Database Users

[Q] How to edit theme images and not have phone hang on boot?

I've figured out all apk files are really just zip files, but why am I not able to unzip the framework-res.apk file, edit the images within, then save it again without causing my phone to hang on boot?
Is there some step I am missing? I've tried rezipping with normal compression, store only, and only photoshopping and resaving a single image within the apk and still it fails.
How are images edited and updated? What am I missing?

I use apkmanager myself for most theming. You might look into it
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

An apk is a zip, but it's a *signed* zip
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Here is the way I do it. I use 7zip to do this and I think it is the only program that can do it.
The way you can do it is to extract the drawable-hdpi folder within the framework-res.apk then do all your edits and save them with the exact same file names. Then you can go back into your framework-res.apk and drag and drop the drawable-hdpi folder back in and it will over write the original ones. Now just hit the Up (like to move up a directory) button until you see the message "framework-res.apk has been changed. Update it in the archive?" then click yes. Now you can put it on your phone without force closing. If you were just editing framework-res and it was not within another .zip file then you won't get that message and that is fine.

APK Manager.
You can use extract/zip (2/3) for image-only edits, but you need to decompile/compile (9/11) to mess with xml files.
Do *not* sign system apks (like framework-res.apk). Do sign other apks.
Btw, this is in the wrong forum.
(Next step: learn about the update.zip packaging script. Remember to name it something besides update.zip afterwards, because on the Fascinate we're installing everything through Clockwork, which should be the only file actually called update.zip.)

s44 said:
APK Manager.
You can use extract/zip (2/3) for image-only edits, but you need to decompile/compile (9/11) to mess with xml files.
Do *not* sign system apks (like framework-res.apk). Do sign other apks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oooh! I didn't know this app made xml's editable. That opens up a whole new set of theming fun. I can't wait to release my new theme. It should be well received (I hope)
Btw, this is in the wrong forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I considered putting this in Themes, but this was a theme development question, so here it ended up. If the Theme and Development forums ever hook up and have a few drinks, then spawn a sub-forum, Theme Development, I assure you it would have been a much easier decision to make

Thanks everyone for helping me out. My last time playing with a phone is an old WinMo 5 device. Anroid seems limiting in it's own ways (no dedicated theme files (can't update without losing the apk theme), but much better for customizing for a 'look' of the OS.

Getting some Blur back?

As shocking as it may seem I want some blur on my phone! Im currently running gummy 2.5 but after using blur for a couple of months i miss the messaging, email, alarm, camera, sticky note widget and most importantly the icons! is there anyway for me to get any of this back? I tried installing the apks but to no avail. I think I could do with just the icons. Any advice? Thanks!

They won't install like normal apks to the best of my knowledge. You seem to have all of the APKs though from blur so try one of these methods, not 100% sure it will work but it likely should. (Edit: I'm not entirely sure what you are talking about with the icons, but this should help you get the APKs you want back)
REMEMBER TO BACKUP EVERYTHING BEFORE DOING EITHER OF THESE!
1) Download the empty InstallAPKs.zip from this post.
2) Open the archive in 7z or winrar
3) Navigate to system/app and put all the APKs you wan't to install into the zip (just drag them into the archive and let it add/update them. I'd have stuck them in the zip for you but I don't have any blur apks with me)
4) Reboot recovery and install the zip
or
1) You could manually go into the system folder and replace the apks using root explorer. Remember to set permissions to 644 for each file you replace if doing this.

Tutorial: How to use 7zip to Theme your favorite ROM: Updated how to mod market app.

