Database Info

Timescape themes (Update for 2.1)

For 2.1 themes see post #17 on page 2: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9049613&postcount=17
I decided to open a thread to share the knowledge I have collected on timescape themes. This also partially applies to mediascape and up until now has been split between these two threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=737778&page=46
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=765686 Please read this!
I thought it would be better to combine this into one thread that will be easier to find. If anyone disagrees then please post with reasons and alternatives. I will update this first post as we figure out more tweeks etc. (hopefully it will need a big rework soon because SE finally gets us 2.1 )
Before I start, thanks to Chewitt for finding the acet files, and for inspiring me to start messing with the look of my x10 with his Dark10 themes.
Timescape (and mediascape) do not store all of their images in the .apk resources. Oh no, that would just be too logical, and we are talking about Sony Ericsson here
The timescape theme .apk resources do contain some of the images used (e.g. the trash can and app drawer handles), and the actual Timescape .apk has the resources for the tile images etc. I'm not going to go into this as there is enough content about modifying these sorts of resources here. What I will go into is where the timescape background, wave animation, pagination slider colours and the tile alpha blending and default colours.
1. The background: This is stored in an .acet file (see the first of the above posts). This is an file that basically just contains a samll header and then rgb information (or sometimes argb, this is specified in the header which I haven't got 100% sussed yet). The background images are in the assets/ts folder in the theme .apk and are called ts_bg_app.acet and ts_bg_home.acet for the application and timescape home respectively. These can be modified with acetConverter.exe. You can load an image and export an acet file or you can go the other way. TS uses acet backgrounds without an alpha channel so leave the alpha checkbox unticked when creating them (it might work with alpha... never tried...).
2. The Tiles: I'm pretty sure the alpha blend images for the tiles are found in the system/usr/semc/seee/files folder (alpha_tile.acet and alpha_tile_fade*.acet) but I haven't modified these yet. As an aside the background for the first page of mediascape is here too. More important is the default background for a tile. This file, ts_tile_empty.acet, is a single pixel file found in the assets/ts folder for each theme. This specifies the solid colour to be used as a background for the alpha overlay on empty tiles.
3. Animation files: Wave and Pagination. This is all stored in three .afx java animation files in the themes assets/ts folder (ts_bg_wave.afx, pagination_glow.afx and pagination_area.afx). pagination_area is the square around the selected item in the scroll menu at the bottom (or the top if TS is the home page) and pagination_glow defines the lines at the top and bottom of this area. I haven't got these files fully sussed either, at the moment I'm restricted to doing some awful byte replacement to change the color (I can also change the wave pitch, but it doesn't look any good). I have attached an exe to generate these files (SetTimescapeAnimationColor.exe). Click on the white square to choose a base color and use the buttons to generate whichever of the files you want. If anyone knows how to edit these files properly please let me know, I come from a c# and c++ background and don't really know what I'm doing with java...
Thats pretty much it. Just sort out 6 files, update the png resources (the thumbnails for the theme selection are in the Timescape.apk resources folder) and you're done.
Note: I have had problems when I modified the wrong bytes in the afx files. Basically, after selecting the theme timescape just crashed. If you replace the theme file it still won't start, you need to clear the application data to get it running again. Along the same lines, after modifying a theme you need to reselect it from the themes menu as the files are cached.
Please let me know if I missed anything.
Update: I have attached the source code for the animation color tool. Please keep in mind that this was just a bit of code quickly thrown together so we can modify the animation color, I don't usually write code that looks like that
The project is a C# project from visual studio 2010 but the meat of it is in MainForm.cs so just open that if you use a different language/dev environment.
Here is the code from one of the buttons. Resources.pagination_glow is a byte array from an embedded resource (pagination_glow.afx).
Code:
string r = string.Format("{0:000}", (int)(((double)colorPanel.BackColor.R / 255.0) * 100));
string g = string.Format("{0:000}", (int)(((double)colorPanel.BackColor.G / 255.0) * 100));
string b = string.Format("{0:000}", (int)(((double)colorPanel.BackColor.B / 255.0) * 100));
byte[] bytes = new byte[Resources.pagination_glow.Length];
Array.Copy(Resources.pagination_glow, bytes, Resources.pagination_glow.Length);
bytes[949] = (byte)r[0];
bytes[950] = (byte)'.';
bytes[951] = (byte)r[1];
bytes[952] = (byte)r[2];
bytes[953] = (byte)',';
bytes[954] = (byte)g[0];
bytes[955] = (byte)'.';
bytes[956] = (byte)g[1];
bytes[957] = (byte)g[2];
bytes[958] = (byte)',';
bytes[959] = (byte)b[0];
bytes[960] = (byte)'.';
bytes[961] = (byte)b[1];
bytes[962] = (byte)b[2];
bytes[963] = (byte)',';
using (FileStream stream = new FileStream(saveDialog.FileName, FileMode.Create))
{
stream.Write(bytes, 0, bytes.Length);
}
What is important to note is that the embedded afx resources came from the orange theme, the other themes will require different offsets for the byte modification. I'm not sure why the different themes have different code here, I haven't looked closely at the wave animation code for each theme so there may only be a difference there, or there could just be one more space here and there in the preceeding lines or four spaces instead of a single byte tab ('\t')...
Anyway, the next step is to try and modify the number of bytes in the code and see if it still works, on my first few tests timescape just crashed so I thought that the number of bytes of clear-text code may be stored in the header. I'm not so sure now as I think I may have just been having problems while mixing the use of the .Net stream classes for reading an writing. I'll check this out though.
If we can modify the code however we want then I just need to learn a bit more java
The code for the wave animation is in the comments at the bottom of MainForm.cs. Here is the line with the characters being modified in bold:
fcolor.rgb = vec3(1.0, 0.91, 0.72) * ambientRatio + vec3(1.0, 0.516, 0.0) * specularRatio;

LOL this is just lazy lol, Thanks for the guide i will get the other 3 i need for Dark10 sorted on sunday.

this all sounds awesome =)
May I suggest posting the source code to your .exe files? that way others can pitch in and help improve the tools, too. slap on the GPL for a decent licence and it should be no problem

ttxdragon said:
this all sounds awesome =)
May I suggest posting the source code to your .exe files? that way others can pitch in and help improve the tools, too. slap on the GPL for a decent licence and it should be no problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea I have just updated the first post. I have only added the animation tool source as the .acet converter is just a direct color translation except for the header which is post in the acet thread linked in the first post.
I can post this code as well if anyone is really interested, but it will have to wait until I am back at work on the 14th, or until the VPN starts working again
VPN's up - posted the rest of the source.

calum.. just got a new charger today lol so back on track.. although some reason i cant seem to get my colour to change at al? ive rebooted, tried task managers n al but no luck..
Edit: ignore that.. managed to get it working! like an idiot i forgot to add the code at the top for mount/remount lol.. feel like a blonde

Has anyone got an original version of ms_bg_background_home_icn.acet?
Being the genius that I am, I tried to edit it without backing it up first.
I tried to convert a png image to an acet file using that acet converter but ended up with a background with a similar issue to what's in this post. Will read through all the posts tomorrow and try again.

Hey buddy any more progress with this project?

Sorry, on the road at the moment. I'll be back onto this next week.
@Mobzter: glad you got it sorted.
@Sixpence: you may have exported the image with the alpha channel. Make sure the alpha option is off for the timescape and mediascape backgrounds. I'll add complete backups to the first post next week

heres a backup of that file

_calum_ said:
@Sixpence: you may have exported the image with the alpha channel. Make sure the alpha option is off for the timescape and mediascape backgrounds. I'll add complete backups to the first post next week
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, yeh, I think that's what I did. I'll try again and see how I go. Cheers!
Thanks for backup Mobz!
EDIT: Sweet, that worked!

I just thought I'd post a link to my dark Timescape theme here.
Timescape (Dark)
If anyone else has got any modified timescape themes please post them (including the modified framework and thumbnail images). It would be nice if we didn't just all modify the Indigo them (as I did above) as if we use neutral images for the default contacts etc. then we can easily change between the different themes.

Any interest
Just a bump to see if anyone is interested in doing anything with the Timescape animation except changing the color.
If they are then I might get back into modifying the .afx files, otherwise I'll probably just move on....
I don't actually use it that much and now I've got rid of the blue I'm sorta happy, but it might be kinda cool if we can add our own animations to replace the wave...

How about the mediascape animation? I wanna make it melt into the next screen. Do u think that's doable?

How can i chnge theme for x10i
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

gavriel18 said:
How about the mediascape animation? I wanna make it melt into the next screen. Do u think that's doable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean instead of the spline/fade animation when you hit the 'more' button? I think a melting animation would be pretty ambitious and probably only doable if the fade is actually part of the animation. I'll see if I can get an editor slapped together so we can just modify the afx code directly. I'll have a look at the mediascape animation files once I've got that done...
xian08 said:
How can i chnge theme for x10i
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I need a bit more information here. Where exactly are you stuck? Do you just want to install a different theme that you have from one of the x10 themes in another forum, or do you want to create you own?

That's exactly what I was thinking, a melt to a fade into the next screen.
I'm trying to understand how it works but i don't have enough spare time right now.

OK, 2.1 is here and the file formats for timescape themes have changed...
First off, the apk names have changed. They are now named like this:
TimescapeLargeUITheme[ThemeName].apk (e.g. TimescapeLargeUIThemeSakura)
The .acet files are now .uxraw files. The file header and content has also changed: the header is now 8 bytes, that can be split into 4 16bit integers. The first two I'm not sure about, (second one always seems to be 8...) but the 3rd and 4th are width and height respectively. After the header we still have the color info, but it seems that alpha is always included. The bytes are in the order R G B A (the alpha is now the 4th byte instead of the first).
I have attached the new converter and source.
Edit: I originally wrote an incorrect value for the first byte in the header (20 instead of 0x20... oops ) this resulted in a black background...
The afx files have also changed to uxsh. There seems to be a bit more in these files but the animation code is still in plain text. I'm working on an editor, and will update this post when it's done.

