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guerrillaradio

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 27, 2008
18
0
I've been searching around quite a bit on how to do this and from what I can tell it's not possible. Is that correct? I just want to go from white to black.

Thanks.
 

PYR0M310N

macrumors 6502a
Aug 29, 2006
543
0
Make an SMS theme/find one in Cydia. Add it to winterboard. Apply it through Winterboard.
Sorted.
 

kdude89

macrumors newbie
Aug 24, 2009
1
0
how do i...

I don't want to download anyone else's theme. I just want to make my background black. I figured out how to change my text bubbles, I just want to change the background now.

how do i change the colors of the bubbles and the change the text..?
 

dhlizard

macrumors G4
Mar 16, 2009
10,214
119
The Jailbreak Community
how do i change the colors of the bubbles and the change the text..?

Text ---> FontSwap from Cydia

SMS bubbles ---> Find some SMS balloon colors (2) you like
Using SSH navigate to:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/ChatKit.framework/

and replace the Balloon_1.png and Balloon_2.png files with the .png images/colors of your choice. Cyberduck (if on a Mac) works great.

Balloon_1.png is the Sender (outgoing)
Balloon_2.png is the Recipient (incoming)

Suggestion: I would backup a copy of the originals...
 

trajen

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2008
535
14
Is this still possible in the 3.0 OS?

From what I've read the messages app has been moved around folder-wise and no one is sure where to SSH the black background. True?

If not, can someone post the directory in which I need to SSH a black SMS background? THX :D
 

tag

macrumors 6502a
Apr 29, 2005
918
9
Is this still possible in the 3.0 OS?

From what I've read the messages app has been moved around folder-wise and no one is sure where to SSH the black background. True?

If not, can someone post the directory in which I need to SSH a black SMS background? THX :D


Winterboard was just updated to now allow for modification of the sms background in 3.0.

If you have winterboard installed you just have to put your favorite SMSBackground.png (preferably in 480x480 I believe it was) into the root directory of whatever theme you're using.
 

trajen

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2008
535
14
Winterboard was just updated to now allow for modification of the sms background in 3.0.

If you have winterboard installed you just have to put your favorite SMSBackground.png (preferably in 480x480 I believe it was) into the root directory of whatever theme you're using.

Ugh, Winterboard?

Is there a way to do this without using that crappy program? I'm on a 2G and Winterboard does nothing but slow my iPhone dowwwnnn. :p

I appreciate your help! :cool:
 

dhlizard

macrumors G4
Mar 16, 2009
10,214
119
The Jailbreak Community
Ugh, Winterboard?

Is there a way to do this without using that crappy program? I'm on a 2G and Winterboard does nothing but slow my iPhone dowwwnnn. :p

I appreciate your help! :cool:

I modded everything in my SMS folder except the background (chat bubbles, send button color, add address buttons) without the use of Winterboard.

Cydia app Desktop/SMS Background does the wallpaper without WB.
 

Ruskiboy

macrumors newbie
Oct 6, 2009
16
0
Hey guys this might be a bit of a noob question but I've done a modification on mine where I downloaded a theme from cydia but did not like the background so I changed it to a different one.

I modified the following folder private>var>stash>themes where I had found the theme I downloaded from cyda and deleted the bundles folder (because I did not need the sms bubbles from that theme) and inserted my background into the sms background folder.

Long story short it changed and worked well except for one problem...In portrait mode everything is perfect however in landscape mode the image seems to get cropped and does not seem to adjust to landscape mode. I've included a screenshot to show what I mean. Any ideas on how to fix this guys?

Cheers

Ok I worked out the problem my background png image was sized to fit portrait mode 320*480 I converted it to 480*480 and it works perfectly in landscape now but in portrait mode the image is off center (screenshot included) is there anyway to have the background image display from the middle in portrait mode?
 

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trajen

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2008
535
14
Ok I worked out the problem my background png image was sized to fit portrait mode 320*480 I converted it to 480*480 and it works perfectly in landscape now but in portrait mode the image is off center (screenshot included) is there anyway to have the background image display from the middle in portrait mode?

I think it looks good off-center in portrait mode!

Exactly how did you do this? I'd like to try to SSH the file in (I don't use WinterBoard.) Could you post a quick tutorial and that .png you used? :)
 

Ruskiboy

macrumors newbie
Oct 6, 2009
16
0
Yea don't get me wrong I think it looks good of center too...it's just I use that background everywhere on the phone and it just does not fit in with the rest of the theme in my phone.

As far as how I did it goes...

The background image is originally from the "Alit" theme of cyda (for winterboard) but I have taken the image out on it's own and can upload it if you wish.

the way I put it in was to download any sms theme (I think they all need winterboard to run) installed it but did not activate it then thru ssh i went into the following directory chain...private>var>stash>themes>(name of the sms theme you downloaded) there should be 2 folders in there one by the name of the sms theme you downloaded the other should be called bundles (it contains themed chat bubbles usually) I deleted the bundles folder leaving the main sms theme folder and replaced the background.png inside that folder with my custom one with the same name (otherwise it wont work) then I renamed the sms theme folder to SMS Background so that way it wont clash with cydia then respring the phone and then finally I went into winterboard and activated "SMS Background".

I'm not sure if it can be done without winterboard but logically I don't see why you cant go to that ssh chain and insert that png image to run as the sms background...Or I suppose you could always install winterboard put in your sms theme then activate it and then remove winterboard keeping the theme.

Unless someone else knows another way?
 

trajen

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2008
535
14
Yea don't get me wrong I think it looks good of center too...it's just I use that background everywhere on the phone and it just does not fit in with the rest of the theme in my phone.

As far as how I did it goes...

The background image is originally from the "Alit" theme of cyda (for winterboard) but I have taken the image out on it's own and can upload it if you wish.

the way I put it in was to download any sms theme (I think they all need winterboard to run) installed it but did not activate it then thru ssh i went into the following directory chain...private>var>stash>themes>(name of the sms theme you downloaded) there should be 2 folders in there one by the name of the sms theme you downloaded the other should be called bundles (it contains themed chat bubbles usually) I deleted the bundles folder leaving the main sms theme folder and replaced the background.png inside that folder with my custom one with the same name (otherwise it wont work) then I renamed the sms theme folder to SMS Background so that way it wont clash with cydia then respring the phone and then finally I went into winterboard and activated "SMS Background".

I'm not sure if it can be done without winterboard but logically I don't see why you cant go to that ssh chain and insert that png image to run as the sms background...Or I suppose you could always install winterboard put in your sms theme then activate it and then remove winterboard keeping the theme.

Unless someone else knows another way?

That would be cool if you could upload it. I would prefer not using WinterBoard at all, it slows my iPhone down. Do you know where the regular background image is located via SSH?
 

Ruskiboy

macrumors newbie
Oct 6, 2009
16
0
Ok from what I've discovered browsing around on the file sytem the default background is located at /Applications/MobileSMS.app/Default-smsanswer.png

Logic for me says that if you replace this file with your png image it should change the background. (just make sure you make a backup of it first in case it goes wrong)

Here's the background I have (I've converted it to 480*480)
 

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Gix1k

macrumors 68040
Jun 16, 2008
3,418
1,074
I may change mine to black today. Which is the location??

/Applications/MobileSMS.app/Default-smsanswer.png

OR

private>var>stash>themes>(name of the sms theme you downloaded) there should be 2 folders in there one by the name of the sms theme you downloaded the other should be called bundles (it contains themed chat bubbles usually) I deleted the bundles folder leaving the main sms theme folder and replaced the background.png inside that folder with my custom one with the same name (otherwise it wont work) then I renamed the sms theme folder to SMS Background so that way it wont clash with cydia then respring the phone and then finally I went into winterboard and activated "SMS Background
 

Ruskiboy

macrumors newbie
Oct 6, 2009
16
0
From what I can see the /Applications/MobileSMS.app/Default-smsanswer.png link is the one that is the unmodified default the second one is a winterboard link since you don't use winterboard I figure the first is the one you need
 

Gix1k

macrumors 68040
Jun 16, 2008
3,418
1,074
Thanks! So I need to browse to there and change lets say your black image from SMSBackground.png to Default-smsanswer.png and done! BTW, I have Winterboard installed, but I install no themes whatsoever.
 

Ruskiboy

macrumors newbie
Oct 6, 2009
16
0
If you have winterboard it's best that you go with the first method I explained less chance of something going wrong and IMO better results
 

trajen

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2008
535
14
Thanks! So I need to browse to there and change lets say your black image from SMSBackground.png to Default-smsanswer.png and done! BTW, I have Winterboard installed, but I install no themes whatsoever.

I tried that and it didn't work for me. :confused:
I don't have winterboard installed.
 

Gix1k

macrumors 68040
Jun 16, 2008
3,418
1,074
I tried that and it didn't work for me. :confused:
I don't have winterboard installed.

Thanks for the update. Saves me from trying later. Did you use the correct case on the name. One upper for a lower or reverse will cause it not to work.
 
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