[Q] I really need some help dealing with image files... - General Questions and Answers

So basically what I am doing is fixing some of this application's code(and I assure that the developer of this app allowed free modification). Currently, this app shows pl_starthere.png for certain time, and apparently is stated as an bitmap file. But I wanted to put animated gif file instead of it.
So I changed the animated file's name into pl_starthere.gif, deleted the original png file, and fixed the file name in the smali file into that gif file. However, it showed me stationary image.
The point is, how can I make it animated? I could probably copy and paste the whole code onto this thread if necessary, but I thought this may be enough for code gurus at xda(and really hope it actually is).
Well, thanks for reading. I would really appreciate any kind of help.

I'm still new to Android myself but from my experience with Windows I know that the program being used to display the image has to be coded to be able to display animated images otherwise it treats them as static. Which means code would have to be added to the app for that.

Related

TF2D Background Image Change

Hi everyone,
I'd like to make a TF2D theme where the background would change according to preset dates. Somewhere in the TF2D the program already changes the AM PM image by using the time. Can anyone think of a way to make this happen by using the date?
no, its not possible unless you wrote an outside program that would update the xml file and reset the program for you. am and pm change the same way the "clock" changes it reads the digit and apply a corresponding picture file, this is written into the program and cannot be changed unless you have the source code, which we do not have and is why we continue to reverse engineer the software.
Thanks for the reply. So I take it that the phone apps have two files for the programmer. One is the source file and then the program file is made from that. Kind of like when I use flash. I have the fla file while the webpage gets the swf file.
Maybe some day we can do this. I thought it would be cool to do a 12 Days of Christmas theme with a new bg for each day.
wp

Internet Shortcut Tabs

Is there a way to refresh the internet shortcut tabs so that they will show current web pages??? Also one of my pages didn't load all the way so my Internet Shortcut tab has a half loaded page on it...This is ridiculous!!!
Nevermind
I figured it out! Go to \Windows\Thumbnails and delete them all. Then reload your webpage once you have a 3G Connection... Plus it would help if I upgraded to Opera 10
babyface215 said:
I figured it out! Go to \Windows\Thumbnails and delete them all. Then reload your webpage once you have a 3G Connection... Plus it would help if I upgraded to Opera 10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, it sounds like you have found a solution to your problem; however, I thought I would let you know that you can create your own images for the internedt tab thumbnails. Rather than have a mini-screenshot type thing that is currently there simply make an icon (in PhotoShop, Fireworks, Corel or whatever your preferred image editing app is).
To implement this, do as follows:
*Copy the PNG files from the Windows/Thumbnails directory to your PC.
*Open each in your image editing software.
*The current size is not really necessary and can make for a larger file size. Reduce the canvas down to 128x128 (this seems to produce a reasonable image without too much resolution loss).
*Create your icon/preferred thumbnail image.
*Save as PNG8 (with alpha transperancy if you want a transparent background). PNG8 will keep your filesize down.
*Remember when you save to keep the same filename. It should be a long string of numbers and letters.
*Copy your new files back to your device Windows/Thumbnails directory.
*Voila! New thumbnails, no mini screenshots.
The reason you want to keep your file sizes down is so that there is no lag time when you get to the internet tab. If you have large files, it takes a minute for the tab to load the thumbnails.
Perhaps you can answer this for me
Franwella said:
Hi, it sounds like you have found a solution to your problem; however, I thought I would let you know that you can create your own images for the internedt tab thumbnails. Rather than have a mini-screenshot type thing that is currently there simply make an icon (in PhotoShop, Fireworks, Corel or whatever your preferred image editing app is).
To implement this, do as follows:
*Copy the PNG files from the Windows/Thumbnails directory to your PC.
*Open each in your image editing software.
*The current size is not really necessary and can make for a larger file size. Reduce the canvas down to 128x128 (this seems to produce a reasonable image without too much resolution loss).
*Create your icon/preferred thumbnail image.
*Save as PNG8 (with alpha transperancy if you want a transparent background). PNG8 will keep your filesize down.
*Remember when you save to keep the same filename. It should be a long string of numbers and letters.
*Copy your new files back to your device Windows/Thumbnails directory.
*Voila! New thumbnails, no mini screenshots.
The reason you want to keep your file sizes down is so that there is no lag time when you get to the internet tab. If you have large files, it takes a minute for the tab to load the thumbnails.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something happened when I deleted my cache files and my thumbnails. I tried placing several internet tabs back but they will not load. Netflix, CNN, ESPN..etc..etc... the only ones that show up in the internet tabs favorites are new pages/favorites that I have not added or been to before.
Having exactly the same problem. Looking for a fix.
Thanks.
Do either of you have the original PNG file names?
I am unsure whether Windows or Manila creates a random number for the file name when a new thumbnail is produced. I suspect this may be the case.
If the file names tend to be the same then I can send you some of mine to test.
I have attached an images of my thumbnails and file names. Perhaps this will help. I'm happy to share the files if it will be of assistance; however, I suspect that the file names may not be the same as yours.
Do you have any files in the folder:
device/thumbnails
If you do, and you are happy to send them to me (with the name of the site they link too), then I am more than happy to create some thumbnails for your and roll them all into an easy to install cab
Thanks,
Yes, I have files in the Windows\Thumbnails folder, but only the new once that I create.
When I recreate a quick link that was used in the past (CNN….) No Thumbnails is created in the Windows\Thumbnails folder.
I think this might be what you are looking for:
Update thumbnail images of shortcuts on the Sense 2.5 internet tab
If you want those images to change to the actual picture of the site when you open them, instead of the old picture of what the site looked like when you first opened it, change this registry key: HKLM/SOFTWARE/HTC/VisualBookmark/UpdateOnce to 0 instead of 1.
Pasted from <http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=641804>
Thanks,
Changed to "0" in the registry, SR, set PIE as default browser - No Go
I checked again, the moment I delete a Thumbnails related to a site, I can't assign again any image to that site (to replace the "globe" image).
Need help!!!
Rittberg said:
Thanks,
Changed to "0" in the registry, SR, set PIE as default browser - No Go
I checked again, the moment I delete a Thumbnails related to a site, I can't assign again any image to that site (to replace the "globe" image).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi all,
Has anybody found a fix or know how to sort it out?
Deleted my thumbnails and now can't change the icon from a globe.
Can anybody help please.
Many thanks.
Franwella said:
Do either of you have the original PNG file names?
I am unsure whether Windows or Manila creates a random number for the file name when a new thumbnail is produced. I suspect this may be the case.
If the file names tend to be the same then I can send you some of mine to test.
I have attached an images of my thumbnails and file names. Perhaps this will help. I'm happy to share the files if it will be of assistance; however, I suspect that the file names may not be the same as yours.
Do you have any files in the folder:
device/thumbnails
If you do, and you are happy to send them to me (with the name of the site they link too), then I am more than happy to create some thumbnails for your and roll them all into an easy to install cab
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Franwella
I send to you some my internet thumbnail ( diferent name with your) and reg file of Internet Push.
Please help me to make a icon for there thumbnail and make a cab if posible
Thank a lot
http://www.mediafire.com/?mmweynz2zaj#1
ilovepiaggio said:
Hi Franwella
I send to you some my internet thumbnail ( diferent name with your) and reg file of Internet Push.
Please help me to make a icon for there thumbnail and make a cab if posible
Thank a lot
http://www.mediafire.com/?mmweynz2zaj#1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Here you go, I have made the attached thumbnails for you (using your original filenames).
I have included an image showing the new thumbnails and associated filenames.
All you need to do is copy and paste the files into 'device/windows/thumbnail' folder using Resco, Total Commander or similar. Overwrite the files that are currently in the folder.
That's it! It's done!
Go have a look at our internet tab and you will find the new thumbnails are displayed.
Note: I have a copy of your original files as a backup.
Franwella said:
Hi
Here you go, I have made the attached thumbnails for you (using your original filenames).
I have included an image showing the new thumbnails and associated filenames.
All you need to do is copy and paste the files into 'device/windows/thumbnail' folder using Resco, Total Commander or similar. Overwrite the files that are currently in the folder.
That's it! It's done!
Go have a look at our internet tab and you will find the new thumbnails are displayed.
Note: I have a copy of your original files as a backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank a lot
Ok, I never had this problem until now and I've done this countless times. My custom Youtube shortcut reverts back to the default thumbnail when I click on it. The others shortcuts are fine. Something like this can drive me nuts kinda...Any ideas guys? Thanks.
Edit: The problem has affected all the shortcuts.
Globe be gone!!
Rutster said:
Hi all,
Has anybody found a fix or know how to sort it out?
Deleted my thumbnails and now can't change the icon from a globe.
Can anybody help please.
Many thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem - after deleting the thumbnails I couldn't get them back. New shortcuts to new URL's worked, but everything else just gave the globe.
The solution that worked for me was to delete vb.vol in \windows (I stumbled across this after reading the "Manual Backup Stuff - Manila/Sense Internet Tab Shortcuts" section of http //whirlpool.net.au/wiki/htc_hd2_backup )
Don't have a solution for auto-updating the thumbnails, though

Disable smileys/emoticons on HTC One X?