2.1 or 1.6 ?
Is this for 2.1 or 1.6 ?
Looks a silly question... But, am little cautious and more excited to see this on my 2.1update1.
Thx for such a great work.

_calum_ said:
OK, 2.1 is here and the file formats for timescape themes have changed...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mitalbr said:
Is this for 2.1 or 1.6 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.1 (I had also changed the thread title to make this clearer )

_calum_ said:
2.1 (I had also changed the thread title to make this clearer )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just adb'ed the file system and I found I have following files...
TimescapeLargeUI.apk
TimescapeLargeUIThemeBlue.apk
TimescapeLargeUIThemeGreen.apk
TimescapeLargeUIThemeIndigo.apk
TimescapeLargeUIThemeOrange.apk
TimescapeLargeUIThemeSakura.apk
TimescapePluginManager.apk
I couldn't locate...
Timescape.apk
TimescapeThemeIndigo.apk

[APP] Fresco: A drawing app featuring layers and filters. Out on Mon 20 Jun!

Fresco is now on the Android Market. Please visit this thread for download details: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1132869
Fresco is a painting and sketching app for Android.
Features: Full layers support, multiple undo/redo, configurable brush and eraser tools, line smoothing, flood fill, color picker, multi-touch zooming and panning, simple interface, filters (e.g. contrast, saturation, brightness, blur, emboss, blur, noise, sharpen), mirror/move/rotate/scale layers, export to .PSD format with layers intact, supports phone and tablet screen sizes, import images, autosave, HSL color selector.
The full version of Fresco will be available on the Android Market on Monday 20th June. You can download the beta version below.
The beta version is limited to 2 layers (4 are intended for the full version) and a handful of brushes and filters. Permissions required: Internet connection is used for sending bug reports after user confirmation. SD card access is needed for saving images. Only 0.5Mb is needed for installation.
Screenshots:
{
"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"
}
"Gulpha Gorge landscape" painting by Rick Chandler (studiochandler.com).
"Mr. Sketchy self portrait" painting by Rick Chandler (studiochandler.com).
Please note that the beta will expire on June 21. An updated version will be available by then either here or on the market.
Installation instructions
Open your device settings screen by either 1) opening your "Settings" app from your app list or 2) by pressing "Menu" then "Settings" on your home screen.
Select the "Applications" option.
Make sure "Unknown sources" is ticked to let you install non-market apps.
Open the following direct link in your device's browser to download the .APK file that contains the app:
http://goo.gl/O7Xfb
Tap on the file that appears in your notification bar when the download is complete.
To see what other people have created in Fresco and to share your own work, visit the Flickr group (you can post pictures without signing up by logging in with your Facebook or Google account): www.flickr.com/groups/fresco/.
For updates on when the full version is available you can:
- Subscribe to my Twitter feed https://twitter.com/#!/seanw_org.
- Join the Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fresco-A-Mobile-Art-Studio-for-Android/169892059738943 (please "like" the page to support the app!)
- Email me at [email protected] with the subject "Fresco Subscribe" and I'll email you when it is released (I won't share your email address and I will delete your address if you ask).
Edit: Thanks everyone for the feedback so far!
Edit: New beta release! Changes:
- The brush and eraser no longer share settings.
- Added a "confirm" button to the configure tool dialog so you're not forced to use the back button.
- Fixed stability issues when previewing filters.
- Lower memory usage.
Edit: New beta release! Changes:
- New multi-touch gesture: tap twice with two fingers to recenter the canvas.
- The startup crash on HTC HD2, HTC Evo 4G and HTC Supersonic should be fixed now. Let me know if this is the case if you have one of these phones.
- Fixed issue where the zoom level would change when the user removed their fingers from the screen at the end of a pinch/pan gesture.
- Improved the presentation of the gallery, brush configuration dialog and editor toolbar.
- The help dialog now mentions how to delete files.
Edit: New beta release. Changes:
- Fixed problem that caused image importing to fail.
- Fixed crash when importing images.
- Fixed crash that sometimes happened when returning to the gallery.
- Fixed startup crash on some devices.
- Image saving should now be faster on lower end devices.
Edit: New beta release. Changes:
- Fixed issue that caused flickering when viewing filter previews on some devices.
- The performance of undoing/redoing brush strokes has been improved.
- Improved feedback when errors were caused by the SD card being unavailable.
- The line smoothing algorithm has been tweaked to reduce lag when drawing.
- The maximum brush size has been increased.
- Fixed various bugs that were causing crashes.
Edit: New beta release. Changes:
- Fixed strange problem where semi-transparent layers had rendering problems on some devices.
- Improved scrolling responsiveness when the gallery screen contains many items.
Edit: New beta release. Changes:
- New icon!
- Fixed problem where sometimes the imported images would be the wrong size.
- Improved the memory usage of some editing operations.
- Fixed crash that would sometimes happen when returning to the app.
Edit: New beta release. Changes:
- Speed and memory optimisations made to filters.
- Memory optimisations made to .PSD export.
- Fixed some interface issues regarding the autosave dialog.
- The back key can now be used to cancel filters.
Edit: New beta release. Changes:
- Tweaks to line smoothing algorithm.
- Fixed issue where the brush parameters would sometimes change just by entering and leaving the brush configuration screen.
- Fixed lag problems with filter preview.
- Better screenshots!

Look great!
This looks awesome! Will be trying it shortly.

chetbox said:
This looks awesome! Will be trying it shortly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This works really well and I love the interface. My only gripe so far is that it's not obvious when the background is transparent. It would be great if it was checkerboard instead of white (like in the layer view).
Also, I'd like to see support for images of different sizes and zooming too if possible! I know this is likely to add to the complexity of the app, but really think these are features you need.

It is the best painting app for android so far imo. But I think it needs a landscape image size, a better paint fill, and an option to have the cursor slightly above your finger so that your finger isn't covering it. But the number one thing it needs is the fill. Filling an object makes little white outline of the color.
Btw I'm using HTC g2 and it doesn't lag or anything, runs very well.

chetbox said:
This works really well and I love the interface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, thanks for trying it! What device did you use it on?
My only gripe so far is that it's not obvious when the background is transparent. It would be great if it was checkerboard instead of white (like in the layer view).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love to add this too and it's a dormant feature at the moment. Unfortunately, there are some issues I need to work on.
Also, I'd like to see support for images of different sizes and zooming too if possible! I know this is likely to add to the complexity of the app, but really think these are features you need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can pinch to zoom at the moment if that's what you mean. Different images sizes is definitely on my feature list, including landscape canvases.

Mylenthes said:
It is the best painting app for android so far imo. But I think it needs a landscape image size, a better paint fill, and an option to have the cursor slightly above your finger so that your finger isn't covering it. But the number one thing it needs is the fill. Filling an object makes little white outline of the color.
Btw I'm using HTC g2 and it doesn't lag or anything, runs very well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thanks for the feedback! Yes, landscape is a top priority feature. I'll be adding offset drawing too. You're right, the fill bucket does need some work.

oh man, i was looking for something like this for my evo and xoom! i'll try it out over the next couple of days and provide my thoughts

seanw.org said:
Awesome, thanks for the feedback! Yes, landscape is a top priority feature. I'll be adding offset drawing too. You're right, the fill bucket does need some work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just spent the last half hour playing with this on my EVO. Definitely something that the Android world is lacking!

As I use this app more and more in the hour, I realize how much I love it and I can give a bit more critisism. I now don't really care about the fill tool as painting it manually is a lot more fun and gives a nice texture.
I also think the eraser and brush should have seperate setting, so a big feather brush for erasing, and the normal brush for painting. There was more things I realized but can't think of them right now, I will edit this post when I remember.

Mylenthes said:
As I use this app more and more in the hour, I realize how much I love it and I can give a bit more critisism. I now don't really care about the fill tool as painting it manually is a lot more fun and gives a nice texture.
I also think the eraser and brush should have seperate setting, so a big feather brush for erasing, and the normal brush for painting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, it's on my list of things to do next. Keep the critique coming if you think of anything else! I want to make this the best painting app on Android.
Great picture by the way. I like the shading. Have you tried playing with the filters? Emboss is quite fun for extra texture.

Gonna give it a test now

Great!! Used it on the Atrix, it works really well! Needs a bit more accurate drawing & erasing (as it was suggested a couple of posts earlier), your finger covers the line as it is now. Will post more ideas soon.
Great potential!!

thanks, awesome job mate!
i don't have to go back WinMo to get all nice drawing apps
works very fast and fluid on HD2, running MIUI 1.4.22.
size isn't an issue on 4.3 inches
maybe "menu" button features could be ipmlemented in bottom bar with "drag up" gesture much like music player on miui if you know what i'm saying.
anyways, excellent for beta, get it to market with final polish i'd shure be willing to pay couple of $$ for it. and offer free verion without layers forcasual users, with ads.
keep up with great work!

stirkac said:
thanks, awesome job mate!
maybe "menu" button features could be ipmlemented in bottom bar with "drag up" gesture much like music player on miui if you know what i'm saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion. I'd love to have an extra toolbar button for the menu because I know from app reviews that some users don't know where to look for extra options. I want to make sure all the features are easy to find.
anyways, excellent for beta, get it to market with final polish i'd shure be willing to pay couple of $$ for it. and offer free verion without layers forcasual users, with ads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! That's roughly my plan. I think it'll be best to have layers in the free version though so people that haven't used layers before can get a feel for how useful they are.

