[One (M8) Themes and Apps] andybones:
Yes, you are mistaken, and I will try my best to explain to you (and others). If this comes off rude in any fashion, that isn't my intention at all. :good:

This is information that is widely available, and I'm putting all in one single post for everybody to read and to understand the differences between CM Theme Engine, Layers, and old school editing (hacking) the applications.

CM Theme Engine:

It is very different than this theme and what I am doing. As some likely know it is a single application you install. You find your theme you like, install it, and see how you like it.

Please do read this:

CM theme Engine.

Layers:

Like CM Theme Engine. Layers - which we technically could/should have, but HTC removed it from our Google Play Edition ROMs. (Surprised? I'm not)

And.. also like the CM Theme Engine. Layers is a single application that is the theme. You find your theme you like, install it, and see how you like it.

Below explains a little about what is actually going on.

Technically: The theme packs (the theme application/CM Theme Engine/Layers) they tell the Android system that instead of using a resource or asset from the Android OS itself (directly editing the applications in the ROM itself like I am doing), redirect those requests to the resource or asset specified in the theme itself. Since the themes are self contained, it's not actually interfering or altering (ie hacking - what I am doing) the applications, just making the visual styles change.

So, what does this mean? They are not touching the Android applications directly. They are able to create an "overlay".

Please read up here to understand more about Layers:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=58380139&postcount=5

How This Theme Works:

I am taking the application itself, decompiling it, editing it for this theme, and then recompiling it. Much like the way, say Lyapota takes his applications, edits them to add a Modification.

I can't speak for Google or why this is no longer an option to theme some of their apps. (You can ask them if you'd like). Now.. unless you know of a way to clone Googles app signature, it breaks when I decompile it and can no longer edit the application. Real bummer for themers, and users alike.

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Ok, again. If any of that came off rude, I do apologize.

A lot of free time goes into all of my projects here on XDA. (M8 ROM, M9 ROM, this theme, and helping out anyplace I can. I get PMs almost daily asking for something to be edited for that single person, and 9/10 I will do it).

I don't get paid to do any of this. However, it is like a full time job, if you were to count up the hours I spend, on XDA alone helping people, and then the amount of time I spend, like recently having to update my M9 ROM to MM, and then came M8 MM which I still haven't even had time to update. Those who don't understand how much time that is put into these projects sometimes don't believe us, or think we are doing it to shill for donations. Well I can say I haven't seen a single cent for "beer money" since February. But have I stopped? Absolutely not. Back on the Samsung Galaxy S3, I was donated enough money to outright buy the Samsung Galaxy S4. So the donations at one point were very good. But that isn't why I am here, if it were, I wouldn't post or share a single thing. I do this because I enjoy the challenge of something new, being able to share my work with others, which is great to see others enjoying something I put a lot of work and time into. This got a little off topic, but I feel that I need to explain a little better about what's actually happening behind the scenes. and I don't just mean myself. Think about the amount of time and work others put in. We all contribute something to make XDA what it is, that is my point. :cool: