Related
well since there have been ALOT of threads asking how to theme a hero I figured I would go ahead and make a quick guide. I am sure that I will miss stuff so if anyone else sees what I miss let me know and I will add it to the post.
ok first things first there are a few programs that you are going to need. The first is some kind of archive program such as 7zip or winrar. I personaly use winrar but 7zip is free you can download it here.
http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
next you will need a image editing program the favorites are Photoshop and gimp. if you dont have photoshope already and dont want to buy it then download gimp. it just as good and once again its free. You can download gimp here.
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
Now that you have those programs it is now time to start making your theme.
1. download the ROM of your choice that you want to use since not all files are the same across all ROM's
2. I have 2 folders on my desktop one named "theme apks" and one named "working apks"
3. Use 7zip to unzip the rom you downloaded.
4. in the newly unziped ROM find and open the "system" folder, you will see a list of several sub-directories. The two that we are mainly concerned with are "app" and "framework".
5. Open the "app" folder and move any of the apps that you want to change to the "theme apks" folder that you created earlier in a sub-directory named "app" then open the "framework" folder in the unziped Rom and find and move the "com.htc.resources.apk" and the "framework-res.apk" to your "theme apks" folder into a sub-directory name "framework".
6. now that you have your files seperated out into your "theme apks" folder choose an apk that you want to edit and use 7zip to unzip the .apk into the "working apks" folder you created.
7. now in your "working apks" folder you should have a folder named "res" in this folder there will several other folders. the main ones we need are "drawable", "drawable-mdip" in the 2.1 builds and "drawable", drawable 480x320" in the 1.5 builds" there maybe others depending on what you are trying to change.
8. open the proper drawable folder and find the image you want to edit and open it with your image editor (gimp, photoshop) and make your changes then save it using the same name into the "working apk" folder.
9. now that you have your images edited there are a few ways to add them to your apk the process described here is how I do it since I find it to be the easiest way. go back into your "theme apks" folder and find the apk that you edited. Use 7zip to open NOT unzip the apk. Inside 7zip open the "res" folder and then the proper "drawable" folder now pull up you "working apks" folder and select the edited images and drag them into the 7zip window. A dialog should pop up asking if you want to add and replace existing files and just choose yes. you can now close 7zip.
you have now themed your apk. just repeat steps 6-9 for the rest of the apks you want to theme. then just push the files back to your phone using ADB. I push them back after I am done editing each one before I clear my "working apks" folder so that I can make sure that it looks the way it should that way if I need to make changes then I dont have to go through all the steps again.
after you have created and tested your theme if you want to share it you will want to make an update zip. there are a few ways to do this. by far the easiest way is to use the fresh pre-kitchen to sign it. for this process you will need to follow these steps. download the pre-kitchen here
http://geekfor.me/android15/fresh-pre-kitchen-02/
1. if you followed the steps above then this will be a snap. just open your "theme apks" folder and create a folder named "system"
2. then select either the app folder or the "framework" folder or both depending on what you changed and move them into the "system" folder you just created.
3. now use 7zip to zip the system folder and name it whatever you like.
4. now open fresh pre-kitchen and go to the tools section and choose the sign a zip option. Follow all the prompts and you should have a signed update zip that anyone can flash.
a few side notes
the process above works great for regular images such as png, jpeg and the like now you will find that to change some things they will be in the dreaded ".9.png" format. these images need extra steps to edit them. that I am not going to go into in this guide but they can be found here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=5206698
also there is another method to making an update zip that I am not going to go into in this guide but all the tools and how to do it can be found in this thread here. in the first post 4th section.
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1404
if you are completely new to themeing I would suggest trying a 1.5 ROM first as they are a little more straight forward because in 2.1 they spread the images for some of the more popular mods over several different apk's.
I want to give a few quick thanks to the great devs here that give us these ROM's to work Flipz, Toast, Damage, Obalisk, Zenulator, and any that I missed thank you. Also to some of the people that have helped me out emensly in my quest to learn how to theme. Noj you have been such a help, Godzson, Chubbzlou and the others that have helped thank you as well.
I hope that this helps some people on their way to customizing their Heros.
if there is anything that someone sees that I missed let me know and I will add it to the post.
I din't see anything about the META-INF folder with update-script to make it flashable. I don't use Fresh kitchen so I'm not sure if it does it or not. I would visually include the layout of the folders before zipping.I might have missed something you typed.
