified there will be used.
Finding the Correct Component/Activity Name
If you do not know the name of the activity, the "Activities" shortcut list may come in handy. Just long press on your home screen and select Shortcuts > Activities. The name of each activity will be listed under the label after you expand the desired app.
Since Apex Launcher 2.0, the activity picker has been improved to help you quickly find the correct component name for the app you want to theme. For each app, the package name is listed under the name of the app, and the name of each public activity is listed under the activity label. When the package name matches the activity name prefix, the activity name starts with a dot and the prefix is omitted for brevity. Otherwise, the full activity name is provided. Note that the main activity of each app is marked in blue and is the one that will appear in the app drawer. Here are two examples:
> Messaging
com.android.mms
>> Messaging
.ui.ConversationList
The activity name starts with a dot, which means you should concatenate it with the package name. The full component name for the Messaging app should be:
HTML:
ComponentInfo{com.android.mms/com.android.mms.ui.ConversationList}
> Chrome
com.android.chrome
>> Chrome
com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main
In this case, the activity name does not start with a dot, and is already the full name. The full component name for the Chrome app should be:
HTML:
ComponentInfo{com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main}
Besides the activity picker, you may also find the following websites useful:
http://activities.droidicon.com/
http://activities.tundem.com/
The next step is to declare the icons included in your icon pack. This can be done by adding an entry for each icon to the icon_pack array in "res/values/iconpack.xml". Here's an example:
HTML:
<string-array name="icon_pack" translatable="false">
<item>com_android_browser_browseractivity</item>
</string-array>
Again, we do not include the file extension (.png) in this array.
These declarations are important for the icon picker that allows users to change icons for apps/folders on the home screen. Only declared icons will appear in the icon picker when the user chooses your theme from the list.
Skin
The theme engine of Apex Launcher allows you to customize the look and feel of your desktop, dock, and drawer, by providing certain images and color values in your theme. The ApexThemeSample project includes all the things you may change, and it provides the default images and color values as the basis for your modification.
If you include a skin in your theme, make sure config_apexskin is set to true in "strings.xml".
HTML:
<bool name="config_apexskin">true</bool>
Feel free to use the sample theme as a starting point and replace any image in the drawable-xhdpi directory to your needs.
You may notice that some of the images are 9-patch drawables (those ending with .9.png). A nine patch graphic is a stretchable image, which Android will automatically resize to accommodate the contents. You can define stretchable regions that Android scales when the image is resized. The Draw 9-patch tool from the Android SDK allows you to easily create a nine patch graphic using a WYSIWYG editor. To learn more about nine patch graphics and the Draw 9-patch tool, please read the following references on the Android Developer’s site:
http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/draw9patch.html
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/graphics/2d-graphics.html#nine-patch
If you decide not to change certain images from the default theme, please delete the image from your theme package. For instance, if you do not want to theme the Apex action icons, you can just delete all the "ic_*.png" files from the drawable directory, and Apex will still use the default images. Doing so will help make your theme package slim by excluding unnecessary files and it also helps improve the performance of the launcher.
You may also notice a few xml files in the drawable directory. Those are state list drawables that select from different images based on their states. If you do not theme the drawer button, you will need to delete "all_apps_button_icon.xml" after removing both "ic_allapps.png" and "ic_allapps_pressed.png". Similarly, if you do not theme the drawer tabs, you will also need to delete the "tab_*.xml" files after removing the "tab_*.png" files. Otherwise, the project won't compile because these xml files depend on the other deleted images. For more information on state list drawables, please refer to the following link:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/drawable-resource.html#StateList
To customize the color values for UI elements, please edit "colors.xml" and change the color values as you please.
Font
Place your custom font file under the assets folder and name it themefont.ttf. If this file is present in your theme, it will be automatically picked up by Apex Launcher. Please make sure that the font is working properly by testing it on your device.
