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Hello,
Does anyone know if there is a theme generator application available which runs on the device itself? Preferably PPC 2003 compliant.
I would like to be able to create themes on the device itself, since I'm not always carrying my laptop around, and I'd like to be able to create some themes using pictures I've taken with the onboard camera.
Therefore I don't have the need to transfer the images ot my laptop, create a theme from there, and subsequently transfer the theme back to the device.
If such an application does not exist, then I will try to create my own
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=8819&highlight=theme+generator
thats where search is the nice feature
Rudegar said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=8819&highlight=theme+generator
thats where search is the nice feature
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh, yes, but maybe you didn't quite understand my question...
I know how to create PPC2003 themes from my laptop, but I want to be able to create them on my MDA-II, without the need of using an additional computer running a theme generating software utility
And for this need, I haven't found a proper result using the search
I found it already, so forget my last post
TKCreator is indeed a theme generator for PPC, but I found it quite inadequate (no image resizeing/cropping/scaleing, not being able to set background colors for notes/inbox) but other options are well implemented though (the UI for instance is quite intuitive)
But since I still miss some important options, I will look further, or give it a shot and develop a PPC-version of a theme generator
yeah maybe you'd have to i dont think too many theme developers would like to work with such a limited size screen
which is prob why there are not more tools which does that
maybe you could even sell it
Rudegar said:
yeah maybe you'd have to i dont think too many theme developers would like to work with such a limited size screen
which is prob why there are not more tools which does that
maybe you could even sell it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you've got a point there... In my case, I'm often on the road, and I do not carry my laptop with me all the time. Especially when I occasionally travel by train, I'd like to create a theme using my MDA.
Maybe I'm a rare specie, and this is probably why there are not more equivalent tools So selling it would not be an option I guess, I'd rather give it away for free to the few hardcore (or masochist? ) theme-designers
hhhmmpp free you say!
next you'll be sharing the source with people who have an interest
bill gates is not angry with you
he's just disappointed!
Rudegar said:
hhhmmpp free you say!
next you'll be sharing the source with people who have an interest
bill gates is not angry with you
he's just disappointed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha, he might be
But thinking of it, the need for an application like this is quite low, as opposed to an app like PocketZenPhone -- now THAT should be sold to Microsoft! -- so I will first deliver it as a freeware tool
MTUX SideX has a module called "ThemeX" which, among other things, has an on-device theme designer.
http://www.mtux.com/info_th.aspx
Phil
Hey guys, like the title says, I'm attempting to create an app, but with little success at this point.
What I want to do, didn't sound all that complicated in my head. I want to make an episode guide for a TV show I like. Nothing too fancy, but I do want it to look WP7-authentic.
First off, I don't know or really understanding coding in the slightest. I was hoping to be able to design most of the app through the on-screen WP7 display, which it seems I can do a lot on.
From what I've gathered, here's what I'd like to do:
Use the "Pivots" as the different story arcs or "seasons"
Within each pivot, Episode # and Title
But I'd also like to go one further and have each episode be clickable, which would take the user to a page containing info about the respective episode. Synopsis, International Titles, Airdate, etc.
It's a big project, I just need a little help getting it going.
Thanks!
dbG33K
what you're describing can be done one of two ways.
1. just display images after images
2. input text into the program
from what im gathering, it should be fairly easy for you to do as this is the sort of beginner stuff in most windows phone 7 programming books. id suggest you look into programming because even the slightest pivots and transitions require code.
now if you were on android or webos, thats different. they have full on graphics based programming thats a simple matter of drag and drop and choose function.
Download Expression Blend. You can do pretty much everything without having to write any code. It includes a "Pivot" template which has a pivot all ready for you, then you just add PivotItems using your mouse. Then you can use the Sample Data feature to mock up how your episode data will look.
The only thing you would have to write code for would be to pull the episode information from a datasource. Bind it to your controls and Expression will have the rest done for you.
http://www.microsoft.com/expression/windowsphone/
Sample Data:
http://expression.microsoft.com/en-us/ee426896.aspx
First thing you'll need before you even open Visual Studio or Blend is a data feed.
An rss feed is ideal, And I'm sure theres alot of them out there for TV listings. Without that, theres little you can do (other than screen scraping websites, but people don't look too kindly on that)
If you can find me a Url for the RSS feed you want to use, I'll be more than willing to help you out
xanderkaiber said:
First thing you'll need before you even open Visual Studio or Blend is a data feed.
An rss feed is ideal, And I'm sure theres alot of them out there for TV listings. Without that, theres little you can do (other than screen scraping websites, but people don't look too kindly on that)
If you can find me a Url for the RSS feed you want to use, I'll be more than willing to help you out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said
I'd be willing to help you out as well. I'm in the process of writing a feed reader to help me make the move WP7 from WPF/Silverlight. The idea I have for the UI is similar to yours and the feed reader (at least in the basic form) will be open source so I've no problem sharing my code...
I appreciate your willingness to help me out, but it's actually a series that has been over for quite a while.
Hey guys, I've gotten much further on my app and have become a little more well-acquainted with coding in the form of using Expression Blend 4. That said, I do have a few questions:
1. After making a few pages, I decided to make a sort of Welcome page for my app. How do I tell it to show that page first instead of "MainPage.xaml"?
2. On that welcome page, I would like to make a button that pulls up the user's E-mail and have it have my e-mail as the recipient.
Thanks a bunch!
This is in the WMAppManifest.xml file within the Properties folder.
for the email look into the email compose task
barryallott said:
This is in the WMAppManifest.xml file within the Properties folder.
for the email look into the email compose task
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't really help me too much...
What am I supposed to do in the WMAppManifest.xml?
And where do I find the email compose task, and how do I implement it into the app?
EDIT: Nevermind, I figured out both of those questions. A new question, though: How do I take screen shots of the app? I need at least one to submit it to the marketplace, but I don't know how :/
dbG33K said:
That doesn't really help me too much...
What am I supposed to do in the WMAppManifest.xml?
And where do I find the email compose task, and how do I implement it into the app?
EDIT: Nevermind, I figured out both of those questions. A new question, though: How do I take screen shots of the app? I need at least one to submit it to the marketplace, but I don't know how :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download this:
http://www.innovativetechguy.com/?p=13
Make sure your emulator is set to 100% size and uncheck the "Show Device" checkbox in the tool. That will give you the necessary 480x800 sized .png
There's a fair lot you can do using the designer panel, but you will definitely need C# code for what happens 'behind the curtains'. Things like pulling the episodes from the internet and such.
I definitely recommend these tutorials:
Windows Phone 7 Development for Absolute Beginners.
It builds up slowly, but definitely gives you the foundation you need to put together basic applications.
Hey guys I found this thread and after reading it I feel I have a lot in common with dbG33K's tasks & questions. I feel I have a lot to offer WP7 apps as I learn more! I started out in January learning and studying as an absolute beginner (even did the 5 day course online). After a lot of studying, I felt confident enough to write my first BIG app.
I'm pretty good at the xaml part and getting real familiar with c# as I go along. Also, I think I have all the pieces I need, just need help putting it all together. I'm using an API for the data source (i have all the dlls and resources in place even all the c# methods for the API).
I have the UI all put together, now working on the c#. I'm just unsure on the binding part. I know my listboxes and other controls should be binded to a method in c#, but what calls that method? When the page loads that listbox, textblock, etc? Also, what kind of coding is generally used inside the {} of the methods that pulls info from the datasource?
As I have learned a lot aver the past couple of months, I find that I've learned it from examples I've found online, but I'm drawing a blank on this one. Any help would be great!
Thanks!
Do any of you can tellme how can I save text from the text box??
Sent from my LG-C900 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Hey guys
Another app that i have found and i would like to share is Skitch. Its free on the market and its fun to use..And most of all its NOT on iOS. (eat that Apple).
Only reason why i am sharing this is i saw a thread were someone was asking for Galaxy Note style apps for our Galaxy S2. Well here is your answer my friend. Anyway read the description and please if you like feel free to download it.. Just please do not forget to press that Thanks button if you like what i have shared.
Annotate, edit and save your photos & scribbles… fast
Skitch, the popular desktop app has gone mobile. Annotate an image with arrows, shapes and text. Sketch something new and markup an existing photo, then save your creations to Evernote or share them with other applications.
Drawing attention to your images has never been easier. Here are some ways to use Skitch:
- When you’re at a conference, take a snapshot of the people you meet, annotate it with their names and save it into Evernote.
- Annotate any image, screenshot or photo saved in Evernote thanks to a streamlined Skitch/Evernote integration.
- Download a screenshot attached to email. Open it in Skitch and add your comments. Save to Evernote for later review.
- Take a snapshot of something awesome, resize it, draw an arrow, add a caption, then post the image on Twitter or Facebook.
- Grab a picture of a whiteboard in a meeting or lecture, add a comment and save to Evernote.
- Quickly sketch out a map, diagram or unicorn!
Powerful features to help you get even more out of Skitch:
- Zoom and crop images.
- Create smooth, lines and scribbles to explain an idea.
- Add text using a special high-contrast coloring scheme for readability.
- Markup text with the semi-opaque highlighter tool.
- Re-position and delete shapes, text and drawings at any time.
- Share your work with with any application that accepts images.
Skitch is fast and fun!
Enjoy..
Link:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.evernote.skitch&hl=en
And to check on how the app works please look at the video link here to...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKkgxmZl3Kk&feature=feedu
Ps:I am not gaining anything out of this, just sharing apps that i find fun and useful...(Just to make it clear)
Nice share dude, thats a good app...a quick play shows its got potential and its pretty easy to use
(will give thanks later, work pc doesnt show the button)
Darkside Agent said:
Nice share dude, thats a good app...a quick play shows its got potential and its pretty easy to use
(will give thanks later, work pc doesnt show the button)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate. Much appreciated.
Perhaps I am not getting this, but the Note has a stylus....a finger will never be able to create accurate handwriting on any screen, so how is this like the Note?
Thanks
Thanks for sharing
very great app
THUDUK said:
Perhaps I am not getting this, but the Note has a stylus....a finger will never be able to create accurate handwriting on any screen, so how is this like the Note?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point but its the first steps in getting similar apps like the Note. and knowing the great devs on here probs they might get a stylus to make it work
You can only hope
So will the NOTE stylus work on our SGS2 screens?
Hi Guys This is a guide on app design guidelines.This can be applied everywhere and not only app design. I have seen many apps that perform awesome but their UI scares people away! This won't be a very detailed guide, only basic pointers on UI Design.
First off i would like to say that User experience and functionality of the app is equally or more important than it's UI. There's no point in a app that has a awesome looking UI but is very laggy or lacks functionality.
Lets begin with a few tips :
Try to make the UI simple and clean with no extra clutter.Hide extra functionality in menus. Keep the main function of the program in the front.
Make the UI flat.Use subtle gradients and shadows. Don't make it too flat like the metro ui,in which you can't distinguish an icon from a button
Use a specific color scheme. Select two to three lead colours. and select 1 or 2 background colours.
Either make it dark themed, or light themed, don't mix the two!
Use transitions. But not too fancy.
Split your app into different parts and provide a easy way to navigate
Fix Whatever you can behind the scenes
Use short Phrases, No one wants to read too much to do a simple task!
Use pastel colours or darker colours. ie. one shade lighter or darker than the original color.
Have contrast between the text color and the background color, making it easier to read.
Tricks :
Don't waste much time making animations. Use LayoutTransitions (android 3.0+)
Test your apps on different screen sizes.
Download the color swatches provided by google -click here
Google is your friend. Go to developer.android.com for more guidelines, application fundamentals etc.
Use good typography. Roboto and helvetica are some of the good fonts. Download roboto - click here
Guide on iconography - click here
Warnings! :
Do not use harsh gradients! for eg.. black to white , It makes the app feel cheap.
Try and stay away from putting ads
Do not let the app make decisions for itself, let it ask the user!
Do not make the app too colourful.
Make sure it runs smooth without jitter.
Don't put too much info. at once!
Don't use too flashy colors that hurt the eye.
Again, this isn't meant to be a very long guide, just a few basic things you should keep in mind while designing. For more detailed guidelines use developer.android.com
If i missed something important let me know! :good:
That's really helpful..
Thank you
wad!e said:
That's really helpful..
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you liked it
Amazing guide! Thanks so much! I'm glad more people love great design.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Hello there, thanks for this guide.
I am no developer so I don't have to mess with the graphics, but I still often wonder : in android programming, where there will always be the probrem of multiple display size / resolution, why isn't the most primary & most basic guideline to use as much as possible vector graphics instead of bitmap based graphics ? wouldn't it save a huge amount of hassle of having to make gfx resources for different screen sizes ?
thx in advance
phentex said:
Hello there, thanks for this guide.
