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Root How do you create themes for Custom Roms?

go to system/app folder and edit .apk files,you can extract them with 7zip

umm...no...thats how you theme an app, not the system. opening up and editing random apks is not what is ment by themeing. that just moddifies that app and that app only! a true theme (i.e. notification bar and system png's) is done with either metamorph or by manually editing the framework-res.apk, then if you want to take it further you edit the dialer and app drawer and that is a theme. modding other apps just adds continuity throughout the theme, but you need the basics first.

@2FR35H for true "themeing" you can find the apks you need listed below!

Notification Bar and system images:
/system/framework/framework-res.apk

dialer:
/system/app/contacts.apk or TouchWizContacts.apk (depending on what rom you use)

app drawer:
/system/app/Launcher.apk or TwLauncher.apk or AdvancedLauncher.apk or others (depending on what launcher you use and want skinned)
 
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umm...no...thats how you theme an app, not the system. opening up and editing random apks is not what is ment by themeing. that just moddifies that app and that app only! a true theme (i.e. notification bar and system png's) is done with either metamorph or by manually editing the framework-res.apk, then if you want to take it further you edit the dialer and app drawer and that is a theme. modding other apps just adds continuity throughout the theme, but you need the basics first.

@2FR35H for true "themeing" you can find the apks you need listed below!

Notification Bar and system images:
/system/framework/framework-res.apk

dialer:
/system/app/contacts.apk or TouchWizContacts.apk (depending on what rom you use)

app drawer:
/system/app/Launcher.apk or TwLauncher.apk or AdvancedLauncher.apk or others (depending on what launcher you use and want skinned)

Ah I see cool thanks
 
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You also need winrar or 7zip. 7zip works better because you don't have to change the extension to .zip to open it the archive. The easiest way I've found is to follow these steps for editing the files.

1. Pick the .apk file to edit

2. pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk or /system/app/----.apk

3. after installing 7zip right click the .apk file and extract to /....

4. open the extracted .apk -----/res/(anything drawable)

5. in that folder you will find .png images edit as you wish but make sure to keep the image the same pixel dimensions and I recommend GIMP(free) or Adobe($$$$) or
Corel Draw($$$$$$$$$$$). Do not edit or change the .xml files!!!!

6. Once you have all your .png files the way you want them double click the original .apk file and 7zip will open it as the archive, if your using winrar you will need to open a command prompt and rename the file from .apk to .zip before double clicking

7. Select the res folder in the extracted archive (the one with your changes) and drag and drop into the archive window(7zip or winrar) if you get a popup just click yes

8. Push it back to your phone and it will work immediately except for framework-res.apk requires a factory reset before you will notice all your changes. (NOTE if you are using winrar don't forget to change the file back to .apk before pushing)
 
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You also need winrar or 7zip. 7zip works better because you don't have to change the extension to .zip to open it the archive. The easiest way I've found is to follow these steps for editing the files.

1. Pick the .apk file to edit

2. pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk or /system/app/----.apk

3. after installing 7zip right click the .apk file and extract to /....

4. open the extracted .apk -----/res/(anything drawable)

5. in that folder you will find .png images edit as you wish but make sure to keep the image the same pixel dimensions and I recommend GIMP(free) or Adobe($$$$) or
Corel Draw($$$$$$$$$$$). Do not edit or change the .xml files!!!!

6. Once you have all your .png files the way you want them double click the original .apk file and 7zip will open it as the archive, if your using winrar you will need to open a command prompt and rename the file from .apk to .zip before double clicking

7. Select the res folder in the extracted archive (the one with your changes) and drag and drop into the archive window(7zip or winrar) if you get a popup just click yes

8. Push it back to your phone and it will work immediately except for framework-res.apk requires a factory reset before you will notice all your changes. (NOTE if you are using winrar don't forget to change the file back to .apk before pushing)

What happens if I change the XML files? isn't xml only style sheets and such?
 
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