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Root Can I pull images out of an apk?

mahers

mahers

Android Expert
Is it possible to pull images from an apk? I have one with icons I like that I want to use as dock icons, but since they are currently in an apk, I am not able to. The images must exist, and there has to be a way. I tried to use a file explorerer to get into the apk, and it asked me if I wanted to view or install the file. I chose view, then it asked where I wanted to extract everything to...then it force closed :(

Was I on the right path?:confused:
 
mahers said:
Is it possible to pull images from an apk? I have one with icons I like that I want to use as dock icons, but since they are currently in an apk, I am not able to. The images must exist, and there has to be a way. I tried to use a file explorerer to get into the apk, and it asked me if I wanted to view or install the file. I chose view, then it asked where I wanted to extract everything to...then it force closed :(

Was I on the right path?:confused:
Click to expand...

I know you can with Root Explorer.

Long press on an .apk and then select extract all. It puts everything out on your SD Card in the extracted folder.
 
yes.
- copy the apk to your desktop.
- open 7zip and learn to navigate through it
- go in to the folders (usually) res, then any of the drawable folders....they are .png images (just a form of image)
- make an empty folder on your desktop
-highlight/select all in any of the drawable folders and drag drop to your empty folder

to replace images in an apk from one apk to another; use the above method to find the name of the apk you want to move to the other....rename it to the name of the one you want it to replace in the other apk....drag drop it in.

example:

i want to replace status bar.9 with one from another apk
i open two 7zips to the folder contaning that image; one in the apk i want to keep, the other in the one i want to steal the image from.

drag the image from inside one 7zip to the other and it will overwrite the status bar .9 that is in there. close 7 zip and done.

also, if i want to use and image with a different name then i would just rename the image i want with the name of the image i want to replace, then drag drop it in....it will overwrite the old one with the same name.

you can do all this from inside 7zip.
 
So, if I used the method you described above could I edit the image before dropping it into the keeper folder (named the same and .png) without causing problems? Example of the edit would be to make a background transparent or something similar.
 
Greavous said:
So, if I used the method you described above could I edit the image before dropping it into the keeper folder (named the same and .png) without causing problems?
Click to expand...

Yes. If the images name end in .9 though, you will need to follow the tutorial in the link in my signature for .9 work. If its, say a regular image, then you can just do a color change or whatever and drop it back in. as long as you don't change the name.
Paint will kill transparency of the image, I use gimp. Google it, is a free image editor....actually I think there is a link in my tutorial. Basically whatever image editor you use you don't want it to kill transparency. Some images you don't have to worry about that.
 
With the name, you shouldn't have to add .png, as the computer will know that's what it is.....just change the name to say exactly what the one you want it to replace says.
 
Greavous said:
I use Macromedia Fireworks MX for my image edits. Im interested in making backgrounds transparent.
Click to expand...
never used it....maybe someone else will chime in.
i know in gimp it shows that there is transparency and saves it as such, where as if you edit the png with the wrong program it kills the transparency and everything that was transparent turns white when you are done.
 
any idea where to look on the phone to find the apk associated with a calculator widget? Ive looked through the system/apps area and dont see it.

EDIT...Found it along with other widgets in the Data folder....
 
Ok, Ive been tinkering with an app called Animated Widget Contact Launch which is a pretty neat app for quick on screen access. Download Animated Widget Contact Launch for your Android phone on AppBrain

What I dont like about it is the default icons it places (round or square) dont match the custom icons ive made for my phone so I dug into the apk with 7zip and placed one of my icons in the apk and placed that back on the phone. However, when I went to install it I got the dreaded failure notice. The file was on my SD card at the time. I had uninstalled the app prior to attempting to install. So, I downloaded the app again and then moved the file on the SD to card data/apps and overwrote the existing .apk. When i made a contact icon I got my custom icon! I think im just being lucky and would like to hear ideas on why it didnt install properly the first time.
 
its possible since it was a downloaded app that it needed to be resigned after your changes.
 
I guess its time to figure all that out. I kinda got lost in the shuffle last time I tried to figure signing out.
 
you can use apk manager which should be in the theme help link in my sig.
looking around the system text section should be a link to it, java.

you then have to put it in to your variables

computer right click, properties;

advanced system settings, evironmental variables

system variables (2nd box down), path:

"%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp;%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_23\bin;C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk-windows\tools;C:\Users\mini\Desktop\apk_manager_4.9\other"

the way i got it in my path was to for example:
- java; i found where it was installed then went in to it and found "bin", went in bin and right clicked on something inside and selected properties....this gave me the location of bin. i copied that and went to the previous path location i mentioned and hit ";" semi-colon and pasted that location there. then semi colon again and did the same for android sdk and apk manager.

this took me some time to get right and if i had a full understanding i would write a tutorial but im not sure i have a total grasp.
 
thanks for the direction faber, Ill have another go at that this weekend. Ive got a few adult beverages in me now and Ive learned form experience that being bright eyed and bushy tailed is the for hardcore learning. I will follow up on it though!
 
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