[THEME][How To] Theme Beta Swype

thekraven

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Edit for Swype beta 3.25 only atm. I will look at what needs fixing for the newest version.

This tutorial will show you how to theme the new beta Swype. I'll be adding more Swype theme graphics files and tutorial pics. soon.

EDiT: See post #9 for the ZipThemer method. More streamlined and done all on the phone.
EDIT: See post #3 for on the phone Swype theming using Metamorph.
NOTE: For MDPI only.
NOTE. Don't even ask for the swype apk. Or even share your themed version.
NOTE: This method 1 works for Reborn and CM7 builds.

I will show you how to theme Swype in three different ways. Basically is opening the swype apk and swapping out graphic files, signing the swype apk, and reinstalling.
1. Long way to help you understand the process in post #1. This uses your computer to move files around.
2. Theming Swype using Metamorph all on the phone. A few less steps. See post #3
3. [WIP]Theming Swype using ZipThemer. Streamlines the whole process on the phone and makes a flashable zip to install in recovery..Post #9 Zipthemer Note: I see some are having problems installing, so i'm trying to make it full proof.
4. Theming the Swype trail. Requires modifying xml and apk manager. WIP.

Now prepare yourself and your phone.
1. Sign up at beta.swype.com to get the Swype installer and the latest Swype beta installed.

2. Install 7zip onto your computer and install zip2signer from the market on your phone https://market.android.com/details?id=kellinwood.zipsigner2 or use APk manager on your computer APK Manager Ver 5.0 - Makes Modifying Use either zipsigner2 or Apk manager to sign the Swype apk file later.

3. Use my Swype graphics zips or make your own graphics to be swapped out. I'll be adding more.
See below youtube video.

Time 0:08 in video
4. Using a file manager with root privileges. Navigate to your /data/app/ folder.

5. Locate "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" file.


Time 0:42 in video
6. Copy the file to the root of your SDcard.

Time 1:07
7. Now connect your phone to your computer via USB and Turn on USB storage.

Time 1:18
8. Now locate the "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" file on your SDcard and right click on it.
CHoose 7zip, open archive. And navigate to the /assets/keyboards/ directory and leave it open.

Time 1:56
9 Now open one of my Swype theme graphics zip the same way with 7zip. If using any other graphics, make sure they are MDPI.

Time 2:15
10. Highlight all the files in my Swype theme zip then drag them over to the open "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" 7zip directory.

11. Now the "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" file is themed and needs to be signed. Now close out all the open zip files and unplug the USB cable. We will now work from the phone.

Time 3:03
12. Open zipsigner 2 on your phone and select "choose input/output" First select "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" as the input, and it renames the new file for you as ""com.swype.android.inputmethod-1-signed.apk"

Time 3:50
13. Now exit the program and go to settings/applications/manage applications/ and uninstall Swype. This step could be left out, but it's always better for a fresh install.

Time 4:31
14. Open your file manager and find your new "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1-signed.apk" file and click on it to install. After it installs click done.
You should have two "com.swype.. " files.. CHoose the one that says "signed" at then end.

Time 5:13
15. Now go to settings/languages keyboard , and place a check next to Swype. ANd exit settings.

Time 5:28
16. Hit the menu button and find the Swype installer icon. Click "select Swype". And choose Swype. Choose exit and you are good to go.

Watch in full screen and Theme your Swype beta in about 5-10 minutes.





Swype Theme zips.
Note: Image files only to be used with Swype Beta.

Purple Swype.. see below.
Black See below
I'll be adding more and taking requests.
tumblr_lnc4yxFQyb1ql2caso1_400.png

tumblr_lndb23mr791ql2caso1_400.png

tumblr_lmyh4e6b5Z1ql2caso1_500.png
 
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thekraven

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Reserved for Metamorph Swype theming.
Theming Swype Beta all on your phone.

It's still some work, but a few less steps. No restart required or no booting into recovery needed.

Now prepare yourself and your phone.
1. Sign up at beta.swype.com to get the Swype installer and the latest Swype beta installed.

2. Install Metamorph and install zip2signer from the market on your phone. Metamorph will update your swype beta with the new graphics and zipsigner2 will sign the Swype apk file later.

3. Download my Swype metamorph zips onto your SDcard. I will use blueswypeMM.zip as an example in this tutorial.

4. Using a file manager with root privileges. Navigate to your /data/app/ folder.

5. Locate "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" file. And copy that file.

6. Go back to your SDcard root directory and Paste the file there. That's the only place my metamorphs will modify it. The file should now at /sdcard/com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk ready to be metamorphed.

7. Now launch Metamorph on your phone. Click "start checks", then press "unzip/extract new theme". Press the arrow once at the bottom right to navigate to the root directory of the sdcard. Find the blueswypeMM.zip file and select it. It should start to unzip the contents. Once finished, a window will pop up with the contents, click close. Now click "apply all" and after it has completed, exit the app.

8. Open zipsigner 2 on your phone and select "choose input/output" Find and select "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" as the input from the root of the sdcard, and it renames the new file for you as "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1-signed.apk"

9. Now exit the program and go to settings/applications/manage applications/ and uninstall Swype. Note: This step could be left out, but it's always better for a fresh install.

10. Open your file manager and find your new "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1-signed.apk" file and click on it to install. After it installs click done.
Note: You will have two "com.swype.. " files.. CHoose the one that says "signed" at then end.

11. Now go to settings/languages keyboard , and place a check next to Swype. ANd exit settings.

12. Hit the menu button and find the Swype installer icon. Click "select Swype". And choose Swype. Choose exit and you are good to go.

Resolution kinda sucks, i'll fix it another time





THese files below are for use with Metamorph and Swype Beta in this post. Please let me know if you want other colors Metamorphed, i'll be slowly adding them.

These also work for theming a freshly installed Swype Beta. See Post 9 Section 1.
 
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thekraven

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THEME Beta Swype using ZipThemer.

If previously you have a previously themed Beta Swype then skip to secton II in this post.

This is more stream lined and much easier to do on the phone. This requires only one program Zipthemer. It will create a flashable zip install file and will require you to flash in custom recovery. Will add a video soon.

NOTE: Work in progress.. I see some are having problems with the zipthemer, I'll keep working to make it fool proof. Thanks for all the help.
NOTE2: THis process only works correctly if you previously themed Swype as in posts 1 and 3, and do a Zipthemer afterwards. I'm working on doing a fresh install this time.
NOTE3: Doesn't work well with Reborn, please try Methods 1 Long version and 2 Metamorph. Working on a fix though.
SECTION I. Theming Beta Swype on a fresh install and working Swype. Unthemed.
1. Sign up at beta.swype.com to get the Swype installer and get the latest Swype beta installed. Make sure it's fully working and gone thru the licensing process. Swype should be checked in Settings/Language Keyboards. And input method should be Swype or change later.
2. Install Zipthemer from the Market https://market.android.com/details?id=kellinwood.zipthemer Zipthemer will update your swype beta with the new graphics and will sign the Swype apk. It then creates a flashable zip file to load in your custom recovery. I only tested on Zefie's Xionia recovery.
3. IMPORTANT STEP HERE. Only download my Files in post 3 with the "MM" at the end. Or And place onto your SDcard.
These only work for this method.
blueswypeMM.zip
goldswypeMM.zip
pinkswypeMM.zip
blackswypeMM.zip

4. Using a file manager with root privileges. Navigate to your /data/app/ folder.

5. Locate "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" file. And copy that file.

6. Go back to your SDcard root directory and Paste the file there. That's the only place my theme zips will modify it. The file should now at /sdcard/com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk ready to be Zipthemed.

7. Now launch ZipThemer on your phone. Press the "+Theme" button. Navigate to where you downloaded the themed MM swype graphics zip file. Use the green arrow in the program to navigate to where the zip file is For example, I selected the pinkswypeMM.zip file. .

8. Press " *Output " button (star output, not the plus output one). Not really necessary, but shows you what the file name and location will be. Click done.

9. Press the menu key and select Settings. Press Package Key Mode, and select "auto-testkey" , now go back to the main program.

10. Press " Build it " and watch it do the work for you. You will now have a flashable swype zip file in your root directory of your SDcard. Exit the app.

11. Two ways to go from here.

11a. SHORTER WAY Uninstall Swype. Now in your file manager, open up the newly created themed update zip file and find the "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" file and install from here. Now go to step 16

11b. Alternative, but the long way. Reboot to your custom recovery. Go to step 12

12. Choose "install zip from SDcard" and find your newly created themed Swype update zip file. And let it install.

13. Reboot your phone

14. Now uninstall Swype from Settings.. Applications..Manage Applications.

15. Open your file manager, go to your root folder and find your new "com.swype.android.inputmethod-1.apk" file and click on it to install. After it installs click done.

16. Now go to settings/languages keyboard , and place a check next to Swype. ANd exit settings.

17. Hit the menu button and find the Swype installer icon. Click "select Swype". And choose Swype. Choose exit and you are good to go.
18. From now on, you should be able to use SECTION II to make theme changes.


