I just flashed the 1.6 ROM from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=565929
And have listed the first part of this post in that thread, but I was interested in getting some answers to the second part of this post (I thought it might be relevant to re-post the first part here, just for reference).
My issues with this ROM (I have a rooted MT3G):
- Can't seem to get Touch Input (HTC_IME) working, and just waiting on someone to post a link to a working apk & files (with instructions). The versions I have will install, but causes a force close. TouchPal (an old favorite from my Windows Mobild days) installs and works fine, but isn't that much better than the stock keyboard (although for the 20-key qwerty keyboard, it's better than the stock in that way).
- I get a force close when I go to edit a contact
- I get a force close when trying to use the PhoneBook app (as a contacts alternative)
- Not sure if this is related to this ROM, but I get a force close with Snap Photo Pro when trying to take a photo. It wasn't really usable on Hero ROM's so I hadn't played with it much, so not sure about this one. The non-pro version is fine (and really is sufficient for my needs).
- Installed apps do not show up in AppManager (even if installed with AppManager). They also don't show up in aTrackDog. But they do appear in GPhoneManager and Advanced Task Manager.
- Get the "Problems loading widget" for the calendar widget, but I never use that so no worries for me. Power Control does not seem to give me any issues.
Also, for those that are having trouble using Wireless Tether For Root Users, I got aNetShare working fine - well, at least it runs, doesn't give any errors, but I can't seem to get internet access with my PC yet. I don't recall what ROM I had pulled it from now.
Overall, I think this is a nice and speedy ROM and would use it, but still prefer some of the "core" things found in Hero ROM's, which include:
- The photo/gallery browser. I'm not sure how to block directories of images in the ROM like I do with the ".nomedia" fix used with the Hero photo viewer). Interestingly, the ".nomedia" fix seems to work fine with the Music Player. If there's a good photo viewer in the market (or a "simple" way to block directories), I'd appreciate someone pointing it out.
- I like the contacts program in Hero ROM's, specifically the ability to sync with Facebook.
- Would be nice to take pictures in portrait mode, but not a major thing (I mean, I can take them, but then they'll get rotated wrong when viewing photos).
- The look and feel of the Hero Calendar is nicer, and I haven't really checked any of the available calendars from the market, so not sure if there's a decent alternative to the stock one.
- Multi touch. Not something I use often due to general lag, but would be nice to use on a zippy stock ROM. I mean device-wide, not just for the browser (like for images).
Everything else that is "nicer" in a Hero ROM, I can find alternatives for (like using Handcent for SMS, or Lock 2.0 for a "slide to unlock" thing, etc). I don't need Rosie (and can always get a home alternative if I wanted more than 3 screens) or TouchFlo - unless, of course, that's what the above apps are tied to.
And finally, what might be nice is a list of core apps that can be removed without affecting the system.
OpenGL Configuration Guide
So how does one configure Chainfire3D the best way possible ? It is easy if you know what you are doing. By default, you want to enable as little as possible.
Basics
As stated, you want to enable as little as possible to make apps work the way you want, as the more you enable, the more CPU Chainfire3D will use to do the work.
IMPORTANT #1: Simply enabling all the options is counterproductive, unless you know you need them all.
IMPORTANT #2: Enabling both "Reduce texture quality" and "Unroll textures" is quite a silly thing to do. Read their descriptions, and think about it for a minute
Both options are available because performance-wise, on some hardware one is better, while on other hardware the other is better.
IMPORTANT #3: "Reduce texture size" is NOT compatible with a LOT of apps. If you are seeing weird things, this setting is likely the problem.
(1) When starting out, you simply shouldn't enable anything. When running an app, and it doesn't work as expected, first go into the configuration and see if there is a plugin (only) you can use to make it work better.
(2) If there is no plugin or you are not satisfied with it, try the "Reduce texture quality" option to see if it improves performance. This is the most "compatible" option to use. Though texture memory use is cut in half, often you don't see a big difference (or any difference at all even) in the end-result being displayed on screen.
(3) Alternatively, try the "Unroll textures" option. Be sure to UNcheck the "Reduce texture quality" option when using this.