Okay, well today, I picked up a new HTC One X. First impressions were pretty good, and I have to say that as of yet, it's looking like it's a pretty good handset.
However; there's one thing about it that really bugs me. SMS messages apparently force you to use these utterly horrific smileys. I was never a fan of the old android icons that occasionally popped up, but these icons are just plain god-awful. Is there any way of disabling them?
(To be honest, I'd much prefer just to have your standard ASCII faces... Not to mention, if you happen to need to send a message that just happens to have the characters in that order, I'd rather not have badly made face icons appearing in the middle of it..)
bump. I can't believe htc require you to install a 3rd-party sms app in order to be able to get rid of emoticons. I'm a 40-yr old man, I don't want to see a crappy cartoon face in my text messages...
thanks for this nice q
3lliot said:
bump. I can't believe htc require you to install a 3rd-party sms app in order to be able to get rid of emoticons. I'm a 40-yr old man, I don't want to see a crappy cartoon face in my text messages...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly... Not to mention, they're so badly designed that I spend more time working out what emotion they're actually supposed to convey, rather than reading the actual message...
Seems slightly out of place, too. The rest of the UI is nice and clean, fairly sleek looking - then you have these ridiculous cartoon faces slapped accross all of your texts..
I'm going to go ahead and bring this thread back from the dead.
Last time I tired to fix this by modifying my framework files and ended up soft-bricking my phone.
There's got to be a better way.
bump?
Untested Solution
EDIT: I looked more into it, and it gets pretty complicated. According to a StackExchange post I found (link in the attached .txt file), you can go through a process to retrieve the source code from the original .apk file BUT it requires the classes.dex file to be intact. That means you have to de-odex the Message+Nonprime.odex file, "re-dex" it into classes.dex, and add it to the Message+Nonprime.apk archive (can simply change the extension to .zip and add the file before continuing the linked steps).
After following all of those steps, I ended up with the source code and readable XML files. Unfortunately, trying to open them in Eclipse does not work, as I'm apparently missing key HTC resources (or I just don't know where the resources files should be pointing). I was hoping for the ability to just change the name across any necessary files, then repackage, but it doesn't seem to work like this.
I've also tried taking the original APK, adding the .dex file (created from the .odex -> files/folders -> dex process) inside, and signing the package (after deleting the META-INF folder containing HTC's signed information). I was hoping that signing the package after renaming it to Message2.0.apk would allow me to install it as a user application (I don't have root or the ability to change the bootloader to overwrite system applications, due to the 4.2.2 update) but the install always fails since "the application is already installed." If I knew how to modify the files within classes.dex properly, I'm sure I could rename the entire package and create a "New" application, but for now I've hit a brick wall. Hopefully if anyone reads this they can build on my failed attempts.
======================================================
======================================================
I stumbled on this (admittedly old) thread, and I don't know if anyone cares, but I've figured out what seems to be key in disabling smiley images from appearing. Below is the information of the phone I'm working with:
Phone Model Number: HTC One X
Android Version: 4.2.2
HTC Sense Version: 5.0
Software number: 5.18.502.1
HTC SDK API level: 5.41
Android uses "SmileyParser" to watch for certain key combinations and replace them with preset images. The theory is that by changing the strings SmilelyParser checks, it won't ever find a match, and they won't be replaced.
I found the Message application under /system/app/Message+Nonprime.apk. HTC's Message application utilizes Android's android.com.mms but has custom functionality/themes (I'm assuming)
Using ADB (Android SDK tool to browse filestructure), I used "adb pull [source] [local]" to copy the .apk and .odex files
I used "smali-#-#-#.jar" and "baksmali-#-#-#.jar" to convert the .odex file
The output of the tool gives a file structure with editable files. I navigated to com/android/mms/util/
In this folder, there are two key files: SmileyParser.smali, and SmileyParserOne.smali. I believe the "One" version may be modified to work with HTC One phones, but I'm not 100% sure (content looks similar)
I opened each file with Notepad++ and found "const string" references with the text version of an emoticon. The code seems to match those with "aput objects" but I don't know 100%
I modified each string (within the quotes) by just adding an 'x' to hopefully thwart the string match. Basically, the phone should wait until x or x is fully matched before replacing the smiley
I'll note again, I did the EXACT same process in both .smali files I mentioned, and I touched ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE. There's no telling what you'll break if those don't compile correctly (which is why I also avoided adding a longer string, in case memory allocation issues cropped up)
I then repackaged the entire output I created into a new .odex file
Now, here's where things get tricky. I don't have a rooted phone, so I can't actually replace the .odex inside of the /system/app folder. I may work on testing on my phone (but I don't get a lot of time and really would not like to brick it), but I'm worried since I'm running a very recently updated Sense version (and there may not be reliable root processes, I have no idea).
If anyone has a rooted HTC One X (check above for the exact software version I have) that would like to try out the modified .odex file (apk is mostly UI/theme, .odex contains the actual programming logic) I am providing the .zip containing the apk and odex files. I've also tried installing the apk+odex with "adb install X/X.apk" but the application has a name buried in the structure (probably everywhere) and I have no idea how to rename it everywhere that's required.
If someone knows how to take a package and re-compile it with a new name, I could potentially re-install "Message 2.0" as a user app without any root privileges required. That's another option I'm looking into (since I'd really rather not root and potentially lose my stored data).
The same problem is still occurring in 2018. I would try your solution, but it's outdated. I'll have to dive in and edit the files myself if a solution isn't found. Although, in that case, I would probably match something further from the x, preferably with 2 bytes because as you said, memory issues might pop up and I'm not sure just how far they went with this.

