Develop Bugs

Launcher customization

Hi,
Anyone know how far we can customize the 5 icons at the bottom of the home launcher?
I saw in one video that we can replace the apps there.
But, is it possible to only change the icon?
With current LauncherPro, I changed all those 5 icons into "text only", which is nice
So, wondering if we can do the same with the stock ICS launcher!

Ummm... The phone is not our yet.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

no, there is no plain text option.
you can replace the 4 apps, but not the middle settings button. you can put folders (groups of apps) in the 4 spots as well. and re-arange the order in the folders. the 1st program in the folder has the top icon displayed first.

Well, I did not mean "plain text", but changing the icon of the apps in that bottom bar.
Only the icon ...
If this is not possible, is there any way to achieve this?
Like, creating an app with custom icon to launch other app
Luxferro said:
no, there is no plain text option.
you can replace the 4 apps, but not the middle settings button. you can put folders (groups of apps) in the 4 spots as well. and re-arange the order in the folders. the 1st program in the folder has the top icon displayed first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

gogol said:
Well, I did not mean "plain text", but changing the icon of the apps in that bottom bar.
Only the icon ...
If this is not possible, is there any way to achieve this?
Like, creating an app with custom icon to launch other app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an app on the market to change an applications icon but I don't know how well it works or how it would work with the nexus.
Stock Android Launchers do not have the facility to do what you are asking.
Mark.

Use desktop visualizer from the market
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

i dare say that once the source is released someone will customise the ICS launcher like GO, LPP, ADW etc have done with current stock android launcher (I hope)

Unless the launcher dock allows widgets on it which I doubt many if these apps that you can change icons with won't work. They create a widget on your homescreen that is a shortcut to that app. this is why you find these apps in the widget section when adding them to your homescreen
Sent from my Droid Incredible

I was wondering this too.. it seems like something along the lines of Better Cut would work. It makes a shortcut on your desktop to the app using a custom icon... I would think you could then drag that onto the quick launch bar.

Yupe, I really really hope so this will work.
I don't like to have multi colored icons down there!
NeutronBomb said:
I was wondering this too.. it seems like something along the lines of Better Cut would work. It makes a shortcut on your desktop to the app using a custom icon... I would think you could then drag that onto the quick launch bar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I can confirm that Desktop Visualizer works with the GN launcher. For the 1x1 icons you can even drag them on top of each other to make folders just like you can normally on ICS. You can also drag them onto the bottom launch bar.
EDIT: Testing it further, it seems that ANY 1x1 widget acts like an icon. You can put them in folders or put them in the dock bar. Sweet!
EDIT again: Agh. My bad. Looks like only some 1x1 widgets can do that. Others can't. Still not sure how it's determined which ones can and which ones can't.

Nice!
What do you mean with "cant" for some of the 1x1 icon?
How do you describe that "cant"? Simply cannot be dragged?
Please if you can give us some examples which dont work.
Thanks
Chrono_Tata said:
I can confirm that Desktop Visualizer works with the GN launcher. For the 1x1 icons you can even drag them on top of each other to make folders just like you can normally on ICS. You can also drag them onto the bottom launch bar.
EDIT: Testing it further, it seems that ANY 1x1 widget acts like an icon. You can put them in folders or put them in the dock bar. Sweet!
EDIT again: Agh. My bad. Looks like only some 1x1 widgets can do that. Others can't. Still not sure how it's determined which ones can and which ones can't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Basically there seem to be two types of 1x1 widgets. One of them is "icon-sized", such as the native bookmark and direct-dial widgets and also the 1x1 icon that Desktop Visualizer makes. These can be stacked into folders just like you can with a regular icon.
The second type seems to be a 1x1 widget that takes up the whole tile space. (An icon takes only a part of the tile space and these rest of the space is used for the label.) These include things such as 1x1 clock widgets or another type of 1x1 widget that Desktop Visualizer also makes. You can drag them around the homescreen space like you can with any widget, but you can't stack them into folders or put them in the dock bar.
Hope that clarifies it.
Anyway I attached a screenshot of examples. The widgets are the left side are stackable/dockable and the ones on the right side aren't.

Thanks, that is ver clear.
And I saw in your screenshot that you have changed the docked apps to use text icons, nice ... Very nice.
Given the new high resolution screen, what is the resolution of those icons?
How did you make one?
If you are using Photoshop, please if you can share the PSD files
Thanks
Chrono_Tata said:
Basically there seem to be two types of 1x1 widgets. One of them is "icon-sized", such as the native bookmark and direct-dial widgets and also the 1x1 icon that Desktop Visualizer makes. These can be stacked into folders just like you can with a regular icon.
The second type seems to be a 1x1 widget that takes up the whole tile space. (An icon takes only a part of the tile space and these rest of the space is used for the label.) These include things such as 1x1 clock widgets or another type of 1x1 widget that Desktop Visualizer also makes. You can drag them around the homescreen space like you can with any widget, but you can't stack them into folders or put them in the dock bar.
Hope that clarifies it.
Anyway I attached a screenshot of examples. The widgets are the left side are stackable/dockable and the ones on the right side aren't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

gogol said:
Thanks, that is ver clear.
And I saw in your screenshot that you have changed the docked apps to use text icons, nice ... Very nice.
Given the new high resolution screen, what is the resolution of those icons?
How did you make one?
If you are using Photoshop, please if you can share the PSD files
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually made the icons with an app called "Simple Text - Text icon creator" which you can find on the market. Unfortunately I don't think there is a way to share the style but it's pretty easy to figure out (or you can make something even better ).
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Thanks,
I did not know this app. Previously, I made myself using PhotoShop (got the PSD somewhere from Nexus S Themes Apps forum).
Chrono_Tata said:
I actually made the icons with an app called "Simple Text - Text icon creator" which you can find on the market. Unfortunately I don't think there is a way to share the style but it's pretty easy to figure out (or you can make something even better ).
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Chrono_Tata said:
I actually made the icons with an app called "Simple Text - Text icon creator" which you can find on the market. Unfortunately I don't think there is a way to share the style but it's pretty easy to figure out (or you can make something even better ).
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man... thanks for the info... Just installed it.

[Q] Desktop Visualizer icon sizes

I was hoping someone could help me sizing widgets for the nexus screen.
I wanted to make a grid that fit together with no spaces in between like on that market screenshot for the app.
My plan uses 4x1 and 2x1 widgets so I wont need the other sizes.
I had it set up pretty good on my lg but with the different screen sizes it doesnt match on the nexus.
I have my screen set to 5 rows and 4 columns so I was looking to do a 4x1 at the top then 6 2x1s and then a 4x1 at the bottom.
Any help would be much appreciated.

Pepper67 said:
I was hoping someone could help me sizing widgets for the nexus screen.
I wanted to make a grid that fit together with no spaces in between like on that market screenshot for the app.
My plan uses 4x1 and 2x1 widgets so I wont need the other sizes.
I had it set up pretty good on my lg but with the different screen sizes it doesnt match on the nexus.
I have my screen set to 5 rows and 4 columns so I was looking to do a 4x1 at the top then 6 2x1s and then a 4x1 at the bottom.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30998193
I hope to help.
Galaxy Nexus 4.1.1 stock

clod007 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30998193
I hope to help.
Galaxy Nexus 4.1.1 stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didnt help but thanks

Pepper67 said:
Didnt help but thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search in setting launcher (advanced).
Widget overlap (or something).
Galaxy Nexus 4.1.1 stock

Pepper67 said:
I was hoping someone could help me sizing widgets for the nexus screen.
I wanted to make a grid that fit together with no spaces in between like on that market screenshot for the app.
My plan uses 4x1 and 2x1 widgets so I wont need the other sizes.
I had it set up pretty good on my lg but with the different screen sizes it doesnt match on the nexus.
I have my screen set to 5 rows and 4 columns so I was looking to do a 4x1 at the top then 6 2x1s and then a 4x1 at the bottom.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are those tiles or just hotspots? if the lines aren't visible you can just set it as your wallpaper and use DVR to create invisible icons using a "blank picture".
if not, find out what your phone resolution is and your gonna have to edit the picture to find the proper alignment to match the widget sizes...i have made a bunch of custom homescreens (its a pain to get the alignment right sometimes)..but if it looks good in the end, its worth it
it shouldnt be too difficult though, that set up isn't complicated

jdiddy_ub said:
are those tiles or just hotspots? if the lines aren't visible you can just set it as your wallpaper and use DVR to create invisible icons using a "blank picture".
if not, find out what your phone resolution is and your gonna have to edit the picture to find the proper alignment to match the widget sizes...i have made a bunch of custom homescreens (its a pain to get the alignment right sometimes)..but if it looks good in the end, its worth it
it shouldnt be too difficult though, that set up isn't complicated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a good idea, so your saying create it all as one picture and then set it to wallpaper then use invisible icons for widgets right?
The only problem I can see for that is what about the wallpaper for the rest of my screens?

Pepper67 said:
Thats a good idea, so your saying create it all as one picture and then set it to wallpaper then use invisible icons for widgets right?
The only problem I can see for that is what about the wallpaper for the rest of my screens?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. yes
2. are you using scrolling wallpaper or is it static?
either way the concept will still work...just that scrolling wallpaper may take you longer to figure out the alignment
if you can post the picture you are going to use and an idea of what you want i can help you with more specific questions

jdiddy_ub said:
1. yes
2. are you using scrolling wallpaper or is it static?
either way the concept will still work...just that scrolling wallpaper may take you longer to figure out the alignment
if you can post the picture you are going to use and an idea of what you want i can help you with more specific questions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did something like that when I was using multiple wallpaper but I much prefer the scrolling wallpaper so I stopped using it.
How would this work with a scrollable wallpaper when you see the same part of the wallpaper on 2 separate screens?
This was the screen I had with multiple wallpaper.
The thats the wallpaper Im currently using.

Pepper67 said:
I did something like that when I was using multiple wallpaper but I much prefer the scrolling wallpaper so I stopped using it.
How would this work with a scrollable wallpaper when you see the same part of the wallpaper on 2 separate screens?
This was the screen I had with multiple wallpaper.
The thats the wallpaper Im currently using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ive actually never seen someone use a "tile" setup with scrolling wallpaper...it can be done but obviously there will be overlapping points..the icons would be on separate screens and with blank images so it would just be the wallpaper shifting not the icons (since they arent visible)
in my opinion, if you are going to use a tile set up it would be best to use static wallpaper...i know you posted a picture of the wallpaper but it doesnt really give me a clear idea as to what you are doing

jdiddy_ub said:
ive actually never seen someone use a "tile" setup with scrolling wallpaper...it can be done but obviously there will be overlapping points..the icons would be on separate screens and with blank images so it would just be the wallpaper shifting not the icons (since they arent visible)
in my opinion, if you are going to use a tile set up it would be best to use static wallpaper...i know you posted a picture of the wallpaper but it doesnt really give me a clear idea as to what you are doing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What Im doing or trying to do is just what that screen shot is. Have a check list type screen to launch apps from.
I found a desktop visualizer addon called dvrimageslicer that I thought was the answer I was looking for but for some reason it only crops images with no gaps on the top and bottom. So it looks exactly how I want it to when I only use 4x1 widgets but when I use more than one widget on the same row it leaves a gap on the left and right sides of each widget.

Pepper67 said:
What Im doing or trying to do is just what that screen shot is. Have a check list type screen to launch apps from.
I found a desktop visualizer addon called dvrimageslicer that I thought was the answer I was looking for but for some reason it only crops images with no gaps on the top and bottom. So it looks exactly how I want it to when I only use 4x1 widgets but when I use more than one widget on the same row it leaves a gap on the left and right sides of each widget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry for the late response...by gap do you mean visual gap or space that you cant click? (like a blank unused icon space)
that setup is very simple
use an app like photoshop to design the layout as a background...then use blank icons as mentioned previously
the most difficult part of the entire thing is going to be getting the spacing right...but that you can done in a matter of minutes