/system/app/
/system/framework/
Looks right. But my name is chubbzlou.
chubbzlou said:
Looks right. But my name is chubbzlou.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry cubbz was trying to do it from memory but its fixed now.
Thanks for the how-to write up
No prob just busting chops. The how to looks good. Now we need a how to for the .9.png images.
wtphoto said:
sorry cubbz was trying to do it from memory but its fixed now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I din't see anything about the META-INF folder with update-script to make it flashable. I don't use Fresh kitchen so I'm not sure if it does it or not. I would visually include the layout of the folders before zipping.I might have missed something you typed.
/system/app/
/system/framework/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't add anything about META-INF because the pre kitchen adds it but that's why I added the link to the other way of signing it explains all that
@chubby that is also why I put the link to the other post I think its a pretty easy to understand guide for the .9.pngs
Sent from my HERO200 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
added to wiki
This is just what I have been looking for. Thanks for putting it together.
Hey,
I have a mess with my many .APK files sitting around on my PC. Some .APK files were renamed badly with names that don't make sense, let alone I have multiple versions of the same apps.
ApkSpy is a simple tool I hacked up tonight which allows you to easily view the manifest of an APK (screenshots attached - not up to date though) just by double clicking it. (It can even associate with the .apk filetype, yay!)
ApkSpy relies on the aapt.exe tool from the android SDK, so you must have that installed (or just copy aapt.exe from somewhere, that's the only file needed to run ApkSpy).
Would love to get feedback.
Off to bed now..
Known issues:
filenames with unicode might not work.
Changelog:
Version 0.6:
Minor fixes
adb.exe/aapt.exe should be found in current directory or PATH
Version 0.5:
Install APK button
Rename file by package or application name
batch rename of all apk's in a directory
Version 0.4:
Added link to market
Version 0.3:
Added rename file, which renames the loaded apk to <packagename_version.apk>
Version 0.2:
does not require .net 4.0 anymore
Needed something like this.
How about this, can we edit swiftkey's apk and add a large spacebar into that somehow?
thanks
Thank a lot. I'm looking for something like this.
ido, I downloaded your nice tool. Unfortunately I don't get any information back when I drop on it an app (please see my attachment). I have .net framework 4.0 on Windows XP.
Any idea ?
ido said:
ApkSpy relies on the aapt.exe tool from the android SDK, so you must have that installed (or just copy aapt.exe from somewhere, that's the only file needed to run ApkSpy).
Would love to get feedback.
Off to bed now..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shame on me !!! I should have read before rushing !!!
I'm sorry: everything runs smoothly now, thanks !
PS Just a suggestion to ido for those like me: why don't you bundle the aapt.exe in the zip file ?
I don't think its allowed by google's license. I haven't really checked though.
i have the aapt.exe but after i drag apk it does not allow me to change the name or anything please help and yes i have sdk installed
xdviper said:
Needed something like this.
How about this, can we edit swiftkey's apk and add a large spacebar into that somehow?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not without getting the lawyers involved whether it's before or after the fact.
Nice app, thank you!
Feature request: batch reading of apks and renaming them as Packagename_version.apk?
norti said:
Nice app, thank you!
Feature request: batch reading of apks and renaming them as Packagename_version.apk?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
challenge accepted.
I see how renaming should work (button), but I'm not sure how to implement batch at this stage.
would be cool and app like my sons RDTools DS that lists all his games in a dir to add to sd card(r4i or ttools..)
it opens the files and gives the real name with icons and nfo files to..(store on sever DB)
should be pretty much simple for a guy that knows how to program no?
Thank you for this cool app.
2 Suggestions:
- allow users more options on how they want to name the apk (i.e. "AppName-ver")
- Allow user to just double click on an apk to run apkspy. Currently, I have to drag and drop. If I double click an APK, apkspy crashes with an "System.InvalidOperationException"
Thank you for this very useful application.
I also wish it had those handy features as others mentioned:
1. Renaming apks using ApplicationName instead of PackageName;
2. Batch renaming all apks in a folder;
3. Option to push (or install) the current apk into a connected android device.
Good job, anyway, keep up the good work!
All done as requested.
you're welcome to test the features as I didn't have much time (Although I think it works ok)
Great news, thank you again for your work.
