Helpful Tools/Tips/Guides for Creating Themes

[ronnie8890]

I have done my fair sharing of playing themer :P so I thought I would pass on some basic knowledge I have picked up along the way. A lot of my learning was trial and error......and error......and boot loop.......and random success......followed by epic fail......which usually ends with a Win and a new theme.

Anyways I thought I would share some tools I have picked up along the way. Both for computer and phone. I am by no means a expert in any of this, I just dabble in it for fun.Hopefully this Inspires you to get your feet wet and try some themeing your self.

Some tools I just started using recently so I'm not completely fluent in them yet. So if you don't see a guide for it or tips its probably because I'm still learning it.

If you have any info/tools/guides to contribute throw them in the thread and I will add them to the OP. If you have any questions, throw those in the thread also maybe I can answer them. Maybe another member knows the answer or Maybe as a group we hit Google and combine all our research to formulate a answer.

Name of tool is also the download link.

Computer related tools.
ApkTool

This lets you decompile an apk for example the framework-res.apk(main component of theme) or the SystemUI.apk(status bar and drop down menu stuff). apktool will allow you to extract and modify the images, XML, and smali(better be smart to mess with this).
----also required for Apktool is a program called JRE or (Java Runtime environment.) You can grab that here

Gimp
O sweet sweet gimp This is a awesome alternative to Photoshop. It allows you to do everything photo shop can do.....and ya, its free. So take that Photoshop.

Notepad++

This is basically notepad on steroids. Not always needed but nice to have on hand.

Android SDK

to tackle the pesky 9.PNG images your going to need SDK to use the 9 patch tool. Its located in the tools folder when you download the sdk starter kit.(you don't need eclipse if you don't plan on making your own apks.) Sdk also comes with a whole heap of other fun tools once you get started.

This next tid bit is basically if your just swapping out PNG or 9.PNG images that are already premade.

Phone tools.
Root Explorer
I have also heard people using ES File Explorer to do this. I use root explorer and it works great. Of ES file explorer didn't cut it. Then you just might have to buy root explorer.

Root explorer will let you browse your systems root directories and pull out system apks. It will also allow you to extract and zip up apks.

Zip Signer 2

Zip signer will let you sign apks and zips directly from your phone.

Useful but not necessary phone apps would be phone apps/tools would be photo editing programs like Picsay Pro

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[ronnie8890]

Reserved for guides.

How To For ApkTool
(If using a XP computer and you don't want to type in the path to your apktool folder everytime you can install the Ms powertool open command window here. The download link can be found Here)

Tips and tricks for Gimp

Awesome Guide for 9.PNG creation

D1L777posted this bit of goodness.the following links especially the first one is a real awesome guide.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916814
-Basic guide to themeing, has some good .xml editing stuff there

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=964391
-CM7 Theme chooser guide

http://uot.dakra.lt/
-The Online Themeing Kitchen, best place to get some of the most used images for batteries, signal bars, toggle buttons, etc..

[ronnie8890]

Help with apktool.

once you have all the programs needed to run apktool. We can begin using it.

I placed my folder with apktool stuff at the root of my C: drive. Then placed a short cut to it on my desktop. So all I have to do is right click my desktop shortcut and select "open command prompt here"(I'm on windows xp so I used Power tools to add the cmd prompt ability. Link above)

Place what ever apk your looking to decompile on the root of your C: drive(we are cutting out extra key strokes by doing this )

Once you your apk is on the root of your C: drive let's open the cmd prompt to your apk tool folder. (If you followed along its on the root of your C: drive.)

With the cmd prompt open it should look like this.

C:\apktool>

Now you want to type.
apktool d C:\nameofapp.apk C:\nameofapp

Example of SystemUI.apk full string typed out.
C:\apktool>apktool d C:\SystemUI.apk C:\SystemUI

It will now tell you.

I: Baksmaling...
I: Loading resources table...
I: Loaded.
I: Decoding files resources...
I: Decoding values*/* XMLs...
I: Done.
I: copying assets and libs.

After that's done it has decompiled you apk to the root of your C: drive In A folder called "name of app' in this case SystemUI, and your command prompt has kicked you back to your root command. You may now close your Cmd prompt.

Navigate to your folder and make your edit. Once done and ready to build your app.

Open your cmd prompt to apktools. Should say C:\apktool>

Then type in "apktool b "C:\name.of.decompiled.app.folder."

EXAMPLE C:\apktool>apktool b C:\SystemUI

It will now say

I: checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling
I: Checking whether resources has changed...
I: Building resources
I: Building apktool

Once that's done your apk has been built. Navigate to your extracted app file and in j should be a new folder called "build" inside that is a folder called "apk" this is your apktool in extracted form. But its missing some files from the old apk.

What you need to do is extract the original apktool with something like 7zip and copy the META-INF and assest (or any other missing file/folder) folder from the unmodified apk and place them in your new apktool folder. So your new apktool now should have.

1.assets
2.META-INF
3.Res
4.AndriodManifest.xml
5.classes.dex
6.resources.arsc

Now highlight all this files/folders and zip them on compression level store.

Now after its zipped up rename it to the name of your app and change the extension file to apk.

Example. apk.zip to SystemUI.apk.

You can now throw your apk into a flashable zip or push it with adb or root explorer.

[UltraDroid]

Nice stuff Ronnie!

[Mujibar]

Nicely done, Ronnie!

Tap'd from my GNex

[CR6]

Well done Ronnie!


tap'n

[ronnie8890]

Thanks guys. I will continue to update this as much as I can with guides and tools and little tips and tricks.

[UltraDroid]

You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

[D1L777]

Good work ronnie, some good links up there. I've got a couple more on my computer I'll drop in case you want to add them when I get to a computer. You can also add apkmanager as a tool. It's a little outdated for ICS files but can be fixed with the newest apktool files. It still works great for gingerbread does a good bit of work for you.

...sent from your local Nexus

[ronnie8890]

Absolutely I will add anything anyone thinks would be useful.