Wallpapers
You may bundle wallpapers in your theme by putting the images inside the proper drawable directory. You also need to update "res/values/wallpapers.xml" accordingly, so that Apex will recognize the wallpapers. Here's an example from the sample theme:
HTML:
<string-array name="wallpapers" translatable="false">
<item>wallpaper_escape</item>
<item>wallpaper_outofthebox</item>
</string-array>
<string name="default_wallpaper">wallpaper_outofthebox</string>
All the wallpapers declared in the wallpapers array will be available from the Apex Launcher wallpaper chooser, while the default_wallpaper will be applied along with your theme (if the user chooses to). Note that you also need a lower-resolution preview image with a _small suffix in the file name for each wallpaper. For instance, place both wallpaper_escape.jpg and wallpaper_escape_small.jpg under the drawable directory. The preview image is only used in the wallpaper picker and the original image is used when applying the wallpaper.
Linking to Apex Theme Settings
If you like, there is a special Intent that you can use to direct users to your theme's details page in Apex theme settings, where they can apply your theme. Here's how:
Code:
final String ACTION_SET_THEME = "com.anddoes.launcher.SET_THEME";
final String EXTRA_PACKAGE_NAME = "com.anddoes.launcher.THEME_PACKAGE_NAME";
Intent intent = new Intent(ACTION_SET_THEME);
intent.putExtra(EXTRA_PACKAGE_NAME, getPackageName());
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
try {
startActivity(intent);
} catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) {
Toast.makeText(this, "Apex Launcher is not installed!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
}
finish();
You may include this piece of code inside your theme's activity (e.g., in the onCreate method) to launch Apex's theme settings. Please note that the sample projects are configured in a way such that no icon will show up in the drawer. If you need an icon for your activity, insert the android.intent.category.LAUNCHER category into the <intent-filter> section of your activity in the manifest file like this:
HTML:
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
<category android:name="com.anddoes.launcher.THEME" />
</intent-filter>
It is important that you must include the com.anddoes.launcher.THEME category so that Apex can recognize your theme.
Testing Your Theme
It is very important that you test your theme on a device and make sure it looks exactly the way you expect it to be. You may follow these steps to test your new theme.
Connect your phone/tablet to the computer via USB.
Turn on USB debugging via System settings > Developer options > USB debugging.
In Eclipse, right click your theme project, select "Run As > Android Application".
On your device, launch Apex theme settings and select your new theme.
Apply the theme and restart the launcher.
Look around and see if everything works as expected.
After you have thoroughly tested your theme, you are ready to distribute it to users.
Signing and Releasing Your Theme
To release your theme to other Apex Launcher users, you need to sign, optimize, and export the APK file, which can be done seamlessly with Eclipse and the ADT plugin. For details, please read the publishing section on the Android Developers website.
http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/app-signing.html
If you publish your theme on the Google Play Store, you may want to update it later. In this case, it is very important that you version your theme properly. You may find the following link helpful.
http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/versioning.html
That's it! I hope this tutorial contains enough information to get you started working on your own themes. Happy theming!
Apr 29, 2013
Apex Launcher 2.0 now comes with an improved activity picker to help you find the right component name.
Updated tutorial to include a new "Finding the Correct Component/Activity Name" subsection
Jan 17, 2013
Updated sample theme to include new Apex Action icons.
Dec 6, 2012
Updated sample projects to support iconmask.
Updated tutorial to include a brief discussion on icon sizes.
Oct 10, 2012
Updated sample theme to support icon label shadow colors.
Sep 24, 2012
Updated sample projects for better iconpack support.
Updated tutorial in accordance with latest Eclipse/ADT.
May 22, 2012
Added support for iconback and iconupon in v1.2.1
Updated sample projects to include default iconback and iconupon images
Updated tutorial with iconback and iconupon descriptions
May 18, 2012
Added support for appfilter in v1.2.0beta3
Updated sample projects to include appfilter and new Apex action icons
Updated tutorial with appfilter descriptions
Awesome addition to a great launcher. Looking forward to seeing some epic themes.
Can't wait for some great themes. Apex is so win, uNF!
