Has anyone else noticed all of the .9 files in Samsung's APKs that are _not_ valid 9patch images? box_launcher_bottom.9 or box_launcher_top_normal.9 for example.
If you try to replace them, they stop working as 9patches, causing busted images in the UI. If you put the _exact_ same file back in, they are fine.
Anyone know what might be causing this? I am going to create proper 9patch files for a few and see if those work...
BitVenom said:
Has anyone else noticed all of the .9 files in Samsung's APKs that are _not_ valid 9patch images? box_launcher_bottom.9 or box_launcher_top_normal.9 for example.
If you try to replace them, they stop working as 9patches, causing busted images in the UI. If you put the _exact_ same file back in, they are fine.
Anyone know what might be causing this? I am going to create proper 9patch files for a few and see if those work...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent had a problem replacing them, its editing the image that gives me trouble... I have to use a totally different image..
I am not sure what you mean? Replacing? As in, with something similar? And you have an image issue... as in you want an entirely different style of skin? What have you replaced them with that worked?
If I replace the .9.png with an image of similar size it is fine... If I take the .9.png and lets say, make it more opaque/transparent or change the rgb ratios, then the image breaks and shows up funny...
junkdruggler said:
If I replace the .9.png with an image of similar size it is fine... If I take the .9.png and lets say, make it more opaque/transparent or change the rgb ratios, then the image breaks and shows up funny...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still confused. Do you create your own .9.png's from scratch? Do you just use a regular png of the same size? I've been reading up on these .9's and I know that I can now make some morphs but it is going to be a lot more work than I thought unless there is some trick you know to create them.
yeah ive just used regular pngs... whatever I could find lying around my 16gb of theming stuff on my sdcard...
Not everything just works, Ive found problems along the way... I use ninja morph to test out my stuff before flashing with MM so I have less trouble finding out what doesnt work...
Making .9 files is not hard, at all. But then again I do Android dev as part of my job I am just curious if anyone knows how Samsung is able to use _bad_ .9 files (no marked-up edges) and still have them show up correctly. No big deal, I can figure it out myself I guess.
BitVenom said:
Making .9 files is not hard, at all. But then again I do Android dev as part of my job I am just curious if anyone knows how Samsung is able to use _bad_ .9 files (no marked-up edges) and still have them show up correctly. No big deal, I can figure it out myself I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you explain how to make them? I tried using regular png's with no luck. The file names don't match so they won't get replaced properly. I can't edit existing ones and make them work. I guess I have to make my own from scratch but I don't really get how. If I can figure this out I'll be theming like crazy. (which may not be a good thing for all the other things I need to get done)
There are a few places online that explain them. I will let you google for that info/guides (I am at work right now). I will say however that there's a tool in the SDK (if you build it) called draw9patch that creates a little tool to show you how they look stretched different ways, and lets you edit them, very handy.
As for the 'rules'. It's easy. The left & top edges of a .9 file (1 pixel) define where the image will stretch. If you place a black dot in the left-x, center-y pixel of the image, it will stretch that row if the image needs to be bigger. The rest of the image will not be stretched. The same goes for the top. You can place extra pixels to expand the area stretched, or even make more than 1 area that stretches (my notification bar skin will show how that's done).
The right/bottom edges use the same mechanism (1 pixel row/column) but they define a box on the image that _content_ inside the image will fit into. You can see this if you go find some 'edit box' skins. The black dots on the bottom/right are placed where the edit box's internals are relative. Unlike left/top, you _can't_ have more than 1 section per side.
Using draw9patch it is _very_ easy to play with. If I get some time I will upload some examples, maybe with my next morph (an extension of the diamond-plated steel look I did for the launcher in some other threads).
BitVenom said:
Making .9 files is not hard, at all. But then again I do Android dev as part of my job I am just curious if anyone knows how Samsung is able to use _bad_ .9 files (no marked-up edges) and still have them show up correctly. No big deal, I can figure it out myself I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not really sure what your getting at by "_bad_ .9" but if an image is sized correctly, it doesn't need guidelines.
Perfect example is this image:
which has no guidelines whatsoever
maybe you could upload an example?
Yeah I've just renamed regular .png files with no prob 90 percent of the time..
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
one thing you could also try doing is using apktool and decompiling the apk with the 9.png's you are trying to replace. apktool decodes them and shows the patches.