Loving this
Super fast and accurate on my Vibrant. Love the gestures. Drawing tools are neat and the filters are fun. Options are all easily accessible.
Took a minute to figure out how to delete a layer (tried long pressing on the layer). Wanted to save the image with a name - not just save it generically. Also, duplicating an image could be nicer if I didn't have to open the image to "save a copy."
Very awesome drawing app! Can't wait to let my kids play with it, too.

tobidashi said:
Super fast and accurate on my Vibrant. Love the gestures. Drawing tools are neat and the filters are fun. Options are all easily accessible.
Took a minute to figure out how to delete a layer (tried long pressing on the layer).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I decided to avoid long pressing for layer options because my initial testers found this hard to discover.
Wanted to save the image with a name - not just save it generically. Also, duplicating an image could be nicer if I didn't have to open the image to "save a copy."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have a think about how names can be assigned to files without annoying users with pop-ups each time they export a file. What was the reason you wanted to name your file? I could add a menu option that lets you give your painting a title and exported files could be named after this. Would that help?
Also, duplicating an image could be nicer if I didn't have to open the image to "save a copy."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm planning to add a "copy image" operation to the gallery screen which should fix this.
Very awesome drawing app! Can't wait to let my kids play with it, too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thanks for all the feedback! I'd be really interested to know how your younger users find it too.

Awesome app. Running perfectly on my Galaxy S

Awesome app,bro
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App

Works great on Xoom except Xoom is more of a landscape device and no landscape support yet, other then that its very nice

Works well on Acer iconia A500 on 3.0.1 - great paint app!

[How-To] Custom Sense Lockring on the MT4GS - easy step-by-step.

Return to Contents Page - doubleshot Developers Reference
----
Part 1: This thread.
Part 2: Edit .9.png files for the MT4GS - step-by-step.
Part 3: Edit Mode10 Files for the MT4GS - step-by-step
--------
In today's workshop we are going to learn how to make changes to the Sense Lockring for the doubleshot.
What you need:
1 - HtcLockScreen.apk from the ( Sense ) ROM you are making it for.
2 - 7-Zip installed and ready.
3 - Photoshop ( or equivalent - directions for photoshop ) installed and ready.
4 - Time, interest, and creativity.
* - Guide written for a Windows XP machine, please adjust accordingly if your environment is different.
--------
Okay - the first thing I want you to do is go to this thread:
Customize Sense 3.0 Lock Ring and read the first and second post completely.
Don't download anything or try to play along, just read it.
When you get to the bottom of post 1, click thanks if you intend to customize your lockring. Ditto on clicking thanks at the bottom of post 2 in that thread if you intend to inscribe text on your Lockring.
Once you have read and thanked the author for both of those posts, come back here and see how much easier it is to do this on the MT4GS then it's sister device.
--------
Preparation: Setup.
Now that you have a rough idea of what you have to do, forget about the .m10 tools, fusion.apk, and everything else except for the requirements I listed at the top of this post. Easier already, huh?
First things first - let's set up our dev environment.
1 - Go to your computer desktop, right click and make a new folder. Call this folder "LockringEdits".
2 - Place your HtcLockScreen.apk file in the "LockringEdits" folder.
3 - Open the "LockringEdits" folder, and create two new folders in it. Call one "LockringOriginal" and the other one "Lockring001".
4 - Right click on the HtcLockScreen.apk file and choose "copy" from the menu.
5 - Open the "LockringOriginal" folder, and then right-click in an empty area of the folder and select "paste" from the options menu. Once pasted, go back up one level to the "LockringEdits" main folder.
6 - Repeat step 4, then step 5 again pasting into the "Lockring001" folder instead.
7 - Stop.
Recap setup:
We now have 3 copies of our HtcLockScreen.apk file in 3 different folders.
- The "LockringOriginal" folder is a backup of our HtcLockScreen.apk file and you hopefully won't have to go in there at all, but just in case you need it it's there.
- The "Lockring001" folder is where we will actually be working on our first Lockring, and has the HtcLockScreen.apk file we are going to edit.
- The "LockringEdit" main folder this project is in also has a copy of HtcLockScreen, so when you make your next project folder ( 002 ) you have a fresh file to copy into it.
--------
Make sure you have 7-zip and Photoshop installed, and you have rebooted your computer after the install, before moving on with this project.
Now that we have our project folders set up, time to get down to business. We are going to extract the graphics we are going to change, change them, and then add them back into the .apk file.
Easy, right? Yep - and here's how:
--------
Part 1: Extraction.
1 - Navigate to the "Lockring001" folder if you aren't in it already.
2 - Right click on HtcLockScreen.apk - highlight the "7-Zip" menu option, and when the next menu pops up choose "Open archive".
*Note: Just "Open archive" NOT the option with another menu of choices.
2A - You should now have a window open that shows the contents of the HtcLockScreen.apk file.
3 - Double-left-click the "res" folder, and then double-left-click the "drawable-hdpi" folder.
4 - Scroll down the list until you see "lockscreen_ring.png" and left-click once and hold to drag it out of the .apk file and drop it in the "Lockring001" folder.
4A - Also scroll down the list and find "lockscreen_ring_highlight.png" and drag that out of the .apk file and into the "Lockring001" folder as well.
4B - Close the 7-Zip window.
5 - Stop.
--------
You should now see in the "Lockring001" folder 3 files:
- HtcLockScreen.apk
- lockscreen_ring.png
- lockscreen_ring_highlight.png
Switch your view of this folder to "thumbnails" so you can see what the pictures look like while they are sitting in the folder.
--------
Part 2: Coloring.
1 - Open photoshop. Once it loads up, go to file->open and open each of the .png files one at a time.
2 - Position them in the Photoshop window so they sit next to each other and you can see them both.
3 - Click in the "lockscreen_ring.png" window, and then go up to and click "Image" in the menu at the top of your Photoshop window. Highlight "Mode" and make sure that "RGB Color" and "8 bits/channel" are both checked. If not, make them so.
3A - Do the same for "lockscreen_ring_highlight.png".
4 - Click back on the "lockscreen_ring.png" window to bring it into focus.
5 - Go back up to "Image" in the menu at the top of your Photoshop window. Highlight "Adjustments" and then select "Color Balance" from the menu.
6 - In the window that pops up, make sure "Midtones" is selected at the bottom, then grab the middle slider and drag it all the way to "Green".
The middle text box at the top of the color balance window should now read "+100" and the lock ring itself should be a semi see-through green.
( If not, make sure the "preview" option is checked in the color balance window to see your changes in real-time before making them. )
7 - Select "OK" in the color balance window, and then save the colored lockring.
8 - Repeat steps 5 to 7 for "lockscreen_ring_highlight.png".
9 - Close Photoshop after having saved both pictures, and navigate back to the "Lockring001" folder if not there already.
10 - Stop.
--------
Part 3: Replacing the graphics.
You should now have two green lockring pictures in the "Lockring001" folder next to the HtcLockScreen.apk file.
We are almost done, we just have to add these graphics back in to the HtcLockScreen.apk file to finish it off. Do that by:
1 - Right click on HtcLockScreen.apk - highlight the "7-Zip" menu option, and when the next menu pops up choose "Open archive".
*Note: Just "Open archive" NOT the option with another menu of choices.
1A - You should now have a window open that shows the contents of the HtcLockScreen.apk file.
2 - Double-left-click the "res" folder, and then double-left-click the "drawable-hdpi" folder.
3 - Select both of the edited graphics in the "Lockring001" folder, and then drag them into the 7-Zip window. Make sure you are in the "drawable-hdpi" folder in the 7-Zip window before doing so.
4 - Confirm the file copy, let it copy, and then close the 7-Zip window when it's done.
That's it!
You have now successfully changed the color of your Lockring for the Sense doubleshot ROM you got the HtclockScreen.apk file from.
The only thing left to do is get the HtcLockScreen.apk file on the device, and replace the one already on it in /system/app. Once that's done, you can enjoy your new custom colored lockring!
--------
Part 4: Engraving.
Now that we've learned that coloring the lockring is pretty easy, especially compared to the hoops they had to jump through on the Sensation to do the same thing, let's look at engraving some text on the lockring.
Again, we have it easy. Unlike on the Sensation, our lockring is right-side up and facing the right way. You can just type your text as normal over it and it'll be just right.
Repeat the steps from above to extract and load the two lockring graphic files into Photoshop.
Type your text over the first lockring, bend it and position it so it looks good on the ring.
Then follow this quote from the Sensation lockring guide:
mohit1234 said:
Engrave on the Lock Ring
Open the lock ring in Photoshop.
Click on the TYPE TOOL in the sidebar on the left and type the text you want to engrave.
On the right sidebar, right click on the layer with your text and click on blending options.
Select inner shadow and input the following settings:-
Blend Mode = Multiply
Color = Black
Angle = 30
Use Global Light box ticked
Opacity = 75%
Distance = 5px
Choke = 7%
Size = 5px
Then select bevel and emboss and input the following settings:-
Style = Outer Bevel
Technique = Chisel Hard
Depth = 1000%
Direction = Up
Size = 0px
Soften = 16px
Angle = 30
Altitude = 30
Use Global Light box ticked
Highlight mode = Screen
Color of Highlight Mode = White
Opacity = 75%
Shadow mode = Multiply
Color of Shadow mode = black
Opacity = 75%
Click OK and save the file as a PNG file.
There will be a popup asking whether you want the PNG to be interlaced or not. Choose none.
Change the color of the Lock Ring
Open the lock ring in Photoshop.
From the top menu, go to Image ---> Adjustments ---> Variations.
A window will open up.
In the window that just opened, move the pointer towards Coarse.
You can now select the color that you want.
You can also adjust the pointer between fine and coarse depending on the color you wish to achieve.
There are also options of Light and Dark which will also help to get the desired color.
After you've changed the color, click on save and save it as a PNG file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...and that's basically it.
The only other thing you have to do is go back to the Sensation lockring tutorial and click thanks on both the first and second posts - because that tutorial made your life a whole lot easier.
--------
Conclusion & Thoughts:
Now that it's pretty plain out there how to make changes to the lockring on a Sense ROM for the doubleshot, i'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of you come up with.
I am not such a fan of graphics work, i'd rather be coding, but there are certainly some very talented and creatively artistic people floating around here.
Experiment, try different things, figure out how to make different shapes, and come up with some cool stuff.
I found out how to change the color of the ring on my own while I was overhauling the graphics on my ROM, I just decompiled and went through every app one at a time and changed any graphics file I could find to see what happened.
On a lark I searched for lockrings on XDA to see what was out there after I got my rainbow of colors, and found the Sensation lockring tutorial that taught me how to engrave them and a healthy appreciation for how easy it was to edit the lockrings on our device.
- ...and yes, you did just learn how to edit just about any graphic in any .apk file you come across on the device.
- If you want to start using this information to edit other graphics on your phone, DO NOT EDIT any .9.png graphics you find in this manner. You must use a completely different approach and actually de-compile and re-compile the .apk you take them from for them to work right.
See this thread: Edit .9.png files for the MT4GS - step-by-step. for .9.png files.
Other then that, just about anything else is fair game.
I tried to make the guide as simple as possible, aimed at someone with little-to-no photoshop knowledge or 7-Zip experience. All you need is an interest in doing it, and the tools to do so - the how is right here.
Here's the door, wide open, and I can't wait to see what happens when some of you walk through it.
Happy modding!
Edit - also - some graphics packages ( Like boot animations ) need to be placed back into the archives or archived without being compressed. The drag and drop method of using 7-Zip to do this will compress those images and then the file won't work anymore.
If you start messing with more graphics then the lockring explained above - just make sure to look at the information in the 7-Zip window before you remove it. It'll show you the actual size and compressed size - if they are both the same then you need to make sure it gets back into the archive without being compressed.
I use winrar for that function, I like it and it forces me to realize what graphics are compressed or not because I use a different program to deal with ones that aren't.
Your mileage may vary, but that works great for me, and is a good suggestion for others.
--------
EDIT: 12/16/2011
Lockscreen_ring.png
This is the graphic that shows when you need to grab it, so when the lockring is at rest on the lockscreen.
Lockscreen_ring_highlight.png
This is the graphic that is used to make it grow and appear to fly out of the phone at you once it is activated.
If the two graphics are not lined up the same in the .png files, you will have bugs.
Thus far the only bug i've encountered is that the screen turns off as it's booting - easily solved by just hitting the power or trackpad buttons to get it on again.
There may be other bugs that have not been found yet - it is recommended to keep both .png files with the graphics in the same place, and not one lower and the other higher. I am not sure what happens if you use two different graphics.
Also:
I have noticed no impact on the lock ring when you change the hidden .m10 lockring graphic in fusion.apk
What I have noticed is changing this graphic makes fusion.apk a bit buggy, and lags the system.
At this time it is still recommended to ignore the fusion.apk file altogether as mentioned at the top of this posting.
--------
Make sure to browse the first few posts after this one in the thread, some more in-depth and helpful explanations of the process and particulars is there.