Sent from my Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 w/Tapatalk 2
Oh great. Well laid out template.
Just to check, I don't need to change XML files if I was to populate the hdpi/mdpi/ldpi folders with images in this template, as everything is already setup to accept those files? I just should delete whichever file entries from the XML that I don't want to theme?
Or has it been setup to only use the files from the XML folder at this point.
I am planning to make a red holo theme but haven't finished downloading the sdk yet. (Travelling, its going to take some time).
Sent from my GT-I9000 running CM9 (ICS 4.0.4) using XDA premium app
Very nice!
themes
will these themes be dependent on phone resolution or will they work on any phone with apex launcher because my phone is mdpi and i am worried that my phone will have no themes
If a theme already supports ADW/Go icon packs, do you recommend including the Apex specific code? I'm just trying to think about all the overlap between the various launchers and the resources included in the theme.
Edit: NVM. Just re-read the part about Apex free only supporting Apex themes. That means Apex code will definitely be needed. Thanks.
Two suggestions/questions.
A) If a theme supports multiple launchers, potentially /ignore the other configurations and only list Apex? See my screenshot for details. I also noticed that if you add Apex theme support, the Go launcher entry is no longer listed. I think it'd be smart to consolidate a theme (that supports multiple launchers) down to a single entry.
B) Would you be willing to add an intent, similar to GO/ADW.EX, that would allow a theme to direct a user to the Theme Settings activity? I'd really like the ability to bring a user directly to the settings from my dashboard.
Screenshot:
{
"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"
}
Koveleski said:
B) Would you be willing to add an intent, similar to GO/ADW.EX, that would allow a theme to direct a user to the Theme Settings activity? I'd really like the ability to bring a user directly to the settings from my dashboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats key.
And/or have an intent we can flag so we can continue to use the 'apply theme' feature within our apps.
well, here's my first theme for Apex Launcher
Nice theme!
I am currently travelling and haven't been able to setup a workable environment for eclipse (I don't have my own pc with me and the shared pc isn't really up to standard).
Would someone be able to compile just a base unthemed apex theme so that for the short time I can do a quick hack to add different images? Yes I know its not ideal but until I get home in 6 weeks, I don't have much choice...
Edit: I just mean a full theme but only using current unmodded apex images.
Sent from my GT-I9000 running CM9 (ICS 4.0.4) using XDA premium app
how i load themes on apex ?
vladnosferatu said:
how i load themes on apex ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need the beta. I have pro so might be different. Its in the apex menu > about apex launcher. There is an update option and an option to select whether updates are "stable" or "beta".
Sent from my GT-I9000 running CM9 (ICS 4.0.4) using XDA premium app
thanks
drakenabarion said:
Oh great. Well laid out template.
Just to check, I don't need to change XML files if I was to populate the hdpi/mdpi/ldpi folders with images in this template, as everything is already setup to accept those files? I just should delete whichever file entries from the XML that I don't want to theme?
Or has it been setup to only use the files from the XML folder at this point.
I am planning to make a red holo theme but haven't finished downloading the sdk yet. (Travelling, its going to take some time).
Sent from my GT-I9000 running CM9 (ICS 4.0.4) using XDA premium app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about icon packs or complete themes? For icon packs, you need to declare your icon images in an XML file. For Apex skins, you probably don't need to change XML files (except strings.xml where you define the basic information about your theme). BTW, there is no xml folder in the provided sample projects.
opera38205 said:
will these themes be dependent on phone resolution or will they work on any phone with apex launcher because my phone is mdpi and i am worried that my phone will have no themes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apex themes should work on any phone, but YMMV with each theme.
Koveleski said:
Two suggestions/questions.
A) If a theme supports multiple launchers, potentially /ignore the other configurations and only list Apex? See my screenshot for details. I also noticed that if you add Apex theme support, the Go launcher entry is no longer listed. I think it'd be smart to consolidate a theme (that supports multiple launchers) down to a single entry.