One quick feedback observation though:
In the Batch Rename tab, the two rename buttons (by application or by package) are working correctly, but in the first tab (General) the functions performed by the same rename buttons are reversed: rename by application actually renames by package and viceversa.
Otherwise, everything seems to be OK, except maybe for the donation link in the last tab, which doesn't seem to be working either.
Congratulations, man, great job, keep it up!
silvake said:
Great news, thank you again for your work.
One quick feedback observation though:
In the Batch Rename tab, the two rename buttons (by application or by package) are working correctly, but in the first tab (General) the functions performed by the same rename buttons are reversed: rename by application actually renames by package and viceversa.
Otherwise, everything seems to be OK, except maybe for the donation link in the last tab, which doesn't seem to be working either.
Congratulations, man, great job, keep it up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fixed all (even the beer link). I kept same version (0.5) though.
hi,ido when i double click apk files i get this error..running win7 x64
hxxp://i.imgur.com/lMOMJ.png
hxxp://i.imgur.com/Ropmm.png
Thank you, it's working flawlessly!
You can fix?
ApkSpy very handy tool!
Thanks a lot!
ido said:
Version 0.5:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 You can fix ApkSpy to correctly processed Russian names?
2 You can fix the ApkSpy, if you rename the apk team containing the character ":"
3 You can fix the ApkSpy, if you rename the apk team containing the character " "" "
4 When you drag a file apk team, adds all files from a folder, it is not convenient
Thanks
just what i was looking for
I love all the beautiful modified skins of Thypancy's intial theme. Is there a post where we could learn to mod these themes. too. I have 4 in mind that I would like to make or have modified, but i would rather learn how to do it myself. Can someone point me in the right direction.
Hi,
I am not a PRO at this... but i would just explain you the procedure:
1) extract/Decompile the .apk file you want to MOD or make changes to. Use m10 editor for this.Select the option "decomplie all"
2) Minimize the m10 editor, and open the folder where you m10 editor is installed. There you would find a folder with the name of the .apk file you just decomplied. Go to folder assests>"base theme name">drawble>shared folder.
3) now select the .png files you want to edit. Install Paint.net, and edit with them, it was easy process for me. Remeber to "flip image vertical" after you are done with editing.
4) now go back to m10 editor, and Save the file.
5) You should have AndroidSDK installed.If not, do it. Then go to the folder where you have installed it. open the "autosign" file. It will open command prompt. There select the option to sign the file manually. Give the path for the file. It will sign it then. Exit from that program.
6) you are done, you can install it now.
Well, this is the basic idea for modding, and it would work if you have a little bit knowledge. I have been taught all this by "laletsehgal21", who has a good thread of his MODS... you can ask him for a detailed help.
Happy Modding
mathrania said:
Hi,
I am not a PRO at this... but i would just explain you the procedure:
1) extract/Decompile the .apk file you want to MOD or make changes to. Use m10 editor for this.Select the option "decomplie all"
2) Minimize the m10 editor, and open the folder where you m10 editor is installed. There you would find a folder with the name of the .apk file you just decomplied. Go to folder assests>"base theme name">drawble>shared folder.
3) now select the .png files you want to edit. Install Paint.net, and edit with them, it was easy process for me. Remeber to "flip image vertical" after you are done with editing.
4) now go back to m10 editor, and Save the file.
5) You should have AndroidSDK installed.If not, do it. Then go to the folder where you have installed it. open the "autosign" file. It will open command prompt. There select the option to sign the file manually. Give the path for the file. It will sign it then. Exit from that program.
6) you are done, you can install it now.
Well, this is the basic idea for modding, and it would work if you have a little bit knowledge. I have been taught all this by "laletsehgal21", who has a good thread of his MODS... you can ask him for a detailed help.
Happy Modding
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the Info!!!
mathrania said:
Hi,
I am not a PRO at this... but i would just explain you the procedure:
1) extract/Decompile the .apk file you want to MOD or make changes to. Use m10 editor for this.Select the option "decomplie all"
2) Minimize the m10 editor, and open the folder where you m10 editor is installed. There you would find a folder with the name of the .apk file you just decomplied. Go to folder assests>"base theme name">drawble>shared folder.
3) now select the .png files you want to edit. Install Paint.net, and edit with them, it was easy process for me. Remeber to "flip image vertical" after you are done with editing.
4) now go back to m10 editor, and Save the file.
