Creating custom themes by modifying framework-res.apk

[Guest Rem1x]

Nice work, P!nback1! :D

Would you or Rem1x, be able to post a tutorial on editing the framework-res.apk, specifically about what you've done already, because I've tried following what people have posted, but I keep getting bootloops.

I'll add it to the list of things to do ;)

Long weekend coming up soon, so I'll try write something up then!

[Guest BigBearMDC]

Hey guys.

Sorry but i can't manage to write an app that is able to change the images in the framework file.

I thought that the stuff in the .apk isn't compressed, but it seems like it is.

As long as theres no application that lets me repack the extracted framework i can't write such a application :-(

If somebody knows an application that can repack the framework let me know and I'll try to finish my application ;)

EDIT:

Forget what i said. I tried my application with a framework.jar, which seems to be different from the framework-res.apk.

It works filne now :D

I'll upload the app as soon as its finished.

Stay Tuned, if you want :(

Greetings,

BigBear

Edited February 9, 2010 by BigBearMDC

[Guest jlgmax]

Really simple question here which may or may not be possible.....?!

The "T Mobile" branded ROM had Magenta highlighting, the "Stock" ROM has yellow...how difficult would it be to change the colour used for menu highlights/button presses throught the ROM ?

[Guest Rem1x]

Really simple question here which may or may not be possible.....?!

The "T Mobile" branded ROM had Magenta highlighting, the "Stock" ROM has yellow...how difficult would it be to change the colour used for menu highlights/button presses throught the ROM ?

Easy, almost all of my highlights are green now ;)

[Guest xangma]

Easy, almost all of my highlights are green now ;)

The same green from Advanced Launcher 17?

[Guest Rem1x]

The same green from Advanced Launcher 17?

Yes, and if it's not, it's the same as the espresso theme, I used ;)

I'll get some screenshots of the highlights, soon!

[Guest jlgmax]

Yes, and if it's not, it's the same as the espresso theme, I used ;)

I'll get some screenshots of the highlights, soon!

Sounds good ! Is this something which I could change myself relatively easily by editing a config file ? Or is it more complicated than that ?!

[Guest Swift_gti]

I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but why aren't you guys using Metamorph to make your edits ?

It's really easy.. I ported a whole skin last night in the space of an hour or so (framework-res, music, phone, contacts, launcher etc..)

You just make a folder structure on your PC of;

mytheme/framework-res/res/drawable

mytheme/framework-res/res/drawable-port

mytheme/GoogleMusic/res/drawable

etc...

Then inside the 'mytheme' folder make a file called 'mytheme.thm' and put this inside;

Any ROM

Any VERSION

framework-res.apk

/system/framework/

GoogleMusic.apk

/system/app/

etc...

Now select everything inside the 'mytheme' folder and zip it (call the zip 'mytheme.zip')

Now you just install Metamorph from the market and place the zip in 'AndroidThemes' on your SDCard, and you can pick and choose what you apply or just apply the whole theme, it patches the APK's on the phone and asks for a reboot if needed.

One thing to note if your themes don't apply (caught me out at first) run 'df' from adb shell and see how much space you have on system, I had to remove some unwanted APK's because it was 100% used so the theme didn't have any room to make temp files while patching etc.

[Guest Neron]

I really hope some one can create a simple Metamorph theme just to change the status bar to Hero style back and white?

I wish I had the time to brush up on my codeing skills to help ;)

[Guest P!nback1]

Nice work, P!nback1! ;)

Would you or Rem1x, be able to post a tutorial on editing the framework-res.apk, specifically about what you've done already, because I've tried following what people have posted, but I keep getting bootloops.

Will post a tutorial within the next two days with a fully customised farmework-res.apk file ive been working on for everyone to try. If anyone want me to make them some themes, let me know with some examples... :D

[Guest P!nback1]

I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but why aren't you guys using Metamorph to make your edits ?

It's really easy.. I ported a whole skin last night in the space of an hour or so (framework-res, music, phone, contacts, launcher etc..)

You just make a folder structure on your PC of;

mytheme/framework-res/res/drawable

mytheme/framework-res/res/drawable-port

mytheme/GoogleMusic/res/drawable

etc...

Then inside the 'mytheme' folder make a file called 'mytheme.thm' and put this inside;

Any ROM

Any VERSION

framework-res.apk

/system/framework/

GoogleMusic.apk

/system/app/

etc...

Now select everything inside the 'mytheme' folder and zip it (call the zip 'mytheme.zip')

Now you just install Metamorph from the market and place the zip in 'AndroidThemes' on your SDCard, and you can pick and choose what you apply or just apply the whole theme, it patches the APK's on the phone and asks for a reboot if needed.