B) Would you be willing to add an intent, similar to GO/ADW.EX, that would allow a theme to direct a user to the Theme Settings activity? I'd really like the ability to bring a user directly to the settings from my dashboard.
Screenshot:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As of the latest beta, both of your suggestions have been addressed. A) Your theme would only appear once in the list even if it supports multiple launchers. B) Please refer to the new "Linking to Apex Theme Settings" section in the tutorial.
Please consider theme'ing the drawer using Golaunchers appfilter, instead of the icons naming, the icon naming method, is a bit "dated" as where it reacts the same way as ADW does with icons like Honeycombs Youtube icon, and all the angry birds stuff, it just wont accept it. Also, please consider an "iconback" option.
Thanks!
docsparks said:
Please consider theme'ing the drawer using Golaunchers appfilter, instead of the icons naming, the icon naming method, is a bit "dated" as where it reacts the same way as ADW does with icons like Honeycombs Youtube icon, and all the angry birds stuff, it just wont accept it. Also, please consider an "iconback" option.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your suggestion. We will add support for appfilter in the next version, and will consider "iconback" in the future.
I love to use Apex Pro... And I'm waiting for your nice themes
Keep up your great work
dennisxl said:
As of the latest beta, both of your suggestions have been addressed. A) Your theme would only appear once in the list even if it supports multiple launchers. B) Please refer to the new "Linking to Apex Theme Settings" section in the tutorial.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brilliant! I look forward to the appfilter support as well. Thank you for being so responsive to my suggestions and your continued development.
greyLIME HD Theme
Link to greyLIME HD Theme in Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greyocelot.design.greylime
greyPINK HD Theme
Link to greyPINK HD Theme in Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greyocelot.design.greypink
greyICE HD Theme also Available as a Premium Paid App
Please Note, this is not a Launcher or Home replacement App, it is a Theme/Icon Pack to be used in conjunction with some of the most popular free and premium launchers available on the Google Play Store. Read further down the page for list of compatible launchers.
Introducing the greyLIME HD & greyPINK HD Themes, supporting multiple launchers. The greyLIME HD & greyPINK HD Themes feature simplified icons all redrawn in matching colour scheme and style providing a clean and consistent user interface. Each icon is placed on a grey soft edged tile with colour trim to ensure visibility against wallpapers and background items whilst maintaining a great appearance.
Key Features
- Multi Launcher Support
- 250+ Custom HD Icons (144x144px)
- Uses Advanced Iconshader.xml
- 15 Custom Dock Icons
- 4 Themed Wallpapers
- 2 Custom Docks
- Custom Font
Compatible Launchers
- GO Launcher Ex (recommended)
- Apex Launcher
- Atom Launcher
- Holo Launcher
- Nova Launcher
- Smart Launcher
- ADW Launcher
- & More (not tested)
Ensure you tweak your launcher to your own personal tastes and use the theme to its full potential:
- Icon size is recommended to be set to a larger size due to high quality of icons
- Text size is recommended to be set smaller
- Some launchers may not Auto change dock icons, in order to do this please long press or double press icons on dock to use icon picker and replace desired icons.
- GO Launcher > Ensure 'High quality drawing' is ticked within GO launcher Settings to enable app drawer background to show in its true form.
Developer Notes
- Feel free to send me lists of your un-themed icons which you would like added and I will work to release them in weekly updates.
- Please inform me of any Bugs or possible improvements that you may notice
- Clock Widget in screen shot is 'UCCW Stripes' by 'rwp apps' and uses the UCCW App.
- All screenshots are taken with GO Launcher EX using different settings to achieve different styles.
- Custom coloured status bar icons are root features and are not customized in any way by this theme.
- If you like this theme please Rate & Review via Google Play Store, be sure to check out my other themes.
Been working on this theme for a long time now and its been a struggle at times especially when its hard to find the time, most of what I have learnt has come from XDA tutorials and the many people who contribute to them so I would like to thank anyone who contributed their bit of knowledge in the releveant threads.
individuals id like to thanks especially: Daniel Czarnomorski (dcstudio) for template and help, pooley, kovdev & sTl2yk3l2, all of which answered my question and tried to help me with problems I encountered.
