[30/08][TUTORIAL][GUIDE] Learn to make your own 'eye-candy' mods [Easy Steps]
Hi, I'm open this thread with the intention of help to all the people who wants give some 'eye-candy' to their SGSII. I'm taking as base the mods that I made for the Resurrection Remix ROM but this not means that only work on the RR ROM, since, what you can find here are guides, the only necessary to do it's follow the steps with the files from the ROM that you want.
Feedback and comments are welcome.
Remember, always make a Nandroid Backup before of flash any mod!
If you are using the "Technical way" and have some troubles at the moment of decompile/compile, take a look on this thread.
⊗ INDEX OF TUTORIALS ⊗
Decompile the .apk method [Technical Way]
How-to modify the SystemUI background
How-to modify the Dialer background
How-to change the Lockscreen Icon to swype
How-to add the Carrier Name on the status bar
Drag & Drop Method [Easy Steps for noobs]
How-to modify the SystemUI background
How-to modify the Dialer background
How-to modify the Toggles of the notification area
Useful Guides
How-to do it your own theme by kroz46 Drag & Drop Method [Easy Steps for noobs]
'VRTheme template' method by VillainROM team [Tested with Jelly Bean builds]
'Universal Flasher Tool' method [NOT tested with Jelly Bean builds]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⊗ Decompile the .apk method [Technical way] ⊗
⊗ How-to modify the SystemUI background ⊗
1.- Extract the
framework-res.apk from the path
/system/framework, for do this just decompress the main .zip of your ROM
2.- Decompile the
framework-res.apk with
Android-Utility if you are on Linux & MAC (this a powerful tool and very simple to use, please read all the OP of @TommyTommatoe) if you are on Windows then use
APK Tool
3.- Go to the path
/res/drawable-nodpi
4.- Rename the image that you want use as
background_holo_dark.png (remember that the image needs to be a resolution of 480x800 for a better experience)
5.- Paste the image on the folder
/res/drawable-nodpi for replace the original one
8.- Compile the framework-res.apk
9.- Sign the framework-res.apk
10.-
Here you have an example of the needed folders to make your modded apk flashable through recovery, the
META-INF folder contain the script to make flashable the files if you want modify for show some custom text during the installation, go to the path /com/google/android/updater-script and modify the lines that i mark there. Then place the SystemUI.apk in the path
/system/app (as you can see this just follow the structure of the folders in the main .zip of all the ROM's)
11.- Compress the folders META-INF and system in one .zip, name it as you want.
12.- Enjoy the MOD
⊗ How-to modify the Dialer background ⊗
1.- Extract the
Contacts.apk from the path
/system/app, for do this just decompress the main .zip of your ROM
2.- Decompile the
Contacts.apk with
Android-Utility if you are on Linux & MAC (this a powerful tool and very simple to use, please read all the OP of @TommyTommatoe) if you are on Windows then use
APK Tool
3.- Go to the path
/res/drawable-nodpi
4.- Rename the image that you want use as
background_dial_holo_dark.png (remember that the image needs to be a resolution of 480x800 for a better experience)
5.- Paste the image on the folder
/res/drawable-nodpi for replace the original one
8.- Compile the Contacts.apk
9.- Sign the Contacts.apk
10.-
Here you have an example of the needed folders to make your modded apk flashable through recovery, the
META-INF folder contain the script to make flashable the files if you want modify for show some custom text during the installation, go to the path /com/google/android/updater-script and modify the lines that i mark there. Then place the SystemUI.apk in the path
/system/app (as you can see this just follow the structure of the folders in the main .zip of all the ROM's)
11.- Compress the folders META-INF and system in one .zip, name it as you want.
12.- Enjoy the MOD
⊗ Drag & Drop Method [Easy Steps for noobs] ⊗
⊗ How-to change the SystemUI background ⊗
1.- Extract the
framework-res.apk from the main zip of your ROM and open it with a double clic
5.- Go to the path
/res/drawable-nodpi
6.- Rename the image that you want use as background_holo_dark.png (remember that the image needs to be a resolution of 480x800 for a better experience)
7.- Drag and drop the image on the folder
/res/drawable-nodpi for replace the original one
8.-
Here you have an example of the needed folders to make your modded apk flashable through recovery, the
META-INF folder contain the script to make flashable the files if you want modify for show some custom text during the installation, go to the path /com/google/android/updater-script and modify the lines that i mark there. Then place the SystemUI.apk in the path
/system/app (as you can see this just follow the structure of the folders in the main .zip of all the ROM's)
9.- Compress the folders META-INF and system in one .zip, name it as you want.
10.- Enjoy the MOD
⊗ How-to change the Dialer background ⊗
1.- Extract the
Contacts.apk from the main zip of your ROM and open it with a double clic
2.- Go to the path
/res/drawable-nodpi
3.- Rename the image that you want use as background_dial_holo_dark.png (remember that the image needs to be a resolution of 480x800 for a better experience)
4.- Drag and drop the image on the folder
/res/drawable-nodpi for replace the original
5.-
Here you have an example of the needed folders to make your modded apk flashable through recovery, the
META-INF folder contain the script to make flashable the files if you want modify for show some custom text during the installation, go to the path /com/google/android/updater-script and modify the lines that i mark there. Then place the SystemUI.apk in the path
/system/app (as you can see this just follow the structure of the folders in the main .zip of all the ROM's)
6.- Compress the folders META-INF and system in one .zip, name it as you want.
7.- Enjoy the MOD
⊗ How-to change the Toggles of the notification area ⊗
1.- Extract the
SystemUI.apk from your ROM and open it with a double clic.
2.- Go to the path
/res/drawable
3.- Here you need replace the two images named:
btn_off.png and
btn_on.png
4.- When you have your images ready just drag and drop both images on the folder
/res/drawable to replace the originals.
5.- Go to the path
/res/drawable-hdpi and find all the images for the toggles, example:
toggle_2g_1.png
6.- When you have your images ready just drag and drop both images on the folder
/res/drawable-hdpi to replace the originals.
7.-
Here you have an example of the needed folders to make your modded apk flashable through recovery, the
META-INF folder contain the script to make flashable the files if you want modify for show some custom text during the installation, go to the path /com/google/android/updater-script and modify the lines that i mark there. Then place the SystemUI.apk in the path
/system/app (as you can see this just follow the structure of the folders in the main .zip of all the ROM's)
8.- Compress the folders META-INF and system in one .zip, name it as you want.
9.- Enjoy the MOD
⊗ Extra Tutorials ⊗
⊗ How-to change the Lockscreen Icon to Swype [Technical way] ⊗
1.- Extract the
framework-res.apk from the path
/system/framework, for do this just decompress the main .zip of your ROM
2.- Decompile the
framework-res.apk with
Android-Utility if you are on Linux & MAC (this a powerful tool and very simple to use, please read all the OP of TommyTommatoe) if you are on Windows then use
APK Tool
3.- Go to the path
/res/drawable-hdpi
4.- Rename the image that you want use as
ic_lockscreen_handle_normal.png (remember, the stock image it's of 162 x 162 px)
5.- If you want change the icon when you "push" too, you need to change the image named
ic_lockscreen_handle_pressed.png too
5.- Paste the images on the folder
/res/drawable-hdpi for replace the original ones
8.- Compile the framework-res.apk
9.- Sign the framework-res.apk
10.-
Here you have an example of the needed folders to make your modded apk flashable through recovery, the
META-INF folder contain the script to make flashable the files if you want modify for show some custom text during the installation, go to the path /com/google/android/updater-script and modify the lines that i mark there. Then place the SystemUI.apk in the path
/system/app (as you can see this just follow the structure of the folders in the main .zip of all the ROM's)
11.- Compress the folders META-INF and system in one .zip, name it as you want.
12.- Enjoy the MOD
⊗ How-to add the Carrier Name on the status bar [Technical way] ⊗
1.- Extract the
SystemUI.apk from the path
/system/app, for do this just decompress the main .zip of your ROM
2.- Decompile the
SystemUI.apk with
Android-Utility (this a powerful tool and very simple to use, please read all the OP of TommyTommatoe) if you are on Windows then use
APK Tool
3.- Go to the path
/res/layout and open the status_bar.xml file
4.- Find this line:
Code:
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@id/moreIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more" />
5.- Above of that line insert this one:
Code:
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.CarrierLabel android:textAppearance="@android:style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Icon" android:textColor="@android:color/transparent" android:background="@drawable/carrier_logo" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />
6.- Save the .xml file and exit
7.- Go to the path
res/drawable-hdpi and inside put the image that you want use, named as
carrier_logo.png Note: The image must be of 100 x 45 px
8.- Compile the SystemUI.apk
9.- Sign the SystemUI.apk
10.-
Here you have an example of the needed folders to make your modded apk flashable through recovery, the
META-INF folder contain the script to make flashable the files if you want modify for show some custom text during the installation, go to the path /com/google/android/updater-script and modify the lines that i mark there. Then place the SystemUI.apk in the path
/system/app (as you can see this just follow the structure of the folders in the main .zip of all the ROM's)
11.- Compress the folders META-INF and system in one .zip, name it as you want.
12.- Enjoy the MOD
⊗ 'Universal Flasher Tool' method ⊗
NOT tested on Jelly Bean builds
The
"Universal Flasher Tool", it's a tool developed by Spanish cookers and it's very easy to use:
First of all, download the latest version from
here (the link it's on the bottom of the post)
For the people who knows spanish will be very useful if you read all the OP.
When you have the downloaded file, unzip it, inside you find 6 files:
- META-INF folder
- MORPH folder
- tools folder
- XTRAS folder
- MOD.config file
- README.txt file
As I explain here the "fast and easy" way, the only things that you need are:
- META-INF folder
- MORPH folder
- MOD.config file
On the META-INF folder, it's the installation script
(/META-INF/com/google/android/update-script) from here, the only things that you can add/modify it's the sentence
ui_print(" "); and inside of the quoutes " " write the text that you want show on the recovery, for example:
ui_print(" ");
ui_print(" <GaboWinter Mods> ");
ui_print(" <made with> ");
Honestly, for the very very noob modders i'm not recommend change anything from here,
be careful!
On the
MORPH folder you can find two folders
data and system, the files that you want change must be placed inside of the system folder,
this is a recreation of the original paths from the zip of the main ROM so, if you want change the background of the System UI you need to recreate the path (just create the folders) /system/framework/framework-res.apk/res/drawable-nodpi and inside put the file (background_holo_dark.png) that you want set, just place the image and nothing more.
This step can be used to modify multiple files, just create the folders (paths) inside the system folder
On the
MOD.config file you can find some tweaks, for example, you can set if you want or not clean the dalvik-cache when the script of installation finish, i recommend to you read the .txt file it's very simple.
As this method only changes the exact file (.png's) the mods must work on every version of your ROM (the paths never change), that's because with this we don't use the .apk's.
Have in count that this method works pretty well with images but no with .xml's and other files, if you want mod some code then follow the [Technical Steps]