[Q] XML Questions for my apk ... (X-post from DNA)

Hi,
I've been trying to make this app mostly for personal use.
I actually am just changing/designing the images to just skin it really.
Feel free to check it out ( http://db.tt/qfFVq7uz ) (see attached as well), but I have a question or two about the xml stuff.
In the settings, I want to change the links that are inside there that go to other site to basically reroute them to our website.
I have tried looking at the xml files, I'm assuming that's where the link gets it's info, but not 100% sure.
Can anyone point me in the right direction on how to change these links. Changing the images and signing the apk is no problem for me so far.
Just a little help needed with the xml stuff. I can see it with an xml reader/editor, but it all looks foreign when I open it. I know html and what should do what, so I'm not completely useless when looking at it!
Thanks so much!

[Completed] Video to .qmg (bootanimation)

This is so stupid difficult & I'm not sure why. I'm only mildly tech savvy. I can read & write, know how to plug things in, change a battery in a car, or phone alike. My point is I'm not special. I thought this stuff was supposed to be wicked easy. Let me begin my trouble from the android app, S Boot Animations. When open w/ root it's basically a short cut for the Samsung boot, bootloop, & shutdown so one does not have to use a root explorer and remove & replace the files manually. There's also a link called 'Download Animations' that takes us to a site that hasn't been updated since 2014 as I see it. The address is: http://www.note2forum.com/forum/galaxy-note-3-development/4505-tool-change-boot-animation-your-galaxy-note-3-all-carriers.html
It contains uploaded bootanimation's for Android. They're pretty cool. There's one on page 5 that I particularly like. Maybe I have a dark mind, but I think it's the best hands down, not just in theme, but in artistic merit. The animation is called 'Android Propaganda' it was supposedly created by SimsDelt & uploaded by, or at least archived by ScottyBeGood in Photobucket. That's the site linked to the GIF if you click on it. The zip for it's corrupted. It contains nothing. I tried searching for it on other sites & it exists in exactly the same way on all sites including xda. I downloaded something else that works, but alas I'm obsessive and not easily satiated.
I downloaded the GIF & renamed it the respective qmg (bootsamsung.qmg). It failed. The load screen for my Galaxy Note 4 remains & no animation occurs. I converted the GIF into MP4 & again renamed it in hopes it would be a valid qmg, but again it failed. I know it's not user error & there's a difference in the files, because when I open 'my qmg' file it will play as a video. If I open one of the downloaded qmg's that wasn't corrupted & installed correctly it just blinks, but doesn't open. But that's what it takes. That's how to know it's a true qmg & not simply named as one. I've looked for video to qmg, & MP4 to qmg & the closest thing I could find to applicable software is Any Video Converter (AVC). It had a small description in the search engine implying it uses qmg format, but it was the only one & it looked sketchy. They have soooo many formats to pick from, but nay, not one is qmg. The only other thing I can find on this is how to make your own bootanimation from scratch. It involves compiling single frame .png files in the correct frame for your phone & then blah, blah, blah with Samsung Theme Designer from a desktop. You can see it here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2189934 WTF?? Isn't that essentially what a video converter does? It seems so counterproductive to take a video in full that looks the way I want it to, that's already perfectly suited for my phone, & break it down to put it back together again. Which quite frankly I don't know how to do, nor do I really want to spend hours figuring it out. I'd much rather spat my woes to you wonderful people, because there HAS to be a better way. Really, should I even have to get off my phone to do this? I did everything up to the point where it said I need a desktop to use Samsung Theme Designer, from my Note 4. Then I started doing it & was like 'This just doesn't make sense.' What y'all think?
Hi there and welcome to Assist,
We do not respond for external sources but you may want to create your own bootanimation just like that using this tutorial:
[TUTORIAL] How to create and install android bootanimations from scratch
Or this one: [10.12.2013][TOOL]Boot Animation Factory-Create,Preview and Manage Boot Animations
If you don't want to create on your own, you may request here: Homemade Bootanimations Collection + How To Install/make + Enable/Disable
You'll have to create an account to post in the main forums if you have any other questions.
Good luck

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