[Tutorial] Customize your battery mod! - Vibrant Themes and Apps

It's impossible to please everyone and everyone has their personal preferences. This tutorial is for when rom devs don't make what you want! As the title says it's just for battery mods but you can apply this to almost anything to get what you want. I'm going to try and make this as easy as possible. From start to finish. Please read the whole post! I hope this helps at least someone~
First things first. You need to go and download 7zip. Ok.
Now you need to go and find which battery icon images you'd like. For this example, we're going to download the Trigger theme kit. Click here to download. In the kit, I have 3 sets of battery images you can choose from. Let's do it with the semi-accurate batteries.
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Conveniently, I have already named them properly for you! These names are pretty consistent throughout all the Vibrant ROMs I believe, but just be aware that it depends on the framework and the accurate battery mod built into the framework.
Next we need the framework to place these in. I'm going to use Trigger as an example. But you can use any ROM or framework. So if you are using it from a ROM, you need to first open it.
I'd suggest you familiarize yourself with this structure if you already don't know it! Just poke around and see what's where.
Next navigate to the system directory, then framework. Here's what you should see.
The images for the batteries (along with most other system related images) are in framework-res.apk. Pull it out to a new directory. I've got it in the same directory as my theme kit.
After that, you need to right click on the APK and go to the 7-zip option and click open archive.
Many of you probably already know this, but too much information never hurts! APKs are basically renamed zip files. When they are compiled all the files inside are compiled into binary format so you cannot edit them unless you decompile the framework. The exception are images. This is why we can do this and edit them without having to make a new file. We can just open it and replace what we want and replace it back!
Ok so next, after you open it you'll see a couple directories. You need to go to the res directory. In here are more folders! You want to find one that is named drawable-hdpi or drawable-hdpi-v4. In here is the jackpot. You will find the battery images in there, too.
Now here's the magic! Select all the images from the batt_semi-accurate batteries folder and drag them into the opened zip archive (into the res/drawable-hdpi folder)!
7zip will pop up a dialog asking if you want to overwrite or something. Click yes.
Now your framework is ready to be put on your phone!
You can do this one of two ways. Either make a flashable for your phone. Or transfer it via adb in recovery. I like doing method b but I'll briefly go over both.
method A:
I've attached a flash.zip. It contains the new framework I've gone over how to make in this tutorial. Only it is flashable. You can either use it (but replacing the framework-res.apk with the one you're working with) or you can take some time to learn how it's made!
*I made this flashable zip with my ACS tool (link in sig). You can do the same! Open the tool, go to options, make sure you click the checkbox next to system, close options. Click generate zip. You now have an empty flashable zip. You needed to click the systme checkmark because now it knows to transfer anything in the system directory in the zip file to the system directory on your phone. So basically you need to replicate the directory structure. If you open my zip you can see I've done so.
method B:
You need to know how to use adb and command line somewhat to do this. This isn't an ADB guide so please google one to brush up.
Boot your phone into clockwork recovery. And open up a new command line. You need to get into the same folder where your new framework-res.apk is.
commands are pretty basic, cd to change directory.
next you need to run the command to push the file onto the right place on your phone
Code:
adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework/
that should do the trick. it should say transferred in x seconds blah blah. once that's done. reboot. done.

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Hi,
Thank you for the info. I have tried this method with original ROM framework-res.apks and THEME framework-res.apks. The only one that I got to function was Glasstopia. The other ones have always caused a boot-loop after getting to the main screen. Some people have responded that it was maybe faulty png files and some say that it was caused by something in the xmls. I just thought this was important to mention.

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This is exactly what I wanted but I have a few questions. I have created a theme but when I added the battery images that wanted in there I found that it only decreases in 20% intervals and I want it to decrease in 1% intervals. Im assuming that the theme I based it off of had it in that interval. Any help is greatly appreciate it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

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MeximCivic said:
This is exactly what I wanted but I have a few questions. I have created a theme but when I added the battery images that wanted in there I found that it only decreases in 20% intervals and I want it to decrease in 1% intervals. Im assuming that the theme I based it off of had it in that interval. Any help is greatly appreciate it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd need to modify Stat_Battery.xml and Stat_Battery_Charge.xml in /res/drawable/
In order to do this you must first decompile (not unzip) the framework.

