Android Rebranding Support

As I posted in the iPhone Mobile App, I wanted to share with everyone the 'basics' to rebranding the Android mobile app too. This is for rebranding the default app, and not adding additional modules.

 

Tools/Software Needed:

You can find this information HERE

 

To replace the icons with your own: (Just use the same names)

All images reside in the 'res' directory. Make sure that if you change the ones in the drawable folder (most main images), that you change the ones in the -hdpi, -ldpi, and -hxdpi folders as well.

 

Files that you need to edit:

- AndroidManifest.xml (Edit the code in RED to reflect your own app name)

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      package="com.boonex.oo"   <-- This should reflect your own unique name ex. com.mysite.packagename
      android:versionCode="150"  <-- version  code
      android:versionName="1.5"> <-- version name

 

- res/values/strings.xml (lines 2-22)

<resources>       
    <string name="app_name">OO</string>
    <string name="title">OO app for Dolphin</string>
    <string name="error">Error</string>
    <string name="close">Close</string>
    <string name="access_denied">Access denied</string>   
    <string name="loading">Working...</string>
    <string name="exception">Exception</string>
    <string name="x_yo">%s y/o</string>
    <!-- <string name="x_yo_gender">%s y/o %s</string> -->
    <string name="about_text">OO for Android  v.1.5

\n\nOO is a mobile app for members
of websites powered by Dolphin
Smart Community Builder.

\n\nOO and Dolphin are products of
BoonEx. Go to <a href="http://www.boonex.com/">www.boonex.com</a>
to download Dolphin and create
your own social networking or
online dating website.</string>

 

Line 28

<string name="title_about">About OO app</string>

You can comment out Line 60 and 61 if you have the site locked to your domain only.

 

- src/com/boonex/oo/main.java (line 22 and 24)

private static final String TAG = "OO Main";
   
public static final String LOCK_TO_SITE=null; // specify site you want to lock to, for example: "mysite.com/dolphin" (I had to use www with mine)

 

- res/values/styles.xml

You can edit this file to change the appearance of your mobile app

 

* I chose to rename all instances of the package to reflect my own mobile name such as com.mysite.appname. I did this within the Android SDK. Since I am posting this from work, I will update this with the exact steps I took if anyone wants to know. Basically it changes all instances of com.boonex.oo to the package name I wanted.

 

Hope this helps

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Quote · 28 Nov 2011

Hi,

You said:

* I chose to rename all instances of the package to reflect my own mobile name such as com.mysite.appname. I did this within the Android SDK. Since I am posting this from work, I will update this with the exact steps I took if anyone wants to know. Basically it changes all instances of com.boonex.oo to the package name I wanted.

 

Please can you send me the details.

 

Thanks Glenn

Quote · 8 Dec 2011

Does anyone know a step by step to repackage the app to an apk file in eclispe?

From downloading the zip file form boonex, unziping, to how to open the folders into eclipse?

Quote · 20 Jan 2012

I do not think anyone has made a 'step-by-step' yet. But you can find some help here:

 

http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/publishing_overview.html

 

http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/preparing.html

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Quote · 20 Jan 2012

Okay be very careful to download and INSTALL eclipse CLASSIC not the JDR

Quote · 15 Feb 2012

Thanks for your post on rebranding the android app. Would you be able to tell me the correct steps to rename the bundle id to reflect my new app name? I would appreciate it.

 

Thank you.

Quote · 5 Dec 2013

I have not messed with the mobile apps for well over a year so I am not sure the exact steps I took, what has changed, and what hasn't. I will be looking back into them soon so hopefully I will be able to answer your questions better.

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Quote · 6 Dec 2013

 

 

Thanks for your post on rebranding the android app. Would you be able to tell me the correct steps to rename the bundle id to reflect my new app name? I would appreciate it.

 

Thank you.

 Im assuming ur using a mac to run xcode? edit the info file and then follow tutorials on youtube how to submit app to apple.

im currently waiting for my app to be reviewed and approved by them it takes 4-6 days.

 For the Android app (this discussion) that would be no. I am using my windows PC. For the iPhone app, I am using a Mac with XCode yes. I don't know about any Youtube videos. I prefer to jump right in head first. I learn best that way :)

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Quote · 6 Dec 2013

 

 

 

Thanks for your post on rebranding the android app. Would you be able to tell me the correct steps to rename the bundle id to reflect my new app name? I would appreciate it.

 

Thank you.

