The BlackBerry The Studio has replaced the Plazmic Content Developers Kit for creating your own BlackBerry themes. The software is easy to use for beginners, yet it offers a lot of possibilities for more advanced developers. In this post I will explain how to get the Theme Studio software and Simulators and create a basic theme using the sample graphics.
The first thing you need to do is obtain the Theme Studio application which can be obtained directly from BlackBerry here. If you do not have a developer account you will have to read the agreement and create an account, if you already have one just login. Under Tools and Downloads you should download BlackBerry Theme Studio v5.0.
You can also download a simulator to test your software on the PC, this is a nice addition to be able to test out the software without putting it on your BlackBerry. I do not consider this to be critical since you can easily send the theme to your BlackBerry using a USB cable, but it is a nice addition if you want to keep playing with the changes to see how they will work. If you want to get a simulator, click on BlackBerry Smartphone Simulators and enter the information for the model you will be using. I am using the Storm 9500 OS 5.0 Beta version since I will be creating themes on my Storm.
You should install the Theme Studio by following the wizards after you download it, the software includes the Theme Builder, Composer, Documentation, and Samples. Take a few minutes to check out the pdfs in the Documentation folder, they provide excellent information for using the Theme Builder and Composer. If you are installing a simulator you should do this after the Theme Studio is installed, just follow the simple wizard again.
In my opinion the best way to get used to using the Theme Builder is to try out some samples. More advanced users may already have graphics or be comfortable creating fromk screatch, but I wanted to focus on the Theme Builder and not spend my time creating graphics.
When you open the software the opening screen will ask how to start, you can open an existing file, create a new theme, or check out links to resources. We will be creating a new theme, so you can enter the information regarding your BlackBerry Model. The layout type offers options for custom, today, and zen. I chose custom since you can add today or zen items later in the process.
After you click on Create the software will load with you model and sample information included for your theme, you could load this as your new theme but it would be similar to the theme that comes on your BlackBerry.
Now that the Theme Builder is loaded we can begin making changes, most of the work is done in the top right panel. Before you begin making changes it is a good idea to save your new file so you can save periodically and not lose anything. Just click on File –> Save As and create a new file name. I am using Test 2 to create this.
Starting with the Theme the Banner at the top, you can begin making changes. To move placement of items, click on the Reposition Banner Items box which will highlight them on the phone and allow them to be moved wherever you like within the banner. I didn’t make any changes here, you can also change the font and size if you like which I left along again. The fun part comes in the indicator section where you can change the graphics.
Clicking on an item like the Battery Indicator will open up the file browser where you can add a new graphic. You need to find the folder that was installed with your program, in my case it was at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Research In Motion\BlackBerry Theme Studio 5.0\samples\Themes. The Battery Signal graphics are under Meters\Banner, I am using a Wave theme so added the WaveBattery.png file. Follow the same steps to add images for the Signal Meter and Unread Icons.
The next step is to make changes to the Home Screen. The process for updating pictures is basically the same, start with the Background when you click on it the file browser will open up and you can go to the samples to find the background you would like to use.
The next part of the Home Screen is the Today/Zen Items. This is another place that is fun to play with to see what you like, I ended up using a basic format of 8 Zen Items at the bottom of the page. After you add the items, you can click on Reposition Home Screen Items and drag them to the location that you desire within the Home Screen. You can direct the items, but I chose to let the application device order determine the placement on the screen. If you click on an icon, the Properties box will open below allowing changes to font, text animation, and text position.
The next section is the Theme the Application List Screen. In my opinion, this is the part of the theme that really makes it different from just changing a background image. Here is where you change the graphics for the applications, for each application that you want to change click on the box next to it and find the sample Applications Icons in the program folder, again I chose to use the Wave theme format so all of my icons come from that folder. You will notice that there is a grpahic for normal and focus, you should add each so the icon will change when you are focused on it. Feel free to use whichever icons you like and you can mix and match if you like different formats.
Another good feature on the Application List Screen is that you can create weblinks to take you directly to a site page, it is basically a bookmark but you can place it on the screen so you don’t have to open the browser.
I was not too concerned with the other items like the phone and message screens, etc. Feel free to make any changes as you wish. I felt that this was a good first test of creating a theme. These changes were pretty basic, but my point was to learn how to use the Theme Builder and get used to the options, not to create an extravegant theme to share or sell. The next step is to take it for a spin and see how it works.
If you installed a simulator you can click on the Preview in Simulator button on toolbar which will open up the simulator. The simulator allows you emulate many things you would do with your BlackBerry including tilting it as seen below under the simulate button on the top bar . You can also take screenshots by selecting edit save snapshot. Notice the different icons for several items below.
If you did not download a simulator or you are happy with your theme and want to send it to your BlackBerry. With the BlackBerry connected via a usb cable, select Preview Theme on BlackBerry and it will be sent via USB, after the theme is sent the BlackBerry will ask you to Activate it and you will be using your new theme.
Now I feel like I have the basic steps down for creating a them for my BlackBerry. In the future I am looking forward to creating more advanced themes with my own graphics rather than using samples fount in the program folder. I feel that the Theme Studio software offers endless opportunities and I hope this guide has helped to begin to unlock those opportunities for you as well.