5) You should have AndroidSDK installed.If not, do it. Then go to the folder where you have installed it. open the "autosign" file. It will open command prompt. There select the option to sign the file manually. Give the path for the file. It will sign it then. Exit from that program.
6) you are done, you can install it now.
Well, this is the basic idea for modding, and it would work if you have a little bit knowledge. I have been taught all this by "laletsehgal21", who has a good thread of his MODS... you can ask him for a detailed help.
Happy Modding
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool man.....
Jst one thing attach the base file that one must use to decompile so that he does not have errors while re-compiling
In de-compiled files changes have to b made in three places.
1. Androidmanifest.xml (name of package).
2. Res\values\strings.xml (name of theme).
3. Assets\shared(change this to theme name)
Now compile and then edit
lalitsehgal21 said:
cool man.....
Jst one thing attach the base file that one must use to decompile so that he does not have errors while re-compiling
In de-compiled files changes have to b made in three places.
1. Androidmanifest.xml (name of package).
2. Res\values\strings.xml (name of theme).
3. Assets\shared(change this to theme name)
Now compile and then edit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried this but instead of pngs, i'm getting dat files in the "\\\drawable\shared" folder? Is anyone else having this problem?
keedog said:
I tried this but instead of pngs, i'm getting dat files in the "\\\drawable\shared" folder? Is anyone else having this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no after using m10 editor u'll play with dat files only best part is inverted
lalitsehgal21 said:
no after using m10 editor u'll play with dat files only best part is inverted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What???? I'm way confused by that last sentence.
keedog said:
What???? I'm way confused by that last sentence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
he means, that the images you would like to EDIT would be inverted(up side down kind of) already...... the way it looks in your android phone...it wd be inverted
keedog said:
I tried this but instead of pngs, i'm getting dat files in the "\\\drawable\shared" folder? Is anyone else having this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the m10 editor, on the second tab "m10files", select "decode images". And then start the process.....
I have attached an .apk file. Install it on your sensation, apply the theme to your mobile. Observe the stuff. Then try to decompile the same file, and edit the images to your choice. It will help you to recognize what files you should change to get your desired result.
mathrania said:
I have attached an .apk file. Install it on your sensation, apply the theme to your mobile. Observe the stuff. Then try to decompile the same file, and edit the images to your choice. It will help you to recognize what files you should change to get your desired result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thatz a pretty nice one, and i like how u pointed out all the pages with text. thanks again.
mathrania said:
Hi,
I am not a PRO at this... but i would just explain you the procedure:
1) extract/Decompile the .apk file you want to MOD or make changes to. Use m10 editor for this.Select the option "decomplie all"
2) Minimize the m10 editor, and open the folder where you m10 editor is installed. There you would find a folder with the name of the .apk file you just decomplied. Go to folder assests>"base theme name">drawble>shared folder.
3) now select the .png files you want to edit. Install Paint.net, and edit with them, it was easy process for me. Remeber to "flip image vertical" after you are done with editing.
4) now go back to m10 editor, and Save the file.
5) You should have AndroidSDK installed.If not, do it. Then go to the folder where you have installed it. open the "autosign" file. It will open command prompt. There select the option to sign the file manually. Give the path for the file. It will sign it then. Exit from that program.
6) you are done, you can install it now.
Well, this is the basic idea for modding, and it would work if you have a little bit knowledge. I have been taught all this by "laletsehgal21", who has a good thread of his MODS... you can ask him for a detailed help.
Happy Modding
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have all the pngs replaced and the its back in a apk, but now I don't see a autosign file in the sdk folder. am I looking in the wrong place?
This is the Android-sdk (along with java jdk) that i downloaded. I can't find a autosign file anywhere.
i found the autosign bat fle. but now im getting errors.
question: how/where do i change these?
In de-compiled files changes have to b made in three places.
1. Androidmanifest.xml (name of package). how do u change this?
2. Res\values\strings.xml (name of theme). how/where do u change this?
3. Assets\shared(change this to theme name) h0w/where do u change this?
---
also when I replaced the background image, and he skin png, they resorted back to the original and didn't keep my background image nor skin pmg.
Sorry to hijack, but how would I change the dock/nav bar?
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
NOTE: I'm probably not going to make any new versions of this. There are simply too many rom versions. Instead, I have provided complete instructions in this post on how to do this yourself. Check the DIY section.