(4) As last resort, use the "Reduce texture size" option. While this option greatly reduces memory usage and can have an awesome speed improvement as result, it is NOT compatible with a LOT of apps.
(5) If performance is adequate, try enabling the MSAA feature to improve visual quality.
Specifics - Free version
In the free version, you can only configure the "default" settings, so you'll likely be in the Chainfire3D configuration tool a lot. I strongly advise that when you are NOT using Chainfire3D for something specific, you disable all the options. This is better for system performance.
Specifics - Pro version
In the pro version, I strongly advise disabling ALL the options under "default" settings, and ONLY use "per-app" configuration. This will greatly reduce the chance of conflicting settings between different apps, which does actually happen a lot ! It is also the best possible configuration you can have performance-wise.
INSTALL ON HC/ICS/JB AT YOUR OWN PERIL ! - ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO WORK ON THOSE
SGS2 USERS: Upgrading to KG1 (2.3.4) or newer ROM will fix additional graphics glitches, if you are running an older SGS2 ROM.
About
Chainfire3D is an intermediary OpenGL driver. What does that mean? It means that Chainfire3D sits between your apps and the graphics drivers, and can intercept and/or change commands between the two. It has some built-in functions, and can be further extended with plugins to provide extra functionality.
Features
- CF3D OpenGL driver
- NightMode (inspired by Jeff Sharkey, more info here)
--- Handy shortcut to toggle on/off
--- Supports red, green, blue, amber, salmon and custom (pro only) modes
- Global OpenGL manipulation
--- Reduce texture size
--- Reduce texture quality
--- Unroll textures
--- BGRA emulation
--- Load plugins
--- Replace shaders
--- (Pro) Disable Chainfire3D detection
--- (Pro) Dump all shaders
--- (Pro) Force depth buffer size (EGL)
--- (Pro) Force MSAA (MultiSample Anti-Aliasing) (EGL)
- (Pro) OpenGL manipulation on a per-app bases
- (Pro) Fix market settings
- (Pro) Manage installed plugins and shaders
- (Pro) Backup and restore settings, plugins and shaders
A bit more detail about some features
NightMode
NightMode reduces the number of colors on your screen, which on OLED screens saves a lot of battery. The various modes (especially red) are also great in low-light conditions, as they have less effect on your night-vision than a full-color screen
Generic note about textures
The features below are only used if a texture format is supported. Natively Chainfire3D only supports raw textures, but these can be extended through plugins.
Reduce texture size
This essentially cuts (supported) textures' resolution in half, which usually reduces memory use (4x) and improves performance, at the cost of slightly reducing texture quality. This is not compatible with all apps! For many 3D apps, this works, as the GPU stretches the graphics, but it does not work for many 2D apps.
Reduce texture quality
This converts 32-bit textures to 16-bit textures, reducing memory use (2x). This will lower texture quality, but for many games the difference isn't even visible. Whether this is actually faster or slower depends on your hardware.
Unroll textures
Converts non-32-bit textures to 32-bit. This should not influence texture quality, but it does use more memory. On some hardware this is faster than using 16-bit textures.
Disable BGRA emulation
Some GPU's do not support BGRA - in this case, Chainfire3D emulates BGRA support. Developers may not expect this (i.e., hardcode features for a specific GPU) and it may cause issues. If red and blue appear swapped in-app or in-game, enable this feature, and see if it helps.
Disable Chainfire3D detection
For compatibility reasons, Chainfire3D announces to applications that it is being used. Using this feature you can turn that off.
Depth buffer (per-app only)
Some apps expect a certain depth buffer size. Without setting this, they may not run (at all). This feature should only be used if an app specifically requires it - there is a good chance apps will NOT run if you change this setting the wrong way.
MSAA (MultiSample Anti-Aliasing) (per-app only)
Enabling MSAA drastically improves image quality at the cost of performance. Lines/edges become much smoother. Available options are automatic (the app decides), 4x, and 16x. Most apps don't enable MSAA themselves at all. The ARM Mali 400 MP (used in the SGS2) can even do 4xMSAA at no performance cost. Note that if your GPU does not support the level of MSAA requested, the app will likely not start at all.
