Database Users

New To theming

I am new to theming, and was just going to reach a kind hand out for some help... i can get into the framework and all but just missing some steps on how to put it all back together. any help would be appreciated, and if i am posting in the wrong location feel free to delete or move the post. thank you

Use winrar to open the framework-Res and mess with those files then just put them back in framework-Res with winrar.

Rel500 has a great themeing guide. Thats how I got started check it out and if you have any questions ill be glad to answer it for you
Hope that helped.....
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Search for a program called "Apk Manager"
Play around with your frameworks...
Soon you'll get the hang of it...and don't be afraid to ask around

Great thread. I'm in the exact same position. Looking forward to creating MY theme.

Anyone know what program to use to view/edit the xml files?

buru898 said:
Anyone know what program to use to view/edit the xml files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the apk must be de-compiled first (use Apk Manager for that)...then use Notepad++ to view/edit xml's..the re-compile using Apk Manager

Im still fairly new to the theming scene, but ive found a good place to start is by porting a theme, find a theme you like on another theme and port it to the vibrant teaches you quite a bit about theming minus creating images from scratch.
some essential apps i have found are:
gimp (for image editing)
apk manager
notepad++
of course android sdk for draw9patch and other android utilities
other programs i may be forgetting.
Ive heard cs5 and corel are really good for creating icons and the like but im a college student and dont have the cash for those kinda programs

shreddintyres said:
Im still fairly new to the theming scene, but ive found a good place to start is by porting a theme, find a theme you like on another theme and port it to the vibrant teaches you quite a bit about theming minus creating images from scratch.
some essential apps i have found are:
gimp (for image editing)
apk manager
notepad++
of course android sdk for draw9patch and other android utilities
other programs i may be forgetting.
Ive heard cs5 and corel are really good for creating icons and the like but im a college student and dont have the cash for those kinda programs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither do i

when using notepad++ I get alot of jiberish, how do I edit when the things the guides on xda tell you to search for arent in the xml code?

sorry about duplicate post but heres a pic

aamir123 said:
when using notepad++ I get alot of jiberish, how do I edit when the things the guides on xda tell you to search for arent in the xml code?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to decompile the apk using Apkmanager or apktool in order to view the xml in a readable format.
Ginger Clones of the World Unite!!! via the XDA App

aamir123 said:
when using notepad++ I get alot of jiberish, how do I edit when the things the guides on xda tell you to search for arent in the xml code?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to decompile the apk to edit the xmls.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

Modifying musicplayer.apk & other doubts regarding unpacking & packing apk!!

I like the option to change music from anywhere via notification but i hate the cheap default album art in it!! So I like to extract the apk remove those pictures!! Does removing those pictures alone will cause any problems?? If the answer is yes I ll replace those images with my own images!!
So now regarding extracting :
Does extracting by zip & repacking again with zip & changing name as .apk is enough or do I want to extract using apk extractor/manager found in this forum (forgot its name) & repack & sign it with the same??
Regarding .odex file :
I have a rough idea about odex & deodexed files!! Stock application is usually odexed!!
Now my doubt is what I have to do with the .Odex file near the music??
Help me out soon
Sorry for my bad English & unframed question!! Cz am posting via mobile!!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Don't ever remove stuff, depending on how they are loaded / how well coded the app is, it will most likely cause null pointers and so force close.
If you mod an apk, replace stuff but don't remove or rename.
P.S. you could deodex the app, to make your life simpler, but deodexing is no simple task for system apps if you are not familiar with the process.
Maybe the solution, if you want to mod, is to get a deodexed rom and mod away.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Am new to Android just a week old, but am not a total noob i had molded roms in Symbian!!
So please send me links or tutorials about
How to deodex & other important things about droid!!
Also am not gonna remove anything am just gonna replace default images for music player for album art with custom pics!! I already replaced camera. Apk for battery mod found in the forum!! I can request any1 to mod for me but I really like modding it on my own, i like droid more than Symbian now!! & even am not using iPad properly after buying s2!!
Coming to point, is musicplayer.apk is system app like touchwiz. Apk & framework-research. Apk??
Update:
If i wanna edit musicplayer.apk what to do with its ODEX file ?!!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

rajaspidey said:
Am new to Android just a week old, but am not a total noob i had molded roms in Symbian!!
So please send me links or tutorials about
How to deodex & other important things about droid!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=How+to+deodex
rajaspidey said:
Coming to point, is musicplayer.apk is system app like touchwiz. Apk & framework-research. Apk??
Update:
If i wanna edit musicplayer.apk what to do with its ODEX file ?!!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Frameworks are not applications. But yeah, Musicplayer.apk is an application apk.
As for the Odex file... http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Odex+file

messed up my music player cant able to install stock back too !! please help me !!
i need to replace default album art with this png's !! for 400x400 i need that thumb_00.png !! please help me !!
also please teach me how to modify/edit/customise/repack/sign apk's !!!