I decided to detail and share how I used 7zip to Theme my favorite ROM. Im doing this because I found it a bit tough to find a detailed guide that contained all the steps. Hope this will help some people who would just simply like to change a battery or signal icon, or whatever.
Have you ever seen a ROM that you really liked the icons but it was not for your phone. Well I did so heres what I did.
1. Download 7zip.
2. Download your current ROM, and the ROM which contains icons you like.
3. Right Click on your current ROM, choose 7zip and choose" extract to "what ever your rom is called"". This will create a folder with contents of your ROM.
4. Do the same for the ROM that you may want to take icons from.
5. Now start opening up the folders. I like to keep one ROM on one side of the screen and the other on the other side. Depending on whether the two roms are for the same phone will determine whether similar files will be in the same location. For the most part you will be opening framework_res.apk and systemui.apk.
6. Opening these apk's is as simple as following step 3 again. Right click apk, choose 7zip, extract to whatever apk is called.
7. Go into the folder of the apk, go to res, go to different hdpi folders, there may be a few. I found it helpful to have both roms open at the same time. Looking for icons of the same name.
8. So you've found the icons you want to change. Once you are ready to copy them from one rom to the other, you must be certain they have the same name, if they dont, then you must change the name of your new icons to match the ones you plan on replacing. Do this before copying them. When you copy them over its important that your computer ask you if you want to replace the file of the same name. That means it does in fact have the correct name.
9.This is where I got confused, putting it back together again. So here is what you do. Back out of the folder that you just changed all the pngs in. Lets say its drawable hdpi. Keep this drawable hdpi folder handy cause you will need it in a moment. Now open up the folder which contains your ROM in a seperate window. Lets say we are changing stuff in the systemui.apk. Navigate to the original apk for systemui, not the new folder of the same name.
10. Right click it, Choose 7zip. But this time select open archive. Now in archive navigate into the res folder and you will see drawable hdpi.
11. Right click it. and delete it. Now remember I said to keep the other drawable hdpi folder handy....drag and drop it into the archive to replace the one you just deleted. Now close the window. Do this for as many system apks you choose, most common are like I mentioned earlier framework-res and systemui, but you may want to change things in settings, dialertabactivity, contacts....etc.
12. Now you want to put these newly themed apks back into the original rom. Its easy. Keep the newly themed apks handy.
13. Right click on the original rom zip, choose 7zip, choose open archive. Navigate to the apk you want to replace. Delete it. Now drag and drop the newly themed one into the archive. Repeat this process for all the apks you may have changed.
14. Close the archive window and install the newly themed zip in cwm. You may want to add something like a V1 onto the end of the newly themed rom, that way when you copy it onto your sd, you can keep the original on there as well.
Hope this will help someone get there rom exactly how the like it...and if it did...hit thanks.

Lets say you are running cm9 with theme Chooser but you don't like some of the icons but more less like the theme.
Copy the apk from your data app folder using root explorer or whatever you are using...paste to your SD....copy it too your computer.
Use 7zip the same way you do with a system app. But this time at the point where you are in the archives delete the Meta folder also. Don't replace, just delete it. Now close 7zip.
Next you will need a tool called autosign, just Google it. With this tool you will drag and drop your newely themed apk into it and run it. Its very easy you will see, the result be an new signed apk being produced. Rename it back to original and move your modded apk back to your SD. By now you should have uninstalled the original from your phone so that you can install this one.
Remember if this apk ever has an update on the market it will revert back and you would need to mod the new version.
Hope this helps. If it does hit thanks.

vanisleryan said:
I decided to detail and share how I used 7zip to Theme my favorite ROM. Im doing this because I found it a bit tough to find a detailed guide that contained all the steps. Hope this will help some people who would just simply like to change a battery or signal icon, or whatever.
Have you ever seen a ROM that you really liked the icons but it was not for your phone. Well I did so heres what I did.
1. Download 7zip.
2. Download your current ROM, and the ROM which contains icons you like.
3. Right Click on your current ROM, choose 7zip and choose" extract to "what ever your rom is called"". This will create a folder with contents of your ROM.
4. Do the same for the ROM that you may want to take icons from.
5. Now start opening up the folders. I like to keep one ROM on one side of the screen and the other on the other side. Depending on whether the two roms are for the same phone will determine whether similar files will be in the same location. For the most part you will be opening framework_res.apk and systemui.apk.
6. Opening these apk's is as simple as following step 3 again. Right click apk, choose 7zip, extract to whatever apk is called.
7. Go into the folder of the apk, go to res, go to different hdpi folders, there may be a few. I found it helpful to have both roms open at the same time. Looking for icons of the same name.
8. So you've found the icons you want to change. Once you are ready to copy them from one rom to the other, you must be certain they have the same name, if they dont, then you must change the name of your new icons to match the ones you plan on replacing. Do this before copying them. When you copy them over its important that your computer ask you if you want to replace the file of the same name. That means it does in fact have the correct name.
9.This is where I got confused, putting it back together again. So here is what you do. Back out of the folder that you just changed all the pngs in. Lets say its drawable hdpi. Keep this drawable hdpi folder handy cause you will need it in a moment. Now open up the folder which contains your ROM in a seperate window. Lets say we are changing stuff in the systemui.apk. Navigate to the original apk for systemui, not the new folder of the same name.
10. Right click it, Choose 7zip. But this time select open archive. Now in archive navigate into the res folder and you will see drawable hdpi.
11. Right click it. and delete it. Now remember I said to keep the other drawable hdpi folder handy....drag and drop it into the archive to replace the one you just deleted. Now close the window. Do this for as many system apks you choose, most common are like I mentioned earlier framework-res and systemui, but you may want to change things in settings, dialertabactivity, contacts....etc.
12. Now you want to put these newly themed apks back into the original rom. Its easy. Keep the newly themed apks handy.
13. Right click on the original rom zip, choose 7zip, choose open archive. Navigate to the apk you want to replace. Delete it. Now drag and drop the newly themed one into the archive. Repeat this process for all the apks you may have changed.
14. Close the archive window and install the newly themed zip in cwm. You may want to add something like a V1 onto the end of the newly themed rom, that way when you copy it onto your sd, you can keep the original on there as well.
Hope this will help someone get there rom exactly how the like it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Vanisleryan for this. I always wondered exactly how to do this!