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MWBehr said:
You'd need to modify Stat_Battery.xml and Stat_Battery_Charge.xml in /res/drawable/
In order to do this you must first decompile (not unzip) the framework.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe entries need to be made to the public.xml to account for the new images added to the framework as well. Thats been my biggest hindrance in brining an accurate battery to loki, I always borke the public.xml entries. Ive booted without adding those lines and had no battery at all. Again, I may be wrong but I think those entries are necessary.
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App

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Br1cK'd said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe entries need to be made to the public.xml to account for the new images added to the framework as well. Thats been my biggest hindrance in brining an accurate battery to loki, I always borke the public.xml entries. Ive booted without adding those lines and had no battery at all. Again, I may be wrong but I think those entries are necessary.
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not if you're compiling it. Public.xml (or realistically resources.arsc) is updated automatically with any new additions to the drawable folders.

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MWBehr said:
Not if you're compiling it. Public.xml (or realistically resources.arsc) is updated automatically with any new additions to the drawable folders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never knew that, I thought it had to be edited prior to compiling. (Facepalm) Behr, I may end up picking your brain on a couple more framework questions one of these days. And never officially said it, welcome to the team!
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App

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Br1cK'd said:
I never knew that, I thought it had to be edited prior to compiling. (Facepalm) Behr, I may end up picking your brain on a couple more framework questions one of these days. And never officially said it, welcome to the team!
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I feel I should clarify, if you're needing to reference these new pngs in the classes.dex, then it would become neccessary to make the addition.

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That brings up an interesting question I ran into a couple versions back. I took my framework, still compiled, added in the pngs I wanted to use for my battery, both necessary battery xmls provided by the creator of that particular mod, and pushed, when I rebooted I had no battery image at all. Booted without error, and the best battery mod ever, infinite! I almost released it as a joke. Then grumbled back to the lab in a vain attempt to fix it. I figured the only thing that could have been amiss was the public.xml entries. Could there have been a more obvious culprit that I overlooked?
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App

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Br1cK'd said:
That brings up an interesting question I ran into a couple versions back. I took my framework, still compiled, added in the pngs I wanted to use for my battery, both necessary battery xmls provided by the creator of that particular mod, and pushed, when I rebooted I had no battery image at all. Booted without error, and the best battery mod ever, infinite! I almost released it as a joke. Then grumbled back to the lab in a vain attempt to fix it. I figured the only thing that could have been amiss was the public.xml entries. Could there have been a more obvious culprit that I overlooked?
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an issue with the compiled xmls themselves I believe. Pushing xmls from another framework has always been hit and miss in my experience, and abandoned the proccess altogether awhile back. A guarantee you, however, that if you decompile both, copy over the xmls and pngs, and recompile, that you'll have no issue what-so-ever.

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MWBehr said:
It's an issue with the compiled xmls themselves I believe. Pushing xmls from another framework has always been hit and miss in my experience, and abandoned the proccess altogether awhile back. A guarantee you, however, that if you decompile both, copy over the xmls and pngs, and recompile, that you'll have no issue what-so-ever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its the recompiling I can never seem to get, never boots when I do and leaves out the compiled xml every time I try. We'll have to jump on Gtalk or pm, so we dont hijack birgers thread here, sorry roman. if you use Gtalk feel free to add me from my addy in my profile, its always on on my phone.
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App