1) Reflash your current rom (look for stock roms topic in Original Android Development forum)
2) ALWAYS do a backup of your files before messing with them, especially when you don't know how to recover them -.-'
3) Asked like this, nobody will do that for you. Moreover, that's iTunes, and we, as loyal Android users, won't take any of these into our droids.
4) To modify/edit/repack/sign APK, there's Google for that. It has tons of resources if you only take a second to type in your search, and one other to look at the links.

XpLoDWilD said:
1) Reflash your current rom (look for stock roms topic in Original Android Development forum)
2) ALWAYS do a backup of your files before messing with them, especially when you don't know how to recover them -.-'
3) Asked like this, nobody will do that for you. Moreover, that's iTunes, and we, as loyal Android users, won't take any of these into our droids.
4) To modify/edit/repack/sign APK, there's Google for that. It has tons of resources if you only take a second to type in your search, and one other to look at the links.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for your help now i learnt that i have to deodex the app to make it work !! if u can u can help me !!
i found a tool called "Andrizoid's_Deodex_Kitchen_V4" but files have extension .sh confused about what to do !! help me if you can or else i ll need to google all night

k now i have deodex tools !! but now i need framework files for samsung !! does twframework-res.apk/framework-res.apk & its ODEX & jar files are enough ??!!!

rajaspidey said:
i found a tool called "Andrizoid's_Deodex_Kitchen_V4" but files have extension .sh confused about what to do !! help me if you can or else i ll need to google all night
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jeeeeeeeeeezzzz....
If you don't know what a .sh is, then you shouldn't be doing what you're trying to do.
P.S. you could deodex the app, to make your life simpler, but deodexing is no simple task for system apps if you are not familiar with the process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As said in the first reply.
And yes, framework-res and twframeword-res.apk should be enough.

Sorry .Sh means shell used on linux!! I hv no basic of computer programming am an civil engineering student .!!
BTW i deodexed files my doubt is musicplayer.apk is system app right I repacked it & replaced it in folder but it's not appearing in menu!! :-(
Do I wanna push it like update.Zip?? Creating update.Zip is just like creating folder system/app, putting musicplayer.apk in it & zipping it right!!
I hv a nandroid but i wn restore it I want to modify musicplayer.apk & make it work!! You gotta solve my noobish doubts bro!!
Sent from my Galaxy S II via XDA app so sorry if u did any typographical or other mistakes!!

i deodexed musicplayer.odex with help of
http://code.google.com/p/smali/wiki/DeodexInstructions
&
http://www.madteam.co/forum/tutorials/how-to-deodex-an-odex-file
now i got an out folder !! please send me link for anythread which has how to for this kind of modifications !! am too searching !!

[MOD] modified default album art images for music player in SGSII.!!
Succesfully made my music player !! the work is simple i made it complicated !! just deodexing to dex is enough !! i was more noobier than i thought & when i was about to post it i found it was already present in the forum !!
anyways i learnt how to deodex & many things heres own my mod version attached !!
thanx for your help !! & thanx to XDA Forum !! thnx to @XpLoDWilD & other member replied for me !!
just copy this to System/app/ rename your musicplayer.apk & its .ODEX to musicplayer.bak (just keep a backup)
& rename this as musicplayer.apk no install needed !!
Hell yeah finally i made an mod !!

Nice to see your first mod!!

Thank you bro!! Soon ll post detailed how to for newbie/noobs like me!! I won't ask them to Google . Lol
Sent from my Galaxy S II via XDA app so sorry if i did any typographical or other mistakes!!

[Quiries] help from experts needed

All right I just finished my exams so I wanted to release my rom as promised
Almost everything is done but I have to do some bug fixes
So I ask my fellow Themers and devs some quiries regarding XML editing
1. How to change font colours
The blue text in settings and contacts perticularly (blue looks like crap with my theme I want complete detiles regarding this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.how to rename apps (lidroid parts exactly I took a random rom and completely modified the lidroid parts but now I don't know how to rename it also I want to rename the wallpaper pack )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3.how to make apps not appear in drawer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4.how to add things to settings like rom name, dev name and also shortcuts to apps that I hide from launcher...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pleez answer these questions these are all I need to complete my rom
Its an elegantly themed gaming rom
Also I am single handedly working on it from almost a month so pleez help me by answering my questions
My motivation
Sir Carl
Death notice and many more who encouraged me and made xda feel like a family (me new to root Techno tingu deadly 42d1l and many many more except avigith
Thanks in advance
Ubuntu themed apps and other stuff here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
--->make phone faster and battery efficient
--->partition and link2sd for NOOBS?!?!?
--->3d games for galaxy y (no root no lag)

Thanks for your rom in advance bro !
Sent from my GT-S5360 using xda premium

You rename apps you need to edit smali files. I also didnt know how to rename my launcher but i searched a lot. To change color you need to edit xml files in res/layout or res/values.
Sent from my GT-S5570I using xda app-developers app

...
Here`s the tutorial on how to add option in settings[about phone]...
It worked for me...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2061958
Press Thanx if I helped u...!!