aad4321 said:
Y u no have picture?!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose I could take screenshots at each step of the process and work them into the guide...
I've still got a few more tutorials to type up and some work to do on my ROM, so i'll get around to doing that but it's not something i'm in a big hurry to do.
I tried to make sure to over-exaggerate the explanations to make the guide crystal clear for someone to follow, as this is part 1 of 3 and I wanted to target people who have little to no experience and walk them through it. That hopefully sets them up to be able to take advantage of the other two parts after they get finished and written.
I'll link all 3 together once they are done.
Edit: For the time being if you want to see what the lockring looks like in different colors, here's the picture I posted in my ROM thread for the different lockring mod packages I made for it:
{
"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"
}
... which shows different colors and with text engraved.
There is actually text on both the top and bottom of the lockring, and when you pull it up you can see what's on the bottom.
( Just my handle, for the curious. I'm not so vain as to make that what you see on the top half of the lockring. )
Some more examples:
Misc Lockring 000
md5 = 78bc3cb1cd705f7971d937b82af5c033
Original Art - Blue6IX
Non circle design:
Batman Lockring 005
md5 = cf8c6ccc230dcfb7b547db08ffbeb279
Graphic Source
*Note - flashing these two examples will also change your lockscreen icons to Bulletproof Green.

Wu Tang Lock Rings
I haven't had much chance to test, but throwing them up anyway.
Possibly a little glitchy, I was just testing this tutorial to see if I can get it to work.
(Alpha & Ring Sizes I think need to be tweaked, I may have overlooked the Ring heights - hence they maybe a little too short.)
I am happy to rework any of these if anyone wants em cleaner.
Enjoy
5 Wu tang Rings in one zip, extract them and flash them singularly/individually at will.
DL Link = http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TXW8229A

The plunge - someone has taken it!
Looks pretty happy, now we're getting somewhere
I gotta run out for a bit, but when I get back i'm gonna download them and try them out.
One thing I forgot to mention is that the image size is:
244 pixels
by
243 pixels
If anything is bigger it just gets cut off, but it'll still work fine.
Even if they end up being too low and you can't see them on the lockscreen, you can drag from anywhere on-screen to pull it up, you don't have to touch the graphic.
Keep 'em coming!

Blue6IX said:
The plunge - someone has taken it!
Looks pretty happy, now we're getting somewhere
I gotta run out for a bit, but when I get back i'm gonna download them and try them out.
One thing I forgot to mention is that the image size is:
244 pixels
by
243 pixels
If anything is bigger it just gets cut off, but it'll still work fine.
Even if they end up being too low and you can't see them on the lockscreen, you can drag from anywhere on-screen to pull it up, you don't have to touch the graphic.
Keep 'em coming!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeap, I note the sizes (244 by 243 when extracting your original .png files... However these wu images are more oval then round, hence I retained the width at 244, but lost some height trying preserve aspect ratio.)
You're wright, the rings are still useable however slightly too short (hence not as visible as a perfect 244 by 243 ring.)
Defo gonna rework these & make moreeeeeee.
Great simple tutorial, with the necessary programs, I can knock these rings out in like less then 5mins having found a nice graphic to work with.)
Forgot to hit Thanks, will do when back on PC.
Sent from my Bulletproof_Doubleshot using XDA App

You might want to download one of my oval-shaped batman logo lockrings from the Bulletproof thread - they suffer from the same issue.
What I did was make them sit higher on both graphics, instead of centered.
This shows them above the bottom of the screen before you touch them.
One thing to note, though, is that the animation that makes it fly towards you getting bigger on the unlock becomes off-center as well. If you raise it too high it just pops up near the top of the screen and becomes much less visually impressive.
Because Photoshop lets you use layers, I left the original lockring and pasted my new graphic over it, then moved it around using the original graphic as a guide to get it positioned well.
Once I had it where I wanted it, I simply clicked the layer underneath for the original graphic and deleted it, leaving only my newly pasted and aligned image.
Let me actually grab a quick screenie to show you what I mean - give me a few mins to get it edited in.
Edit:
Broke my screenshot function on my computer for the moment - so took a pic with the MT4GS camera - sorry about that.
Here you can see how I positioned it, kind of a happy medium of getting it higher on the graphic but not too high:
Then click on the layer for the grey ring, select delete, and it's all set.
Here is what it looks like in action:
Edit again:
For the sake of convenience, i'm posting the download info for the lockring made of the graphic pictured in the photoshop window just above, that way people can easily download an example of what the picture is showing after it's finished.
Batman Lockring 001
md5 = c6b1efd118ab0e8d6b4e1beaa42b4ffb
Graphic Source
*Note - flashing this example will also change your lockscreen icons to Bulletproof Green.

Blue6IX said:
You might want to download one of my oval-shaped batman logo lockrings from the Bulletproof thread - they suffer from the same issue.
What I did was make them sit higher on both graphics, instead of centered.
This shows them above the bottom of the screen before you touch them.
One thing to note, though, is that the animation that makes it fly towards you getting bigger on the unlock becomes off-center as well. If you raise it too high it just pops up near the top of the screen and becomes much less visually impressive.
Because Photoshop lets you use layers, I left the original lockring and pasted my new graphic over it, then moved it around using the original graphic as a guide to get it positioned well.
Once I had it where I wanted it, I simply clicked the layer underneath for the original graphic and deleted it, leaving only my newly pasted and aligned image.
Let me actually grab a quick screenie to show you what I mean - give me a few mins to get it edited in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like it, that's very useful info. Great concept in prepping the positioning with layers - niiice!
Sent from my Bulletproof_Doubleshot using XDA App

dillalade said:
I like it, that's very useful info. Great concept in prepping the positioning with layers - niiice!
Sent from my Bulletproof_Doubleshot using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hardest thing about writing up tutorials is communicating all the minor details.
It's easy to take for granted the knowledge that you have, like using layers together for example - for people who don't or haven't spent much time using a particular tool what is obvious to someone is not to someone else.
I'm glad i'm starting to get people just diving in and making stuff, because all the little things that didn't get mentioned get brought up and explained.
No matter how hard you try to cover all your bases, you'll always forget something.