This is a modification of the framework-res.apk that turns the green check marks into black ones. The green ones don't have enough contrast and are very hard to see with the phone held at a normal distance from your eyes, or in bright sunlight. I made a point not to change the aesthetics of the existing icons. I just wanted to make them darker.
I tested the new icons in a variety of apps, and every app I tested that used the old icons now shows the new ones. Some apps like Gmail use square, holo-style check marks and aren't affected by this mod. The check marks in the HTC settings are also not affected. I'm not sure where those icons are stored, or else I would change them, too. Those ones can be changed by picking a different HTC skin. The "Matte" skin, in particular, makes those check marks dark blue.
I have created different versions for different Sense-based roms here on XDA.
CleanROM 4.5
CleanROM 4.2 LE/SE
I have not tested the versions for Sick Sense or Xi40 r119, however, there's not much that could go wrong with them. I extracted the framework-res.apk from those roms, stuffed in the new PNGs, added them to my flashable mod structure, zipped them up, and signed them. Please let me know if you try them out. Make a nandroid backup first, though!
If you are currently running a theme that already modifies framework-res.apk for your rom then this mod will eliminate those changes. This is meant to be applied over the default theme of the specific versions above. If your rom gets updated then this may or may not work with the new version. These best way to check this is to compare the MD5 hash of the unaltered framework-res.apk from one of the above rom versions to the unaltered framework-res.apk from whatever new version has come out. If the checksums are the same then the rom maker hasn't updated framework-res.apk and you can freely overwrite it again with the Black Check Marks Mod.
Screenshots
Here's a set of 25% resolution before and after screenshots. This sort of simulates difficult viewing conditions, and shows how hard it can be to see the green check marks, and how much easier it is to see the black ones.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Here's a large screenshot from Windows showing the icons in detail:
I also edited the smaller "zzzhtc holo" version of the icons which are used by some apps. They aren't shown here, but are used by "reddit is fun" in the screenshot above.
Notes About Flashing
This is a flashable mod. I've only flashed it with TWRP 2.2.0, but it doesn't use Aroma or anything particularly unusual, so I don't see why you couldn't flash it with CWM. Obviously, you are flashing this at your own risk. Do a nandroid backup first!
Undo
If you want the ability to easily undo this mod, then just backup your current /system/framework/framework-res.apk. If you forget, you can always extract it again from the rom itself without having to reflash the whole rom. Or, just restore the nandroid backup you obviously made before applying this!
Source Graphics
I have included a zip file containing the source graphics. This will let you modify the icons further to make your own, or to add these icons to a different version of framework-res.apk. This includes the PSD files I created to make the icons. The PSD files use adjustment layers with masks. It would be quite easy to make versions that were some dark color instead of black by only changing the adjustment layers.. All the icons for a given size are in one file in layers. (Two PSD files total.)
DIY!
There are simply too many roms and rom versions for me to keep up with them all, so from now on, I'm not going to provide any new versions. I might provide versions for the ROMs I use, but starting with 2.23.707.2 the size of framework-res.apk is 18MB. Even when zipped it's still 12MB and too big to attach here on XDA. So, you can make your own mods from now on. It's super easy! There are a lot of steps here because I want to explain it in enough detail so everyone can do it. This whole process takes under two minutes once you know what you're doing.
Things you will need
A Windows PC.
7-Zip
Java (to sign the zip file at the end.)
The attached template file, "BlackCheckMarksMod_Custom.zip", which contains the source PNGs, the updater-script, and testsign.jar.
Step by step instructions
1. Extract framework-res.apk
You need a copy of framework-res.apk from your rom. Most of the time you can simply open the rom zip file in 7-Zip, navigate to /system/framework and drag the file from there to your desktop. Some rom makers use an Aroma installer with multiple versions of framework-res.apk and none of them are in /system/framework until after you install the rom. You can either find the right file somewhere inside the rom first, or wait until you install the rom then extract it from your phone. The second idea is the most foolproof. You just need a file explorer on your phone capable of navigating to your /system/framework folder, and you copy framework-res.apk from there to /sdcard. Then mount the SD card on your PC and copy the file to your desktop.