I have tried to make the theme as polished and release ready as possible which is why it has taken me so long, I understand they may be problems and people may have suggestions about what can make it better or may not like current icons or theme elements to which I would like to hear your feedback so that I can work to make it better.
Wallpapers can only be applied using launchers with their own compatible wallpaper pickers, I have not yet managed to work out how to create a wallpaper picker within the app, it was giving me Force close errors but hopefully I can implement this in the next update.
greyOCELOT design
[email protected]
These are gr8 !:good::good::good::good:
Seraz007 said:
These are gr8 !:good::good::good::good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks be sure to send me a list of your unthemed icons so I can get a nice list together, sad thing about a theme that follows a colour scheme is that unthemed icons ruin it lol
greyOCELOT said:
thanks be sure to send me a list of your unthemed icons so I can get a nice list together, sad thing about a theme that follows a colour scheme is that unthemed icons ruin it lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha true yes
FYI, havent tried it yet but looks super cool
will try tomorrow and keep up the good work
quality theme the moment you install it everything matches well wallpaper and icons and the dock icons are really clean
sent my list of icons to be themed not so bad for now as i put them in one folder
thanks going to make new icons soon hopefully, first I want to try to implement the1dynasty's template into the theme, activity pages and wallpaper picker etc. then ill start rolling out weekly icon updates im aiming for about 50 icons a week. icon updates arent so bad on 3 themes as they are easy to re hue but implementing the activity into all 3 will be a bit more long winded, hopefully I can get it to work.
just to keep everyone updated I was planning weekly updates however I have a job interview this week and have to complete some tasks before hand, first icon expansion is scheduled for around the 14th July. ensure you send me lists of un-themed icons so I can work on these before this date.
updates not going as planned, main reason for this is due to the fact that after a short holiday ive been preparing for a job interview and now have got a job in graphic design which is ideal and should mean that I can improve my own skills and work rate . im going to give it a week to settle into my new job before I begin work on new icons for these themes, so far very happy with how successful the theme has done considering that the marketing of it came to a quick halt after release.
help me out by sending me:
- apps you want icons themed for
- ideas of graphical elements you dont like or think can be improved
- dock icons you would like, sticking with the glyph style I have implemented the dock icons are easy to make and can be anything from basic shapes to representation of apps so let me know if theres anything you would like.
with regards to the wallpaper picker Ive decided I am done with racking my brains trying to work out how to iron out errors I get with the app every time I try to implement a picker and I simply do not have the time for it anymore, my interests are graphical and web design based and it is not enjoyable for me lol. as a work around I am beginning work on my own website where I will publish all my themes and future wallpapers in full quality for download. this has many advantages to myself and users by:
- generating traffic for my own designs and work
- creating a large library of wallpapers in one area
- decreases overall app size as wallpapers are fairly large in size
- improves quality of wallpaper as I don't have to compress them
- users can download images to their device, allowing them to be used as lock screen wallpapers as well as home screen.
thanks for the support of everyone this theme has helped me have the confidence to pursue a career in design and purchases of the premium greyice version will help to pay for the costs of my website.
Amazing
Thanks grey :good: :good:
greyICE version of this theme is now free, I do not support these themes anymore as I really wasnt very good when it came to the code side of making an app anyway, my true passion was with the graphical elements and I lack the time and patience to carry on with themes.
hope everyone enjoys these themes while they last I dont think they will work as intended forever as package names change and launchers update. I am willing to share icons/wallpapers and even complete theme files I used if anyone would like them, just let me know how best to share them.
Thanks so much
Hey all,
here you have a summary of all available theming options to theme your OneUI 3.1 on Android 11.
Please note that this post features some paid apps! I do not intend to advertise these, it is just the lack of good free options at the moment. I did not put links here intentionally.