I'm going to give this a try as soon as I finish getting BulletProof 1.1 set up properly and the corresponding backups made. (I have an older but still very uasable version of Photoshop around here somewhere) But I DID want to take a second and thank you for all your hard work on this ROM that runs sooooo smoothly but not only that....I want to commend you on your selfless desire to teach the rest of us about what you are doing internally with your phases of programming on this ROM. Other experienced programers, I'm Sure, appreciate your efforts on this ROM as well as your other work Blue but I HOPE that a few others will follow your lead in the role of teacher that you have taken on SO well. That alone, is appreciated beyond simple words by those of us that have always had an interest in programming, graphics, modeling, etc.... but have never seen a valid starting point before now. Your detailed explainations along with the open source nature of Linux is an inspiration that makes many (I am sure) reevaluate the possibility of it being within more people's grasps that before now have only sat in awe of the ability of real programmers like yourself. Have you ever given any thought to teaching computer programming at a college for pay so that you could get paid for what you undoubtably LOVE and that give you more time than you now have for you research?? I just HAD to ask.....and THANK YOU again.

WeekendsR2Short said:
... Have you ever given any thought to teaching computer programming at a college for pay so that you could get paid for what you undoubtably LOVE and that give you more time than you now have for you research?? I just HAD to ask.....and THANK YOU again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as being paid money to teach people...not too interested in that at this point in my life. It would twist my desire to do so into something else altogether. I prefer to give freely and help others advance who are willing to invest the time and effort to do so.

Thank you so much! ^^^

hi, do you know how to edit the shortcut icon container? I'm using MikXe sense 3.6 rom and can't find where to edit that, thanks.

Can anyone repost some pics I would like to make my lock ring a chevy emblem thanks in adv.

Animated Status Bar Pull Down

Just wondering if anyone is interested in this? I learned how from the original back on the Motorola Droid and have made it work for other phones. I used to be a themer but have since been spending my free time on other things. However, I still have the urge every once in awhile. For those not familiar, this will create a little looped video playing on the pull down screen.
Guide:
Instructions for Windows users... (Linux users: You should be able to follow along, as the idea is the same in both)
Things you will need:
The knowledge that whatever you do with this information is YOUR responsibility and not mine, nor the creators / developers of the mod and / or rom.
Basics -
Working computer.
Time.
Patience.
Animation images / Idea for making your own animation.
Computer Programs:
Java: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp
Apk Manager: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=695701
Text Editor (Suggested - Notepad++: http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/v5.9.6.2.html )*
Archive Managing program (ie WinZip, WinRar, 7zip) (Suggested - 7zip: http://www.7-zip.org/download.html )*
Image Manipulation program > Whether it be Photoshop, Paint.Net, or GIMP, we'll refer to it as PIMP for short from now on.
(Suggested - Dark Silent GIMP: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/PCApps/Dark_Gimp.rar )*
Batch Renamer > if you are making your own (Suggested - http://www.den4b.com/?x=downloads&product=renamer )*
You'll also need the SystemUI.apk from your favorite rom.
(Found in: rom.zip > system > app > SystemUI.apk)
If wanting to make one with images from a video, you'll need:
A short vid (if you are wanting to use one from, say, http://www.youtube.com/ then you would copy/paste that web address to a site like http://www.savevid.com/) and export the video as a file to your computer.
Video Editor (Suggested - iWiSoft Free Video Converter: http://www.iwisoft.com/videoconverter/ )*
It's easiest to export the images as PNGs.
Alternatively, you can make your own images with PIMP or kang them from someone else's already made animation (Don't forget to send them a thanks if you do!).
Common Questions:
*How big does the image need to be? - The screen size is 480 x 800.
*How many images can I have? - I'm not sure. The one I made has 14 and there have been no issues whatsoever. I've used as many as 30 on my Atrix and didn't have any issues, but others did and the apk will get a little bloated with that many images, especially if it's not very transparent or there are a lot of colors.
*What duration should I change the animation to? - Again, this really depends on what you are going for. How the animation looks, how many images you have, etc. The default on mine is "200" Trial and error ftw!
*What kind of animation should I do? - Only you can answer that! If you are having trouble thinking of something, browse the forums and see if you can't find some ideas. Search YouTube for a cool video. Play with some creating some logos. Only limitation is your imagination.
After editing images or finding the ones you want to use...
Place your SystemUI.apk in the Apk Manager's place-apk-here-for-modding folder.
Double Click the Script.
Choose 22.
Choose the number of SystemUI.apk and hit Enter.
Choose 9 for Decompile.
Naviage to Apk Manager > projects > SystemUI > res > drawable hdpi (or drawable hdpi v4, depending on rom)>
Place your images resized and renamed as status_bar_background_animationX.pngs here. (where X is the number of the image in sequential order)
Navigate to Apk Manager > projects > SystemUI > res > drawable > and place this: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/status_bar_background_animation.xml in there.
The one I posted here is just the normal one I use that has 14 images, but you can adjust for the amount of images you want and the speed of the image changes using your Text Editor. You can just go from 1 - "X" number sequentially or you can have the images go 1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2 etc. depending on the style of animation or if you are trying to keep the image number down.
After that... (it really does not matter what order you do these in, but this might help you the first time or two to have a set path)
Navigate to Apk Manager > projects > SystemUI > res > layout > status_bar_tracking.xml and open with Text Editor.
Find:
com.android.systemui.statusbar.TrackingView in the second line and right after that (leave a space) add:
android:background="@drawable/status_bar_background_animation"
Make sure there is a space after this too, then save the xml.
After you have edited your images and xml and saved all of them go back to the script for Apk Manager and choose 11 to compile. After it finishes it will ask you if it is a system apk (Y/N). "Y" + Enter. It will ask you if you want to keep blah blah blah (Y/N). "Y" + Enter.
Go to the "keep" folder in Apk Manager > keep and delete the "res" folder and the resources.arsc file (this is the lazy/easy way).
Go back to the Apk Manager script and hit Enter.
The apk will be completed and named unsignedSystemUI.apk and you will find it in the "place-here-for-modding" folder. Even though it says unsigned, it is signed and you will not need to do anything else to it beyond renaming it to SystemUI.apk. This new finished SystemUI.apk will be added to a flashable zip file in this format (open zip as archive to not break the signature):
flashable.zip > system > app > replace previous SystemUI.apk
Place this on your SD card and install via ClockworkMod Recovery. You will not need to wipe data or cache for this.
The very first time you pull down the screen it will be static, but any other time it should start to animate. This is the same with every phone I have seen and not sure why this is.
Sorry if this seems crazy difficult, but I just wanted to be thorough so even relatively new people can at least see how it is made. If you need help, hit me up on Talk with my screen name. Enjoy!
*I receive no form of compensation for these recommendations. I merely suggest them as they are free, have a fair amount of support, and work well enough for me.*
I have attached for you to use/edit as you see fit:
*status_bar_background_animation.txt http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/status_bar_background_animation.xml
*14 multicolored Honeycomb images inspired / kanged from the boot animation.
*status_bar_tracking.txt - Pretty sure these are similar/same between CM7 and Stock or just use as reference guide.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/status_bar_tracking.xml
*Empty flashable zip for ClockWorkMod - Use the Archive Manager to open as archive and place your SystemUI.apk inside /system/app. Do NOT unzip and rezip as it will break the signature and not flash correctly.

es0tericcha0s said:
Just wondering if anyone is interested in this? I learned how from the original back on the Motorola Droid and have made it work for other phones. I used to be a themer but have since been spending my free time on other things. However, I still have the urge every once in awhile. I'll post a how to if there is interest. For those not familiar, this will create a little looped video playing on the pull down screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm interested, but how much does this impact the battery? Does it run while the statusbar is up? A little more info would be helpful but I'm certainly interested.

Nah, it only runs while the screen is down so the effects on the battery are negligible.
This one is NOT mine, but just so you get the idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ZD6WzwS0k
And it's built into the SystemUI.apk, not framework for our phones.

es0tericcha0s said:
Nah, it only runs while the screen is down so the effects on the battery are negligible.
This one is NOT mine, but just so you get the idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ZD6WzwS0k
And it's built into the SystemUI.apk, not framework for our phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very nice, that would be something of interest.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

Alrighty then. It's dinner and movie time with the lady. I'll post it up here a little later on.
OP edited with detailed instructions!

es0tericcha0s said:
Nah, it only runs while the screen is down so the effects on the battery are negligible.
This one is NOT mine, but just so you get the idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ZD6WzwS0k
And it's built into the SystemUI.apk, not framework for our phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for negligible battery loss. I've ran this with my G2x for a few months now, only minor issues if the person who puts the animation gets too crazy.