2. Copy framework-res.apk into the template
Download and unzip the template zip file, "BlackCheckMarksMod_Custom.zip". (When unzipping there is no need to unzip it into a containing folder because the root of the zip file only contains one folder.) This contains everything you need to make a flashable zip. Inside you will find the following structure:
(Directories in bold)
BlackCheckMarks_Custom
____BlackCheckMarksMod
________META-INF (contents not shown)
________system
____________framework
________sign.bat
________testsign.jar
____PNG files
________A bunch of check mark icons
Copy your framework-res.apk into BlackCheckMarks_Custom\BlackCheckMarksMod\system\framework. At this point, this is still the unaltered version from your rom.
3. Replace the stock check marks
There are two ways to open the APK with 7-Zip.
The easiest way to do it -- but hardest to demonstrate because of differences in versions of Windows and their various dialog boxes -- is to simply associate the .apk extension with 7-Zip. This involves using the Open With... command from the right-click menu on the APK file, or just double clicking it then selecting 7-Zip as the app to use for APK files.
The second way to do it is to launch the 7-Zip File Manager and then navigate to the APK. This is the process I will show here.
In your Start menu, locate and open 7-Zip File Manager.
When it opens, navigate to the folder where you placed the APK: BlackCheckMarks_Custom\BlackCheckMarksMod\system\framework
Alternatively, you can just paste in the path that you copy from the Explorer window.
It should now look something like this:
Now, double click on framework-res.apk. You will see a file listing from inside the APK.
Double click on the "res" folder and you should see more folders.
Double click on the "drawable-xhdpi" folder and stop there.
You should now see a bunch of icons. Now we need to copy our custom icons over the ones inside this folder.
In Windows Explorer, go back up to the root of the "BlackCheckMarks_Custom" folder and you should see a "PNG files" folder.
Open the "PNG files" folder.
Make sure you can see both the 7-Zip window and this Windows Explorer window.
In Windows, Press Ctrl-A to select all the files in the "PNG files" folder, or just select them all manually.
Drag and drop the PNG files into the 7-Zip window.
7-Zip will confirm that you want to add these files to the zip. (It doesn't always come to the front, so you may have to click on 7-Zip to see the prompt.)
Click "Yes" to confirm adding the files.
After a split second it should be complete and you can now close the 7-Zip window.
4. Make the mod zip file
You are ready to make the flashable zip file.
In Windows, navigate to the BlackCheckMarks_Custom\BlackCheckMarksMod folder.
Select just the META-INF folder and the system folder. (If you don't know, to select both you click on one then hold down Ctrl and click the other.)
When they are both selected, right click one of them and choose 7-Zip > Add to "BlackCheckMarksMod.zip" (See screenshot)
After a few seconds you should have a BlackCheckMarksMod.zip in the BlackCheckMarksMod folder. (See screenshot)
5. Make sure the batch file can find Java
You may or may not have the Java binary path in your PATH environment variable. If you don't know what this means, it doesn't matter. I will tell you how to find out, and what to do in either case.
How to find out if Java is in your PATH:
Press WindowsKey-R, or chose Start>Run... from the Start Menu.
Type in cmd and press enter. This will open a command line.
In the command window, type in java and press Enter.
You will see one of two things. See the screenshots below.
This output means Java IS in your PATH variable:
This output means Java is NOT in your PATH variable:
If Java is NOT in your path variable then you need to edit the batch file in step 6. Otherwise, proceed to Step 7.
6. Edit the batch file only if Java was not in your PATH in step 5
We need to edit the batch file so that it points directly at your copy of java.exe which is probably in your Program Files folder. (Or perhaps your Program Files (x86) folder if you are on a 64-bit machine.
The likely places to find java.exe are:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.6.0_22\bin\java.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_22\bin\java.exe
Perhaps you will have a slightly different version number, or maybe you installed Java in some other location. To modify the batch file:
Go to the BlackCheckMarks_Custom\BlackCheckMarksMod folder
Right click on Sign.bat and choose Edit. This should open the file in Notepad.
In Notepad, replace the first word, java, with the full path to your java.exe. It should look like one of the two paths above.
You must surround the whole path to java in double quotes! See the example of the whole batch file below:
Code:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.6.0_22\bin\java.exe" -classpath testsign.jar testsign BlackCheckMarksMod.zip BlackCheckMarksMod-signed.zip
pause
Once you've edited the file, save it and close Notepad.
