PNG Image and APK help?

[TheSwaggeR]

Oops, looks like I forgot to download a 7-zip to use. Thought I downloaded it.

Went to this site:

Download

But not sure WHICH 7-zip to download?

Download .exe 32-bit x86 7-Zip for 32-bit Windows
Download .msi 32-bit x86 7-Zip for 32-bit Windows
Download .msi 64-bit x64 7-Zip for 64-bit Windows x64 (Intel 64 or AMD64)
Download .msi IA-64 7-Zip for IA-64 Itanium CPU
Download .exe ARM 7-Zip for Windows Mobile / Windows CE (ARM)
Download .zip 32-bit 7-Zip Command Line Version
Download .tar.bz2 Any 7-Zip Source code
Download .7z 32-bit 7z Library, SFXs for installers, Plugin for FAR Manager
Download .tar.bz2 Any LZMA SDK (C, C++, C#, Java)

I have a 32-bit Windows Vista. So I know any of the 64-bit I can't download.

 

[trook]

I have the first one, I am also running 32 bit vista.

 

[TheSwaggeR]

OK, got it. From the looks of it, it doesn't look much different than what WinRAR does. But I'm assuming 7-zip works better for mobile phones rather than using WinRAR?

 

[TheSwaggeR]

Here's what I've accomplished so far. Now onto learning how to do everything else that you guys have provided me.

 

[trook]

I use winrar for this too, but 7 zip is better for rezipping framework-res files. looks good.

 

[TheSwaggeR]

I can't seem to find a JDK (Java Development Kit) for the Windows Vista 32-bit x86 anywhere. Tried off the site of Oracle but all they had was for the x64 which won't work on my x86.

 

[TheSwaggeR]

Running xUltimate now. Was able to pull odex files off my phone but couldn't get to #3 on the CMD.

****
-Windows x86-
-adb pull- **FAIL**
-odex- **FAIL**
-7z- **PASS**
-busybox- **PASS**
-java- **PASS**
-temp- **PASS**

Deodex Skip!

Redex Skip!

Been looking everywhere to find some sort of instructions on how to get this going.

 

[Jim 777]

Sorry been out all day.

For everything I've done, I've only needed PS, 7-zip and another Xultimate than the deodexing one to create .9.png files. These are the ones that need to "stretch". As for the framework-res icons, you swap 'em in just like other apk files, but for putting back in the phone, I find it way easier to put it in an "update zip" folder and install like a ROM.

 

[TheSwaggeR]

Yeah, I've spent about 4 hours maybe searching this site and other sites and researching the whole 9 yards about using xUltimate. Haven't seen one person show a log like mine. Haven't really even seen any useful information to help me out here.

Plus, all this xUltimate stuff was back in the middle of last year and hasn't had any updates ever since. Almost looks like people have abandoned that project which leads me to believe that there must be a much better, easier way to do all this work changing these files, revamping a theme, or building a theme from scratch.

So there is another xUltimate to use rather than trying to deodex my Droid 2?

What I've actually learned and tested so far. I ran the Main.exe from xUltimate, could only get step 1 and 2 done since 3 is coming up with errors. Looked at my origi_app and origi_frame and there is a bunch of files in each.

One step mentioned to edit a file change the APK to ZIP at the end. Add it to 7-zip. Copy the res folder to a Image folder (create the Image folder to work in so you don't mess anything else up) then pull out the PNG files and put it on GIMP or PS then save over that file when finished. I haven't done any work to the PNG files. I don't see any .9.PNG files. Just a bunch of PNG files.

Don't you have to Sign these files when done? I have Stericson's Auto-Signing and added the files to the tools folder in the SDK. They make it seem like it's really imperative to sign files before pushing it back to your phone.

This is a lot of information for me to consume at once and I'm trying to eliminate the useless or outdated information and use the most current tools that will allow me to customize framework files and app files and also evetually revamp or build a theme.

You ought to see how many files I went through downloading from different sites. It's ridiculous. It can't take this many files to do all this work.

Here's what I have currently:

AutoSigning (Stericson's)
AutoSigning (unknown)
AXML Printer jar
AXML Printer
Baksmali
Smali
Eclipse (supposedly some kind of Java developing tool)
HxD
PNG Gauntlet
PSPad
SDK
xUltimate
xUltimate Color Converter
xUltimate Draw9Patch
xUltimate Theme/Optimizer

Wish someone would update instructions and push out the newest, easiest way to do all of this cause I can't believe I need all of this to do that kind of work.

 

[trook]

There are a couple good tutorials in the themeing section of this forum, it will answer a couple of your questions. I pretty much get a theme for the rom im running, then take icons out of the drawable hdpi folders and swap them into the same folder of the theme I want to use, if I want to change a color or something, I use gimp. Ive never created from scratch but I do know that when I edit an existing theme even if I rename it I dont have to resign it. But when creating a new theme it will need to be signed.

 

[TheSwaggeR]

Ok so let's say you take a png image file from one of the APKs from the Red GB for Liberty 1.5, change the color or other stuff to it, then you swap the new png over the old one?

Would I need to reflash the Red GB theme for my stuff to go through?

Jim 777 mentioned putting it in the update.zip file. Am I suppose to put the new png file back into the APK file, rename the zip to APK and then put it in the update.zip file off my sdcard?

A bit confusing.

 

[Jim 777]

Ok so let's say you take a png image file from one of the APKs from the Red GB for Liberty 1.5, change the color or other stuff to it, then you swap the new png over the old one?

Would I need to reflash the Red GB theme for my stuff to go through?

Jim 777 mentioned putting it in the update.zip file. Am I suppose to put the new png file back into the APK file, rename the zip to APK and then put it in the update.zip file off my sdcard?

A bit confusing.

It can be confusing. If you're not editing/changing any .9.png files, don't worry about the Xultimate info I've tried to convey, it's not important.

Once you use 7zip to put the new pngs in to the apk file (I always create a copy of the original apk file as a back up), I then have an installable zip folder that I use 7zip to put in my edited apk file. I then install it from ROM Manager and that way the apk goes where it should with the proper permissions and all.

As for signing, I've never signed anything as I believe you only have to sign things that are going to be placed in the /data/app folder. Things that go in /system/app do not need to be signed.

It's all easier than it reads. I wish I could show you because I read what I'm typing and realize that it reads way more confusing that it is. :icon_evil:

 

[TheSwaggeR]

Ahhh, ok. Let's see if I can put these in steps in what you suggest. Correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Connect USB Droid 2 and Laptop
2. Open directory to phone and go into /system
3. Find the specific APK to edit
4. Copy APK to designed folder on laptop
5. Change APK to ZIP for 7-zip to be able to read
6. Go into framework-res\res folder and find specific PNG
7. Edit according to what I want in GIMP or PS CS5
8. Save new PNG file or whatever over the existing PNG or whatever
9. Place the new ZIP file on root of SDcard on the Droid 2? (not sure if you want me to put it inside the update.zip or whatever)
10. not sure which feature on ROM Manager to push the new APK (ZIP file) to change what I've edited