The following options allow for good theming support of your OneUI 3:
Hex Installer - Themes for OneUI (Early Access)
Most convenient option, very user friendly
Highly customizable (not only colors but also UI elements / tweaks)
Supports different "UI Mode" plugins, like the "AOSP R" plugin that allows for AOSP-like theming
Icon Theming for the OneUI launcher supported, as well as custom fonts
Pretty much all OS apps supported, also lots of third-party apps
Works by compiling and applying themes for the Samsung Themes engine
Can be used in combination with Substratum, more below
Some features are paid (the prices are fair)
Substratum / Substratum Light with Android R supporting themes
I could only make out 5 themes that support Android 11 / OneUI 3.1 at the time I am writing this:
Flux (free)
Flux White
Liv Dark (that's what I'm using)
Liv White
Aurora
These themes support a good range of apps and provide many customization options
Works great in combination with Hex Installer, more below
Substratum needs root!
Synergy
Now supports OneUI 3.1 as well
You can combine themes from different sources (like Substratum)
You cannot combine Synergy with Hex Installer
Personally I found Hex Installer to be more user friendly and allowing for more customization
Yet this is the way to go if you want to use a Substratum theme that does not natively Support OneUI 3
Paid app
SwiftBlack Installer
Now supports OneUI 3.1 as well
Most convenient theming experience
Easy updating of overlays
Customizable colors
But less themed apps as the other options as of now
Good Lock by Samsung (and its modules)
This app is quite known but totally underestimated in terms of its quality and feature set
Good Lock is a free customization toolbox by Samsung for OneUI, consisting of multiple apps/modules that can be separately installed from the Samsung Store
The modules allow for many different customizations in terms of lockscreen, homescreen, navbar, statusbar, clock face, and lots of more (visual aspects, UI tweaks, additional OS tuning and features)
Really recommend to get it and take a look at all modules and features. You'll like it!
Want to use Option 1 & 2 together? Let me share some tips on that specific matter:
First go to substratum and open your desired theme (see above). Do not yet compile any overlays. Just go to the overlay "Android System" and look up the color options it has. Choose an accent and a background color and note their color codes. Again: Do not yet compile the overlays. In case you decided to use Liv White / Liv Dark, I recommend choosing a solid color as accent (not gradient).
Now open your Hex Installer app and adjust the color scheme, taking into consideration which colors you chose to use for the Substratum theme (eg: Use the same accents / background colors)
Compile and fully install your Hex theme
Open Substratum again and compile all wanted overlays. You can compile overlays for apps that are already themed by Hex Installer. Remember to use the colors that you chose earlier.
Reboot and profit from a fully themed system!
Other tips:
For edge lighting experiences, I really recommend "Borderlight" if you only want edge lighting on home/lockscreen.
If you are looking for a system wide edge lighting experience, I recommend the app "Always On Edge". Heavier on your battery but provides extensive options.
Please note that not all third-party overlays are working perfectly.
If you want to use the same theme as shown in the attached screenshots, I have also attached my Hex profile and Substratum profile for you to use.
Hit thanks if any of this information was helpful!
Any questions? Leave a reply and I will try my best to help out.
Best regads,
lartsch
Thanks for sharing
Thx for your Post, really good
Im just looking for custom stuff for my new S21 +
I already had S3/S4/S6/S8... Then I get my huawei p30 pro, but didnt find that much 5o Customize
Now im back with the S21+
Maybe u got some cool Forums/telegram groups to share
Looking for custom Rom/themes to test.
kevin1091 said:
Thx for your Post, really good
Im just looking for custom stuff for my new S21 +
I already had S3/S4/S6/S8... Then I get my huawei p30 pro, but didnt find that much 5o Customize
Now im back with the S21+
Maybe u got some cool Forums/telegram groups to share
Looking for custom Rom/themes to test.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. I do not know of any proper TG groups for the S21 or at least I am not a member in any. For custom roms to appear you will need to wait for quite some more time I think. In terms of themes, I don't know any other than the 5 in my OP. Have a great day!