Well I tried using the draw9 tool. Very simple and easy to see what is happening. I modified a bunch of the Mms .9.pngs (on a mac?) with photoshop, saved, opened with draw9 to add the stretching, saved them and made a morph. When applied it only changed some of my images and the ones that changed won't stretch properly so the text extends outside the image.
I ONLY replaced images but something got screwed up. My text messages started showing coming from the wrong people, and I would reply to one person and the text would go to someone else. Not good. Tried to use the revert I had created and it fixed the graphics but not the other sending/receiving problem. Lucky I had a backup so I'm flashing back to that now.
I'm sure I'm making some stupid error, oh well I'll figure it out eventually.
Gahhhh!!!
Well, after digging around, and not being able to determine why my own changes to .9 files were causing issues, I found it: If I use _apktool_, I get a proper .9.png, and it looks great. If I just unzip the apk, I get the old png, still valid, but without it's outer-edges that are used for .9 markup. What-The-F? Really. So does the damned thing have 2 versions of the file in it? A PNG is compressed, it shouldn't be possible to create a version minus the outline without tons of trouble. Where is that data being hidden? If I put mine in place, will it just blow it all up?
I am going to give it a shot, see what happens.
Putting the 'proper' .9 that apktool created back into the morph and loading it results in something that is _better_, but still rather broken. Somehow the 'patches' from the .9 file are being applied over the .9 itself. There must be something about .apk that encoded extra data in a side-channel of some sort. I wonder if anyone here knows who to ask? I am a very capable programmer, and happy to write/transplant code to get a reliable .9 path for odd .apk variants (as I understand Samsung's is new/custom)... ?
Info I just found: http://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/issues/detail?id=2
So apktool will decode from binary to source. Now I just need to get a path back to binary, and I think it'll fly...
Hrm, I found the Froyo code that de-serializes a PNG and checks for 9patch, as well as the code to save one back out with 9patch info. I need to determine why the 'source' 9patch minus hidden binary data is not acceptable to the Vibrant. It should be, all of this code reinforces that. I feel like I am _suuuuuuper_ close to having this work.
Well, I need to write a tool (maybe after next week) to do the heavy lifting... but hand pushing the 'custom' PNG chunk from a valid .9 onto a processed one results in a valid .9. You have to know the PNG format (and be handy with a Hex editor), and since you are stealing data from another image, hopefully didn't edit the size/split areas too much. I know google's format too, so hand-editing the custom chunk data to move around the black-bars (virtually) isn't too bad. But again, a tool that just takes .9.pngs with visible borders and encodes them (and removes the _massive_ waste of RAM that is the Photoshop chunks.. wow), and is able to do the opposite will likely help all theme modders out there. I will update the head of this post once the tool is complete.
As an aside, even after getting a working file (my folders now have black, not grey backgrounds) - I still have a grey box in the center... and that is _not_ in the image. Very, very odd. I will track that down too... probably just some layout courtesy of Samsung.
Noon Sunday - Ah, got the grey-box too. I _think_ a simple 'encode 9patch' tool already exists, will test the process and report back. But I have fully custom graphics now that look excellent.
Just added: https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/issues/detail?id=92
Also I'll add wiki page about 9patch images, cause many people don't understand them and they don't know, what to do. They're WTFing, as you did above ;-)
Thanks!
Brut sir Being a long time hobby-hacker... the chase was as valuable for me as the catch... but I definitely appreciate somebody else making it work first
9Patches are easy now, and one of the most powerful elements that Android UI utilizes too!
Ok, I think you understand 9patch images already, but I wrote an art with explanation:
https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/wiki/9PatchImages
Brut.all said:
Ok, I think you understand 9patch images already, but I wrote an art with explanation:
https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/wiki/9PatchImages
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. I'm going to be giving these 9patches another try.
Related
Cannot figure out which png it is in framework ( I think its in here) for when you are installing or downloading something. Its the solid one, not the stripped one. Anyone? Thanks in advance.
umm it is in the drawable as three seperate png i just cant think of what they are called right now
wait I think it is actually called Progressbar_intermediate1.png 2 and 3 under res/drawable-mdpi
PimpShit420 said:
wait I think it is actually called Progressbar_intermediate1.png 2 and 3 under res/drawable-mdpi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
those I already know about. I meant the one that is a solid color for when installing something or downloading. you see it moving along. its a solid orange by default
That is controlled in the resource.arsc file. I haven't figured out how to edit it yet but the color is Def in that file, if I just switch that file only with one I got from an in credible. Theme, it changes
Sent from my Eris using XDA App
PimpShit420 said:
That is controlled in the resource.arsc file. I haven't figured out how to edit it yet but the color is Def in that file, if I just switch that file only with one I got from an in credible. Theme, it changes
Sent from my Eris using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would you mind sharing this file? And where is it located? And if I copy the file over that you give, what else changes?
