REMIX!

Download this PSD to make any changes; roll your own graphics and make your own version of Groupie.

Please post in the comments or hit me up on Twitter so I can check out your new versions.

REMIX!

Download this PSD to make any changes; roll your own graphics and make your own version of ThrillhoHD.

Please post in the comments or hit me up on Twitter so I can check out your new versions.

To help those of you who like to create custom images for their themes, and want to get your image alignment perfect, attached are PSD (Photoshop) files with a graphical (pixel) grid on a layer as well as actual Photoshop guides already laid out for you. At the moment I’m supplying portrait only.

Note: I’m fairly sure these will open with grids included in The GIMP, which is free.

An important note: these PSD files are NOT the same size as the screen resolution of your device. But this is correct because they exclude the pixels used by the notification bar in Android.

WVGA (for 480×800)
Nexus One, Galaxy S, Desire, Desire HD, EVO etc
HVGA (for 320×480)
G1, Magic, Legend, Backflip etc
FWVGA (for 480×854)
Droid, Defy, X10 etc
QVGA (for 240×320)
X10 mini, X10 mini pro, IDEOS etc

sweeterskins.net/links

I’ll be adding to this list almost daily. I’ll include anything useful regarding creating custom elements you can use in your Sweeter Home themes including UI design, icons, templates and more. Most of these will be Photoshop tutorials, but you can use the same principals with free software like The GIMP, Paint.NET or Inkscape; or more affordable graphics programs like the excellent Pixelmator for OS X.

As well as me adding to the list, I’ve included a form where you can submit links you’ve found useful too! So submit those awesome Icon Packs and wallpaper sites you use and let’s build something we can all use to build kick-ass, graphically rich themes!

A vocal and helpful community is developing too, so here’s some more places you can go to talk to others other Sweeter Home:

There is one particular situation where Sweeter Home needs community feedback desperately. A small number of Droid users are reporting a boot hang after a crash where the screen appears stuck on the Red Eye. While there are a couple of quick fix workarounds, what we really need is is a logcat of the boot process. If you have experienced this (or are experiencing it right now) please READ THIS HELP PAGE. With your help we can fix this experience for all Sweeter Home Droid users.

Join the group and add your wallpapers. Remember to credit the creator of the image when ever you can!

This first lot are mine, all mine, meaning I took them and own the rights. They’re Creative Commons Attribution and Non-Commercial (which means use ‘em all you want but don’t make money off them and please link back to me!)…

Android CC Wallpapers

This second bunch are the most of the rest I have on my phone. Most of these are plucked from g1wallz.com. Please head there and take a look, it’s a great site! The rest are possibly taken from Flickr or from art blog feeds into my RSS Reader. I don’t know who own the rights to a lot of these so please use them respectfully. If you’re the owner and want these removed don’t hesitate to contact me immediately.

Android wallpapers

Download

These images are made to work with your images set to TILE. They should work without tweaking for vertical docks, but for horizontal docks you may need to drop the internal padding on the icons a little.

Download

Updated PSD grid guides can be downloaded here.

If you’ve been playing with the tray functions and layout in Sweeter Home you may be ready to start designing images to use as parts of your themes. Images sit on layers above the wallpaper and move across the wallpaper as you scroll between screens, like other content in Sweeter Home. Using images with invisible icons (which I’ll show you how to do later this week) means your layouts are limited only by your imagination… and possibly access to a program like Photoshop.

To help you out as you play with images I’ve uploaded two files for you below – the exact visible screen size (not including the notification bar) overlaid with the Sweeter Home grid sizes which layout trays snap to. It’s important to note that home screens are broken into a 16×16 grid for both portrait and landscape views. Due to the notification bar the usable screen sizes are slightly different in each view, meaning the grid sizes are different too.

If you use these templates to create full size images for your theme, remember to set your image in Sweeter Home to the following: iMode: TILE; imageType: DEVICE (or internet as applicable).

Click the images for full size.

PORTRAIT
SCREEN: 320px(w) x 455px(h)
GRID: 20px(w) x 28.4375px(h)

LANDSCAPE
SCREEN: 480px(w) x 295px(h)
GRID: 30px(w) x 18.4375px(h)

Here’s an example of my Thrillho menu sitting on top of the grid template to show you how it works: