Develop Bugs

"How to" Edit Swype Keyboard

First off, I take no credit in doing this, this is meant to help people if they want to try it. And I am only making thread at request of others members.
If you break your phone I am not responsible, if you have questions though I am more than willing to help as much as I can but this was the first project I did.
There may be easier ways to do this but this is how I did it. If there is, feel free to comment the other ways!
I would like to say thanks to maddoggin and illinois08 for there help in getting mine figured out!
Requirements:
winrar (this is what I prefer but you can use any of your choice)
Original Swype.apk (included in thread and swype needs to be already installed)
image editing software (I personally used gimp and coreldraw) and experience in them.
common sense
What you are actually changing:
To change the look of swype is fairly simple, meaning all you are changing is some .png files in the apk itself to whatever you want them to be.
The only downside is trying to make sure the letter spacing is correct. That is the reason I used coreldraw first to do the spacing and then the background with my flames was in gimp.
First Step:
Using winrar (7zip, etc) open up Swype.apk (I placed on desktop for easier use).
The first folder should say assets. Open up assets. After you open assets, there should be a folder named keyboards. Drag the keyboards folder to desktop.
Once you open the keyboards folder, you will see multiple image files. You have found the files we need to edit! Make sure every png stays in there even if you decided not to edit one of them.
Files SwypeRef_LS_Blue_Shifted_WVGA.png (LS is landscape keyboard) through SwypeRef_PT_Standard_wBlue_VGA.png (PT is portrait, most important for me)
I only edited 4 of the images because these are the main 4 I use and don't use landscape. If you wish you can edit all of them or just 1 .
Second Step:
Using Gimp/or CorelDRAW, you will need to make new images that are 480x320 pixels. At this point, it is totally up to you to get the placements correct and make the image how you want it displayed.
I personally imported the images I was editing to Corel, and basically started a fresh one on top of it so I could get the letter placements correct. You need to make sure when you are done that the image is still 480x320 with the letters not being the end of the size. I made an outline that was 480x320 and placed the letters inside and exported the image that way so it stayed the right size. I would also try to keep the images around 50 kb because mine are around 90 and you noticed some lag when it switched between pngs...
As you are exporting your images, make sure to name them their appropriate names (shifted, capitals, lower case, etc.) which makes it easier to rename them after wards.
Third Step
Once you have all of your images done how you want, I would place them all in their own separate folder.
Now, you will need to open the keyboards folder from earlier and match the images you edited to where they go in "keyboards" and rename your files to the appropriate name and delete its' counter part. Meaning make sure only your image is in keyboards with it renamed to what mode your png represents. And make sure the folder contains every png it did before. They all serve a purpose.
After you have removed all the old pngs and replaced with your renamed images, you will need to open Swype.apk back up and go to assets-> and delete the original keyboards folder. After deleting, move your keyboards folder with your images under assets.
Swype is now edited with your keyboards how you want them!!
Fourth Step:
The only thing left is either adb push Swype.apk to system/app or place on sd card and install with astro,ez,etc.
Another way that is very easy and the way I do it. If you are using a theme, open up on your desktop with winrar. Go to folder system/app and place Swype.apk in app folder. Now flash from recovery and your new and improved swype is ready for action.
I have attached what I made mine look like. Some people may not like how basic it looks and how some of the things are not sized or off correctly but I like it and it works!!
I also added a picture of my custom dropdown which I made in Gimp. If you would like to know how to do one like this send me a PM.
And if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I may not be the best at explaining things thoroughly !

I have been getting a lot of PM asking how to edit swype ...
Are my instructions to complicated? If so, let me know and I will try to revise them a bit and sorry!

Nah it's cool man. I mean i get it. idk about everyone else. I haven't got around to trying it yet but this lets me know what to expect.

Ok well that is good! Thanks for the reply...
I hope that post didn't come off as rude, if you sent me a PM I more than willing to help everyone! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't bad instructions ...

Dude this is really nice, I like how you changed the letters to diferent font. Nice job! You should make some more!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

Thanks man! Like I said since this was my personal one I didn't go all out and it was kind of sloppy but it suits me fine.
I was thinking about it but not sure what people would want! If some people gave me some ideas of what kind of background or font, I would have no problem making it for them.
Now that I know how to do it (with your help) it won't be as painful as before, just time consuming.

I'm not a user of Swype but I certainly commend the effort that you put into this. It came out great.

stir fry a lot said:
I'm not a user of Swype but I certainly commend the effort that you put into this. It came out great.
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Thank you!

This is GREAT!! Thank you for putting this together.

Your are welcome! Let me know if you have any questions!

Just so everyone is clear, the Swype.apk attached to post is the original swype, not my customized one . Because that is what you have to edit.
Just so no one gets confused.

Thank you for this help. I've wanted to be able to change the way mine looked but have been stuck trying to find someone else's work that suited. I've just started modifying mine and what I've got looks awful but that's because I need to learn how to utilize the imaging programs better. I'm sure I can get it and thank you again for the starter.

ficjay said:
Thank you for this help. I've wanted to be able to change the way mine looked but have been stuck trying to find someone else's work that suited. I've just started modifying mine and what I've got looks awful but that's because I need to learn how to utilize the imaging programs better. I'm sure I can get it and thank you again for the starter.
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Awesome! Im glad it helped you! Im sure you will and hope you share with us the finished product!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

jkrough0728 said:
First off, I take no credit in doing this, this is meant to help people if they want to try it. And I am only making thread at request of others members.
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Im thinkin that pull needs a lil animation......

D
jkrough0728 said:
I have been getting a lot of PM asking how to edit swype ...
Are my instructions to complicated? If so, let me know and I will try to revise them a bit and sorry!
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Click to collapse
I haven't tried yetyet but I get It fine... great job
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Worked great on my3VO thanks.

Anyone have a link to the nexus s4g version
I want to edit my swype to look like that
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

I forgot all about this thread lol
I just edited my 3D's swype today because of you guys posting on it and it made me think to do that so thank you

jkrough0728 said:
I forgot all about this thread lol
I just edited my 3D's swype today because of you guys posting on it and it made me think to do that so thank you
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I just themed one today. HOLY CRAP IT'S NOT EASY!

shane6374 said:
I just themed one today. HOLY CRAP IT'S NOT EASY!
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I know it can be a pain sometimes... Really depends if you want different font that is the hardest thing ever lol
sent from my Evo 3D from xda app

Rom Development / Modding How to get started?

Hey everybody,
I recently bought the galaxy nexus because I wanted to start getting into Rom Development.
I can programm Java and also programmed some simple apps..
But what I really wanted to do is to modify a Rom.
Can anybody tell me where to start? I read guides on how to compile from source and so on, but I don't know if that's what I need.
I want to add things like Notification bar quick settings to the rom.. Are there tutorials on how to develop these things?
Every help is appreciated, maybe you've got some great links for me, thanks!

00hero00 said:
Hey everybody,
I recently bought the galaxy nexus because I wanted to start getting into Rom Development.
I can programm Java and also programmed some simple apps..
But what I really wanted to do is to modify a Rom.
Can anybody tell me where to start? I read guides on how to compile from source and so on, but I don't know if that's what I need.
I want to add things like Notification bar quick settings to the rom.. Are there tutorials on how to develop these things?
Every help is appreciated, maybe you've got some great links for me, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
start with decompiling apks (SystemUI.apk and framework-res.apk for example) , if u've wrote android apps before (and u said u did), then it shouldn't be that hard to look into the .xml and .jar files. when u finish, compile the .apk back. if u've worked with Eclipse then u probably know the android structure.
Edit: Here is an example of a "ROM modification" - just posting it to give u an example..

Well first thing is first. You need to have the bare basics of Android thoroughly understood obviously. Often overlooked as a first step in this process, just learning about(different than knowing about)the Android Open Source Project first will give you a specific sense of direction, purpose, as well as an identity in the community..
So again- I don't just mean knowing about it- I mean knowing exactlyhow the whole project is structured. Read about all the different types of contributions you/anyone can make to the Android ecosystem. Are you an aesthetics kind of person who would excel at UI designs for apps or whatever; Are you a person who has a good eye for problem solving? Maybe you should be scouring source code, trying to fix little-noticed "bugs" that "bug" the hell out of you. Once you know what you want to do, make sure you find out exactly how much Google provides for you, and what your own roles/responsibilities would be in the whole scheme of things.) This should give you a good idea of where you might fit in (with your current skill-set)and hopefully, it gives you some inspiration about the direction you might want to take it in the future.
Once you do this and "find your calling", post back here, and I'm sure that others qualified in that field will be more than happy to share how they got started.
There is no substitute to just jumping in and trying things though. Everybody makes their own journey differently, so do what comes naturally, and you can't go wrong.

Here ya go
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1661770
and maybe this as well?
http://www.xda-developers.com/andro...rs/ShsH+(xda-developers)&utm_content=FaceBook

Wow thank you every body for these great comments! I think I'll compile a Rom from source first and look through all the files..
Decompiling apks looks interesting too.
Thanks for the fast responses & links, you're awesome!

Okay so I've got another question..
One thing I always liked on some custom roms was the lockscreen flashlight..
If I would hold power for 3 seconds, the flashlight would turn on until I let go the power button.
I decompiled the framework-res.apk but didn't find anything there, just .xml files.
Where are the files where I can actually code / programm something for the lockscreen?

Try android.policy.jar
Usually the jar files contain the code, xml are for visual stuff.
But my question is, are u sure it is a lockscreen feature? (I mean the torch option) . Tbh this is the first time i hear of such a mod and i've been using android devices for over 2 yrs
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Creating Theme - How do I know what to change

Hey all. I'm not sure if this question has an obvious answer, but...how on earth do you know what images to change when creating a theme? It took me a while to realize that the dialpad was in the contacts apk, and I'm constantly searching for which image goes with the corresponding image on the phone. Is there an easy way to look at, say, the messaging app, and know which images within the apk I need to edit? It can't be simple trial and error, or I'm sure many of you would've gone crazy creating the themes you've brought here. Please, if anyone can point me in the right direction I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

morrison0880 said:
Hey all. I'm not sure if this question has an obvious answer, but...how on earth do you know what images to change when creating a theme? It took me a while to realize that the dialpad was in the contacts apk, and I'm constantly searching for which image goes with the corresponding image on the phone. Is there an easy way to look at, say, the messaging app, and know which images within the apk I need to edit? It can't be simple trial and error, or I'm sure many of you would've gone crazy creating the themes you've brought here. Please, if anyone can point me in the right direction I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
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Think again. Trial and error all the way. There is no this image goes here type guide.

Theming Help - How do I know which images to change?

Hey all. I'm not sure if this question has an obvious answer, but...how on earth do you know what images to change when creating a theme? It took me a while to realize that the dialpad was in the contacts apk, and I'm constantly searching for which image goes with the corresponding image on the phone. Is there an easy way to look at, say, the messaging app, and know which images within the apk I need to edit? It can't be simple trial and error, or I'm sure many of you would've gone crazy creating the themes you've brought here. Please, if anyone can point me in the right direction I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

How to change TW system font color (help please)

Hi there,
I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, so please let me know if I'm in the wrong place. I've been searching for days and days for a definitive method of changing the system font color in TW. I've tried al the guides out there, but none seem to positively identify which lines to edit. I have modded my framework background color to white. I'm trying to achieve more of an S4 white theme, therefore I need to change the font from gray/white to black. I'm running rooted MD4 deodexed with MD4 optimized kernel. I've attached a screenshot so that you can see which font I'm talking about. Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much!

do you know how to decompile/compile? If so you will have to decompile your system apps one by one and start working on changing all the lines that state "text". Its a bit more difficult than just calling out some lines for you to go in change because some system apps draw from each other. I believe the ones you have circled are in framework-res.apk. Its alot of hit and miss...its really perfect if your a flashaholic because you flash a lot trying to get what your looking for.
I know this really isnt what you're looking for but its really the way it is. It can be a real pain but really fun once you learn how to do this.

Thanks for your response. Yes I do. I've been decompiling and recompiling my framework-res for days now. Each time editing different lines as your suggesting. It's been very frustrating trying to find the right one. I will say one thing though, I can now decompile, edit, recompile and push and apk faster than I ever thought. I guess I'll keep trying until I figure it out. I love a good fight. Thanks again for your help!

nyfl2004 said:
Thanks for your response. Yes I do. I've been decompiling and recompiling my framework-res for days now. Each time editing different lines as your suggesting. It's been very frustrating trying to find the right one. I will say one thing though, I can now decompile, edit, recompile and push and apk faster than I ever thought. I guess I'll keep trying until I figure it out. I love a good fight. Thanks again for your help!
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No problem man...I wish I could just tell u the exact lines...Most are in res/values/colors. I wish it was all just one line to edit...lol. I'm working on contacts now and man its ruff trying to get it the way you want it! I can tell you a good app to look for is called color edit...it will show you the color of the hex in ur values/colors file. Makes life way more easier.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

Very good idea. I never thought of actually having an app for identifying colors. I've been Googling each one as I go. Well, I'll let you know when I find the culprit.

For you primary and secondary text colors, try looking in framework in the res/colors folder. Should be labeled something like tw_primary_text_dark.xml and tw_secondary_text_dark.xml. Not sure if that's the exact names without looking, but it pretty close. You can also change a lot of your button text, spinner text in the same folder, just look at the different xmls. The text you have highlighted should be the first one I mentioned up above. Tw_primary_text_dark. Hope that helps you out some.
There are still other colors you may want to edit the res/values/colors and res/values/styles but the main text your looking for is in res/colors.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium

Hi Dazed. You're the man. I see 2 files, 1 is "primary_text_dark" and the other is "tw_primary_text_holo_dark". To be clear, I think I'm supposed to open the XML and edit within. In the one marked "tw_primary_text_holo_dark", I see the last line reads: <item android:color="#ffd7d7d7" />. That color code points to light gray. Should I change that to #ff000000 for black?