yea there is only one problem with using this file that I have come across so far and its kind of big. The text color on all buttons is white so it cant be seen. The file itself is located in the framework-res.apk. I was using a program called winmerge to go through and the whole file is completley different but I havent figured out how to edit it nor how to read exactly what is says. I just formatted my laptop and put Ubuntu on it so as of right now I cant get the file to you, You can either search for Indigo_Blue Theme for CM6 here on XDA or blackle(google). The theme is in all hdpi but still has some good looking pngs you can use in your theme. I have resized all of them as well for mdpi but for some reason I get errors when trying to apply them all. If you cant find it I will send it to you here in a little bit though. I have been doing alot of reading and messing my phone up trying to figure out the best way to theme. For one I want to take the spinner out of the nfl program and put it in my theme but Im a long way from that. If you like I can send you over my notes as I come up with more discoveries of what it controlled where and how to edit its defaults to what I want.
PimpShit420 said:
yea there is only one problem with using this file that I have come across so far and its kind of big. The text color on all buttons is white so it cant be seen. The file itself is located in the framework-res.apk. I was using a program called winmerge to go through and the whole file is completley different but I havent figured out how to edit it nor how to read exactly what is says. I just formatted my laptop and put Ubuntu on it so as of right now I cant get the file to you, You can either search for Indigo_Blue Theme for CM6 here on XDA or blackle(google). The theme is in all hdpi but still has some good looking pngs you can use in your theme. I have resized all of them as well for mdpi but for some reason I get errors when trying to apply them all. If you cant find it I will send it to you here in a little bit though. I have been doing alot of reading and messing my phone up trying to figure out the best way to theme. For one I want to take the spinner out of the nfl program and put it in my theme but Im a long way from that. If you like I can send you over my notes as I come up with more discoveries of what it controlled where and how to edit its defaults to what I want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, if ya dont mind. I am not going to get into heavy themeing as you can see from my theme, but this is one of the things that bugs me as i want to change it and cant figure it out, lol.
Okay, so i've been playing around with theming for 2 months and i've just about figured it all out, except for one thing.... the VZW banner on the lock screen for the D2 doesnt seem to give two ****s what i put in any of the keyguard .xmls that is supposed to control the layout and keeps on just being white...
im running fission 2.5.7 and i've tried everything that is supposed to do the lockscreen on the xml side (as far as i know) including the colors.xml in the values folder(more on this issue later)... so i started poking around .jar files in the framework but unfortunately i have little understanding still of .smali files because im still on the baby steps side of coding beyond the beginners html stuff i learned in the 6th grade ('99) and i could use some help/pointers toward i should be looking for.
i noticed mentions of wakelock (or something like it, its 2am and im mentally fried right now) in one of the smali files in a telephony folder in framework.jar but im just not sure if it is even close to the right thing because it may just be the phone doing something to the cdma radio on wakeup....
I'm open to try any suggestion you guys are willing to throw at me because finishing this project is important to me.
every guide i have been able to find so far just mentions line 7 and 8 of the .xmls in layout, if you find another idea besides that already posted send those too...
ALSO, when i edit colors.xml and then compile and push framework-res.apk to the phone i get 2 results depending on what i do
1) move the file that values folders gets turned into into the original framework-res.apk and get a boot look
2) use the newly compiled framework-res.apk (in whole) and lose the functionality of lockscreen selection app...
any idea on how to make this work would also be awesome
may end up having to work with the devs in the chatroom on this issue (im sure) but its also somethign i want to do so i can change the text colors of sound on/off (along with a couple other default text colors)
OK folks,
Have a look at this guide that I created for editing the framework-res.apk so that you can then go to the UOT Kitchen and cook up your own ICONS and Batteries.
It is a long read and most folks can probably figure it out.
I have used this to create my own Battery and Status bar icons.
Regards,
Alperin1
I have converted your document to a PDF (some folks don't use Word).
Download here
If you want me to remove this I will.
thanks very helpful guide, but too involved for me. I will either use some one else theme, or use 7zip open archive and change PNG's trick.
