How to make all fonts smaller in Android 2.0.1

[cyboreal]

I have a Droid running Android 2.0.1 and I would like to make the entire user interface use less screen space - smaller fonts, less spacing between text, smaller icons if possible, etc. The goal is to maximize the amount of content displayed on the screen. What is the easiest way to do this?

I have tried the "Spare Parts" app but it does not seem to make much difference and the changes don't persist.

Do any of the Home replacements (e.g. aHome, OpenHome, GDE, etc.) allow customization of the actual font size and provide a "compact" theme?

Thanks

[kevdog]

Ive been wondering this myself. The sizes are in the .ttf file, however I'm not sure where in the source code or what .xml file actually chooses a particular file.

[realigion]

I believe it's possible to change the text size universally by editing the resources.arsc in Framework, though I don't know how. And also, it wouldn't do anything at all because the images would be the same size, regardless of the text it has to contain.

[cyboreal]

If the icons are bitmaps and not vector then they could theoretically be sized down, right? Unless the apps hard-code the icon size.

So far, there's a lot to like about the Droid, but my Nokia phone (320x240 screen) was more useful for some production work (e.g. e-mail, project management) because applications assumed a small screen and so made efficient use of the screen space. I would have no problem using a stylus on the Droid if it meant being able to make good use of the massive screen. I wouldn't need my netbook when traveling.

Are there any hackers out there that are interested in this? I've seen themes that switch out icons, maybe someone could design a theme that switches them out for smaller icons, allows the user to adjust the font size and spacing of elements, etc. I'd pay good money for a theme that lets me do that.

[kevdog]

Any tips on how to modify the resourses.arsc file?

[realigion]

Cyboreal, I do believe it's possible, but I mean it's absolutely pointless. Here's the reason why.

No matter what the actual icon (or text) size is, the phone will always (I believe) put the same amount of space behind the text/icon for it to take up. So if you have a square that's 100x100, and has a 75x75 icon in it, even if the icon is shrunken to 25x25 the area square the icon is within would still always be 100x100.
Edit: Besides this, using a stylus is not possible on the Droid because it's capacitive (uses the static from your skin) to register contact as opposed to resistive (uses pressure). Unless they now make styluses that can do the whole capacitive thing, which wouldn't be too surprising.

Kevdog, I'm not a coder, I'm not even sure if that's where you'd do it. But that would be my first guess.

[cyboreal]

Thanks, realigion. I hadn't realized that about the capacitive display.

So changing the display size would involve resized icons and also digging into the guts of the Android OS to set the display size for the various UI components. Almost certainly would require a rooted phone - which I'm planning on doing and will do right away if there is a way to pull this off. Still hoping for a hacker to show the way on this one.