6. Sign the zip file
Now that you've made sure the batch file is OK, you just double-click it. This will run testsign.jar on the zip file you made. The command window that opens will pause to let you see any errors that occur. You will have to close it manually when it finishes.
If it worked, you won't see much:
If all went well you should now see BlackCheckMarksMod-signed.zip in your folder.
You are done! Stick this file on your phone, do a nandroid backup, then flash this zip and see if it works!
MD5s
CleanROM 4.2: 445d07b8112bce8a090d43940951ae9b
CleanROM 4.5: 993c96203d895d97c02e66a69ec39080
Thank you!
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
EDIT: Doesn't work on xi40, based off of Sense. Won't get past the boot screen. Oh well.
theking_13 said:
EDIT: Doesn't work on xi40, based off of Sense. Won't get past the boot screen. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd. I'll check it out tonight.
EDIT: The Xi40 framework-res.apk is quite a bit different from the one in CleanROM. I wonder if the CleanROM one is even the same as the stock one. I'll have to look inside a stock rom. For now, I'm going to label this mod as designed for CleanROM.
It's really easy to change the check marks yourself if you'd like. Making it a flashable zip is a bit more work, but that's not necessarily needed. You can just use the file manager in your recovery to push the modified file into the system folder.
Copy framework-res.apk from your rom's /system/framework to somewhere on your computer.
Download the zip file of icons from up above.
Open the APK in 7zip. Do not unzip it into a folder. Just open it in 7zip.
Navigate in 7zip to the folder within the APK: \res\drawable-xhdpi
Drag and drop the PNG checkmark icons from my icon pack into the drawable-xhdpi folder in 7zip. It will ask you to confirm adding them to the APK.
Close 7zip.
Now you just put this file on your /sdcard storage and reboot into your bootloader. Use the file manager to copy it into /system/framework. Perhaps you should backup the old file by renaming it to framework-res.apk.bak or something. It's easier to undo this change with that file than it is to restore a nandroid backup. Then you need to fix the permissions on the file. In TWRP's file manager there is a button to set permissions to 755 ("chmod 755") This will grant unneeded execute permissions, but that can be changed later in any root file explorer, like Root Explorer. It can probably even be left as-is with no harm. Ideally it should be 644, though. (rw-r--r--)
Alternatively, unzip my mod and replace the framework-res.apk that's inside of it with the one you just edited, and zip it back up. Then use the Android Signer to sign the new zip file. Note: the signer won't work unless you have the path to the java bin folder in your PATH environment variable. You also need .Net 2.0 installed.
Either method can be a little tricky. Personally, I find making the flashable zip to be easier. Especially since I already wrote the updater-script for it.
Good work on this! I've been thinking a lot about the check marks located in some of the system settings areas, and I'm thinking the respective pngs to change them are located within the framework-htc-res.apk in system/framework but I could be wrong.
Digging into a few of the xml files in original framework-res.apk yielded some hex color codes for certain ui elements as well. Could be that changing the right one of those may have the desired effect for the rest of the check marks. Just a few random leads to investigate.
I haven't had much time otherwise I'd look more into it. But thanks for taking the time to make this a flashable. :good:
theking_13 said:
EDIT: Doesn't work on xi40, based off of Sense. Won't get past the boot screen. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I created a version for Xi40. If you would like to try it, let me know if it works.
QQNoob said:
I created a version for Xi40. If you would like to try it, let me know if it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, will be more than happy to test.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
theking_13 said:
No problem, will be more than happy to test.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Thanks, guys. Let me know if it works.
I just upgraded to CleanROM 4.2 and had to make a new version of this mod for that.
You think the r119 mod will work on r122?
Eh, to hell with it. Backing up now and coming back with results.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
theking_13 said:
You think the r119 mod will work on r122?
Eh, to hell with it. Backing up now and coming back with results.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could always just unzip each mod and compare the MD5s of the two framework-res.apk. If they are the same, then you're good to go. If they're different, then it still might work, but the rom designer probably changed those resources for a reason. You'd lose whatever changes they made.
EDIT: Considering that Xi40 r122 doesn't even have a framework-res.apk, I'd assume that it won't work.
How do I check the MD5 sums?