Yeayy. Right now synergy has been supporting Oneui 3.1.... Nice
agun888 said:
Yeayy. Right now synergy has been supporting Oneui 3.1.... Nice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is Synergy working as before with no root?
EDIT: never mind, have to do ADB after each restart
Synergy soft bricked my phone. The settings app, and samsung theme app would crash and force the phone to reboot in Safemode SystemUI. I tried fixing the apps via recovery mode, nothing. Just a warning.
Lartsch said:
Hey all,
after having the experience that theming support on Android 11, especially OneUI 3, is quite weak as of now, I thought I'd share a few tips for people who are looking for something more than the Samsung Themes store can offer.
I can't live without proper, system-wide black theming and I bet some of you feel the same.
Please note that this post features some paid apps! I do not intend to advertise these, it is just the lack of good free options at the moment. I did not put links here intentionally.
// Screenshots at the bottom
// Update 1: Added Aurora theme to the list, which now supports Android R / OneUI 3
// Update 2: Synergy now supports OneUI3
The following options allow for good theming support of your OneUI 3:
Hex Installer - Themes for OneUI (Early Access)
Probably the most convenient way as of now. Allows for a decent theming experience, especially in combination with option 2.
Supports different "UI Mode" plugins, like the "AOSP R" plugin that allows for AOSP-like theming.
Fully customizable color scheme as well as other UI options (depending on the "UI Mode" plugin you use)
Icon Theming for the OneUI launcher supported, as well as custom fonts
Pretty much all OS apps supported, also quite some third-parties
Basically works by compiling themes for the Samsung Themes engine which are then applied from there
Some features are paid (the prices are fair)
Substratum with Android R supporting themes
I could only make out 5 themes that support Android 11 / OneUI 3.1 at the time I am writing this:
Flux (free)
Flux White
Liv Dark (that's what I'm using)
Liv White
Aurora
They support a good range of apps and provide many customization options
Works great in combination with Hex Installer, more below
Substratum needs root!
Synergy
Now supports OneUI 3 as well
Paid app
You can combine themes from different sources (like Substratum)
Personally I found Hex Installer to be more user friendly and allowing for more customization
Yet this is the way to go if you want to use a Substratum theme that does not natively Support OneUI 3
Good Lock by Samsung (and its modules)
Probably well known but really underestimated. Also I feel like people put the "samsung bloat" label on these apps pretty quickly. But they are actually really well thought-out and working apps!
Good Lock is a free customization toolbox by Samsung for OneUI, consisting of multiple apps/modules that can be separately installed from the Samsung Store.
The modules allow for many different customizations in terms of lockscreen, homescreen, navbar, statusbar, clock face, and lots of more (not only visual aspects)
Really recommend to get it and take a look at all modules and features. You'll like it.
Want to use Option 1 & 2 together? Let me share some tips on that specific matter:
First go to substratum and open your desired theme (see above). Do not yet compile any overlays. Just go to the overlay "Android System" and look up the color options it has. Choose an accent and a background color and note their color codes. Again: Do not yet compile the overlays. In case you decided to use Liv White / Liv Dark, I recommend choosing a solid color as accent (not gradient).
Now open your Hex Installer app and adjust the color scheme, taking into consideration which colors you chose to use for the Substratum theme (eg: Use the same accents / background colors)
Compile and fully install your Hex theme (including reboot).
Open Substratum again and compile all wanted overlays. You can compile overlays for apps that are already themed by Hex Installer. Remember to use the colors that you chose earlier.
Reboot and profit from a fully themed system!
Other tips:
For edge lighting experiences, I really recommend "Borderlight" if you only want edge lighting on home/lockscreen.
If you are looking for a system wide edge lighting experience, I recommend the app "Always On Edge". Heavier on your battery but provides extensive options.
Please note that not all third-party overlays are working perfectly. Personally, as soon as Swift Installer supports Samsung 11, I will be back with it as it provides the most convenient theming experience I've ever had. But for now, this is the best it gets, I think.
Hit thanks if any of this information was helpful!
Any questions? Leave a reply and I will try my best to help out.