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Br1cK'd said:
Its the recompiling I can never seem to get, never boots when I do and leaves out the compiled xml every time I try. We'll have to jump on Gtalk or pm, so we dont hijack birgers thread here, sorry roman. if you use Gtalk feel free to add me from my addy in my profile, its always on on my phone.
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't see an address in your profile
Anyway, here's the trick to get it to compile for ya:
1. Use APK Manager
2. Make sure all .9.pngs are ok (easy way to check this is scroll through and make sure you have a thumbnail for every image).
3. When compiling, hit "y" when it asks if it's a system apk and then "y" again to build the "keep" directory.
4. Go to the "keep" directory and delete ONLY what you changed (you also must delete resources.arsc if moddifying xmls, classes.dex if moddifying smali, and Meta-INF folder if modding AndroidManifest.xml)
5. Don't sign unless you modified AndroidManifest.xml
That's it, should work with uncommon exceptions. Let me know if those exceptions come up

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Battery Indicator Decrease Intervals
I'm sorry but I'm still having trouble getting my theme to decrease in 1% intervals rather than the 20% intervals the ROM came with. I know they mentioned decompile the theme first then what?
I decompiled it with apk manager then i replaced the stat_sys_battery.xml and stat_sys_battery_charge.xml and recompiled it and signed it but when I flashed the theme now I don't have a battery indicator on my status bar lol!
Any help is greatly appreciate it! if it makes it easier my gtalk is shadow3166. Thanks!

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MeximCivic said:
I'm sorry but I'm still having trouble getting my theme to decrease in 1% intervals rather than the 20% intervals the ROM came with. I know they mentioned decompile the theme first then what?
I decompiled it with apk manager then i replaced the stat_sys_battery.xml and stat_sys_battery_charge.xml and recompiled it and signed it but when I flashed the theme now I don't have a battery indicator on my status bar lol!
Any help is greatly appreciate it! if it makes it easier my gtalk is shadow3166. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, never resign.
Second, assuming you were following the steps I outlined above, are you sure you deleted the xmls from the keep directory?
Third, did you copy over the 120ish pngs for the battery icons?
If you did all that, upload your framework and let me have a look.

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MWBehr said:
Don't see an address in your profile
Anyway, here's the trick to get it to compile for ya:
1. Use APK Manager
2. Make sure all .9.pngs are ok (easy way to check this is scroll through and make sure you have a thumbnail for every image).
3. When compiling, hit "y" when it asks if it's a system apk and then "y" again to build the "keep" directory.
4. Go to the "keep" directory and delete ONLY what you changed (you also must delete resources.arsc if moddifying xmls, classes.dex if moddifying smali, and Meta-INF folder if modding AndroidManifest.xml)
5. Don't sign unless you modified AndroidManifest.xml
That's it, should work with uncommon exceptions. Let me know if those exceptions come up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry bout that I forgot I hid it in my profile. I'll pm you.
Those are my steps, I use apk manager and do remove the resources.arsc when editing the xmls. Compile without errors. If I decompile again, the edited xml is just not there. I'll figure it out sooner or later, other apks give me no issue, just framework.
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App

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Br1cK'd said:
Sorry bout that I forgot I hid it in my profile. I'll pm you.
Those are my steps, I use apk manager and do remove the resources.arsc when editing the xmls. Compile without errors. If I decompile again, the edited xml is just not there. I'll figure it out sooner or later, other apks give me no issue, just framework.
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you're also deleting the individual xmls right?

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MWBehr said:
But you're also deleting the individual xmls right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, from the keep folder when compiling, and also deleting the resources when the xml that was edited is in there.
Got ya added to gtalk. Thx.
Sent from my Loki powered Vibrant on the XDA App

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Sending Log.txt and Framework
Ok so I continued to use this procedure but keep getting errors on the 9.png there's errors that appear constantly. below is my log file and my framework-res.apk let me know what I'm doing wrong I just want to be able to recompile the .apk with the new status_sys_battery.xml and status_sys_battery_charge.xml
Thank You!!!!

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MeximCivic said:
Ok so I continued to use this procedure but keep getting errors on the 9.png there's errors that appear constantly. below is my log file and my framework-res.apk let me know what I'm doing wrong I just want to be able to recompile the .apk with the new status_sys_battery.xml and status_sys_battery_charge.xml
Thank You!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you using the bionix framework as a base?

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"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Thanks for the tutorial, in other words.