Hopefully someone can upload an edited framework-res, for every DJ_Steve update that we all can share for UOT.. hint...hint...
thanks again, I may give this a try when I have time, hopefully I wont need to though.
chrisrotolo said:
thanks very helpful guide, but too involved for me. I will either use some one else theme, or use 7zip open archive and change PNG's trick.
Hopefully someone can upload an edited framework-res, for every DJ_Steve update that we all can share for UOT.. hint...hint...
thanks again, I may give this a try when I have time, hopefully I wont need to though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gopu already uploaded an edited framework-res..here it is
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4TI7W0E1
ramtix said:
Gopu already uploaded an edited framework-res..here it is
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4TI7W0E1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ramtix, i knew that the framework was out thre for the others to use.
I guess the guide is for the folks that want to do all the work and learn a lttile bit about how the Framework is edited.
It took me a long time to figure out how to edit the 9.png files and compile them and just wanted to help others to do the same.
I tried that framework and failed to cook everytime
What is the use of those .9 pngs anyways?
chrisrotolo said:
I tried that framework and failed to cook everytime
What is the use of those .9 pngs anyways?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, what are the 9.pngs used for or why are they needed.
Stretchable Patches
If you have an image that you may need to stretch you then converting it to a 9.png will allow it to stretch. Also if you need put something in the PNG file, by converting it to a 9.png you can tell it where the text/data/information is allowed in the png file.
When you convert to a PNG you need to need to put a single pixel on the left side of the image and the top of the image. This pixel is not part of the image but in a frame around the image the frame also is just one pixel all the way around the image.
When you put the pixel on the top of the image you are telling the system where the image can be enlarged. Draw and line straight down from you pixel and this is where the image will stretch from. This just allows the image to grow to the left and to the right. Think of it as a square when you put the dot at the top of the square you can them change the square and stretch it left and right to make the square wider, so that it is now a rectangle. This all comes in handy when you rotate your device from landscape to portrait and back again.
Now when you put the pixel on the left side of the image, again in the frame that is around the PNG file, you are telling the system where it can stretch the image, this time you can pull the image up or down and so the height will change. Again image a square, you put the dot on the left side of the this determines at what point the square is allowed to stretch.
Only the lines with the dots on them will change, the rest of the square will retain the original shape and the original image. Most of the time this is done to an image that is only one color so that you are not messing with an image.
Here is the best example I can give of the DOT at the top of the 9.PNG or the left side.
Take two pieces of blank paper that you have and set one on the table and then set the second piece of paper in top of the first with about one inch of the right side of the first (bottom) piece of paper showing. The point where the top piece of paper ends and the bottom piece of paper starts is that DOT. Now slide the bottom piece of paper to the right and keep the top piece of paper still. Hope this all make sense
Content Area
Now lets look at the right side and the bottom of the PNG file. These two side determine where in the PNG file that text or other stuff can overlay or be imposed into the PNG file.
If I have an PNG that is a button and it is 50 x 50 pixels and I want the text for the button to be centered left to right, I would focus on the bottom of the 9.PNG image. I want the text to be able to use most of the pace from left to right but i do not want it to use the left 5 pixels at either end, I would create a line at the bottom of the 9.PNG that begins 6 pixels from the left and ends 6 pixels from the right. Why 6 pixels you are asking, well I have a one pixel from around the image and I needed to take that into account.
The same thing is used to center the text on the button from the top and bottom. Only this time you would use the right side of the image and fill in all pixels except for the 6 from the top and the 6 from the bottom.
Now when the button is stretched, you can use more of the space, but you will never be able to use the last 5 pixel on the top, bottom, left or right.
WOW, that was a long write up.
Enjoy,
Alperin1.
BTW, this is not unique to the Streak, it is used for the Android OS and maybe more.
alperin1 said:
Ramtix, i knew that the framework was out thre for the others to use.
I guess the guide is for the folks that want to do all the work and learn a lttile bit about how the Framework is edited.
It took me a long time to figure out how to edit the 9.png files and compile them and just wanted to help others to do the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alperin, dont get me wrong, what you did is awesome, useful and will be appreciated for all other users in the forum especially for future bulids.You did a great effort putting it in words and composing that. thumbs up!
ramtix said:
Alperin, dont get me wrong, what you did is awesome, useful and will be appreciated for all other users in the forum especially for future bulids.You did a great effort putting it in words and composing that. thumbs up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All is good. I did not intend for my response to be a flamer at you.