Subscribed to it and looking for more guides...
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I9000 powered by RemICS-JB

If I understand your tutorial, we modify the ROM apks/theme before flashing the whole ROM on phone ?
But what if we just want to adjust some icones without re-flashing the complete ROM ?
I may not have really understood tour tutorial I try to do my best with english language lol, anyway thanks for it

That's how I do it, but yes you could just theme one system app like say contacts. Delete it using root explore and then reinstall it after. You may have a few force closes but everything should be fine after you do a reboot.
Personally I like having the whole rom themed so its easy to get back to reinstall if go and try some other rom. To each there own..there is always more than one way to do just about anything.
JW1 with Dmore 3.1, personally themed to look like Omega black and blue.

Updated second post how to change a market app and reinstall on phone.
JW1 with Dmore 3.1, personally themed to look like Omega black and blue.

How to change generic contact pic

I am on alliance Rom and it is fantastic. Everything is themed just the way I like it. I only need to change one last thing to realize my dream setup. Does anybody have any idea on how to universally change the generic contact pics that shows up in my mms?

cinsity said:
I am on alliance Rom and it is fantastic. Everything is themed just the way I like it. I only need to change one last thing to realize my dream setup. Does anybody have any idea on how to universally change the generic contact pics that shows up in my mms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
If you like, provide a copy of what you want to change it to. I have a copy of Alliance Build1 on my phone and can make you a flashable. When I post it, I will give you some general instructions on how to add to it, if you like.
Edit: And just to be sure, did you flash a theme at all?

That would be awesome. I did flash all backs black theme. I actually just want a totally black bg pic to sub in. I would be ok with a way to completely remove the contact pic at all. Thanks a ton for your help
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Free mobile app

Zip attached. Flash in recovery. It does not replace SecMms.apk, it only replaces thise pngs inside it. It wipes dalvik for you. I will add on a short tutorial on how to add onto this yourself shortly.
View attachment 2906973

Ok. This uses the vr-theme script. Most of the a.b.b. theme uses it as well.
If you unzip flash me.zip, and go inside, you'll see this
Drill down into the vr theme folder. . .
You see a folder with the exact same name as what you're modding. Please note that it has the exact spelling, including the .apk. I'll get to how I chose what's inside in a minute. The way I get what's inside was I unzipped thee abb theme, and got to the SecMms.apk app. In abb it is a full app. So to get into it, use a file explorer. I used es file explorer. Long press it and choose to open it. If you just short press like normal, it will try to install it.
When you open it go into the res folder.
Then I chose this folder to extract (because it had the images I wanted)
And when you back out, you get this
Go into that folder, you'll see a bunch of pngs. I delete the ones I don't want to change. I'm left with
For your zip, I made all these images transparent.
I then placed the SecMms folder to the flash me in the correct folder (vr-theme/system/priv-app, for this mod) and renamed it to include tha ".apk".
Then I zipped it up.
A couple of side notes:
Any .9.png files... don't modify those unless you know how. Google it if you really wanna know.
Any .png files... if you replace it rather than edit it, 1. Make sure the name matches exactly. 2. Make sure the dimensions match exactly to ensure it shows correctly. If it isn't the same, crop or resize.

Tweak theme without computer

I don't spend lots of time at the computer, so I like to find ways to do as much as possible on the phone. One thing I've found is that every theme I try has at least one element I wish I could change, as much as I like it overall. I don't know enough to make my own theme, but I found a way to change elements of the theme without using a computer. I'm sure this is not news to many of you, but I figured there might be other non-experts like me out there who might appreciate it.
1. Download Apktool apk file below, install it, open it, {it will automatically update on the first use for some reason}, go to settings and check 'device has root', {leave other settings alone}, then close the app, reopen and grant su access.
2. Make a directory in storage somewhere called 'apktool', {or something}, and copy the following to it: /system/framework/framework-res.apk, /system/framework/SemcGenericUxpRes/SemcGenericUxpRes.apk, and whatever themes you want to mix and match.
3. Open apktool app, navigate to apktool directory, and import the framework files by tapping on each one and selecting 'import as framework'. When done, you can then tap on the theme apk files and select 'decompile all', and they will be decompiled into folders called {appname}-src. Go into the folders with a root explorer and change what you want, then go back to apktool, and tap on the folder you want and choose 'recompile'. When recompile is done you end up with an apk called '{appname}-src.apk'. Tap on that and choose 'sign'. When done you will get an apk called '{appname}-src-sign.apk, which you can install normally.
-Notes, questions-
- I'm currently using Z1c stock .236 deodexed rom. This app should work on other phones, roms, versions, etc, but I can't say for sure. What I know is that there are at least 5 versions of the app out there, {Google search for 'apktool 4.4' or '5.2', etc}, and it seems like each one works better on certain versions of Android. There are also configurable settings. If you have a different phone or rom, etc, you just have to mess around with it.
- This app should work as normal apktool for modding systemUI and framework, but I can't get it to recompile on LP, but only on Kk. Decompile works fine, but on recompile it complains about lacking resources. I don't know what file it wants. If someone can figure it out that would be great.
-If you don't know what files to change, all I can say is that I didn't either. Start with the obvious stuff, like navbar keys, and see how brave you get. Just make sure your file names are changed, since every app doesn't use the same names for the same files. As long as you work with copied files you have nothing to lose. If something is wrong with your modifications, then it won't recompile correctly, and you'll just get an error message, so you can't really install something that's going to mess up your phone.
- This also works for changing appearance of other apps, not just themes. See my recent posts in the Naked Browser thread for examples. However, sometimes it won't be able to decompile an app, and there's probably nothing you can do. I think the way apktool works is based on how the app was created. If something is not compatible, it just won't work.
- You don't have to decompile just to pull files out of an apk, but you do need an app that can do it. I use Rom Toolbox Pro. There may be free ones, {maybe Mixplorer}. I think you can just change the extension to zip and extract normally. However, some files and folders are not the same zipped in the apk as they are when decompiled.
File link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5E7sFT1phjoS003R0tkM21qUlk/view?usp=docslist_api

Nice tutorial bro :good:

Thank you very much!
Sent from my D5503 using XDA Free mobile app

Since sharing themes with others' work is not kosher, (http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony/share-frankentheme-t3282360), I figured I'd add a little more here for anyone's personal use. In general, here's what I've found with these themes:
- Within each apk there is an 'assets' folder, which contains zip files. Each zip file mods a certain aspect of the ui. For example, there will be one for settings, which contains the little pictures next to each settings option, (personalization, with the little rainbow, etc). You can experiment with simply swapping these around with different themes. However, if you want to add a settings zip, for example, to a theme base that does not already have a settings zip in it, you have to mod the main android manifest file in the top level of the apk. If you want to see how it needs to be modded, look at one that has it already. It's pretty obvious, since it's the same entry for each zip, but with the corresponding zip name. You can also extract these zips and replace files in them and rezip. Keep in mind, though, that there are some things that aren't that simple and just won't work.
- There are some things that are coded in, and can't be changed, (as far as I can figure out), like accent color. It seems like accent color just comes with the 'android' zip, and there's nothing you can do about it. As a workaround, you can find an 'android' zip with a color you like, and change out the other files from the zip you wish you could change the accent on. Again, sometimes it just won't work and you won't know why.
- Some themes don't follow this pattern at all. I haven't learned much about them yet.
Screenshots show examples I've used...