 Im assuming ur using a mac to run xcode? edit the info file and then follow tutorials on youtube how to submit app to apple.

im currently waiting for my app to be reviewed and approved by them it takes 4-6 days.

 For the Android app (this discussion) that would be no. I am using my windows PC. For the iPhone app, I am using a Mac with XCode yes. I don't know about any Youtube videos. I prefer to jump right in head first. I learn best that way :)

 sorry i just realized it was android you were talking about, and yes agree, it may seem complicated but eventually it becomes easy.

Quote · 6 Dec 2013

Now that I am again messing with the newest version of Mobile Apps (1.8.5), maybe I can help answer some support questions now.

 

I will start with answering from this thread: http://www.boonex.com/forums/topic/a-little-help-to-rebrand-after-editing-files.htm

 

@Tony7 - The apk is compiled automatically as you build. http://developer.android.com/tools/building/index.html

"If you are developing in Eclipse, the ADT plugin incrementally builds your project as you make changes to the source code. Eclipse outputs an .apk file automatically to the bin folder of the project, so you do not have to do anything extra to generate the .apk."

SDK Manager - This is used to download updates to your Android SDK. For example, I am building my Android app based around Android 4.0. So I needed to place a check mark in that box and download it. Of course you can install whatever version you want of Android. See more here: http://developer.android.com/tools/help/sdk-manager.html

 

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Quote · 9 Dec 2013

I need re-branding app for dummies, 

1- download the app from my license and unzip

2- download the  Android SDK bunddle and unzip

3- run SDK manager

4- open eclipse?

5- file-import?

Quote · 10 Dec 2013

By request, I have added a 'basic' tutorial in the Wiki on how to rebrand the Android mobile app. You can find it here:

 

http://www.boonex.com/trac/dolphin/wiki/AndroidRebrand

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Quote · 11 Dec 2013

Until I can figure out how to get this on the Wiki Start Page, I will just post this here:

 

Rebranding the Dolphin Mobile App – (Basic Version)

These instructions will walk you through the basics of rebranding your Android mobile app. There are additional tips at the bottom of this tutorial that can help assist you quicker.

Getting the Android SDK package:

  1. Go to https://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html and download the SDK bundle for Windows.
  • Note: You may be required to sign into your Google account
  1. Once downloaded in your desired location, extract the zip file contents.

Getting the Android Mobile App Source Code:

  1. Sign in to your BoonEx account and navigate to the ‘Licenses’ page.
  2. Locate your Mobile License and click the ‘unregistered’ link
  3. Click the ‘Download Android App source code’ link and save it to your desired location.

 

  1. Once downloaded, extract the contents of the zip file.

Let begin the rebranding process.

  1. Go to the folder where you extracted the contents for the Android SDK package.
  2. Double click the SDK Manager
  3. You will need to install at least 1 Android operation system in order to continue. In this tutorial, I am chose version 4.0 (not all devices have the latest).
  4. Once you have finished choosing your version, click the Install (#) Packages button. Accept the license and click the Install button.
  5. Once you receive the ‘Done Loading Packages’ at the bottom left of the SDK Manager, simply close this application as it is no longer needed at this time.

Launching Eclipse:

  1. From within the same folder as the SDK Manager, open the eclipse folder and then double click the eclipse.exe file to launch the program.
  2. Click the File > Import from the menu
  3. On the Import screen, choose the Android folder > Existing Android Code into Workspace and click Next.
  4. Click the Browse button and navigate to the directory where you unzipped the Android Mobile App source code.
  5. Once in that directory click OK. Make sure that all 3 projects are selected and click Finish.
  6. Now you will want to add a Virtual Device for your application to run on. To do that, click the Window > Android Virtual Device Manager.
  1. From this screen choose New and provide the following information:
  • Device Name: Choose your preferred name
  • Device – I would recommend the Nexus S option
  • Target = Android 4.0
  • Memory = Change to 512
  • Once you have that information set, click OK
  1. Set the application to use your new virtual device. You can do this by clicking Run > Run Configurations
  2. Click the Target tab and put a checkmark in the Device Name you just created, click Apply, then click Close
  1. Since it take a while for the emulator to load, go ahead and launch it by clicking Run button or from the main menu choose Run > Run
  1. Once the emulator has loaded, follow the steps to get the Android applications. You will see the ‘Dolphin’ app already installed. Click the application to launch, add your site (if you receive an error you may need to remove or add the www in your domain name), enter your login credentials and login!