One thing to note if your themes don't apply (caught me out at first) run 'df' from adb shell and see how much space you have on system, I had to remove some unwanted APK's because it was 100% used so the theme didn't have any room to make temp files while patching etc.

Hav been thinking of doing it that way, but wasnt sure how... cheers for the help, might speed up the whole process!

[Guest phones4pete]

I really hope some one can create a simple Metamorph theme just to change the status bar to Hero style back and white?

I wish I had the time to brush up on my codeing skills to help ;)

hi ive installed Metamorpth but we dont have enough system memory to use it i had to delete notepad and move some apps from the system to the sd card and got it to work i got a black status bar with white notification fonts and a white clock you need to edit the status_bar.xml file for notification fonts and have to uncompile the classes.dex file in the services.jar file change the clock text to white and recompile ill try to upload them if your using Modaco custom rom 1.7 vanila

[Guest McSpoon]

hi ive installed Metamorpth but we dont have enough system memory to use it i had to delete notepad and move some apps from the system to the sd card and got it to work i got a black status bar with white notification fonts and a white clock you need to edit the status_bar.xml file for notification fonts and have to uncompile the classes.dex file in the services.jar file change the clock text to white and recompile ill try to upload them if your using Modaco custom rom 1.7 vanila

Sweet! ;) Do you use baksmali to decompile classes.dex?

And how are you editing status_bar.xml? Are you recompiling it from the AOSP cupcake source, ie. "mmm frameworks/base/core/res"?

[Guest HunteronX]

Will post a tutorial within the next two days with a fully customised farmework-res.apk file ive been working on for everyone to try. If anyone want me to make them some themes, let me know with some examples... :D

Thanks! ;)

[Guest phones4pete]

white status clock and notification

have removed file update later and instructions

Edited February 10, 2010 by phones4pete

[Guest Swift_gti]

yes used baksmali and smali just doing it now will upload soon

and used hex editor on status_bar.xml you must be using modaco 1.7 custom

I tried the files posted on 1.7 Vanilla rom and the class.dex causes my phone to hang while booting.

It just sits at the Android text and blinks every so often, I've left it for a good 10-15 minutes and it doesn't boot.

[Guest McSpoon]

I tried the files posted on 1.7 Vanilla rom and the class.dex causes my phone to hang while booting.

It just sits at the Android text and blinks every so often, I've left it for a good 10-15 minutes and it doesn't boot.

Mine is doing the same. I'm wondering if we have to deodex all of the files in /system/app/ afterwards. ;)

[Guest phones4pete]

I tried the files posted on 1.7 Vanilla rom and the class.dex causes my phone to hang while booting.

It just sits at the Android text and blinks every so often, I've left it for a good 10-15 minutes and it doesn't boot.

ok will sort it have pulled file for now will make an update.zip

later to flash no wipe allways do nand backup before flashing

[Guest BigBearMDC]

Hey guys

I got some great news:

The first version of my application now works ;)

But it's still Beta. I tried it with a few files and it worked perfect (except of a few little bugs :D ).

How it works:

Open the application.

Go to File -> Open Archive.

Then go to File -> Open File.

Click on Load Image.

And finally click on Replace Image.

If you're using vista or 7 you maybe need to run the programm as administrator.

- Download removed -

Greetings,

BigBear

Edited February 10, 2010 by BigBearMDC

[Guest Swift_gti]

Hey guys

I got some great news:

The first version of my application now works ;)

But it's still Beta. I tried it with a few files and it worked perfect (except of a few little bugs :( ).

Nice :D

If you can add some way to edit the binary XML and Classes.dex without too much fuss that would be incredible.. it would be all we needed to fully make our own skins and change colours such as notification, clock etc.

By hand methods for changing text colours are complicated, I had a go at changing clock colour last night be editing classes.dex but got stuck at the Android screen so obviously messed it up :D

[Guest BigBearMDC]

Sure, if you tell me what has to be edited in the classes.dex and in the binary XML file, I can see what i can do ;)

Greetings,

BigBear

Edited February 10, 2010 by BigBearMDC

[Guest BigBearMDC]

UPDATE:

Hey guys.

Here's the first (usable) version of ADE.

Have fun ;)

PS: You can give me a feedback, if you want :D

Greetings,

BigBear

ADE_Release.rar

[Guest HunteronX]

Once I've chosen an image to load on ADE, the option is blanked out to replace an image on my laptop.

Or is it just me? ;)

[Guest BigBearMDC]

When exactly do you get the error?

[Guest David Horvath]

;( I thought you'll write it in Java, hope there will be a version what can be run on Ubuntu as well..