Best regads,
lartsch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought Substratum development got dead.
Also, what's so good about Swift Installer? Not available for my S21U.
And Hex Installer? It costs money but never tried it.
I use Nova Launcher. Far from perfect IMHO, but a lot better than stock Android. I like most icons in less space, I'm also an extreme Dark themes fanatic, I would prefer extreme high contrast with black and green where possible. I hate dark gray color, honestly.
timofonic said:
I thought Substratum development got dead.
Also, what's so good about Swift Installer? Not available for my S21U.
And Hex Installer? It costs money but never tried it.
I use Nova Launcher. Far from perfect IMHO, but a lot better than stock Android. I like most icons in less space, I'm also an extreme Dark themes fanatic, I would prefer extreme high contrast with black and green where possible. I hate dark gray color, honestly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using hex installer, had the best experience with it so far.
Saltiaf said:
I've been using hex installer, had the best experience with it so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Nice to know. I'll get it next month then.
Can I have an extreme AMOLED-theme experience? Minimalism, black as much as possible, use green for letters and other GUI stuff as much as possible too with coherent exceptions.
Kinda like a very modern reincarnation of a UNIX green phosphorus terminal.
A bit similar to 2008 Gmail Terminal theme when used in a desktop web browser, but A LOT better and hires.
Maybe I'm weird, but this gives me a lot less eye fatigue and able to use devices in a lot more comfortable way.
timofonic said:
Thanks!
Nice to know. I'll get it next month then.
Can I have an extreme AMOLED-theme experience? Minimalism, black as much as possible, use green for letters and other GUI stuff as much as possible too with coherent exceptions.
Kinda like a very modern reincarnation of a UNIX green phosphorus terminal.
A bit similar to 2008 Gmail Terminal theme when used in a desktop web browser, but A LOT better and hires.
View attachment 5365509
Maybe I'm weird, but this gives me a lot less eye fatigue and able to use devices in a lot more comfortable way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im literally in the same boat except I have mine set to red lol. Yeah you can do this with hex.
Saltiaf said:
Im literally in the same boat except I have mine set to red lol. Yeah you can do this with hex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh. Amazing! Are there ready to use themes like that?
timofonic said:
Oh. Amazing! Are there ready to use themes like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no you'll have to make it.
I think that I did something wrong because chosen theme is active only for 10 minutes. What I did:
1. Downloaded Shizuku, did everything is it is on the provided Hex Installer screens;
2. Downloaded Hex theme from PlayStore, applied: first applied the default theme, than opened Hexed+ theme and clicked on "Try it out". Notification pops out with info that theme is applied succesfully;
3. Opened Hex app, clicked on this robot pill:
- Hex ADB setup is ticked green;
- Hexed+ theme applied is ticked green;
- Custom theme state is ticked red. How to make it green?;
- Hex theme Mode is active;
- Add My Themes Shortcut is active, but nothing happens when I try to open #MyThemes app
Phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G without root.
Any ideas how to solve this and have a theme for more than 10 minutes?
Ćwirek said:
I think that I did something wrong because chosen theme is active only for 10 minutes. What I did:
1. Downloaded Shizuku, did everything is it is on the provided Hex Installer screens;
2. Downloaded Hex theme from PlayStore, applied: first applied the default theme, than opened Hexed+ theme and clicked on "Try it out". Notification pops out with info that theme is applied succesfully;
3. Opened Hex app, clicked on this robot pill:
- Hex ADB setup is ticked green;
- Hexed+ theme applied is ticked green;
- Custom theme state is ticked red. How to make it green?;
- Hex theme Mode is active;
- Add My Themes Shortcut is active, but nothing happens when I try to open #MyThemes app
Phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G without root.
Any ideas how to solve this and have a theme for more than 10 minutes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe ur supposed to select the high contrast theme in order to make it stick. I had to do it about 5 times to make it ACTUALLY stick. but I've since updated my phone and kept the theme, and can also remove it. It by no means works everytime, but I have had by far the highest success rate with hex.