SECTION II. Theming using ZipThemer if you previously have themed your Swype beta via methods 1. Long version and 2 Metamorph
Now prepare your phone.
1. This step will be changing soon...
1b. Follow the steps below if you previously themed your swype via the methods in POst 1 and the Metamorph Post 2. Then Zipthemer will work without problems for you. I have test this to work in Reborn and CM7 Roms. So it works only if you first themed Swype the long way as in post 1.

2. Install Zipthemer from the Market https://market.android.com/details?id=kellinwood.zipthemer Zipthemer will update your swype beta with the new graphics and will sign the Swype apk. It then creates a flashable zip file to load in your custom recovery. I only tested on Zefie's Xionia recovery.

3. Download my Swype ZipThemer zips onto your SDcard at the bottom of this post. They will be noted by ZT in the filenames. I will use pinkswypeZT.zip as an example in this tutorial.

4. Now launch ZipThemer on your phone. Press the "+Theme" button. Navigate to where you downloaded the themed MM swype graphics zip file. Use the green arrow in the program to navigate to where the zip file is For example, I selected the pinkswypeMM.zip file. .

5. Press " *Output " button (star output, not the plus output one). Not really necessary, but shows you what the file name and location will be. Click done

6. Press " Build it " and watch it do the work for you. You will now have a flashable swype zip file in your root directory of your SDcard. Exit the app.

7. Now reboot to your custom recovery.

8. Choose "install zip from SDcard" and find your newly created themed Swype update zip file. And let it install.

9. Reboot your phone and you should be good to go. You can go to Setting/Language+Keyboards to see if Swype is still checked. It should be checked. Also check licensing by launching the Swype Beta Installer. It should be fine, just click finished.
 
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kingdavidbaker

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While I commend trying to find an easier method the zipthemer way didn't work for me. Created a zip and an undo zip. Flashed from recovery and restarted and now my swype keyboard is no longer listed in "Language and Keyboards". I used the "blackswypezt.zip" file. I'll check if the undo works and try again with blue and update.

Edit: The undo did not seem to restore the swype keyboard so I checked it was still installed in the applications menu. It was so I wiped data and the keyboard was once again selectable and back to its original theme. So I flashed the black theme again and this time it works properly. Perfectly functioning black swype. So if you flash a theme and your swype keyboard option is suddenly gone just wipe the data for the application and it should show up fine after selecting the swype keyboard again. Good Job!
 
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thekraven

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Hm.. i'll have a look. Just making sure you have fully installed Swype beta and set everything up prior to theming. Which means going thru the licensing process when you install swype beta. It should be a fully working Swype beta before theming. Make sure Swype is checked in keyboard options, and setting up Swype to your liking.

Also what recovery are you using?

This won't work on the built in Swype our phones came with. That's a whole different process.
 
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kingdavidbaker

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I was curious as to whether the update file zipthemer created would simply install the swype beta if it weren't already present (thus infringing on the copyright). So I removed swype completely and then tried to flash the blueswype update created earlier in zipthemer. It says it completes but when the phone reboots there is no swype keyboard. On top of that I downloaded the swype installer again and reinstalled the beta and then tried once again to flash the exact same zipthemer file I created earlier and it actually removed swype. I checked the applications list and titanium backup and swype was no longer listed. Although when I went to reinstall swype I was prompted with "this will replace an app" so obviously the data was still present somewhere. After reinstalling swype I tried using zipthemer to create a new file and then flash but now the file does nothing. Swype is still installed and functions but the theme does not change.

Basically the point is do not share or try to reuse files created by zipthemer. You will want to create a new file each time you install swype. The file will not function and will only cause you problems.
 

kingdavidbaker

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I'm using sROM and kept having issues with zipthemer installing the blue swype theme. I tried multiple times but in the end I had to go through a process to get it working. The only way I got it to work was to flash the ZT zip....restart....didn't work and swype is no longer listed in app list so back to recovery.....flash undo ZT zip....restart.....swype listed again so clear swype data.....recovery.....flash ZT zip.....restart.....select swype and now it works.

I would suggest before doing anything just choosing a different keyboard then clearing the data for swype under applications settings. Maybe that will help avoid all the additional stuff lol.

Edit: Oh and all the issues I had were after I completely wiped my phone and reistalled sROM and all apps so everything was from a fresh install.
 

thekraven

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yeah, you don't undo Swype at anytime for the zipthemer try. After you make the updated theme file, you just reboot to your recovery and install the updated theme zip.
 

kingdavidbaker

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yeah, you don't undo Swype at anytime for the zipthemer try. After you make the updated theme file, you just reboot to your recovery and install the updated theme zip.

Yeah IDEALLY thats how it would work lol. But I had to flash update zip....then undo zip....then update zip again in order to get it working. Apparently Masterjakeway did as well so maybe there is some small issue with ROMs that are not CM7