I am no developer so I don't have to mess with the graphics, but I still often wonder : in android programming, where there will always be the probrem of multiple display size / resolution, why isn't the most primary & most basic guideline to use as much as possible vector graphics instead of bitmap based graphics ? wouldn't it save a huge amount of hassle of having to make gfx resources for different screen sizes ?
thx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it would be easier.
However, you would need a proper library to do that. Android does not support adding *.svg vector graphics by default. So all the conversion of the vector graphics need to be done manually. (There are some libs out there, but they do not support all features of *.svg graphics.)
For basic things there is support to do that using the standard Android development APIs provided by Google (declaring drawables in xml files) but it will not be enough for shapes which are more complicated than lines, rectangles or circles or a combination of those.
Addititionally the conversion of vector graphics to bitmaps (graphics consisting of single pixels) would need much processing power and would slow everything down.
Hence *.png and *.9.png files are still the standard way to do that.
@TechMasta: By the way, great guide.
TechMasta said:
Try and stay away from putting ads
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No ads? How does one go about monetization then? Don't get me wrong. I'm a Windows and Windows Phone developer. I was thinking of porting my apps to Android. I'm just getting started. But I'm using Windows Azure for which I do have to pay for. How should I go about those expenses?
TechMasta said:
Do not let the app make decisions for itself, let it ask the user!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes it should. However, the user should be able to change the default behaviour. Or as the android design guidelines express it:
Decide for me but let me have the final say
Take your best guess and act rather than asking first. Too many choices and decisions make people unhappy. Just in case you get it wrong, allow for 'undo'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.html)
Great guide, though.
akshay2000 said:
No ads? How does one go about monetization then? Don't get me wrong. I'm a Windows and Windows Phone developer. I was thinking of porting my apps to Android. I'm just getting started. But I'm using Windows Azure for which I do have to pay for. How should I go about those expenses?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can put ads if you want. Just don't bombard the user with them, place them in a way it does not interrupt or come in the way of the user when he is using your app
phentex said:
Hello there, thanks for this guide.
I am no developer so I don't have to mess with the graphics, but I still often wonder : in android programming, where there will always be the probrem of multiple display size / resolution, why isn't the most primary & most basic guideline to use as much as possible vector graphics instead of bitmap based graphics ? wouldn't it save a huge amount of hassle of having to make gfx resources for different screen sizes ?
thx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With google's plugin for eclipse you can add your graphics in multiple resolutions by Copying your layout from "layout" folder of resources and paste it in the "layout-land", "layout-xlarge" etc.
SahilC said:
Amazing guide! Thanks so much! I'm glad more people love great design.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you liked it
Thank you very much, very useful information.
Thx for it mate I will develop good think
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Looks good
graphics design
Thank you for this information about web design. Really nice.
Good set of tips for the first version of an app!
The next level of designing should ideally be with testing different design variations via split testing.
Making Decisions
TechMasta said:
Do not let the app make decisions for itself, let it ask the user!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hai,
Thanks for your guide. But I am having a different opinion from one of your warnings.
Let the app make decisions by itself, for example when user deletes an item DELETE it. But do provide an option to UNDO it. Showing another dialog to confirm it, in your words "ask the user", is redundant.
Because providing too many options makes the user overwhelmed in an unexpected way. Choose the best/defaults for your app and provide some ways to configure them [Ex : Colors, Themes, Font size etc]
Ahamed.M said:
Hai,
Thanks for your guide. But I am having a different opinion from one of your warnings.
Let the app make decisions by itself, for example when user deletes an item DELETE it. But do provide an option to UNDO it. Showing another dialog to confirm it, in your words "ask the user", is redundant.
Because providing too many options makes the user overwhelmed in an unexpected way. Choose the best/defaults for your app and provide some ways to configure them [Ex : Colors, Themes, Font size etc]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. This can also be found in the Android design guidelines:
Decide for me but let me have the final say
Take your best guess and act rather than asking first. Too many choices and decisions make people unhappy. Just in case you get it wrong, allow for 'undo'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(Source: http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.html#simplify-my-life)
a
nice
Nice Tips
These tips are very useful. One should keep in mind while dealing with apps whether in Android or iPhone.
This collection is meant to be a central gathering point for anyone who is looking for some sources of material to use in their widget design. I'll start it with some of my personal favorites in the different categories and hopefully other can help this grow through their contributions :fingers-crossed:
If you have questions concerning the collection or if you want to name some sources of your own, so they can be added to this collection, please feel free to post in this thread.