EDIT: I'll try it in the morning, so tired and took forever to back up lol
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
theking_13 said:
How do I check the MD5 sums?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no point now. r122 doesn't even have a framework-res.apk, as I mentioned in my last post. If it did, you would simply open each ROM in 7zip or some other zip tool, and drag framework-res.apk out of the rom to somewhere handy. Then use a tool like http://www.winmd5.com/ to generate the MD5 hash for each copy of the file. If the values are the same, then it's the exact same file. If they are different, then something was changed in that APK for the new rom version. But there is no framework-res.apk in r122, so it's moot.
Damn, wish there was. I would love to try your mod, the green check marks are so deceiving sometimes.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
I hope Jelly Bean fixes these check marks for us. I'd love to try this but I'm stock but rooted.
Sent from my HTC PG09410 using xda premium
theking_13 said:
Damn, wish there was. I would love to try your mod, the green check marks are so deceiving sometimes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It turns out that there are no less than four versions of framework-res.apk in this rom. One for the three carriers of this phone, and one generic one. None of them match the MD5 of the r119 one. I assume this rom gives you a choice during install of what carrier branding you want. Which one are you using? I can make a flashable version of Back Check Marks for them all, anyway.
EDIT: Done and uploaded.
FYI: Tried ATT and Generic for r122. Neither worked for me.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
phatboypat said:
FYI: Tried ATT and Generic for r122. Neither worked for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a pity. Guess I'll might have to flash it myself and take a look. Can you look in your /system/framework/ directory and tell me if framework-res.apk is in there?
QQNoob said:
That's a pity. Guess I'll might have to flash it myself and take a look. Can you look in your /system/framework/ directory and tell me if framework-res.apk is in there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
phatboypat said:
Yes, it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say it didn't work. Would it not boot, or were the check marks simply still green?
QQNoob said:
When you say it didn't work. Would it not boot, or were the check marks simply still green?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check marks were still green.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Hi,
everytime I want to flash a new version of a rom I have to modify the zip file contents, i.e. delete some files etc, which is a very tedious process.
Thats why I created a little tool for Windows (requires .NET 3.5) that can do the following with a zip file of a rom:
- Delete files
- Add / Replace files
- extract .apk's, decompile them, modify (regex replace) inside text / xml files within, recompile them and put the updated version back into the rom zip.
The tool is still beta, so there could be many errors if you don't use it correctly... always make a copy of the rom zip before using this tool on it
The included apktool (for decompile/recompile of apk) requires JRE 1.6 and only works for Android Jellybean roms / framework-res.apk's - but I think you could just use another apktool version for different Android versions.
Included in the package is a sample configuration that is basically exactly what I am using. Of course you can change what files to add, delete and modify. Also there is a screenshot attached so you can see what it looks like - as you can see you need to have some basic knowledge of how android rom stuff works, I don't think this is useful to total noobs, sorry.
If you have any problems / suggestions feel free to write here.
I hope this is useful to someone
Regards
Abomb
Changelog:
1.0: Inital release
1.1: Some error checking, not all errors will be caught but at least some basic ones.
1.2: Files to delete and apk's to modify can now be selected from the zip file via file browser
1.3: Log during modify operation and bugfixes
1.4: More bugfixes, plus the settings are now stored in the image of a cat
Thanks I'll try it.
Nice tool mister.
There is any way to add zip paths auto (for example /system/etc/ etc) against to write all the line manual?
I'm using win7 and winrar.
Thanks.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
eliashadow said:
Nice tool mister.
There is any way to add zip paths auto (for example /system/etc/ etc) against to write all the line manual?
I'm using win7 and winrar.
Thanks.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure what part of the tool you mean, add files, delete files or apk modify? And do you want to add a whole directory to add/remove?
Abomb said:
I'm not sure what part of the tool you mean, add files, delete files or apk modify? And do you want to add a whole directory to add/remove?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To remove files i have to write manual the line.I don't know of there is a way to add it without write the path with keyboard.
I hope to understand what i mean...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Ah now I see what you mean.
I'll try to implement a way to "open" the rom zip file inside the tool to select files from it without having to type in the paths manually.
Edit: 1.2 now has that feature implemented, please try it and tell me if that works for you.
Version 1.3 shows a log during the modify operation and has various bugfixes.
Abomb said:
Ah now I see what you mean.
I'll try to implement a way to "open" the rom zip file inside the tool to select files from it without having to type in the paths manually.
Edit: 1.2 now has that feature implemented, please try it and tell me if that works for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything seems just fine now...
Thank you mister.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
thx im gone try it:fingers-crossed: