Guide: How to Create and use Custom Textures/Sounds on Android/Emulator

Tips & Guides
#1

As far as I know this can only be done on Android and Windows.

You will need a Windows PC and an Android device (emulators work too).
This guide should tell you every step of making and using your own textures in The Blockheads on Android.
Steps:
  1. Downloading the APK
  2. Installing Java
  3. Installing APKtool
  4. Decompressing the APK
  5. Locating textures/sounds
  6. Replacing the textures/sounds
  7. Compressing the APK
  8. Signing the APK
  9. Running the APK
Step One. Downloading the APK.

Click here to visit Noodlecakeā€™s website. When you are on this website click ā€œInstall APKā€ and the APK will save to your downloads folder.

Step Two. Installing Java.
Click here to go to the Java site and then click ā€œAgree and Start Free Downloadā€ and the installer will save to your downloads folder. Run the installer to install Java.

Step Three. Installing APKtool.

  1. Start by right clicking this and then doing ā€œSave linked contents asā€¦ā€ and save the apktool.bat where you will remember it.
  2. Now you need the .jar. Click here and then click on the newest release to download it. Once it has downloaded rename it to apktool.jar
  3. Now make a folder on the root of your C: drive called android and in that folder make another folder called apktool so in file explorer it should say C:\android\apktool
  4. Move your apktool.jar and apktool.bat in to the apktool folder.

Step Four. Decompressing the APK.

  1. On your keyboard press the Windows key and type ā€œcmdā€ and open a command prompt (not administrator).
  2. In the command prompt type cd C:\android\apktool
  3. Move the blockheads APK file from the first step into the apktool folder using file explorer.
  4. In the command prompt type apktool d theblockheads1.7.6.apk (or replace theblockheads1.7.6.apk with the name of the downloaded apk) and press enter.
  5. Now if you look in the apktool folder there should be a new folder called theblockheads1.7.6

Step Five. Locating Textures/Sounds.

  1. Open the theblockheads1.7.6
    folder, open the assets folder In this folder there are some icons and fonts but for textures you need to open the GameResources folder.
  2. If you are looking to change textures for the classic textures or sounds then find the texture/sound you want to change without opening any other folders.
  3. If you want to change the HD Textures then open the folder HDTex and find the texture you want to change.

Step Six. Replacing Textures/Sounds.

  1. Download the installer for paint.net and run it. (or you can use any other editing software)
  2. When you have found the texture you want to edit, right click on the image and select open with and then paint.net
  3. Edit the texture how you like.
  4. To replace a sound, find the sound you want to replace in C:\android\apktool\theblockheads1.7.6\assets\GameResources
  5. Find the sound you want to replace it with. (if it isnā€™t in .wav format you will need to use a converter)
  6. Name the sound you want to replace it with with the same name as the file you are replacing. ex: place.wave is the name of both files.
  7. Drag the sound you are using to replace into the GameResources folder and say ā€œYesā€ to replacing the existing file.

Step Seven. Compressing the APK.

  1. Perform the first two parts of Step 4 again.
  2. Type apktool b theblockheads1.7.6 theblockheads-new.apk and press enter.
  3. Now there should be an APK file in C:\android\apktool\theblockheads1.7.6\dist

Step Eight. Signing the APK.

  1. Get your APK file onto your Android device. (using something like google drivedrive an SD card)
  2. At the moment if you try to install the APK it will error so you need to do the following.
  3. Click here to download ZipSigner and then install it on your Android device.
  4. In ZipSigner tap the ā€œCHOOSE IN/OUTā€¦ā€ button at the top of your screen and then navigate to where you put your modded APK.
  5. Tap ā€œSIGN THE FILEā€ and wait, this can take a bit.

Step Nine. Running the APK.

  1. On your Android device open your file exploring app.
  2. Go to the place where you had your original APK and there should now be a new APK ending in -signed. If you do not see this, delete something in your downloads folder and it should appear.
  3. Tap on the new -signed APK and allow it to install.
  4. You should now be able to open The Blockheads with your new textures!
Hopefully somebody finds this interesting, if you make anything cool you can share it!
3 Likes
Cool hidden pictures and files in blockheads
Why cant i get the app on the playstore
#2

Iā€™m going to check and see if thereā€™s a way to do this using a Mac. Wish me luck!

1 Like
#3

APKtool can be used on mac, java was the thing Iā€™m not sure aboutā€¦

#4

Java should work just fine on Macs.

#5

Oh, then it should be possible, Iā€™ll see if I can find my old mac and Iā€™ll test it.

#6

I was not able to do it on a mac. but it might just be that I have no idea what Iā€™m doing on a mac.

#7

Take a look at this: https://java.com/en/download/help/mac_install.html

#8

using APKtool was the issue, java worked fine.

#9
#10

I downloaded it, I just couldnā€™t figure out how to run it from terminal properly, I tried using java and just running it and also tried doing it the way I did it in windows. It just didnā€™t work ĀÆ_(惄)_/ĀÆ

#11

Maybe thereā€™s a different way to use it?

#12

Unfortunately Iā€™m dumb and I still donā€™t understand itā€¦
:rofl:

#13

Maybe, Iā€™ll try again when I have some time

I might make a video at some point, also just depends how much time I have, today I had a lot more time than I normally do due to MS Teams going down.

#14

what is wrong with the original sounds? XD

#15

Nothing, itā€™s just fun to mess around sometimes

#16

Why not try something new? Modified sounds seem like a great idea so far.

#17

I think you should make a separate instructions for emulators

#18

The steps are the same though, you just press the APK button in blue stacks

1 Like
#19

Ima use android studio Instead

#20

I tried, it didnā€™t work but I may have been doing something wrong. Well I probably did something wrong.