Template for Nova Launcher themeing

Hi,
in the last few months I really start to like the theme with a static wallpaper (or multi wallpaper) where there is just everything and you use uccw/transparent icon on the phone.
I'm then having problem because often is hard to understand where a widget will be really positioned or is hard to put an icon in the right position (maybe you want to add a counter to it and the counter is not matching the icon in the wallpaper).
I'm using nova launcher (not sure why I choosed that, apex was a little bit laggy scrolling wallpaper and...ss launcher I didn't know about it but right now I love it but because I purchased nova, let's keep nova).
What I'm then wondering is if there are template with line where you can exactly understand where the grid of nova are (7x7, 6x7 and so on) or if someone has some suggestion on how to do that.
I already tried to just craete a pics in photoshop with the resolution of the htc one x and splitting it in 7x7 grid but, not sure why, my grid isn't matching the real grid of the nova homescreen (maybe because there is no notification bar on the top?? don't know).
Any suggesiton or premaded template around (tried to google it but without any good result).
Thanks,
Massimiliano

What you could do I guess, is filling each grid with random apps, screenshot it and open it up in Photoshop and draw a grid based on that. And I think grid size changes if you enable/disable statusbar and dockrow.
And in nova homescreen settings there is width and hight marginal options witch affect grid size aswell.
Perhaps u can make two full size icons with different colours and place out, might make it easier drawing the grid if icons have straight edges.
Edit: take a screenshot while moving a widget, that will show the grid.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

Good idea, I'll try it thanks

[Q] How do I hide apps on homescreens in Nova?

I am using NovaPrime Launcher and thought there was a way to keep the homescreens clean by hiding them. I saw a picture in someone's thread where there were just 2 little lines (like standing up hashmarks) on the homescreen just above the dock.
All you had to do was tap that icon and the stuff on the screen would appear again.
Is that possible on Nova? Or, was it another launcher altogether?

[Q] launchers

I'm not going to ask which launcher or anything like that. I already have one in mind if I do decide to go that route.
What I want to know is if they are worth it or not? Do they slow the phone down at all? As it seems as an overlay to an overlay.
I see some, like nova, have a add-on for unread counts for messages and calls and things. Is this saying that without this add-on I won't have a count for missed messages or a notification at all?
Thanks you for the input

launchers
In comparison to the stock LG launcher you'll find you'll actually have a smother experience. Launchers like holo or nova are really light weight and have a smaller footprint in memory than the stock launcher. When you choose a new launcher as default the lg launcher is closed. Or at least resources are being prioritized to the default launcher. I'm a beginner when it comes to how android handles processes so maybe someone else can offer a better explanation. The addons for nova add unread counts to icons on homescreens, app drawer and folders. You'll still get all notifications through the status bar. Its just eye candy and extras you get for the paid version of the launcher.

BadFish79 said:
I'm not going to ask which launcher or anything like that. I already have one in mind if I do decide to go that route.
What I want to know is if they are worth it or not? Do they slow the phone down at all? As it seems as an overlay to an overlay.
I see some, like nova, have a add-on for unread counts for messages and calls and things. Is this saying that without this add-on I won't have a count for missed messages or a notification at all?
Thanks you for the input
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Won't hurt to check out other launchers. If you dont like them simply uninstall and your back to where you were

ADW is old school and basic, I prefer that. Holo is decent so is Apex, but my go to is always Nova. They're all fun to play with.

It's worth it. I use Nova and it's faster and has more organization and customization options than stock LG or AOSP. Just the speed and being able to hide apps from the app drawer is worth it for me. For reference, Nova runs way faster on my Nexus 7 than the JB launcher.

lots of good options. Nova is a great one, but I like Apex and Holo.
To answer your question, if you don't install extensions, then you won't have the message count on the app icon, but that's all it does. I personally don't like it, so I have never installed it.
Honestly though, if you aren't a "power user" who likes to tinker with all of the options in the launcher, Apex, Holo and Nova are all very similar.

Can someone explain the dock as overlay option? Isn't the dock always visible on the home screen?
Sent from my LG-LS970

BadFish79 said:
Can someone explain the dock as overlay option? Isn't the dock always visible on the home screen?
Sent from my LG-LS970
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Default, the dock is basically an extra row of icons ON the desktop, that carries over from screen to screen.
Dock as overlay changes your dock to being a row of icons that is on a layer separate from your desktop. As an example, you can turn this on and turn on a slide up gesture to toggle dock, which would give you a kind of mini app drawer on top of the desktop. If you did not turn this on, toggling dock would bump your desktop icons up and down, as it would then be a part of the desktop and not be a layer on top of it.