You can browse the app if you have never seen/used it before to get yourself familiar with it. Once you are done, click the ‘Back’ arrow on the emulator menu until you exit the application. (Keep this emulator running)

Editing the code for your own application name and website:

  1. In eclipse, expand the Main folder by clicking the arrow to the left.
  2. Double click the AndroidManifest?.xml file to edit
  3. In the Package field (center window), remove com.boonex.oo and replace it with the app name you want in the following format: com.yourdoman.appname and then click save.
  4. A popup window will display telling you that the ‘Package definition in the manifest has change. Do you want to update your launch configuration?’. Click Yes.
  5. You can close this file by clicking the X by the file name (center window). Note: You may see a red X appear next to the ‘src’ folder.
  6. To fix this, expand the ‘src’ folder. Right click on the com.boonex.oo file and choose Refactor > Rename
  7. Type in the new name you gave your app > put a checkmark in ‘Rename subpackages’ >then click OK.
  8. If you receive a screen that contains a list of compile errors, click continue to fix them. You will now see the red X has disappeared from the src folder. (do not worry about the ! sign)
  9. To see the changes you just made, click the run button.
  10. Tip: When making changes to your mobile app, you will want to periodically ‘clean’ your project by clicking Project > Clean
  11. Tip: After viewing your changes, always make sure that you back out of the application before running your app.

Images: The images for the Android app are located in the res > drawable, drawable-hdpi, drawable-ldpi, and drawable-xhpi. The easiest way to replace these images is to keep your own images named the same and properly sized for each folder.

Text (Strings): To change the ‘text’ or ‘styles’ used within the mobile app, you will want to open the res > values folder. To change the text, double click the strings.xml file. You can click the attributes in the center window to change the text ‘value’ to your desire. For example: title (String) = MyNewApp? Click each resource to change as needed.

Locking your app to your site ONLY: If you want to lock your app to your site (where nobody can ‘add’ another dolphin site), you will need to open the src folder, and then expand the first directory (ex. com.yourdomain.appname)

Submitting your .apk to Google Play:

Once you have finalized your branding and tested successfully, you can now submit it to the Google Play market. Eclipse automatically builds your app as you develop. You can find your .apk file in the /bin directory (named Main.apk unless you decided to rename it.)

Here is the location that will start the submitting process: https://play.google.com/apps/publish/

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Quote · 11 Dec 2013

wanted to thank Zarcon for helping me with rebranding this app because I was clueless and getting stuck. now the I know how to successfully publish I can do some customization and do an update.

thanks Zarcon I appreciate your help along with other who have helped with other topics.

now time to continue on the iPhone lol

Quote · 13 Dec 2013

 

Images: The images for the Android app are located in the res > drawable, drawable-hdpi, drawable-ldpi, and drawable-xhpi. The easiest way to replace these images is to keep your own images named the same and properly sized for each folder

 in changing the images, is it done in the folder or in the eclipse?

Quote · 12 Jan 2014

 

in changing the images, is it done in the folder or in the eclipse?

It doesn't matter really. I choose to do it by the folder so that I can view the thumbnails better. This also allows me to see how just how many different sizes there are too. Plus, eclipse should be working off that directory so any changes made will be picked up.

 

For example, you may find the same image in sizes 32x32, 64x64, and 96x96 that all need to be changed. So to help with this, you need to start with your images at 256x256 (at least) and then resize it down to the needed sizes. P.S. I strongly suggest keeping the images named the same to avoid having to change all references within the code itself.

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Quote · 12 Jan 2014

Thanks Zarcon. Could you please show me how to test my app and how to save it to .apk to be sent to google play. I am done with editing and inserting images.

Quote · 12 Jan 2014

I would be too difficult to give you a actual step-by-step, but I explained in a post above the basics of how to do this. You can also refer to here:

 

http://developer.android.com/tools/building/building-eclipse.html

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Quote · 12 Jan 2014

there was a problem with the RUN CONFIGURATIONS. I don't see the AVD there. 

Can you or someone `do the app for me for a fee?

Quote · 12 Jan 2014

 

Can you or someone `do the app for me for a fee?

You can post a job request here: http://www.boonex.com/jobs/

 

I personally can not do it because I do not have the time to devote to it and do not want someone 'waiting' on me. Outside my full-time job, Zarconia, Moderator, and family life, my time is pretty limited :)

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Quote · 12 Jan 2014

I appreciate your support Zarcon. I have been able to design the app. It is locked to my site but I want to skip the first page that opens. It opens with a Dolphin Logo with my site under it. Users may/may not be able to change the site, but I don't want that to appear. I want the login page to appear straight away. please help if you can. thanks.