I think some folks just want to have some fun and try to make things work and a little help here and there can go a long way.
Thanks
Great explanation of .9.png's
Finally got the edited framework to cook
Hopefully this helps with more themes for Streak.
Thank you all around
Tried making my own framework.apk but failed big time, appreciate you uploading your work for me to use. Will keep the guide and continue to play with it, would like to say that I beat the software, not that the software beat me.
Keep hacking away at it.
Do you know where you are beating the software into submission. (where are you stuck?)
When it's time to complie is where I fail
alperin1 said:
Keep hacking away at it.
Do you know where you are beating the software into submission. (where are you stuck?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
alperin1, I will walk you through my Eclipse phase and maybe you can tell where all goes wrong.....
1. Make edits to .9 files like a champ if you don't mind me saying so...
2. Open Eclipse and go to File/new/android project and nothing, import LunarLander files and make sure settings are on Android 2.2
3. Create and now my copy of LunarLander is permanently updated to my edited .9 files (so assume at this point all is good to go).
4. At Export Signed Application Package is where I am having my problems, go throught the steps receive confirmation my file is G2G and when I move them to my Framework file all the edits are gone, like I did nothing to them.
5. Have preformed #4 multiple times and same result every time, everything moves but my edits are stripped out.
6. Figured maybe it is magic and edits will reappear when I cook my file, well no luck, get same exact error report as when I first tried to cook me some Icons on UOT.
Any ideas on what is causing my updated .9 files to loose the edits when I move them from LunarLander to Framework (Yes I do accept the overwrites when prompted).
Before you do the last step in Eclipse, drag one of the png files to your desktop and view it.
I am at work. I will play with this when I am home.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
vanemburghj said:
alperin1, I will walk you through my Eclipse phase and maybe you can tell where all goes wrong.....
Any ideas on what is causing my updated .9 files to loose the edits when I move them from LunarLander to Framework (Yes I do accept the overwrites when prompted).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is very interesting. When I export my package from Eclipse and then pull the images they do not show the dots and the bars just like you are seeing. So, I have to say this part may not be where your are running into problems.
Is it possible for you to post the error text? Put it into a zipped file. I will see what I can do. This is kinda new to me so I will do what I can for you.
So you are in Eclipse and you have lunarlander, you then put all your edit 9.PNG files into the folder. Next your export it.
After you have created the new lunarlander.apk, you are going into it and extracting the 9.png files you need. You are then placing these file in the same location that you pulled them from in the framework-res.apk. right? Then you are uploading this to the UOT kitchen.
Will do
But will have to wait till I get home from work.
alperin1
Here is my LunarLaner.apk, none of the edits survived creation of .apk, but they are in my LunarLander sample as your guide shows them to be. So it is when I make the .apk that all fails. Have attached my Pre-export LunarLander so you can verify I made the changes to .9 files.
Window 7 Ultimate 64 bit
Norton Anti Virus
Plus other software
Any and all ideas are welcome.
vanemburghj said:
Here is my LunarLaner.apk, none of the edits survived creation of .apk, but they are in my LunarLander sample as your guide shows them to be. So it is when I make the .apk that all fails. Have attached my Pre-export LunarLander so you can verify I made the changes to .9 files.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have taken the 9.PNG files that you have provided and I put them into my Framework-res.apk file and I was able to cook up some goodness for myself at the kitchen.
As you are stating and you are correct, the frame around the 9.png is not showing after step number 4, but the information is there, i just do not yet know how to view it.
I think the problem may be that the same 9.png files are in two locations in the framework-res.apk. Can you try to cook a new set of ICONs or anything for that matter and when you get the errors, put them in a zipped text file and post it here for me.
Oh and what ROM are you using? DJ Steve 1.9? If so, you should have many more images to edit that what you have provided to me.
Cooked my own framework!!!
alperin1, Thank you, think I needed confirmation that once exported via eclipse edits would disappear, plus I took my time and made sure I did the wallpaper steps exact. Cooked my own framework, I am getting there, am sure it is one very small drop in a very big ocean of Android development that I have learned with your expert help I do appreciate it.
vanemburghj said:
alperin1, Thank you, think I needed confirmation that once exported via eclipse edits would disappear, plus I took my time and made sure I did the wallpaper steps exact. Cooked my own framework, I am getting there, am sure it is one very small drop in a very big ocean of Android development that I have learned with your expert help I do appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Grasshopper.you are doing well. You have made my day.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
I have tried UOT Kitchen before, always was unlucky at having flashing errors.
