Part 1: Installation
Things you will need:
- Windows XP or higher (Yes, Windows 8 is supported)
- .NET Framework 3.5 or higher
- Java Development Kit (JDK) version 1.6 (also known as Java SE 6)
- Android SDK
Installing .NET Framework
If you have Windows 7 or 8, then the right version of .NET is already installed and you do not need to do anything. If you have Windows XP or Vista, you should check your installed programs list for the version of .NET Framework. Go to Control Panel and open "Add/Remove Programs" and verify that you have Microsoft .NET 3.5 or higher in the list of installed programs. If it's not there or the version is lower than 3.5, you can download and install .NET Framework 4.5 from the following link.
Download .NET Framework 4.5
Installing Java
Make sure that you have the Java Development Kit (JDK) installed. Do not confuse this with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which is not enough by itself. The JDK version has to be 1.6 (also known as Java SE 6). Note: Java 1.7 or (Java SE 7) is not supported by Live Wallpaper Creator and will not work. You need to install version 1.6. If you already have Java version 1.7 installed, do not worry installing 1.6 will not cause any issues. You can download the latest 1.6 update here.
Download Java SE Development Kit 6 update 43. Annoyingly, you will have to sign up for a free Oracle account to download Java from their official site.
Installing Android SDK
The Android SDK is best downloaded from the official Android page. It comes bundled with all the necessary tools that you will need inluding Eclipse, a code editor if you plan on working with source code as well. Just follow the link below and click the big blue button to download the Android SDK and ADT bundle for Windows.
Download Android SDK
Once you download the zip file, extract it to a memorable location on your computer, open it and run SDK Manager.exe. Using the sdk manager expand the checkbox that says Android 2.3.3 API 10 and check SDK Platform checkbox. Now scroll down to a checkbox that says Extra, expand it and check the Google USB Driver checkbox. Finally click the Install button on the lower right. It should say "Install 2 packages...". A license window will pop up asking you to accept the license. Select the Accept option and install.
Once finished, the SDK Manager will show a status of Installed for those 2 items. Congratulations, you have successfully installed the Android SDK. You now have everything you need to use Live Wallpaper Creator.
(Optional) Installing Eclipse & ADT Plugin
This step is not required for using Live Wallpaper Creator. However, if you plan on adding advertising or working with source code that Live Wallpaper Creator outputs, you will need to install Eclipse code editor and the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin for Eclipse. This section describes this process.
The Android SDK Bundle for Windows that you have downloaded in the previous step already included Eclipse and ADT Plugin. To install both simply navigate to the folder where you have extracted the Android SDK. There you should see a folder called eclipse, open it and run eclipse.exe to start the installer. The installation process will install both Eclipse and ADT Plugin. Once finished you can import Live Wallpaper Creator projects into Eclipse and start adding working with code!
Make sure that you have installed the Android 2.3.3 API 10 platform tools using the SDK Manager, otherwise your projects will generate errors when opened in Eclipse. This process is explained in the previous section Installing Android SDK
Part 2: Configuring Live Wallpaper Creator
To configure Live Wallpaper Creator you need to do 2 things:
- Set up Java and Android folders
- Create a company
Setting up Java and Android folders
Launch Live Wallpaper Creator and go to the Settings tab. There you will see a section called Java and Android Settings. Follow the instructions to set both Java and Android folders.
Creating a company
Using the Settings tab click the Add button under "Your Companies" section. Fill out the company name. Now, each company you create has a key file associated with it. Use the form on the right to create a new key or import an existing one. Make sure to remember your key password and alias. Once finished, click Add Company. You should see your new company appear in the list of companies at the bottom the screen. When created, key files go into the settings/companies folder under the Live Wallpaper Creator installation directory so you can find them there. The next paragraph is important.
Important info about your key:
A key file acts like a digital signature and is used to automatically "sign" your Android applications when you build them with Live Wallpaper Creator. Signing is a security feature required by the android market because it uniquelly identifies an application as yours which is why it is important to keep your key file somewhere safe and backed up.
Aditionally, each key file is created unique. This means that if you try to re-create a key by entering the same information into the form, you will get a different key. Rather, the key file will have the same password and alias, but a different "signature" which makes it essentially different.
Important info about updating your apps:
Once you create an application and sign it with a particular key, the only way to issue updates for that application is by signing it with the same key. This is why it is important to keep your key file safe and your key password and alias memorized. If you lose your key or forget your password/alias, you will not be able to issue updates to applications that were previously signed with that key. Make a backup of your key file.