Fix market settings
Plugins may add support for various features not normally supported by your hardware. Market, however, only reports the functionality your hardware provides. Using this feature, Chainfire3D will adjust Market so it also shows apps that require the features provided by the plugins. This is not useful without the plugins
Backup and restore settings
Backup and restore all app settings, plugins, shaders, etc to/from your SD card
Plugins / API
At the moment, the Plugin API is rather limited, but it does allow for some rather interesting plugins like Tegra2 / PowerVR / ATI texture emulation (see the API docs a post below). The idea is to further improve Chainfire3D so Plugins can manipulate the entire OpenGL data stream.
Shaders
From version v1.9, you can replace app's shaders with your own modified versions. See a few posts down for further details.
Pro version
As outlined above, the Pro version adds a little bit of functionality. Purchasing it will support my efforts.
Pro version - warez
Chainfire3D Pro is available from some warez sites, if you feel like ripping me off However I should warn you that none of those versions actually work as the real Pro version does.
Requirements
- OpenGL ES 2.0 (every 1ghz+ phone has this)
- SuperUser / Root
- Writable /system (it will try to remount system as read/write when needed, but the changes need to stick between reboots)
- S-OFF ?
- Having root access from recovery is a big plus to solve problems if you run into them (run "/system/lib/cf3d_uninstall.sh" as root to remove the driver and restore the old one)
CF3D driver installation
There is some risk involved, so you should have either root access in recovery, a CWM backup, or a firmware to flash handy. Nevertheless, the driver has been tested and found working on the following devices:
- HTC HD2
- Samsung Galaxy S
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 7"
- Samsung Galaxy S II
- Samsung Epic 4G
- Motorola Atrix 4G
- Motorola Droid 2
- LG Optimus 2X
- Google Nexus S
It's likely to work on far more devices. So far nobody has reported a failed install, so that's good. Doesn't mean problems can't happen.
Download
Market link (mobile): market://details?id=eu.chainfire.cf3d
Market link (desktop): https://market.android.com/details?id=eu.chainfire.cf3d
{
"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"
}
Note: If you were running the "CF3D :: NightMode" application earlier, you should uninstall it before installing this.
Plugins / API
Currently available plugins
There are currently no plugins available from my hand, but it appears somebody has compiled and released libGLEMU_NVIDIA, libGLEMU_QUALCOMM, and libGLEMU_POWERVR plugins. You may find them if you search for them
WARNING: I did not write, compile, or release these plugins, and thus I cannot vouch for their quality, or that they don't do anything evil to your device. You should also be aware that they may not be legal to use in your area.
Plugin installation
Plugins are .so files called libGLEMU_xxxxx.so . They should be wrapped in a libGLEMU_xxxxx.zip file. Simply put this zip file on your /sdcard, and use the "Install Plugin" option in Chainfire3D.
API
Attached is a zip file containing some information "by example" on how to build plugins. Read the README.TXT file!
Shaders
About
This might sound like voodoo to some of you, don't worry. Modern OpenGL bases apps and games run programs on the GPU (graphics card) to render the image on screen. These can be quite complicated, and they are not always compatible between different GPUs. Chainfire3D allows you to replace apps' built-in shaders with modified ones. This can potentially fix a number of issues with various apps.
Currently available shaders (ordered by release date)
SGS2 - Riptide GP - Modification by Chainfire. Disables Cube Mapping, makes the game playable
Desire HD - Riptide GP - Modification by scukoemo. Fixes rider lighting issues.
SGS2 - Backbreaker THD - Modification by Chainfire. Fixes error messages, does not fix actual display corruption
Desire HD - Riptide GP v1.1 - Modification by Pr0tEct0.
SGS2 - Riptide GP v1.1 - Modification by crypticc
Shader installation
Shaders are .shader files called xxxxx_xxxxx.shader . They should be wrapped in a shaders_xxxxx.zip file. Simply put this zip file on your /sdcard, and use the "Install Shader" option in Chainfire3D. Be sure to force kill the app you are installing shaders for - that app needs to be restarted for the shaders to be applied. TIP: Going into the per-app settings for an app and changing any setting (and back) will kill the target app.