My question is this... If I take a flashable theme, with permission from the creator, I should be able to use the scripts that they include for flashing? I am savvy with un-APKing zipping, signing and what not, is that all I would have to do to recreate a theme using my own images?
Thanks to everyone here!
Yes, the script you see other themes using can be changed out with your own, as well as the content. You can also just use the UOT Kitchen script. Credit given where credit is due, of course, but the script itself (IMHO) is not something you really need permission for.
Another tip, this from firsthand experience, when you're zipping everything up getting ready to flash, make sure you're zipping the contents of the theme folder (/META-INF/ & /system/) vs zipping the theme folder.
It sounds really stupid, but it took me forever to figure out why everything I did in UOT Kitchen perfectly but everything I did, using the same damn script, just froze. But ya gotta learn somewhere, right?
Remember when using the kitchen make sure u click amend scripting in the area where u load the apks... x2 uses 2. Something recovery.. if u don't click that there will be errors everytime
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Thank you, I think I've tried UOT 5 times but never had success.
Kevin, I tried the amend scripting, it solo didn't work.
I would much rather use my own images then those offered in uot kitchen.
I'm going to try to put a theme together this weekend, I haven't modded anything since BF2 wake island air show
Dee Ex Two - See Em Seven
Ok, how much do you know about themeing? Because if you are wanting to edit just the images(.pngs) you will need some info first...
You can "simply" take the framework-res.apk and systemUI.apk and go to the HDPI folder(or wherever the images are) and "drag n drop" to your desktop and edit those... OR you can take a .png that you wanna use(say one from another theme) and just drag n drop in the HDPI folder. And then, simply make a flashable .zip and your good to go.
.9s !!!
These are a PAIN if you dont know what you are doing.
If you are going to try and get into themeing, download APKManager and decompile the framework-res.apk ... go to a .9 image(i think its .png.9 or something of the like). When you load the image(say in GIMP) you will see black squares on the OUTSIDE of the image(like near the edges of the ACTUAL picture edge)... DONT TOUCH THOSE!!!! leave them there and make edits how you choose to the rest of the image. Once you are finished, just recompile(DONT SIGN AND YES! THESE ARE SYSTEM APPS!). Put in a flashable .zip and your set.
NOW Please note:
When you are doing the drag and drop method, make sure you are REPLACING an image and not ADDING more images.. catch the drift?
this is quick how to, hope it helps and good luck. let me know if you need anything else.
All the themes rock! I have poor eye sight (far sight) so my main concern always is status bar and the battery icon. I love being able to see the percentage, but some themes use smaller battery percentage text.
.9 seem like the stretchable area I'm beautiful widget... I understand that
Thanks Peperm1nt
Dee Ex Two - See Em Seven
I was thinking of trying out theming. That is until I looked at the crap load of images just thrown into one directory. lol. It may not be as hard as it looks but I havent looked any further than that yet. I still want to try something out though. Is there an easy way of figuring out what image does what on the phone? Like if I want to change some things, I have to know the name of the image. Well, to me, it looks like they aren't named plain and simple. Plus when they are just thrown into one directory its kinda hard to distinguish what is what. It was so much easier theming for webOS. lol
Js if u really look at the framework u will see all the images in the drawable hdpi folder are really a lot of the presses..tabs. status bar icons... over scroll glow theming takes a lot of time to build straight from scratch... any .9 PNG can be edited when it is decompiled in apk manager or apk multi tool just don't edit the black patch as peppermint said or u will not compile...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Kevin3328 said:
Js if u really look at the framework u will see all the images in the drawable hdpi folder are really a lot of the presses..tabs. status bar icons... over scroll glow theming takes a lot of time to build straight from scratch... any .9 PNG can be edited when it is decompiled in apk manager or apk multi tool just don't edit the black patch as peppermint said or u will not compile...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Yeah, one of these days ill download the tools and play with it. I've always enjoyed theming.
Sent from my MB870 using Tapatalk
I'm just trying to figure out the script to flash, is it the one in the google folder?
Dee Ex Two - See Em Seven
@js I know what you are saying about the desire to do it but the system isn't really what I would say themer friendly! Admittedly I am not the sharpest tool in the shade when it comes to some things (like the Android OS), so I would imagine that plays a big role in my intimidation of the whole thing.