es0tericcha0s said:
Just wondering if anyone is interested in this? I learned how from the original back on the Motorola Droid and have made it work for other phones. I used to be a themer but have since been spending my free time on other things. However, I still have the urge every once in awhile. For those not familiar, this will create a little looped video playing on the pull down screen.
Guide:
Instructions for Windows users... (Linux users: You should be able to follow along, as the idea is the same in both)
Things you will need:
The knowledge that whatever you do with this information is YOUR responsibility and not mine, nor the creators / developers of the mod and / or rom.
Basics -
Working computer.
Time.
Patience.
Animation images / Idea for making your own animation.
Computer Programs:
Java: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp
Apk Manager: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=695701
Text Editor (Suggested - Notepad++: http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/v5.9.6.2.html )*
Archive Managing program (ie WinZip, WinRar, 7zip) (Suggested - 7zip: http://www.7-zip.org/download.html )*
Image Manipulation program > Whether it be Photoshop, Paint.Net, or GIMP, we'll refer to it as PIMP for short from now on.
(Suggested - Dark Silent GIMP: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/PCApps/Dark_Gimp.rar )*
Batch Renamer > if you are making your own (Suggested - http://www.den4b.com/?x=downloads&product=renamer )*
You'll also need the SystemUI.apk from your favorite rom.
(Found in: rom.zip > system > app > SystemUI.apk)
If wanting to make one with images from a video, you'll need:
A short vid (if you are wanting to use one from, say, http://www.youtube.com/ then you would copy/paste that web address to a site like http://www.savevid.com/) and export the video as a file to your computer.
Video Editor (Suggested - iWiSoft Free Video Converter: http://www.iwisoft.com/videoconverter/ )*
It's easiest to export the images as PNGs.
Alternatively, you can make your own images with PIMP or kang them from someone else's already made animation (Don't forget to send them a thanks if you do!).
Common Questions:
*How big does the image need to be? - The screen size is 480 x 800.
*How many images can I have? - I'm not sure. The one I made has 14 and there have been no issues whatsoever. I've used as many as 30 on my Atrix and didn't have any issues, but others did and the apk will get a little bloated with that many images, especially if it's not very transparent or there are a lot of colors.
*What duration should I change the animation to? - Again, this really depends on what you are going for. How the animation looks, how many images you have, etc. The default on mine is "200" Trial and error ftw!
*What kind of animation should I do? - Only you can answer that! If you are having trouble thinking of something, browse the forums and see if you can't find some ideas. Search YouTube for a cool video. Play with some creating some logos. Only limitation is your imagination.
After editing images or finding the ones you want to use...
Place your SystemUI.apk in the Apk Manager's place-apk-here-for-modding folder.
Double Click the Script.
Choose 22.
Choose the number of SystemUI.apk and hit Enter.
Choose 9 for Decompile.
Naviage to Apk Manager > projects > SystemUI > res > drawable hdpi >
Place your images resized and renamed as status_bar_animationX.pngs here. (where X is the number of the image in sequential order)
Navigate to Apk Manager > projects > SystemUI > res > drawable > and place this: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/status_bar_background_animation.xml in there.
The one I posted here is just the normal one I use that has 14 images, but you can adjust for the amount of images you want and the speed of the image changes using your Text Editor. You can just go from 1 - "X" number sequentially or you can have the images go 1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2 etc. depending on the style of animation or if you are trying to keep the image number down.
After that... (it really does not matter what order you do these in, but this might help you the first time or two to have a set path)
Navigate to Apk Manager > projects > SystemUI > res > layout > status_bar_tracking.xml and open with Text Editor.
Find:
com.android.systemui.statusbar.TrackingView in the second line and right after that (leave a space) add:
android:background="@drawable/status_bar_background_animation"
Make sure there is a space after this too, then save the xml.
After you have edited your images and xml and saved all of them go back to the script for Apk Manager and choose 11 to compile. After it finishes it will ask you if it is a system apk (Y/N). "Y" + Enter. It will ask you if you want to keep blah blah blah (Y/N). "Y" + Enter.
Go to the "keep" folder in Apk Manager > keep and delete the "res" folder and the resources.arsc file (this is the lazy/easy way).
Go back to the Apk Manager script and hit Enter.
The apk will be completed and named unsignedSystemUI.apk and you will find it in the "place-here-for-modding" folder. Even though it says unsigned, it is signed and you will not need to do anything else to it beyond renaming it to SystemUI.apk. This new finished SystemUI.apk will be added to a flashable zip file in this format (open zip as archive to not break the signature):
flashable.zip > system > app > replace previous SystemUI.apk
Place this on your SD card and install via ClockworkMod Recovery. You will not need to wipe data or cache for this.
The very first time you pull down the screen it will be static, but any other time it should start to animate. This is the same with every phone I have seen and not sure why this is.
Sorry if this seems crazy difficult, but I just wanted to be thorough so even relatively new people can at least see how it is made. If you need help, hit me up on Talk with my screen name. Enjoy!
*I receive no form of compensation for these recommendations. I merely suggest them as they are free, have a fair amount of support, and work well enough for me.*
I have attached for you to use/edit as you see fit:
*status_bar_background_animation.txt http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/status_bar_tracking.xml
*14 multicolored Honeycomb images inspired / kanged from the boot animation.
*status_bar_tracking.txt - Pretty sure these are similar/same between CM7 and Stock or just use as reference guide.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/status_bar_tracking.xml
*Empty flashable zip for ClockWorkMod - Use the Archive Manager to open as archive and place your SystemUI.apk inside /system/app. Do NOT unzip and rezip as it will break the signature and not flash correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I use Clockmod Recovery to flash the MultiColored Honeycomb Animation.zip or is there something else I need or need to do?

The Honeycomb zip ONLY has the 14 images of the animation. It won't do anything if you try to flash it. And, to get those to work, you'd have to follow the guide in the opening post. It's pretty thorough. If you get stuck, let me know.

Hi, I'm extremely interested in getting this working.
I spent a good four hours designing a custom set of frames to match my current background, all before I realized that for some reason my current ROM's SystemUI.apk will not decompile correctly, and therefore won't RE-compile correctly. I spent a couple hours trying different versions of APKtool and aapt, all proving the same result. Finally I felt stupid when I tried it out on a random APK I had from a backup, decompiled and recompiled perfectly...
Has anyone tried this on an MIUI ROM? If so, I'm really interested in finishing this half-a-day project I've just started and could use some help xD

If you want, hit me up on Talk using my screen name.
Sent via telepathy

k4p741nkrunch said:
Hi, I'm extremely interested in getting this working.
I spent a good four hours designing a custom set of frames to match my current background, all before I realized that for some reason my current ROM's SystemUI.apk will not decompile correctly, and therefore won't RE-compile correctly. I spent a couple hours trying different versions of APKtool and aapt, all proving the same result. Finally I felt stupid when I tried it out on a random APK I had from a backup, decompiled and recompiled perfectly...
Has anyone tried this on an MIUI ROM? If so, I'm really interested in finishing this half-a-day project I've just started and could use some help xD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This would be awesome on MIUI.

k4p741nkrunch said:
Hi, I'm extremely interested in getting this working.
I spent a good four hours designing a custom set of frames to match my current background, all before I realized that for some reason my current ROM's SystemUI.apk will not decompile correctly, and therefore won't RE-compile correctly. I spent a couple hours trying different versions of APKtool and aapt, all proving the same result. Finally I felt stupid when I tried it out on a random APK I had from a backup, decompiled and recompiled perfectly...
Has anyone tried this on an MIUI ROM? If so, I'm really interested in finishing this half-a-day project I've just started and could use some help xD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The key to decompiling certain system apps with MIUI is using apktool and then installing the framework from the MIUI rom as a dependency.
Windows Users (Linux Users - if you can use Linux, you probably know how to use the CMD Prompt well enough to follow these directions for your system too):
1) Place the framework-res.apk and SystemUI.apk from the rom in the folder where your apktool is located.
2) Open CMD Prompt and navigate (change directories / cd) to your folder with apktool and apps.
3) apktool.jar if framework-res.apk
4) apktool.jar d SystemUI.apk
5) This will create a subfolder in the main folder that will be named SystemUI.
6) Make your edits following the guide in the OP.
7) When finished, compile the apk with this:
apktool.jar b SystemUI
8) This will build the app for you and you will find it located in the subfolder Dist inside of the SystemUI folder.
I threw one together here*: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9903887/MIUISystemUI.apk
This SystemUI is from the stock based MIUI rom ported by stormageddon posted here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1421713
It has:
1) status_bar_background_animation.xml added to res/drawable (14 image version)
2) 14 Honeycomb themed images in /res/drawable-hdpi
3) status_bar_tracking.xml edit in /res/layout
4) This version IS able to be decompiled without errors by Apk Manager, so if it doesn't work, at least you can decompile and make the needed edits.
* I have NOT tested this. I am not currently running MIUI as I NEED wifi calling and my SIM card will not work with it. I purchased another SIM card from some suggestions I have seen around the forum, but unfortunately was not paying close enough attention and purchased the same one I already had instead and am not interested in spending an hour with a nandroid backup, flashing MIUI, testing, then nandroid restoring back to my current rom. So, good luck and let me know if I can help any more.