Mission accomplished. You were right on Dazed. I went into framework-res/res/colors, navigated to "tw_primary_text_holo_dark, opened the XML for editing, the last line read: <item android:color="#ffd7d7d7" />. I simply changed the color to #ff000000 and voilá, I appreciate your help. I should have posted her e alot sooner! Big thanks

Glad you found it. Feel free to ask all the questions you need man, somebody definitely help you out. If you don't find answers also feel free to send me a message and I'll try my best to help along the way.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium

dazednconfused said:
Glad you found it. Feel free to ask all the questions you need man, somebody definitely help you out. If you don't find answers also feel free to send me a message and I'll try my best to help along the way.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium
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Dazed you are the man... @nyfl2004 glad there was a grand Master to step in and point you in the right direction!:beer:
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

Thanks @bigpappags3. Thanks to you guys, I've taken another step in my Android education. I'm sure I'll hit another wall soon enough. Thanks again....................

nyfl2004 said:
Thanks @bigpappags3. Thanks to you guys, I've taken another step in my Android education. I'm sure I'll hit another wall soon enough. Thanks again....................
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We have a crew on Hangouts that have some very Knowledgable fellas to be able to talk to too. @dazednconfused happens to be one of the very wise ones there...if you wanna join you can hit me or Dazed up on pm and we'll shoot you an invite.

bigpappags3 said:
We have a crew on Hangouts that have some very Knowledgable fellas to be able to talk to too. @dazednconfused happens to be one of the very wise ones there...if you wanna join you can hit me or Dazed up on pm and we'll shoot you an invite.
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Thanks @bigpappags3. I appreciate the gesture. It's very big of you guys to take the time and share your knowledge with others. I'm just a noob whose eager to learn. I'll take you up on your offer! Be well

nyfl2004 said:
Thanks @bigpappags3. I appreciate the gesture. It's very big of you guys to take the time and share your knowledge with others. I'm just a noob whose eager to learn. I'll take you up on your offer! Be well
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Click to collapse
No worries. ...I'm still a noob too!
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

I still ask questions all the time. That's what's great about this community. If your having trouble trying to figure out something, there is usually somebody willing to help you out. Just continue to share what you know and keep the cycle going.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium

Hi Dazed. I'm back to pick your brains again. My latest project has been to try and make my Secphone to look like the white GS4 theme. I am using WinterLove's modded apk form the Note II port. I can't seem to figure out how to change the black "in-call background" to gray. Also, can you please point me in the right direction as far as the "in-call button text. I want to change that from white/gray to black. I've attached 2 screenshots. Please respond at your convenience. Many thanks

nyfl2004 said:
Hi Dazed. I'm back to pick your brains again. My latest project has been to try and make my Secphone to look like the white GS4 theme. I am using WinterLove's modded apk form the Note II port. I can't seem to figure out how to change the black "in-call background" to gray. Also, can you please point me in the right direction as far as the "in-call button text. I want to change that from white/gray to black. I've attached 2 screenshots. Please respond at your convenience. Many thanks
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Try looking in SecPhone.apk in the res/colors folder. I will be working today, so I can't take a look, but I'm pretty sure you have some xml's in there too change the button text and in call button text. I should be off on Sunday, if you have any trouble finding it, I'll take a look at it then.
EDIT: try SecPhone/res/colors/incall_button_text.xml for the button text.
I'm not completely sure on the black background right off, check in SecPhone/res/values/colors and see if its maybe one of the incall_call_banner_backgrounds maybe.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

Hi Dazed,
Thanks for getting back to me. I know you're busy. I figured that's where they were, but I think it's above my pay-grade now. I can easily change any .png's but I can't seem to edit any XML's. I can decompile SecSettings and edit the XML's, but when I try to re-compile, I get all sorts of errors. I'm using MultiTool v1.0.11. The only things I have left to change are the in-call background and the in-call button text. Thanks for all your help brother!!

nyfl2004 said:
Hi Dazed,
Thanks for getting back to me. I know you're busy. I figured that's where they were, but I think it's above my pay-grade now. I can easily change any .png's but I can't seem to edit any XML's. I can decompile SecSettings and edit the XML's, but when I try to re-compile, I get all sorts of errors. I'm using MultiTool v1.0.11. The only things I have left to change are the in-call background and the in-call button text. Thanks for all your help brother!!
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Can u attach a screenie of the errors u are getting? Also have you edited any .9pngs? Messing just one up can give you a hundred errors. I use apktool but maybe I can throw some of my limited knowledge ur way
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

Hey Bigpappags3. Thanks brother. Yes, I have actually copied some .9pngs into some of the drawable folders. If it's Ok, I'll send some screenies over to you tomorrow. I'm sure that even your limited knowledge is plenty good enough! I've been at this all day and the Mrs is giving me the look. Thanks again for for all your help!! Good night