2. The App Name is defined in the strings.xml in the res folder... But usually I get errors while compiling it back.. I dont know if this works for you
I dont know the rest... D-3V!L already gave you the tutorial about Rom name and dev name thingy

Changing text color http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2151075
-respect older people-

To rename apps open androidmanifest . You might find something like 'android:label="@string/app_name" if u see some thing like this search for "app_name" (in this case ) and you will find the name of app in the strings.xml
if i hav accidently helped u, u can press that button,

colors are located in colors folder,
specifically
primary_text_****.xml
secondary_text_****.xml
etc. etc.
declared as hex codes,
please research the proper hex codes for your desired color,
and compile the apk properly to get best results,
preferably you could replace classes.dex with the previous unedited apk incase it does not install

...

Do i need to resize a theme from GT-5830 to Galaxy Y ?

Hey guys, i write this thread to ask you if i need to resize stuff in a theme from Galaxy Ace to apply it to my Galaxy Y Stockrom ?
If yes, how can i do ?
I'm talking about this theme : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=42327086&postcount=1739&nocache=1&z=2644779603544356
Made by Slayer321, all credit goes to him, i simply wanted to know if i can put this theme in my rom because i love Xperia UI and i liked his work.
Thanks you all for answer to my questions

almost certainly you would need to resize
ace is mdpi and galaxy y is ldpi
rezise the pngs and some layout xmls might have to be resized

marcussmith2626 said:
almost certainly you would need to resize
ace is mdpi and galaxy y is ldpi
rezise the pngs and some layout xmls might have to be resized
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can i do this ? any specific software or just something like Photoshop ? Thanks.

Ace is mdpi
Y is LDPI
I think you need to resize the theme or it will look ugly
Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2

OxygeenHD said:
How can i do this ? any specific software or just something like Photoshop ? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
apktool and any photo editor

marcussmith2626 said:
apktool and any photo editor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please tell me if you know a guide to do some resizing with APKTool ? About the photo editor, it will be OK, i'm just scared about where i must start ... ^^"

OxygeenHD said:
Could you please tell me if you know a guide to do some resizing with APKTool ? About the photo editor, it will be OK, i'm just scared about where i must start ... ^^"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
apktool is to decompile the apk to edit xml layouts
remember google is your friend - do some searching
every apk is different you will have to read and understand the layouts - best to flash it first then you can see what needs changing

OxygeenHD said:
Could you please tell me if you know a guide to do some resizing with APKTool ? About the photo editor, it will be OK, i'm just scared about where i must start ... ^^"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My advice : Download the theme from the thread and flash it as it is.When you are booted with the theme,check out what are the problems in the theme.If there are FC's in apps,sign then with the help of android multitool.If the themed apps are not fitting the screen,resize the PNG's with the help of any good photo editing software.
You can search google 'How to port themes' or you can go to the 'Android Themes' section on XDA,make a thread and ask there.Some experienced people might help you more than us!

[Q] create a rom.

hi all, im trying to create a rom, and this is my progress. how to edit the framwork? please help
http://imgur.com/PCZShgL
http://imgur.com/wArD5yx
http://imgur.com/xUEjJon

saltalabanca said:
hi all, im trying to create a rom, and this is my progress. how to edit the framwork? please help
http://imgur.com/PCZShgL
http://imgur.com/wArD5yx
http://imgur.com/xUEjJon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your question is too vague - state exactly what you want to do if you want support from members
There is lots of things you can edit in framework-res and android.policy
Best to type into Google what you want to do and search for a guide
It looks from your pics you have just created a working folder in kitchen
You need to decompile the apk you want to edit with apktool then edit xmls smalis and pngs - again search for a guide for exactly what you want to do

marcussmith2626 said:
Your question is too vague - state exactly what you want to do if you want support from members
There is lots of things you can edit in framework-res and android.policy
Best to type into Google what you want to do and search for a guide
It looks from your pics you have just created a working folder in kitchen
You need to decompile the apk you want to edit with apktool then edit xmls smalis and pngs - again search for a guide for exactly what you want to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i replace the framework, and the systemUI dont think how to edit all, im very noob

saltalabanca said:
i replace the framework, and the systemUI dont think how to edit all, im very noob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
again too vague - you cant just say you want to replace the SystemUI - that is an entire apk - Unless you are just going to replace it with a SystemUI.apk from another rom but I would not recommend that as if you are going to release the rom you wouldn't have permission to do so plus the apk may have dependences of other apks and mods that you would also need to include
You need to know exactly what you want to mod
If you want to mod the SystemUI.apk you would need to decompile the apk with apktool and edit what you want - You will find guides to do this if you search google - You will find a guide to decompiling apks in my signature which has all my threads.
If you want to add lidroid toogles for example search for galaxy y xda how to add lidroid toggles in google
Same if you want to edit the framework to add extended power menu search for that
You cant just say I want to replace this and that apk
Also calling yourself a noob is no excuse - You have to learn how to use google and how to use the search feature to find what you want to do and then read everything - Once you have understood the basics and you know what you want to achieve only then if after trying you can post in the respective threads for any support relating to the thread