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I'm working on making my own custom icons, and I had a question...

I am currently using Better Cut on my home screen to change the shortcuts to some custom icons I made. I want to replace the icons in the app drawer (or perhaps in general) as well (I am using Launcher Pro but I might not be opposed to ADW), however I can't figure out how to do that. I sorta figure the icons would be in the APK files, however when an application gets updated, I would have to replace the icon would I not?
If that's the case, I don't think it would be worth it, but if there's an easier or more doable way I'd love to hear it.
Thanks!

It's my understanding that you'll have to change the app's actual icon.
Find the apk you want to change.Convert the apk file into a zip file.
Replace the icon's png, in res folder, with your icon. Convert back into an apk. Sign apk. Reinstall.
Its not as simple as it should be, or maybe I haven't found an easier method. I'm having trouble signing the apk.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

sp3a12uk said:
It's my understanding that you'll have to change the app's actual icon.
Find the apk you want to change.Convert the apk file into a zip file.
Replace the icon's png, in res folder, with your icon. Convert back into an apk. Sign apk. Reinstall.
Its not as simple as it should be, or maybe I haven't found an easier method. I'm having trouble signing the apk.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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Thanks, I thought it'd be about like that. When an app is updated, I will have to re-do the whole procedure won't I?

Yes because it replaces everything. Let me know how it goes.
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If you install eclipse and download the adw theme template you can put all your icons In there and it will change them. Or you can download an adw theme and pull it from the phone and change all the icons In there. I think the theme apk is in data/app. And then resign the apk.
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Apps Organizer skins?

Hi. I was wondering, is there any way to mod the window that pops up when you click on the widget? I want to get some sharp corners and a black/gray bg.
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clondike7 said:
Hi. I was wondering, is there any way to mod the window that pops up when you click on the widget? I want to get some sharp corners and a black/gray bg.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
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hey any luck with this i want to do the same

Selfless bump.
Is it just a png that can be changed or is it a more complicated endeavor?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

need help
right ive opened up the apk theres no relevent png's so i guess the colours etc are in xml's how do i set it to transparent and move it to bottom of screen?

I know it's not what you want to hear, but...
You could purchase Folder Organizer (paid app by the same dev). It has same functionality but with more options, like changing the backgrounds of the folders, changing app icons, and you can add shortcuts, contacts, bookmarks, etc to folders.
Just a suggestion. It's the best app I've ever bought, and the couple of bucks has to be worth the time of changing the xml files.
Sorry I couldn't offer a better answer, but if you want to just change Apps Organizer I'm sure you need to figure out where the values are in the xml & change it accordingly.
Sent from my badass HTC Supersonic (Evo 4g) using XDA Premium App

Folder Organizer uses the panel_background.9.png file from the system framework res drawables folder. That's why it's not in the apk. In order to change the look, you have replace this file with the modded panel_background.9.png file you want to use in your framework.apk. However, because you're modding the panel_background.9 file, it will be like this for ANY apk that also accesses this 9.png file. But that's what you need to do if you really want to mod the backgound to have sharp corners.

I can't find it under root explorer
Sent from my GT540 using XDA App

Ninjamorph app icons not working

So I've been trying to use ninjamorph to change the icons for regular apps I download (for example, the game alchemy). I load up a new project, and swap the icon.png with one that is identical in size. When I finish up the project and reboot, the app is no longer there - I can't seem the get it to work at all! All I did was change an icon. Is there something I am doing wrong or missing?

NinjaMorph can be finicky ... If the "replacement" .png's are not on the Root of the SD they "sometimes" won't load properly.
Also, when asked if you want to ZipAlign... say no.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

I had problems with Ninjamorph, took me a lil to figure out, but I had my new icons in a folder called "Red Icons" and the icons wouldn't change. I removed the space and haven't had any other issues.
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA Premium App

Its always best to move the pngs to the Android Themes folder created by ninjamorph. And don't put them in another folder. The icon will disappear after editing it but should return after a reboot. Try putting the pngs you want to use in the Android Themes folder though and I know it will work.