What got me was the De-Compiling and Recompiling of everything just to change something. Not to mention the signatures and etc... perhaps one day someone will write a piece of software (be it windows based or Android in a shell on a PC) that will make it all pretty simple on that part. Till then I will prob. just enjoy and appreciate the work of others.
GL, Slim!
SlimMan said:
@js I know what you are saying about the desire to do it but the system isn't really what I would say themer friendly! Admittedly I am not the sharpest tool in the shade when it comes to some things (like the Android OS), so I would imagine that plays a big role in my intimidation of the whole thing.
What got me was the De-Compiling and Recompiling of everything just to change something. Not to mention the signatures and etc... perhaps one day someone will write a piece of software (be it windows based or Android in a shell on a PC) that will make it all pretty simple on that part. Till then I will prob. just enjoy and appreciate the work of others.
GL, Slim!
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Yeah, I agree about the decompiling and recompiling thing. When I had a webOS phone I created my own theme just by simply replacing the images and restarting the phone. With android, it seems you have to take the whole framework out, theme it and recompile the package file and flash it to the phone. Just seems a bit overwhelming.
Sent from my MB870 using Tapatalk
It's not that bad if you are just changing the images... Just timely. I suggest gimp to do the work. Another tip, some of the images are indexed. In gimp change from indexed to rgb...back to indexed, then rgb. Reason being that you are now able to add any color and doing it twice clears the pixelation...
What gets hard is smali editing and .xml editing. Let me know if you need help there.
Tapin' the Talk on the xSquared
Send a PM to "KTT16" on the Motorola Photon Forums, he is a great themer, let him know what you need help with, tell him you are running stock on the X2, he'll ask you for whatever files he needs, and he will help out.
By the way, if you are at all interested in a signature image, I can create one for you, just PM me, and I'll get on it.
Peperm1nt said:
It's not that bad if you are just changing the images... Just timely. I suggest gimp to do the work. Another tip, some of the images are indexed. In gimp change from indexed to rgb...back to indexed, then rgb. Reason being that you are now able to add any color and doing it twice clears the pixelation...
What gets hard is smali editing and .xml editing. Let me know if you need help there.
Tapin' the Talk on the xSquared
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I can batch process in PS.....and what is this bout clearing the pixelation...lol
Thanks I'll check it out
Dee Ex Two - See Em Seven
When you find a indexed image going to rgb pixelates the image...going back to indexed and then to rgb fixes this.
Tapin' the Talk on the xSquared
Peperm1nt said:
When you find a indexed image going to rgb pixelates the image...going back to indexed and then to rgb fixes this.
Tapin' the Talk on the xSquared
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I was p playing with you, all my online gaming and forum names have always had pixel, pixelated, pixelation, pixelized or any variety of pixel
Edit: swyponese
Dee Ex Two - See Em Seven
I am trying this out for the 1st time. My main goal is to create a transparent status bar for CM7. Will this make that "patch" I need for this?
Kevin3328 said:
Js if u really look at the framework u will see all the images in the drawable hdpi folder are really a lot of the presses..tabs. status bar icons... over scroll glow theming takes a lot of time to build straight from scratch... any .9 PNG can be edited when it is decompiled in apk manager or apk multi tool just don't edit the black patch as peppermint said or u will not compile...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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i seem to be a complete idiot lol
im sitting here trying to use apk manager and have no clue how to go about it
i cant get it to friggin pull files, i have no clue what im doing tho lol
i been trying to find info on how to use it with the x2 but cant find jack that is actually useful.
time to go eat, clear my head, and get back to researching, im probably just missing something extremely easy i knoow, but hey, i havent had a working computer in years so yea, im kinda learning on the fly here, lol
Lol @ash
In apkm select the apk you want, then decompile... Make edits, recompile.