If you are looking for tutorials, guides and references for Zooper itself, please have a look at my other thread [REF] Zooper Guides, References and Advanced Parameter Snippets or if you have a general question about Zooper though, please check the General Zooper Forum or the Q&A thread. Thank you for helping to keep this thread on topic :good:
Categorized List of Ressources - Post 2
Device Frames - Post 3
Changelog
Code:
1.00 - Initial Release (without Icons category)
Ressources
Apps
First I want to start off with some app that I use nearly every time when designing/working with Zooper. These are just my personal favorites and if you have an alternative app for the same job, please post about it so I can add it to the list.
Gallery/Imagepicker: QuickPic - For the currently best available gallery app on Android. Simple design, not too overloaded with functions and it just works great
Wallpaper: Wallbase HD Wallpapers - The app version of one of the wallpaper sites. Works really well, great selection and a good search function
File manager: ES File Explorer - My go-to file manager on Android. Root capabilities, tabbed file browsing, advanced functionality like zip/unzip, all that and more rolled into one awesome, free package.
Archive manager: ZArchiver - Can unpack nearly any know compression format. Essential if you download stuff directly to your device and your file manager doesn’t support compressed archives.
Fonts
For fonts, my personal favorite is Font Squirrel. They have a huge collection of great looking, free fonts and the best part: all their fonts are guaranteed to have a commercial compatible license. So if your are looking for a nice font to replace Roboto in your designs go check it out: http://www.fontsquirrel.com
While Font Squirrel is my main source for fonts, there are other noteworthy sites I like to check for fonts:
Google Fonts - Also has a good collection of free fonts and a pretty niffty search (Google, d’uh ), that helps you narrow down those choices https://www.google.com/fonts/
Dafont - My main site before I discovered Font Squirrel, as it has a very broad collection of different types of fonts. http://www.dafont.com
To use your new discoveries, download them to your phone. Most times they will be in a ZIP, so you’ll need a filemanager with the abilitie to extract these or use an app like ZArchiver (see Apps category). The extracted or downloaded fonts should be in either TTF or OTF format (check the file extension). Copy those files to either /sdcard/fonts/ or /sdcard/ZooperWidget/Fonts/ and they will show up the next time you are going to select the font familly on a Text or Rich Text module.
Wallpaper/Backgrounds
Here are some sites I check if I’m looking for a new background or pictures
http://www.simpledesktops.com/
http://www.thepaperwall.com
http://wallbase.net
http://www.deviantart.com
Icons
Not yet finished...
Device Frames
To show of your newly created widgets you probably want to share a screenshot. While you could just upload and be done with it, it certainly looks so much nice if you have the frame of your device around it. So here are some possible ways how to do this.
Device Frame Generator
DFG is an app to generate your device shoots directly on your devic, no other tools necessary. It currently supports the Nexus range, HTC One, HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and Motorola Xoom
Website: http://f2prateek.com/android-device-frame-generator/
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.f2prateek.dfg
Device Art Generator
If you are on a PC and own a Nexus device, you can also use this website to generate your device screen shot. Just drag and drop the picture onto the device you want and you can download the now framed screenshot instantly. This works with Firefox and Chrome and needs no installation.
https://developer.android.com/distribute/promote/device-art.html
Photoshop/GIMP
Probably the most versatile, even if not the fastest, to make your screenshots stand out is to go with an image editing software like Photoshop or GIMP. For those there is a nearly endless amount of really nice, high quality templates out there. Here is a list of some great sources:
http://www.dribble.com - Dribbble is probably one of your best sources for this. Just do a search like “<device> psd”, for example “nexus 4 psd” and you’ll find lots and lots of gorgeous templates for you to work with.
http://www.deviantart.com - If you can’t find what you are looking for on dribble, you can also try the same search on deviantart. This will probably yield more screenshots then PSDs but there ought to be some gems to discover here too.
[Devices][PSDs] Flat Designs.. Another great source is this nice collection of flat designed device PSDs for a lot of different devices from Samsung, Motorola, Sony, etc.right here on XDA by Recognized Themer DD-Ripper
Reserved
For future use...
Reserved
... and one more. You never know
Looking forward to your icons section... I've found your posts and examples immensely helpful with the tinkering I've done. Great work with the guides! :thumbup:
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Shoow Great