DroidTh3ory said:
NinjaMorph can be finicky ... If the "replacement" .png's are not on the Root of the SD they "sometimes" won't load properly.
Also, when asked if you want to ZipAlign... say no.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
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PERFECT!!! It worked.... I just had to move the icons into the root of the SD... THANKS!!

[Q] Question about fonts

I have been using Softmaker Presentations and would like to install windows Opentype or Truetype fonts.
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Thanks,

There are several apps that change fonts. I believe you have to be rooted to use them.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda app-developers app

duckredbeard is right -- you do need root to be able to install them. I used several font changers on a number of devices, but this one seemed to be the best for my use:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrummy.font.installer

That's the one I've been using on several devices. Just pick a font, review it, apply and reboot. You can even import and add fonts that aren't built into the app.
You can't know your limits until you exceed them.

I'd like to comment that you do need to be careful if you are replacing fonts. Replacing the wrong font can cause issues like boot loops.

Also, some user installed fonts may not have complete character sets. You would then end up with boxes instead of characters. I had been using a font called Molengo, but it was incomplete. Boxes everywhere.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda app-developers app

Mikerla said:
I have been using Softmaker Presentations and would like to install windows Opentype or Truetype fonts.
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to use other/more fonts in Presentations, you have to copy them to the SD card under SoftMaker/fonts.

Editing Apps

The goal is to be able to change small things in some apps.
For example, there is an app called SnapChat which allows you to send a picture for 3 seconds and then closes the picture. In this scenario, I would like to be able to edit the .apk file to allow to stay for 4 seconds. Would this kind of this be possible?
How so?

Um....you can do this within the app.....stock....
Sent from my Eclipsed S3 running that KTOONZ Sauwce

post this in android hacking. it is not a verizon gs3 topic. you'll find more support there.

Matthenson20 said:
Um....you can do this within the app.....stock....
Sent from my Eclipsed S3 running that KTOONZ Sauwce
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I know, it was a poor example. But I'm just wondering if it would be possible to do small changes like this to apps?

Dgameman1 said:
I know, it was a poor example. But I'm just wondering if it would be possible to do small changes like this to apps?
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most apps are customizable. there are threads over in android general/hacking specifically about this topic.

OK I have looked a lot. I want to change a lot of things not just an app. I want to change my app icon color I want to change the color of my clock widget my wheat her widget the resize outline of the box also the color of the lock on the lock screen. Anybody pm me plz I am clueless at this stuff.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

You can change alot of things in apps just by playing around with them. Using Apktool or another decompiling tool, you can change alot in the res/values folders Theres alot of stuff you can play around with in the various xml files

tihsllub said:
OK I have looked a lot. I want to change a lot of things not just an app. I want to change my app icon color I want to change the color of my clock widget my wheat her widget the resize outline of the box also the color of the lock on the lock screen. Anybody pm me plz I am clueless at this stuff.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
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use the search box at the top of the page. type in theme/mod apk's. pages of stuff will come up. here's 1 place to start- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2069287

So you are saying I can't decompile or recompile apks on my phone? I have to use adb to push/pull and then use a program to decrypt the XML then I can change the values to what I want?
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tihsllub said:
So you are saying I can't decompile or recompile apks on my phone? I have to use adb to push/pull and then use a program to decrypt the XML then I can change the values to what I want?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
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You're gonna have to adb push/pull unless you build your own ROM.
You can get apktool from here: https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/

[email protected] OK. :/ hard drive crashed.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

You can swap out images but you definitely can't change app settings like animations and such without the right tools and procedures.
[email protected]'$ [email protected]@XY

OK. I don't want yo change animations just yet. I want to edit app icon colors widget colors. I pretty much want to theme everything.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

use 7zip on your computer to swap out png's. change app's name from whatever.apk to whatever.zip then move it to your computer using 7zip open the archive. don't extract or unzip. navigate to res folder and open it. find the png files you want to change and insert your png files you want. make sure they are the correct size, in the correct format (png) and are named correctly. exactly as they are in the zip file. then close the zip transfer it back to your phone and rename back to whatever.apk i do suggest doing some more research before doing this. there are a lot of threads dedicated just for this. use the search engine at the top of the page. XDA provides it for this exact reason.