Make a theme from my phones ROM....???

[chevycam94]

OK. I know this sounds like the hard way to do it, but it helps me visualize how things will look when put together. Once I get my theme all put together, what would be the best way to make it something that can be put in an update.zip file, instead of a full ROM. Should I just extract all the images and jar files and add them to an update.zip file that was signed, and remove whats not mine? I am not sure what would be the best way to do this.

 

[Tanknspank]

Just include in the .zip what you changed. No need to include anything else really.

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[chevycam94]

Im not sure about dependencies though. I dont know what all files would have to be copied besides what I change (images, and a couple jar files)

 

[thebowers]

For makng an update.zip you have to include the whole .apk or .jar files. If you just want to include the files you modified. Look on making a MM instead.

 

[Tanknspank]

For makng an update.zip you have to include the whole .apk or .jar files. If you just want to include the files you modified. Look on making a MM instead.

This. An update.zip only pushes whole .apk to the phone, not just images.

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[chevycam94]

I have NO experience making a MM theme file. Would need help with that, but that seems to be more of a failure than an update.zip. But I want people to be able to update their images, without downgrading apps they just updated.

 

[dclutter1]

I want people to be able to update their images, without downgrading apps they just updated.

I think a MM theme is what you want then. I saw a big Metamorph guide around here somewhere and I thought I subscribed to it so I'd have it for later but, I didn't. Hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about because this is something I've been thinking about playing around with lately too.

 

[carlz28]

I have NO experience making a MM theme file. Would need help with that, but that seems to be more of a failure than an update.zip. But I want people to be able to update their images, without downgrading apps they just updated.

If you use apks from a most recent build, then there is generally no issue with apps being 'downgraded', at least with the apks that reside in /system/app or /system/framework/
And using the update.zip method would be most desireable.

However, for market apps, you can never know when an update to them will be made. Thus anytime somebody upgrades, they will lose the theme. This is where using MM comes in to play as the best route.

 

[chevycam94]

I will generally be theming only the system components and apps, not market apps, at least not yet. I want to get a good, solid base theme down, then release it, and if enough people like it, I can theme market apps as well.

I was thinking that the main system be themed using update.zip, and market apps be themed separately using MM, so users have a choice.

Question on MM though. I know, lots of questions. If I include the images needed theme, say, Pandora Radio, and the user does not have Pandora installed, if they use the MM theme file, what happens? Does it just skip over Pandora because its not installed, or does it try to create something from nothing?

 

[Tanknspank]

I will generally be theming only the system components and apps, not market apps, at least not yet. I want to get a good, solid base theme down, then release it, and if enough people like it, I can theme market apps as well.

I was thinking that the main system be themed using update.zip, and market apps be themed separately using MM, so users have a choice.

Question on MM though. I know, lots of questions. If I include the images needed theme, say, Pandora Radio, and the user does not have Pandora installed, if they use the MM theme file, what happens? Does it just skip over Pandora because its not installed, or does it try to create something from nothing?

It just skips it. Though people will have to move their apps to their system to use a mm for a market app, so you might want to make something like the framework transfer for DE if your going to theme a lot of market apps.

 

[UltraDroid]

I have NO experience making a MM theme file. Would need help with that, but that seems to be more of a failure than an update.zip. But I want people to be able to update their images, without downgrading apps they just updated.

If you use apks from a most recent build, then there is generally no issue with apps being 'downgraded', at least with the apks that reside in /system/app or /system/framework/
And using the update.zip method would be most desireable.

However, for market apps, you can never know when an update to them will be made. Thus anytime somebody upgrades, they will lose the theme. This is where using MM comes in to play as the best route.

I agree with Carl - MM may be the most practical way to go for Market apps, even if it is a sometimes quirky program.

-Mike