[Xperia Z Themes and Apps] Ticklefish:
What This Mod Does

Softkeys are the bits on the bottom of some phones. They are things like the Menu button, Back button, Home button, etc and usually take the place of the physical buttons.

The handy thing is, because they're just bits of software, they can be moved around.

Don't like the settings button on the right of the screen? Rather have it on the left? Want to put the Home button on the side?

Well, let me tell you how to do it!

How To Do This Mod

The first thing you'll need to do is decompile your SystemUI.apk. There are a lot of different tools out there to help you do this. I would suggest using Tickle My Android but it's up to you.

Once it's done, you'll need to edit layout\navigation_bar.xml. Again, it's up to you how you do this but I always like to use Notepad++.

The stock code looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.NavigationBarView android:background="@drawable/status_bar_background" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/rot0" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/nav_buttons" android:clipChildren="false" android:clipToPadding="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:animateLayoutChanges="true" android:directionality="none">
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="40.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_back" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="4" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/home" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_home" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_home" systemui:keyCode="3" systemui:keyRepeat="false" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/recent_apps" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_recent" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/menu" android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_menu_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_menu" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_menu" systemui:keyCode="82" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/lights_out" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<ImageView android:layout_width="80.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginLeft="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="80.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_large" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="80.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginRight="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
</LinearLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.DeadZone android:layout_gravity="top" android:id="@id/deadzone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/navigation_bar_deadzone_size" />
</FrameLayout>
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/rot90" android:paddingTop="0.0dip" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/nav_buttons" android:clipChildren="false" android:clipToPadding="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:animateLayoutChanges="true" android:directionality="none">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/menu" android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_menu_land" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_menu" systemui:keyCode="82" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/recent_apps" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent_land" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_recent" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/home" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_home_land" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_home" systemui:keyCode="3" systemui:keyRepeat="false" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_back_land" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="4" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="40.0dip" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/lights_out" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<ImageView android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:layout_marginTop="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_large" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:layout_marginBottom="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
</LinearLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.DeadZone android:layout_gravity="left" android:id="@id/deadzone" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_bar_deadzone_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
</FrameLayout>
<View android:id="@id/rot270" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.NavigationBarView>

Looks complicated, doesn't it? Well..it is complicated. But it does make a sort of sense.

This bit is the nav_buttons LinearLayout that defines the arrangement of the softkeys:

<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/nav_buttons" android:clipChildren="false" android:clipToPadding="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:animateLayoutChanges="true" android:directionality="none">
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="40.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_back" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="4" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/home" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_home" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_home" systemui:keyCode="3" systemui:keyRepeat="false" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/recent_apps" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_recent" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/menu" android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_menu_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_menu" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_menu" systemui:keyCode="82" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
</LinearLayout>

The lines that start with "<View" are spacers, the lines that start with "<com.android"[/] are the actual softkeys.

All we need to do is put these in a different order.

Currently, we have SPACER - BACK - SPACER - HOME - SPACER - RECENT APPS - MENU

If we want the MENU button on the left side, we need to edit the code to make it look like this:

<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/nav_buttons" android:clipChildren="false" android:clipToPadding="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:animateLayoutChanges="true" android:directionality="none">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/menu" android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_menu_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_menu" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_menu" systemui:keyCode="82" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/recent_apps" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_recent" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/home" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_home" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_home" systemui:keyCode="3" systemui:keyRepeat="false" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_back" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="4" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="40.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
</LinearLayout>

But we also need to edit the nav_buttons LinearLayout in the rot90 FrameLayout. Starting to get a headache? Don't worry, all we need to do is just reverse the order of the lines we put in earlier.

In other words, we'll ultimately need to create this code here:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.NavigationBarView android:background="#ff000000" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/rot0" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/nav_buttons" android:clipChildren="false" android:clipToPadding="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:animateLayoutChanges="true" android:directionality="none">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/menu" android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_menu_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_menu" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_menu" systemui:keyCode="82" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/recent_apps" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_recent" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/home" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_home" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_home" systemui:keyCode="3" systemui:keyRepeat="false" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_key_width" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_back" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="4" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="40.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/lights_out" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<ImageView android:layout_width="80.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginLeft="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="80.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_large" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="80.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_marginRight="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
</LinearLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.DeadZone android:layout_gravity="top" android:id="@id/deadzone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="@dimen/navigation_bar_deadzone_size" />
</FrameLayout>
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/rot90" android:paddingTop="0.0dip" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/nav_buttons" android:clipChildren="false" android:clipToPadding="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:animateLayoutChanges="true" android:directionality="none">
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="40.0dip" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_back_land" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="4" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/home" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_home_land" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_home" systemui:keyCode="3" systemui:keyRepeat="false" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/recent_apps" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_recent_land" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_recent" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/menu" android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_menu_land" android:layout_weight="0.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_menu" systemui:keyCode="82" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/ic_sysbar_highlight_land" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/lights_out" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:directionality="none">
<ImageView android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:layout_marginTop="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_large" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
<View android:visibility="invisible" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="80.0dip" android:layout_marginBottom="40.0dip" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:layout_weight="0.0" />
</LinearLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.DeadZone android:layout_gravity="left" android:id="@id/deadzone" android:layout_width="@dimen/navigation_bar_deadzone_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
</FrameLayout>
<View android:id="@id/rot270" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.NavigationBarView>

Save it, recompile it, ensure the compression and signing's right (check your decompiling tool's instructions for this), put it back on your phone and..it ought to look something like this:

What This Mod Should Look Like

​

It may seem a little intimidating but take your time with it, it does all make sense and I'm always happy to help out when I can. Have fun!