Thank you es0triccha0s!
That got me to decompile and compile correctly! Yes I am on Linux, and yes it was the if (install framework) command. Got a new problem though, the animation doesn't show. I noticed a few things though..
For one, I'm using a Galnet MIUI based of ICS. Inside the Res folder is a "drawable-hdpi-v4" folder, not sure if that v4 is going to mess anything up with this mod. I'm going to nandroid and then test with a GB version right now.
Secondly, in the scripts you provided in the OP, in the file status_bar_background_animation.xml you have all the images referenced as status_bar_background_animationX, but also in the OP, you mention we should place our created pngs into the drawable-hdpi folder as "status_bar_animationX". I simply removed all "_background"s from the file and it compiled, but I'm not sure if that is causing them not to be seen.
I'm gonna check a few things and report back.
Okay I put it on the Galnet 2.16 MIUI build. Made sure verything was as it should be as far as mod instructions are concerned. It booted, but there is NO status bar whatsoever.. Do you think its a permissions issue or something? Next thing I'm going to try is manually pushing it to the phone with ADB. This is just a test ROM, I have my actually useful nandroid backup when I get tired of this. Once again, will report back.

k4p741nkrunch said:
Thank you es0triccha0s!
That got me to decompile and compile correctly! Yes I am on Linux, and yes it was the if (install framework) command. Got a new problem though, the animation doesn't show. I noticed a few things though..
For one, I'm using a Galnet MIUI based of ICS. Inside the Res folder is a "drawable-hdpi-v4" folder, not sure if that v4 is going to mess anything up with this mod. I'm going to nandroid and then test with a GB version right now.
Secondly, in the scripts you provided in the OP, in the file status_bar_background_animation.xml you have all the images referenced as status_bar_background_animationX, but also in the OP, you mention we should place our created pngs into the drawable-hdpi folder as "status_bar_animationX". I simply removed all "_background"s from the file and it compiled, but I'm not sure if that is causing them not to be seen.
I'm gonna check a few things and report back.
Okay I put it on the Galnet 2.16 MIUI build. Made sure verything was as it should be as far as mod instructions are concerned. It booted, but there is NO status bar whatsoever.. Do you think its a permissions issue or something? Next thing I'm going to try is manually pushing it to the phone with ADB. This is just a test ROM, I have my actually useful nandroid backup when I get tired of this. Once again, will report back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing out the _background deal. Missed that in my proof reading stage. I'm going to update the OP in a bit. The drawable_hdpi vs drawable_hdpi-v4 thing seems to be dependent on either the apktool version or rom, not entirely sure. Have seen it on other phones / roms I have worked with, but seems random. Never really delved into the whys and hows. However, not really sure why the status bar disappeared on you. It might have something to do with update.zip's update script. I haven't messed with theming MIUI in a long time and am not sure if there needs to be any changes made to the update script that would be different vs. AOSP or CM7. It will almost certainly not work adb pushing the SystemUI though. That always messes things up, from my experience. Since it is just your test rom, try to put the SystemUI into the rom zip with an archive manager via opening as an archive (do not unzip, add, then rezip) and reflash.

I liked this idea. went ahead an made my own blue flames, and it looks nice (although I may mess with it a bit to get it a little smoother).
Just a note though: Unless you also remove the reference to shade_bg in status_bar_tracking.xml, you'll end up with both an animated and non-animated background.
Also, I'd recommend you have people only delete the resources.arsc and the status_bar_tracking.xml files from the keep folder when compiling. Otherwise, it's not uncommon that certain decompiling errors will transfer over to your finished product and give issues like the previous poster was having.
I'm not sure why I had never though of doing this before, but I'm glad you brought it to my attention

Okay, I'm trying something new tonight.
I went and checked every XML file and did some manual comparisons to see if I could find what was causing it not to show. For one, I think the Animation Flasher zip isn't doing the job so from now on I'll be packing it into the MIUI zip. Secondly, I noticed a lot more references to other status bar BG files in status_bar_tracking.xml. I replaced every reference of background="@drawable/blah blah bg" to background="@drawable/status_bar_animation"
I'm gonna see how this goes, will report back xD
Edit: Okay, so DON'T do that xD. At least I know my edits are recognized. Going back and removing the unnecessary edits, then packing it into the ROM Zip again, will report back.
Edit2: Okay, I'm very close to having this working with MIUI. Now that I've included it into the ROM ZIP, the statusbar is appearing completely white with the animation going on behind it. I can barely see the animation at the bottom of the status bar. Something is drawing that white background on the status bar, perhaps a default theme. I think that may be what is causing the general incompatibility with MIUI, the built in theming. I'm gonna fiddle around with the themes, see if I can find a way to use NO status bar theme. Will report back.

k4p741nkrunch said:
Okay, I'm trying something new tonight.
I went and checked every XML file and did some manual comparisons to see if I could find what was causing it not to show. For one, I think the Animation Flasher zip isn't doing the job so from now on I'll be packing it into the MIUI zip. Secondly, I noticed a lot more references to other status bar BG files in status_bar_tracking.xml. I replaced every reference of background="@drawable/blah blah bg" to background="@drawable/status_bar_animation"
I'm gonna see how this goes, will report back xD
Edit: Okay, so DON'T do that xD. At least I know my edits are recognized. Going back and removing the unnecessary edits, then packing it into the ROM Zip again, will report back.
Edit2: Okay, I'm very close to having this working with MIUI. Now that I've included it into the ROM ZIP, the statusbar is appearing completely white with the animation going on behind it. I can barely see the animation at the bottom of the status bar. Something is drawing that white background on the status bar, perhaps a default theme. I think that may be what is causing the general incompatibility with MIUI, the built in theming. I'm gonna fiddle around with the themes, see if I can find a way to use NO status bar theme. Will report back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you need to delete android:background="@drawable/shade_bg"
It's possible that MIUI calls it something different like statusbar_background or status_bar_background. Either way, it needs to be deleted, not modified.

MWBehr said:
I liked this idea. went ahead an made my own blue flames, and it looks nice (although I may mess with it a bit to get it a little smoother).
Just a note though: Unless you also remove the reference to shade_bg in status_bar_tracking.xml, you'll end up with both an animated and non-animated background.
Also, I'd recommend you have people only delete the resources.arsc and the status_bar_tracking.xml files from the keep folder when compiling. Otherwise, it's not uncommon that certain decompiling errors will transfer over to your finished product and give issues like the previous poster was having.
I'm not sure why I had never though of doing this before, but I'm glad you brought it to my attention
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't think about the shade_bg as it's not linked to that in every rom. You don't have to actually remove it. You can also do this instead:
android:background="@android:color/transparent"
Also, I am of the school of thought that if the app decompiles with errors then you shouldn't use that as your base. I've done a ton of theming and I just won't use an app that decompiles wrong. It usually only happens if you are trying to decompile an app that has already been modified by the dev. Best to find a "stock" base framework or SystemUI to work with.

Easy
Can anyone make a flashable zip?

Of what and/or for what?
Sent via telepathy

[APP][2.2+]Holo File Explorer (Update 4-11-2012)