Tapin' the Talk on the xSquared
Hi there! I am developing a ROM for the Virgin Mobile Alcatel (PCD) Venture, which is listed as having a 240x320 resolution. I have a perfectly working custom boot animation in 240x320, but i cant for the life of me figure out why i cant get a working custom splash screen! ive done sooooo much research, but havent came across any method that has worked yet on the Venture. no matter what i do, the boot splash comes out distorted/scrambled. ive been chatting with a senior member of another popular android development site, and they referred me to here, so im keeping my fingers crossed that SOMEONE out there can help me! The Venture runs Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread) on kernel 2.6.35.7-perf.
the method i am using is decompiling the boot.img file from my rom via dsixda's kitchen (ubuntu), and replacing the initlogo.rle file with my custom splash file of the same name, and then rebuilding the boot.img. i created the custom splash (240x320) in photoshop cs3, and saved it as a 24 bit png file with transparency enabled. then i converted the png to rle using to565 tool in ubuntu. flashed the rom, still distorted. ive also tried other methods of creating the image, including:
1. [win xp] saving the image in photoshop directly as an rle file
2. [win xp] saving the image in photoshop as a regular png (aslo tried regular bmp), loading in MS Paint, saving as 24bit bmp, and converting to rle using to565 in ubuntu
3. [win xp] saving the image in photoshop for web/devices (24bit PNG), and converting to rle using to565 in ubuntu
4. [ubuntu] loading psd (photoshop save file created in win xp) into GIMP, saving as png, and converting to rle using the following code:
convert -depth 8 initlogo.png rgb:initlogo.raw
./to565 -rle <initlogo.raw> initlogo.rle
sudo chmod 777 initlogo.rle
all methods resulted in the same distorted splash when i tried flashing the rom. im sure that ive tried other methods too, but i just wanted to give you an idea of what kind of methods im using. also, i tried resizing the image down to half the size (240x320รท2=120x160). resulted in the same issue.
i used a tool to convert the stock rle to png so i could check it out, but when it converted the rle, it came out with 2 different png files. one was just a black background, and the other was a black background with the red "Hello" writing, but it looked all distorted in the same way that the custom rle comes out looking on the phone. also, the 2 images had different properties. the black background one was a grayscale, and the other was indexed. interesting. also, does the dpi come into play here at all? ive heard that 72 will pretty much work universally (i dont kno if thats correct or not). the Venture natively runs a lcd density of 120. from all the information that i have dug up, this seems like an uncommonly low dpi on android phones. do i need to compensate for this in any way?
also, an interesting fact, when trying to use ANY screenshot app on the venture (at least, any of the screen apps that i have come across), the output image always comes out scrambled in the same way that it scrambles my custom splash.
any help here would be very appreciated, as i have been stuck on this for almost a week and a half now, and its really holding up the development of my rom. i MUST get this working though! thank you so much for reading!
still stumped. ideas anyone?
so, i believe i found info that hinted that the dpi of the splash isnt important. is this correct?
any ideas? im really anxious to get some input from anyone!
so i calculated that the ventures screen is 2.8", and with the resolution of 240x320, the dpi comes out to 142.857, but they set the stock density to 120. could this have anything to do with the distortion?
still been diligently working on this. anyone reading have ANY ideas of anything i could try?
ok, so even tho the venture is 240x320 (240w, 320h), i tried resizing the image to 320x240. the splash is looking closer to what its supposed to, but definately still distorted/scrambled. thoughts?
are there any known kernel bugs or anything that could cause this? is it a lost cause?
so after countless hours and a couple months of frustration, i finally got this sucker figured out. the res of the venture is advertised. i picked apart the OS and found some coding here and there that looked a little off to me (granted, im still learning a few things about the intricacies of the android/linux filesystem, but ive got my head wrapped around it pretty darn good ). i believe the framebuffer used on the venture has some serious bugs (maybe just a drag & drop FB from another similar chipset to save $ on programming?? i mean, the phone WAS only 29.99 new...). anyway, i ended up figuring out a workaround. it basically just comes down to an incorrect resolution issue, causing it to severely distort the image. so, in photoshop, i ended up having to create my image as 235wx320h instead of the advertised res of 240Wx320H (to center image due to a spacing issue that comes up on the splash). then, after finishing my 235x320 image, i went to Image -> Canvas Size. i had to resize the canvas to exactly 256Wx320H with the background set to black (to match the BG of my image). i also set the anchor to the top left. then i went File -> Save for Web and Devices, and saved with the PNG-24 preset with transparency enabled. i then modified a custom utility to convert to RGB565 and convert to rle.
i just thought i would share that here so anyone who might have a similar problem could benifit from my findings! i linked to my original Phandroid thread below which has a download link to my modified tool and step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions. any questions, feel free to contact me! thanks!
http://www.androidforums.com/venture-all-things-root/669111-custom-boot-splash-how-change-vms-hello-screen.html
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