Making a 6.1 Theme

From AllShadow.com Wiki

Contents 1 Before We Begin 2 Overview of Theme Making 3 Image Editors 4 Instructions: Locating the Graphics 5 Instructions: Goals for Editing the Graphics 6 Instructions: Editing the Different Sections 7 Making a Cab (installer) File 8 Inspiration

Before We Begin

The below ONLY helps with making a theme for WM6.1. Click here to get a 6.1 ROM. (If you were looking for how to make a Neo theme, click here.)

As with everything in editing, it is always best to back-up anything you change. So please, before editing and changing your theme, make an original back-up of any graphic you change.

Overview of Theme Making

Making a theme for WM6.1 is a lot like making a theme for Neo. The basic theme can be made by editing and replacing graphics and making some minor tweaks to make the colors all match. However, in 6.1 to make a complete theme, you will need to edit cpr, dll and xml files. The below will help you work through all of these steps!

Image Editors

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we need a good image editor to make the graphics exactly the way you want. Click here for a image editor listing for some ideas.

Instructions: Locating the Graphics

• Next we need to locate the images you need to edit/ replace. This simply means transferring them from your phone to your computer. These graphics are located in the /windows folder on your Shadow. If you don't know how to find the /windows folder, see this guide for finding the windows folder for XP and Vista users.
• Once in the windows directory change the viewing of files to "type" (as opposed to "name.") This way all the different types of images group together.
• Next, select all of the bmps, gifs, pngs, jpgs from the /windows folder and copy them to your computer.
  • A good piece of advice is to make an extra set of the graphics that you save as a backup.
  • Included below in the graphics section you will find development packs that include copies of all the graphics make up a theme.
• Before we can start to edit the graphics, we need to remove the "read only" and "hidden" attributes of the files. Select all of the images you just put on your computer, right click and select properties. UNCHECK READONLY and UNCHECK HIDDEN if you can.

Instructions: Goals for Editing the Graphics

• Now the fun begins. Your goal:
  • Take the graphic from your phone, edit it and replace it or
  • Get a different graphic and use it to replace the one on your phone
• Very important: Any graphic you replace must:
  • be the same name (excatly)
  • be the same file type and size
• When you are done editing the image/graphic simply replace it back on your phone's /windows directory and restart your phone. The changes will appear on rebooting.

Instructions: Editing the Different Sections

• 6.1 Graphics: Find examples of the graphics that you will need to edit to make your theme yours including background images and watermark (alert) images.
• Making and Editing a 6.1 Sliding Panel: WM 6.1 uses sliding panels. Check out this guide to see how to make a new panel, change the panel's icons and coloring/image of the panel itself.
• Editing the cpr file for 6.1: The CPR files maintain the layout of the slides including type of font, size and location of each part of the panel. This guide shows you how to edit it.
• Editing the 6.1 .xml file: located in the Application Data/ Home, helps the overall layout of your theme, including the color of your start bars and also the order of the panels (going up and down!)
• Editing the .dll for 6.1: Lots of graphics, and most of the panel icons, are located in the dll. Here is a quick tutorial of how to edit the dll so that you can complete out our theme.
• Theme Making Extras: Now you know how to make a theme- click to find some:
  • Extra graphics for your theme
  • Learn how to get rinku's iconbar or dockstation or the Android/G1 icon bar
  • How to change the start bar color (as seen in the XML section)
  • How to install the FR Photo Dialer (a make-shift myFaves looking dialer)
  • Get some extra sounds for your theme
  • WMP: change the look of Windows Media Player
  • And how to edit the stick together splash screen.
• The basic idea of what you need to do is explained by mast3rmatt in this video:

Making a Cab (installer) File

Okay, so your theme is complete. You have all your graphics, reg edits, what-have-yous but there is one final step to Shadow immortality-- making it available to others. You can zip up all the changes and have people install them manually, or you can make a .cab installer which adds all the changes for your new fan. Click above for a tutorial on just how to do this.

Inspiration

For additional inspiration for theme making check out the Neo Themes and 6.1 themes sections!