Quote · 13 Jan 2014

 suggestion: why dont you change that to your site logo like I did...

I appreciate your support Zarcon. I have been able to design the app. It is locked to my site but I want to skip the first page that opens. It opens with a Dolphin Logo with my site under it. Users may/may not be able to change the site, but I don't want that to appear. I want the login page to appear straight away. please help if you can. thanks.

 

Quote · 13 Jan 2014

i have changed the site logo but i don't want that as a start up page. users have to see my URL before they enter the site.

Quote · 13 Jan 2014

 

i have changed the site logo but i don't want that as a start up page. users have to see my URL before they enter the site.

this is just an image that loads for half a second, u could just remove that image file.

sorry I really don't know how to remove that step completely or have not tried

Quote · 13 Jan 2014

Thanks Tony7. Can somebody else here help me remove the first page which shows my site image and URL? I want the username and Password screen to be the start up page.

Quote · 13 Jan 2014

Hello please where do i place the Facebook Secret Key and app id in the android soure-code.

Thanks

Quote · 14 Jun 2014

No where it mentions how to use the source code with Eclipse, where we import them and through them to packing to APK

Quote · 19 Sep 2014

 

No where it mentions how to use the source code with Eclipse, where we import them and through them to packing to APK

 I would recommend to learn and understand Eclipse and Android API documentation first in order to do this. All developers who have rebranding service offers on the market have spent their sleepless nights in brainstorm and drank a lot of coffee with cigarettes learning how to do this. Teaching customers how to do it will make their rebranding offers irrelevant which makes no sense.

 

Links:

http://www.eclipse.org/documentation/

https://developer.android.com/guide/index.html

 

Good luck! :)

 

I would be too difficult to give you a actual step-by-step, but I explained in a post above the basics of how to do this. You can also refer to here:

 

http://developer.android.com/tools/building/building-eclipse.html

http://boonexpert.com
Quote · 19 Sep 2014

I too am fighting with this. Upon importing the Android files about 53 errors and 29 warnings were issued while trying to import alone. I must disagree a bit from above because I have never been pissed with this whole thing until right now. I am confident that I can eventually get to a fixing up my Android app.  However, for the amount of money I just spent for a Prime license, it is pathetic the lack of how to or instruction I am offered after spending $400 after a 20% discount plus a savings discount from a prior license.  All and all this could have been an $800 purchase. And for what? So nobody except Zarcon wants to provide help or a basic road map to doing this? Boonex should have had a step 1 A-Z guide on getting my apps a mere basic re-branding for submission.  But the best thing supplied is a guide by Zarcon (which I appreciate) but it's not his place to cover this. I just gave Boonex a large sum of money and am left with raw source code that does nothing but not work in Eclipse for some reason due to so many build errors. 

 

I fully support the developers who offer a service to modify and re-brand the mobile apps. But I disagree it does make sense for Boonex to tell us from start to finish with damn pictures and crayons if that is what it takes to utilize a product we just purchased. I should not have to turn around and give a developer another $200-$400 (that I don't have) just to do what Boonex should have done already for the first $400.  I know Boonex plans a mobile improvement soon but I'm sure its too far away still.  If I wanted a custom job outside of a basic re-branding then by all means I should hire a developer. Or if I am just incapable of following numbered instructions and screenshots with no experiences then a paid developer is still a good option. There should also be disclaimers that unless you have access to an Apple IOS to use Xcode then your iPhone app isn't happening unless you pay someone to do it for you.  Anything you purchase comes with step by step installation instructions (that work).  I just bought a license to maybe one day have a product. Unless of course An extra few hundred dollars that I couldn't use on something else shows up on my door step to have someone do it for me.  I feel like I've been lured and misguided by Boonex. I paid to feel that way, then people are saying if you pay me I can do what Boonex should have showed you how to do already with your purchase.

 

Sorry for the rant guys but it needs said. I've never went south like this before ever on here but when it hits your wallet it stings a bit.  I appreciate everyone's service. If I had the extra money I would put someone to work helping me pick up the loose ends. Zarcon you went more than out of your way posting a good little getting started guide. Thank you.

Quote · 25 Oct 2014

I know... I know... this is the beauty of the Open Source Money Mouth

Quote · 26 Dec 2014
 
 
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