[Android Themes] IronTechmonkey:
Since interest has been expressed by others to see that new theme for which [] AL [] posted material a few pages back http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=57816795&postcount=2767: Here is how I got it set up to test. Note that this is as much a description of how to figure a thing out as it is how to test that theme.

Also, like Homer Simpson said “Until then I didn’t even know what a Nuclear Panner Plant was”. That is to say, this is the first time I ever worked with an apk. So… season to taste and consume at own risk ;)

It is indeed as simple as opening an archive file, changing it’s contents, repacking it and doing a thing called “signing”… and there is a utility (actually many utilities) that do most of the work for you however this requires a willingness to gather and arrange the required utilities and explore the content of what is being worked on.

A) EXPLORATION THAT DETERMINES WHAT TO DO

- Assuming working from PC but others systems might work.

- Make sure computer has Java installed.

- Create a work folder. Many subfolders get generated at a few points so this is a good idea to have an this organizational starting point.

- Get “APK-Multi-Tool-Stable-RELEASE”.zip http://d-h.st/Zdo and unzip it to the work folder,

- Get and Install Notepad++ and copy a shortcut for it to work folder.

- Get and install 7Zip (archive extractor) – place a shortcut for it in project folder.

- Put a copy of the newest superswitfkey apk in the project folder.

- Use 7zip to open the SuperSwiftKey apk and note the folder structures and contents.

- Use 7zip to extract the zip file containing [] AL []’s folder and note the folder structures and contents.

- Use Notepad ++ to look at the themelist.json files in both the main superswiftkey apk and [] AL []’s folder structures.

NOTA BENE: The last 3 of the steps above reveal that [] AL [] has provided the contents of the themes folder containing only his themes with a themelist.json to match, while the original apk contains all the themes and a themelist.json file to match those. This means that you can just replace the contents of the \SuperSwiftKey-5.1.2.75-v1-Beta.apk\assets\themes folder in the original apk with the folders provided by [] AL [] without having to edit any individual files.

OK, so like Monty Python said: "There! We have all the words. Now we just have to get them in the right order" Onward to swapping themes into the apk.

B) MODIFYING THE APK

1) In the “APK-Multi-Tool-Stable-RELEASE” folder run “Setup.bat”

2) Press 3 to create directories then press enter, then close the utility

3) Put SuperSwiftKey-5.1.2.75-v1-Beta.apk in the folder named “place-apk-here-for-modding”

4) In the “APK-Multi-Tool-Stable-RELEASE” folder run script.bat then press enter at the intro screen. you will now be in the APK-Multi-Tool console.

5) To “Extract apk” Press 1 then enter.

6) Go to newly created folder “\APK-Multi-Tool-Stable-RELEASE\projects\SuperSwiftKey-5.1.2.75-v1-Beta.apk” and delete the contents of the “themes” folder

7) Copy the contents of AL_7_SSK_themes.zip into the “themes” folder that you just cleared out.

8) Back in the APK-Multi-Tool console press 3 then enter to re-pack (zip) the apk.

9) At the next screen press 2 then enter to pack as regular apk (as opposed to system apk).

10) Confirm that the folder “\APK-Multi-Tool-Stable-RELEASE\place-apk-here-for-signing” contains a file named unsignedSuperSwiftKey-5.1.2.75-v1-Beta.

11) Back in APK-Multi-Tool console, press 4 then enter to sign the apk.

12) in folder \APK-Multi-Tool-Stable-RELEASE\place-apk-here-for-signing you will now have a file named signedSuperSwiftKey-5.1.2.75-v1-Beta.apk

13) Backup and uninstall existing versions of swiftkey then install the apk that was just created.

I found that after going though this, the Dev's descriptions about how to make seemingly more complicated modifications make more sense.