Shaders - How to modify them (ADVANCED TECH USERS)
This post assumes you know a little bit about OpenGL and shaders. Not a lot, mind you, the shaders I modified I did with no prior knowledge of shaders.
Getting the original shaders
Chainfire3D will automatically detect shaders that do not properly compile, and dump that shader to "/data/data/eu.chainfire.cf3d/files/shaders/processname_crc32.error_dump" and "...error_log". This will generate quite a bit of output in logcat, so you know it happens. In (for example) DDMS, filter on "Chainfire3D" to see only these messages.
The error_log file contains the error message from the GPU, while the error_dump contains the shader source code. (Note that there may be too many newlines).
If the shaders do compile, but they do not actually work (or link - watch logcat to see this happen), the shaders will NOT be automatically dumped. You have to dump them manually. You can do this by going into Chainfire3D per-app OpenGL configuration and enable the "Dump all shaders" option. Chainfire3D will now dump every shader the target app attempts to compile. The file name is the same, but it's extension is ".dump" instead of ".error_dump".
Modifying the shaders
You can simply ADB pull the files out of the "/data/data/eu.chainfire.cf3d/files/shaders/" directory. Handy tip: if you do not specify a filename, ADB will pull the entire directory.
Now you can simply modify the shader files with a text editor. You may have to convert the files from unix-newline format to windows-newline format. Warning: See the limitations section, you also need to convert the files BACK to unix-newline format!
Testing the shaders
Obviously, you will need to kill the target app first, then you can push the shaders back to the device at the same location. IMPORTANT: replacement shaders need to have the ".shader" extension, instead of ".dump" or ".error_dump". Keep the rest of the filename exactly the same. If you do this correctly, Chainfire3D will replace the apps' shader with the one you just put on the device.
To let Chainfire3D be able to use the shader, note that you must also chmod 666 the file on the device.
Packaging the shaders
So you fixed issues with an app for a certain GPU by modifying a number of shaders. It'd be a shame if you kept it for yourself. Packaging them up is simple: just throw the ".shader" files in a ZIP file, and name the ZIP file as follows:
"shaders_device_targetapp_version.zip"
For example, the SGS2 shader fix for Riptide GP would be something like: "shaders_sgs2_riptide_gp_v1.zip"
Releasing the shaders
Simply post a new post in this thread, attach the shaders (or put them on a file hosting site and link them), and put the details about this shader in that post. Then PM me that you released said shaders (with a link to the post) and I can add them to the list.
Limitations
Please note the following shader limitations:
- Dumps are at most 64 KB. If the shader is larger, it will only be a partial dump
- Shader replacements must be < 64 KB
- Shader replacements must use unix-newlines
- Shader replacements must have < 16384 lines
- Each line in a shader replacement must be < 1024 characters
The awesomeness of this is so big that it almost makes bacon boring.
woot now that's cool stuff =)
Now if only somebody would be so nice to compile and post PVRTC / ATITC / S3TC plugins on an external host, you could play for example TegraZone games on your SGS2
Nice work...
You absolute legend!
This is something I'd like to try out,
too bad I'm a complete nobody when it comes to this stuff.
A step-by-step guide on how to get this running, and I say it's worth 10 bucks in donation!
EDIT:
Or wait a minute. This is no ROM? And it doesn't need any specific ROM? Just root and install? Then I'm rooting, I'm doing it!
booted without any problems on SGS2. much nice stuff here.thx .
Pro version bought! Thanks for all your hard work!
Paid for full too. Not sure how it works but guess we will have instructions when its features can be used. For now I love nightmode anyway. Thanks chainfire
bought pro an instant ago - installed fine on my sgs2
Thanks for another great app!
Gallery doesn't seem to like "Reduce texture size" option, but I use QuickPic most of the time.
SGS i9000, deodexed XXJVO
Is this compatible with voodoo?
Hm. Rooted and installed.
