melissapugs
Android Enthusiast
Just an alternative: I use ADW Ex launcher to get rid of the dock area entirely, so that Desktop Visualizer widgets can then be used to the bottom edge. Here is where PaulMZ discusses this in detail. GL
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Android Phone 7 Theme
- Thread starter paulmz
- Start date
Just an alternative: I use ADW Ex launcher to get rid of the dock area entirely, so that Desktop Visualizer widgets can then be used to the bottom edge. Here is where PaulMZ discusses this in detail. GL
melissapugs
Android Enthusiast
It's a pretty long thread - the first post has the biggies linked courtesy of PaulMZ.
FYI: I switched from ADW (free) to LPP for the same reasons, then tried out ADW EX (paid). After the last series of major updates, I think it's MUCH faster/stable. Maybe the other two have allowed for such an option - I'd love to try GoLauncher if it does, since they have some really nifty widgets now.
Bartuc
Newbie
GoLauncher EX is by far my favorite launcher, but to be honest, I didn't try this layout on it. GoLauncher doesn't have "auto-fit" option, so I don't know if the tiles would fit properly.
Compared to LauncherPro, it has far better transition effects, smother transitions between homescreens, better homescreen management (rename shortcut, easy shortcut placing, reconfiguring homescreen order etc.), nicer widgets (transparency plugin), some very good paid themes, and cool app drawer (built in task manager), it's stable like a rock. The only thing LauncherPro does better is App Drawer speed, it's kind of laggy on GoLauncher.
Oh, and I don't think you can remove dock elements in GoLauncher EX
But i suppose you could add completely transparent icon and remove entry with it!?
Compared to LauncherPro, it has far better transition effects, smother transitions between homescreens, better homescreen management (rename shortcut, easy shortcut placing, reconfiguring homescreen order etc.), nicer widgets (transparency plugin), some very good paid themes, and cool app drawer (built in task manager), it's stable like a rock. The only thing LauncherPro does better is App Drawer speed, it's kind of laggy on GoLauncher.
Oh, and I don't think you can remove dock elements in GoLauncher EX
But i suppose you could add completely transparent icon and remove entry with it!?
chanchan05
The Doctor
I didnt see this thread before. Is this for any launcher to make it look like WP7? Here's my other post from the Android desktop thread
chanchan05 said:So I got a bit bored of the Android launchers and usual multi-homescreen style and was feeling a bit of WP7 envy.
Not all of the custom tiles are mine. Some I got off LifeHacker blog.
chanchan05
The Doctor
Well then basically you dont get a WP7 feel then IMO. Lets say Launcher Pro, WP7 is about just one homescreen you scroll downwards, but I cant find a setting on Launcher pro for that, nor Go Launcher. IMHO, making blocks of pictures cover up the entire screen isnt a WP7 feel (its more of new Android market feel LOL).
A WP7 feel would be in other words, be as much like WP7 as possible, like Live Tiles, the side arrow, the long list of apps, and the alphabetical search. I even have ubermusic to get the Zune player feel.
Anyway, thats just my opinion.
Ageless Stranger
Android Enthusiast
Awesome thread and tutorial, thank you.
Just one question: Is there any way to configure a shortcut to navigate to another screen? For example, I could have a screen with just games on it, and a shortcut on the main homescreen that navigates to the "game" screen.
Just one question: Is there any way to configure a shortcut to navigate to another screen? For example, I could have a screen with just games on it, and a shortcut on the main homescreen that navigates to the "game" screen.
chanchan05
The Doctor
Probably would depend on what launcher you are using, but cant you just use folders for it? You wont even need to use up a screen or more for just games.
Ageless Stranger
Android Enthusiast
I'm using Using launcher pro, I guess using folders is an option but the style of this theme doesn't really lead itself to folders in my opinion. I'll give it a try later, I might surprise myself. Thanks
chanchan05
The Doctor
I think Launcher Pro can do what you are trying, I never tried though. I use Folder Organizer app to make my folders so their icons are customizable to my liking.
Bartuc
Newbie
Touch
chanchan05
The Doctor
paulmz
Android Expert
Okay, the only way I can figure to jump to a specific homescreen is a two (or three) step process (NOTE: I am using ADWLauncher EX for this):
1: Press and hold blank area on homescreen-> select "Launcher Actions"-> scroll down and select which screen you want to have the shortcut jump to.
2: Long-press the newly placed icon, select "Edit", and press the icon image to change the icon (if you want to).
3. Use my Overlapping Widgets tutorial to place a Desktop Visualizer tile or image behind the icon.
That should do it. Probably only looks good with a 1x1 Desktop Visualizer widget, though.
Hope this helps!
paulmz
Android Expert
The main thing to keep in mind is that this Android7 theme was only inspired by the Windows Phone 7 look. It was never intended to act like it. Personally, I think that a vertically-scrolling single home page is ridiculous. I like to keep the sections separate and specifically categorized.
However, Launcher7 does actually work fairly well. It copies the look and the feel of the Windows Phone 7 OS. It even has a reasonable facsimile of the living tile widgets. But with only three-different widget sizes, I find the WP7 look kind of boring. The Android7 theme is capable of using any size widget that Desktop Visualizer offers (and more, if you need it) as well as customizing buttons and toggles. I think this theme is much more versatile than the entire lumbering Microsoft OS.
Again... just my opinion... (but, I'm kinda biased since I put so much work into this!).
Wow this is an awesome thread. I got my dinc2 in July and have not played with anything. Now I've been reading all this information and I really want to change the look of my phone; but not tech savvy at all so will take as a challenge. I've started playing with the icons using Launcher pro p. I like the blue tiles and figured out how to use them as living tiles, Paul's instructions were spot on. Now I would like to find out the easiest way to get an sms count on a picture icon, specifically a great looking bright yellow mailbox I've seen floating around.
chanchan05
The Doctor
No biggie really, its just my opinion that its not really a WP7 experience and all. Actually, what I like about WP7 looks is that its consistent all over the phone and most apps. We just have different definitions of "WP7 feel".
Bartuc
Newbie
Big sign to that! It's far more intuitive and user friendly. Major thing that Launcher7 misses is WP7's HUB mechanics. Having live tiles that scroll down is nice, but WP7 is interesting (to me at least) because apps are tied together in hubs so everything you could need is in one place (ie. People Hub - it serves like contact book, photo album and social networking etc.).
PS: Hope my English is still good, it's been a while since I used it
paulmz
Android Expert
There are a couple of ways you could do this:
1. When Reskinning Widgets for, say, SMS Unread Count Classic, try using any image for the background following the Desktop Visualizer widget image dimensions for your resolution. Then you would just resize the widget to the correct size of the image.
2. Use a transparent icon for SMS Unread Count and then Overlap the Widgets using any Desktop Visualizer widget size for your specific image. That's how I have my current Phone/Message/Gmail blue tiles working right now.
Let me know if you need any help!
paulmz
Android Expert
Thanks, looking forward to your update.
paulmz
Android Expert
The person I was working with is a bit slow-going with the layout (and he's trying to use GoLauncher as well).
If anyone is able (hopefully using ADW Launcher or LauncherPro), could you perform THE TEST and post or PM me some full-sized screenshots. Then I can get widget dimensions for the 960x540 resolution.
I'd do the test in a hearbeat if I could find a screenshot tool that doesn't require root - I'm still on the fence about rooting at this point.
I looked at some screenshots from the bionic and was able to determine the notification bar is 37 pixels tall FWIW.