How to edit skins from your phone alone
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:43 am
This is for the basic user that isn't too technologically advanced. If you haven't done so yet download the following:
Astro file manager
SilverEdit Lite
Both are available for free from the android market. Astro will allow you to look in the zip files without unzipping them, as well as edit the files within them. Astro also allows you to download these skins directly from this website to your phone using any browser available on Android (I recommend Opera Mobile).
You should have already made a file at the root of your SD card titled "Skins" and that's where you'll go to edit skins. I suggest opening the skin.xml file and look over it for a while to get a feel for the information that it gives. You'll see there are color codes for the background of the keyboard, the characters on the keyboard, the typed word in the suggestion bar, the suggested word (I recommend leaving that #FFFFFFFF as that will allow you to set the color whatever you want via the advanced options in Smart Keyboard Pro options), and the other words and punctuation in the suggestion bar.
If you don't know color codes, the easiest way I suggest to find out using your phone is to go to the advanced options for SKP, and select candidate color, and slide the RGBs (red, green, blue) around until you find the color you like best. Then replace the set code with the new one you've chosen (be sure to check the tags and see which area you're changing the color to).
I've gotten a bit ahead of myself, before you can change the codes, from the default text editor you must long press the text and select copy all. Then you open SilverEdit Lite and create a new XML document. Then backspace until the document is blank, long press and select paste. Now you're ready to make changes. I suggest using SilverEdit Lite since my Droid X's text editor won't edit text (ironic, I know). After you've changed some of the codes, you'll want to rename the skin in the second line, as to not confuse it with the original skin you're modifying.
Now that you've got the skin.xml edited, you can now swap out the pictures in the drawable (for mdpi screens) or drawable-hdpi (for hdpi or hi-rez screens) folders. It will take some getting use to, but eventually you'll be able to "transform" a skin in under 6 minutes. You can swap different keys from different skins, and change the images on the shift, space, microphone, delete and return keys. What's most important is that you relabel the new files to the same thing the originals where labeled. To see an example of how many different combos you can come up with using skins that others have made, just check out pages 8 and 9 of the 3DKey thread and look at the many different ones I've put together.
After you've saved the new XML document in SilverEdit, you'll have to go to the SilverEdit folder in Astro file manager, and select and copy the xml and paste it in the zip file for the skin you're creating. Once you've pasted it, delete the skin.xml file, and rename the new xml you created in SilverEdit to "skin.xml" and you're done, ready to check your skin in the options of SKP. If it works, you've done it properly, if it doesn't, stay cool and don't be frustrated, go back over the stuff and see if you can figure it out. If not, start over again. If you're still having problems, I'm sure there are others out there willing to help, just post your failed attempt here (assuming Cyril will allow it) and someone will probably look at it and help you out.
If I didn't do a sufficient job of explaining things, post a reply and I'll see if I can explain a step better that you are not understanding. It really is very simple, you just may have to spend some time playing with it, getting use to the skin.xml file, and you'll have to be thorough with all your work (I've messed up a skin or two working in haste).
I also suggest you consider the key size when swapping images from different skins, as some keys are smaller than others, and they look a little odd when mixed with others. I hope this is able to do some good.
Good luck.
Astro file manager
SilverEdit Lite
Both are available for free from the android market. Astro will allow you to look in the zip files without unzipping them, as well as edit the files within them. Astro also allows you to download these skins directly from this website to your phone using any browser available on Android (I recommend Opera Mobile).
You should have already made a file at the root of your SD card titled "Skins" and that's where you'll go to edit skins. I suggest opening the skin.xml file and look over it for a while to get a feel for the information that it gives. You'll see there are color codes for the background of the keyboard, the characters on the keyboard, the typed word in the suggestion bar, the suggested word (I recommend leaving that #FFFFFFFF as that will allow you to set the color whatever you want via the advanced options in Smart Keyboard Pro options), and the other words and punctuation in the suggestion bar.
If you don't know color codes, the easiest way I suggest to find out using your phone is to go to the advanced options for SKP, and select candidate color, and slide the RGBs (red, green, blue) around until you find the color you like best. Then replace the set code with the new one you've chosen (be sure to check the tags and see which area you're changing the color to).
I've gotten a bit ahead of myself, before you can change the codes, from the default text editor you must long press the text and select copy all. Then you open SilverEdit Lite and create a new XML document. Then backspace until the document is blank, long press and select paste. Now you're ready to make changes. I suggest using SilverEdit Lite since my Droid X's text editor won't edit text (ironic, I know). After you've changed some of the codes, you'll want to rename the skin in the second line, as to not confuse it with the original skin you're modifying.
Now that you've got the skin.xml edited, you can now swap out the pictures in the drawable (for mdpi screens) or drawable-hdpi (for hdpi or hi-rez screens) folders. It will take some getting use to, but eventually you'll be able to "transform" a skin in under 6 minutes. You can swap different keys from different skins, and change the images on the shift, space, microphone, delete and return keys. What's most important is that you relabel the new files to the same thing the originals where labeled. To see an example of how many different combos you can come up with using skins that others have made, just check out pages 8 and 9 of the 3DKey thread and look at the many different ones I've put together.
After you've saved the new XML document in SilverEdit, you'll have to go to the SilverEdit folder in Astro file manager, and select and copy the xml and paste it in the zip file for the skin you're creating. Once you've pasted it, delete the skin.xml file, and rename the new xml you created in SilverEdit to "skin.xml" and you're done, ready to check your skin in the options of SKP. If it works, you've done it properly, if it doesn't, stay cool and don't be frustrated, go back over the stuff and see if you can figure it out. If not, start over again. If you're still having problems, I'm sure there are others out there willing to help, just post your failed attempt here (assuming Cyril will allow it) and someone will probably look at it and help you out.
If I didn't do a sufficient job of explaining things, post a reply and I'll see if I can explain a step better that you are not understanding. It really is very simple, you just may have to spend some time playing with it, getting use to the skin.xml file, and you'll have to be thorough with all your work (I've messed up a skin or two working in haste).
I also suggest you consider the key size when swapping images from different skins, as some keys are smaller than others, and they look a little odd when mixed with others. I hope this is able to do some good.
Good luck.