Some apps and games look f#cked up. Big squares instead of score windows, blue dots instead of digits... Fine example is Chuzzle. Anrgy Birds is totally unplayable, I only get the background working, nothing else.
I have tried all variations of settings possible. Even all boxes unchecked, but these games, and others, are still looking and behaving odd.
Edit;
Maybe I'm not using it right. Anyway, I uninstalled the drivers and it went back to normal. I'm waiting for thumbs up before I use this again.
Still, in theory, this is great work! Don't think I think anything else!
It doesnt even give me chance to click allow in superuser popup
and says could not acquire root cess!!
Chainfire you are awesome! I have bought the paid version immidiately and it rocks! I cant wait for tegra plugin to play some tegrazone games. Holy **** Im excited as much as I was when my first child was born! Nah kidding, even more!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Device Info:
Nook Color running B&N 1.2 (Android 2.2.1)
ManualNooter 4-6-16
OC at up to 1.2GHz using Froyo 1.2 dalingrin OC emmc 090111
Problem: Text in some apps cannot be seen (ie Titanium Backup "Filters" screen).
Observations: This problem seems to happen with B&N Software Versions ABOVE 1.2 (I am currently running 1.2 because of this issue).
Search Results: I've only found mention of this problem (or something close to it) in two places: HERE and HERE.
Recommended Fix or Workaround: NONE
I just inherited a Nook Color about three weeks ago, it was reset to factory defaults (B&N 1.1). The person I got it from was running B&N Software version 1.2 with the latest recommended ManualNootered version (manualnooter-4-6-16) at that time. He could not get B&N Version 1.3 to work right. When I got the Nook, the first thing I did was to update it to B&N 1.3 and root it with the latest ManualNooter procedures, which worked great (the procedures had been updated since the person I got it from had tried to root B&N 1.3). Thanks GabrialDestruir!
One of the first apps I purchased was Titanium Backup. I noticed in Titanium's Filters screen there were Radio Buttons that had no text next to them. I was brand new to Android and had a lot to learn, so I made note of this issue to return to later. When I finally got around to addressing this issue, I discovered others had the same problem, but so far it was not addressed within the development community.
In my experimenting I have crashed and re-rooted the device many times, so I know the problem is consistent. I was becoming frustrated and asked the previous owner if he had the same issue with B&N 1.2. He did not. As of this morning, I have returned to B&N Software Version 1.2 and I can now see all the text that was invisible before - in every app I've tested and remembered had the issue.
The specifications above are the only changes needed to reproduce the problem. As soon as I was up and running, I downloaded Titanium Backup from Market. When I rooted the Nook using B&N Software version 1.2, all text was visible. Following the procedures to get the system up to the same place with B&N 1.3, the text problem reappears (text disappears).
Any help with this problem would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions for me or if I have forgotten a critical piece of information, please do not hesitate to post what you need here, I will be checking it daily.
Thank you for your time, effort, and help XDA! You've made a complicated procedure very simple.
I am experiencing the same problems with dialog boxes in many apps and widgets. I too have tried to find a solution.
Sent from my BNRV200 using Tapatalk
milliman said:
I am experiencing the same problems with dialog boxes in many apps and widgets. I too have tried to find a solution.
Sent from my BNRV200 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Changing the dpi in build.prop to 160 helps, but does not cure the problem.
framitz said:
Changing the dpi in build.prop to 160 helps, but does not cure the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I do that with LCD resolution?
This has always been a problem with the stock ROM, IIRC it's because typical Android text is Black and it's White on the stock ROM, therefore by default it's White on White in some apps.
If you don't need the Read to Me kids books or Magazines, use CM7 and the Nook market app, it doesn't have this problem and does much more.
khaytsus said:
This has always been a problem with the stock ROM, IIRC it's because typical Android text is Black and it's White on the stock ROM, therefore by default it's White on White in some apps.
If you don't need the Read to Me kids books or Magazines, use CM7 and the Nook market app, it doesn't have this problem and does much more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, so far, that's what I figured - the Nook is using a white background and if a program does not explicitly define the background and foreground text colors, but assumes the background is black, this is when the problem occurs.
I guess what I was wondering is if there is a way to change the default background color for the Nooks to black, and the default foreground text color to white. I read somewhere about "theme-ing," though, like I said, I am new to Android, could theme-ing be a solution?
I don't get your second statement. I already use CM7 (but only so far as for booting to use ManualNooter), and I have no idea what "Nook market app" you are referring to, or the Kid Reading stuff - do you meant the stock B&N stuff?. Am I missing a key concept here?
Or, possibly, are you suggesting I use CM7 to install a different ROM and skip the Nooter method altogether? I was actually beginning to research this - I can do without all the B&N stuff, it doesn't work right anyway and I have disabled much of the B&N apps. If flashing a different ROM fixes this and "does much more," I'm all for it. It will just take me doing a little more research and someone confirming this is what you are referring to.
khaytsus said:
This has always been a problem with the stock ROM, IIRC it's because typical Android text is Black and it's White on the stock ROM, therefore by default it's White on White in some apps.
If you don't need the Read to Me kids books or Magazines, use CM7 and the Nook market app, it doesn't have this problem and does much more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see! I will have to see if I can dig into the nook a little deeper and see if I can do anything about that. It is annoying but I'm not annoyed enough to change to CM7 yet! Plus I have a People subscription that I am enjoying ATM.
Trasd..You are using CWM to boot to manual nooter. CM7 is something else.
Anemailname said:
Trasd..You are using CWM to boot to manual nooter. CM7 is something else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, thank you, I was wondering how some people were runnig higher versions of Android - now I know.
Is it weird I love this stuff?
Well, as they say, back to the drawing board....
EDITED
The theory below is NOT the problem, but I left it up because I cannot delete it and is serves as reminder. Sorry.
ORIGINAL
I have made a discovery; the problem seems to happen, not because of background color assumptions, but when styles are used (an app developer, who was kind enough to debug and redesign his app for me, discovered this).
I am almost to the point in my self-education with Android and Java programming that I can verify this myself, but I am not quite there yet. If someone does verify this, could you please post your findings here?
As you can tell, I haven't flashed the ROM yet, and may not for awhile. It's running OK and I really want to concentrate on programming for the time being.
As more and more developers use styles though, I may not have a choice.
Has anyone tested Synergy? I want to buy it as it supports One UI but I am not sure how well it supports the A20.
A lot of times, One UI functions like Good Lock(multitasking module) have bugs on the A20. Themeing might also have UI breaking bugs and I don't want to waste money on the apps only to find out that they don't work!?
Hex Installer too and it's plugins. Has anyone tried it?
I would greatly appreciate a review of both.
So, I caved in and, bought Synergy.
Here is my review.
It works for Swift Black and Flux themes. The only bug is the white notifications that can't be fixed although there is always an option in the themes that claims that it will solve the white notifications.
My fun was cut short by Liv Dark.
While trying to apply the theme, my phone went into a bootloop. Mark you, I am not rooted so I couldn't go to the custom bootloader and delete it! I had to factory reset my phone, loosing all my app data in the process! I managed to save my user files while on Safe Mode.
Funny thing is that Safe Mode wouldn't allow me to delete the offending apps. Third party apps are not listed on Safe Mode.
I advice people who want to use it to be rooted! A bootloader with a file manager is a must!
Otherwise, your phone might just bootloop randomly like mine!
I reinstalled Synergy! I tried the Swift Black theme.
This time round, I decided to theme only 3rd party apps abd avoid major system apps.
Here are the screenshots
I got the normal YouTube, Whatsapp, Chrome and Gmail to be OLED black.
I can't seem to get rid of the white notifications though. I haven't found a fix. The only fix I got is a system overlay tweak on a theme that caused my phone to bootloop!
Synergy was updated. They insist on a lot of reboots. After every big step (build theme), it requires a phone reboot. This way, bootloops are not an issue. I haven't got any bootloops since then. It is adequately safe now even without root.
Swift black theme/Synergy also fixed the White notifications. It works perfectly now.
I think Hex installer does more than Synergy. I will buy it one day and try it as it can change ui elements.