Now on Google+ !
https://plus.google....615763333814534
Update 5-27-2012
This update replaces the text based view pager indicator with a sliding bar that looks just like the stock launcher's indicator. I'm still not satisfied with the contrast between the bar and the surrounding elements, because it isn't easy to see at this point. I'll keep tinkering with it, and would welcome suggestions. In addition, I have figured out how to allow viewing of read protected directories like /data/. My implementation isn't perfect, which leads me to my next point. I have come to realize that there are some fundamental shortcomings to a few of the apps underpinnings, and I need to find a way to fix them. I have yet to figure out how to make the root process persist so that root functionality doesn't throw up a toast every time it does something, and I seriously need to clean my code.
Therefore, my plan is thus: I'm going to take a crack at helping the dev of OpenExplorer figure out how to enable full root functionality. His code is the only resource I have been able to glean much useful info from, and his own implementation is still half-baked. (seriously, why are there no robust root related resources out there?) Then, (tentatively) I'm going to fork his repo and replace the look and feel of his app with that of Holo File Explorer, while retaining what appears to be a vastly superior back end. The downside to this is that we're looking at something of a rabbit hole, so you guys may not hear from me for a bit. The upside is that forking OpenExplorer will provide a less buggy experience, plus lots of extras like network folder, dropbox and box.net access.
I'm also hopeful that at the end of this process, I'll have my own code hosted on GitHub and ready for collaboration. If I can get interested parties to help with development, It'll speed up the rate of releases. Because to be honest, my rate of release hasn't exactly been timely of late, and you guys deserve better than that. This is the best answer I can come up with to solve the problem. What does everyone think?
Original Rootz thread: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/17572-ap...er-formerly-ics-styledswipe-update-3-29-2012/
Hello Everyone. I've been working on a new file explorer app for phones since the beginning of the year, and I would like to present what I have accomplished so far in order to get some feedback. The reason why I decided to make this app is that most (if not all) of the file explorers out there have clunky/unoptimized user interfaces and/or lackluster feature sets.
I recently purchased a Galaxy Nexus and had decided that I needed a file browser to match the aesthetic appeal of the rest of the system. After hours of searching through several dozen of the market's best browsers, the only one I could find with any degree of stock visual polish was inKa file browser. Unfortunately, the app was too basic for my needs. No root features at all, etc. This prompted me to build my own file browser (although it is still far from complete).
{
"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"
}
What the app has thus far:
1) Swipable pages. There are 2 (for now - hoping to enable "new tabs/pages") swipable views that can be navigated independantly (just like you would on a desktop computer with 2+ explorer windows open.
2) Files can be cut, copied and then pasted within or across the swipable pages. (long press anywhere on an item or check the boxes in order to bring up the "contextual action mode" (screenshot 3)
3) The drop down at the top of the page displays the folder hierarchy for the currently selected folder view.
4) The start of a file details screen (Screenshot 5). There are a lot of functions that people can perform on files (MD5 checking roms is a big one in my mind) and I just don't like the idea of relegating those functions to dialog boxes or menus. I know that this kind of view isn't something that any of the other file explorers have, but I think there is value in departing from that convention. Note: MD5 and permissions aren't implemented yet. Soon though.
5) MD5 summer and checker is now working! I tested it on a 100+mb rom and it ran pretty quickly (5 or 6 seconds) on my Galaxy Nexus, so Rom Flashers might enjoy using this one. I don't have the UI polished to my satisfaction yet, but the functionality is there.
6) Sharing files is now enabled. The updated ShareActionProvider for 4.0+ will be coming at some point.
7) Opening/installing files/apks! Bugs aside, the app now handles almost all of the usual file explorer functions.
8) Themes! Switch them under general settings, and then exit if switching between dark and light or darkactionbar to get the text colors to reload properly. Working on fixing this.
What isn't done yet:
1) Root actions. This is a biggie, as I want this app to satisfy both power users and casual users at the same time. Feel free to comment on your most desired root functions.
2) File summary views. This would open if you clicked on a file, and would present a summary of the meta information. This view would also provide functions like md5 comparison, opening in external apps, permission setting, etc...
3) Themes. As you can see, the app is currently built on Holo Light (one of the ICS stock system themes). I plan on adding an option for Holo (dark) and maybe more. Depends on the demand.
4) A robust data summary view, including something similar to what you find in the DiskUsage app in the market, as well as some other metrics. Maybe even an miui-like file type size summary.
5) I'm considering a view (linked to from a button in the top right corner of the app) that displays currently running and finished file operations. I think this might be better than throwing up a dialog box for big file copy/paste tasks and having it keep the user from doing anything until the operation is done.
6) Bookmarks
7) Search. Not sure if this will be a basic file search or a grander attempt at indexing and speed.
8) A text editor.
9) Other basic things like an actual settings page, polished action mode icons, image previews and apk icons, an actual app icon, proper folder and file icons (the one's in place now look terrible and are improperly sized, but I'd rather focus on other things first), and general UI polish.
10) Image previews And there you are. Please provide any and all feedback/criticism/praise/trolling that you can. I'd really like to build this into something that works for everyone. Thanks!
The Story of my Progress Thus Far:
UPDATE - 2/9/2012:
Jake Wharton just released beta 6 of Action Bar Sherlock last night, so I'll hopefully have a backwards compatible version of the app out soon (maybe within the next day or so? Depends on how many things are broken in Gingerbread and beyond.) Done as of "alpha 2". I have an old Droid X, so I just need to do some flashing to test both Froyo and Gingerbread. I've also made incremental progress in a lot of areas. A basic settings screen is in place, "new folder" and "refresh" action buttons have been implemented, and I have the start of the file properties screen together. Things are moving along quickly!
UPDATE - 2/14/2012
New stuff:
*A placeholder settings menu now appears when users click settings
*See screenshot 5 for a look at the file info screen. Currently accessed by clicking on a file. Not sure if this is how things will stay, since this is a departure from the ususal "click to open in another app" behavior.
*Gingerbread compatibility! May be a few bugs here and there, but I have the thing running on my old Droid X with CM7. Theme is a little rough for GB devices, so I have some work to do there.
*Buttons more clearly indicate whether they have been implemented.
UPDATE - 2/15/2012
New stuff:
*A whole bunch of bug fixes dealing with copy, cut and paste. Things are still a little broken, but way better than they were before. Remaining issues deal with the UI not properly reflecting paste status - nothing sinister.
*Blue dividers between each page of the viewPager
*Sharing files now works! Select 1 or more files and send them via 3rd party app.
*Files can now be opened in 3rd party apps from the file view screen *Files can be MD5 summed and compared in the file view screen
*I did some checking and things seem to work in Froyo too
*Tinkered with the file icon logic a little bit, and in addition to some less obvious things I got apk icons working. *Based on some of the name suggestions, I renamed the app to "File Swipe." Name still isn't final, but someone mentioned that "Swipe" was a bit confusing. I'm listening to your name suggestions, so please keep em' coming.
*Polished up the action bar icons a tad bit (Search used to be a little too fuzzy, Data summary was too small, add didn't reflect that it was for adding folders, and bookmarks was too dark.)
UPDATE - 2/27/2012
New stuff:
*Themes! In addition to the original ICS Holo Light theme, we now have a dark and light-with-dark-actionbar theme. (You need to exit the app using the new exit button in order to get the themes to switch properly. Working on fixing this.) CAVEAT: There is currently a bug in ActionBarSherlock which prevents the loading of action bar icons when they are referenced via theme. Therefore, for now we are stuck with text instead of icons on the action bar. According to Jake Wharton's github bug tracker, we are about 9 days away from another Release Candidate, and the bug should be fixed then. Until then, don't freak out! (fixed now)
*A lot of internal refactoring and housecleaning. Not that interesting to you guys, but it had to be done in order to make themes work.
*App now handles reopening and orientation changes without crapping out (used to stop updating the navigation dropdown and would sometimes force close on actions). Learned some interesting things about viewpagers (the swipey pages as found in the market) in the last few days, so I'm hoping to be able to share that info with other coders out there in some fashion.
*The beginnings of a settings page (whoooo!)
*Settings includes the theme switcher and a popup to update the default directory. Haven't gotten it to verify directory input yet, so don't go too crazy.
*A new exit button. As mentioned earlier, you need to exit in order to get the themes to load properly. May disappear later. Not sure.
UPDATE - 3/5/2012
New stuff:
*Nothing show-stopping. Just little tweaks and fixes here and there
*After talking with some of you guys, tapping on a file now opens the file instead of a details screen. Details are now reached via the menu. The option will only present itself when a single file item is selected. Keep up the feedback (because I listen)!
*Tweaked some of the colors a little to provide contrast between file names and file details.
*Pulled in the latest code base from Jake Wharton's ActionBarSherlock. Therein lies the real bounty of changes. (This guy is a beast)
*Pre-3.0 users now get a proper ICS navigation dropdown, instead of that bloody spinner list.
*Icons are back, so things are looking normal again.
UPDATE - 3/28/2012
Holy bugger this has been a crazy month. Since the last update, I moved from PA to NC and started a new job. It's been a while but thanks for your patience.
New stuff:
*I'm back! (whoooooooo!)
*A hopefully bug-free scroll position/history stack. Essentially this means that instead of taking you up a level, the back button returns you to the previous folder you were at (each scroll pane gets its own history too), and it also remembers your scroll position when you go back. It's a small touch, but it really makes the whole thing more natural.
*Moved the pagertitlestrip from the bottom to the top and changed the styling a bit (as inspired by today's google maps/navigation update today). You'll all have to let me know if you like the change. Haven't figured out how to shrink the text size on it either, so those caps should be less obnoxiously large sometime soon. I'll try and make sure you don't have to wait another month before the next update Maybe sometime this weekend. Depends on how ambitious I am.
Update 4-11-2012
The most obvious change for today is the the theme. I've switched the default over to the app's "Identity" theme. The new goods are pictured in the updated screenshots. I've also fixed the app so that it displays the navigation dropdown at load time, and I figured out the bug that was making everyone's root file location only display one folder. There are probably some other small visual tweaks, but nothing that important.
Download "Alpha 9" apk here: http://goo.gl/olMcn

have been following the development on rootz for a while now but never tested the app for more than a few minutes. 95% of the stuff I need a file explorer for requires root, so really looking forward to that

XlAfbk said:
have been following the development on rootz for a while now but never tested the app for more than a few minutes. 95% of the stuff I need a file explorer for requires root, so really looking forward to that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, what are the root functions that you engage in most often?

bkensey said:
Just curious, what are the root functions that you engage in most often?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the most used, for most users, are copy/cut/paste/delete files on /system, and set permissions for files there.
Sent from my X10 Mini Pro using Tapatalk

Felimenta97 said:
I think the most used, for most users, are copy/cut/paste/delete files on /system, and set permissions for files there.
Sent from my X10 Mini Pro using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I figured. As soon as I can get my file operation scheduler hammered out, I can start on the root file operations. The ones you mentioned are at the top of my list.

the ones mentioned + change owner, create softlink, run .sh script (basicly it's just "busybox sh script.sh")

No root here. I but zip unzip show/hide hidden files would be awesome

blackbearblanc said:
No root here. I but zip unzip show/hide hidden files would be awesome
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Yeah, and that too still keep me on Root Explorer. But if you do what I said + what the guy I quoted said, I move to Holo File Explorer.
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Agree with all the requests features so far, but for the record, the UI looks immaculate. Can't wait for it to get full root functionality.

dialmformostyn said:
Agree with all the requests features so far, but for the record, the UI looks immaculate. Can't wait for it to get full root functionality.
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Immaculate is what I was going for
Just posted a new update with file sorting included. Useful if you're checking the download folder.

Archive is what compared to delete?

blackbearblanc said:
Archive is what compared to delete?
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That would be zip/tar/etc. I do recognize that the label "archive" should be changed (since it does have gmail/deletion meaning attached to it), but I didn't want to just use zip either because zip only refers to one kind of file compression. Any ideas on how to handle that? Should I label it "compress" or just say screw it and use "zip" to initiate zips and tars?

looks amazing! Probably gonna move over to this file explorer when root features are added.

I'd go for "zip". While technically it's not correct everyone knows what it means with zip being the most known archive format.

XlAfbk said:
I'd go for "zip". While technically it's not correct everyone knows what it means with zip being the most known archive format.
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Fair enough. I'll switch the label over for the next update. I'll look at a better icon too. I don't think the current one is very good for "zip," especially since there is a pretty cohesive icon design language out there for Zip already.

bkensey said:
Fair enough. I'll switch the label over for the next update. I'll look at a better icon too. I don't think the current one is very good for "zip," especially since there is a pretty cohesive icon design language out there for Zip already.
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Yeah. Just the icon. Looks like Gmail archive as u said

Looking really good, I will be following closely, once it has root stuff I will swap from root explorer in a heartbeat, actually, I will install it, and let you know what I normally can do with root explorer but is missing from this, as I am not 100% sure what you need root access todo.
Main root (I think?) stuff I do:
Accessing the root dir, messing with system files permissions, and pasting apks into the system dirs.

This might become my primary file tool once it gains root powers. Looking very great.

-Root with mount system as writable and change permissions;
-LAN/FTP;
-Dropbox.
With these Holo File Explorer would have no rival. Would be PERFECT!

Looks really nice, but unfortunately it shows only the LOST.DIR folder from my sd, nothing additional.
Running a desire s with cm9.