Benchmark Redakcija
Benchmark tim
Intervju: Viktor “Vertumus” Vučinić, XDA Developers
Pre izvesnog vremena ste bili u prilici da pročitate naš članak posvećen XDA-Developers zajednici, ogromnoj zajednici sa preko četiri miliona članova, koja se bavi razvijanjem i modifikovanjem softvera za Android, Windows Phone, Bada i WebOS platforme. Tom prilikom ste se i sami mogli uveriti u razloge zašto taj sajt uživa toliku popularnost, a sada imamo priliku i čast da vam predstavimo i jednu od osoba koje su “odgovorne” za toliku popularnost. Naš sagovornik je Viktor Vučinić, jedan od jistaknutijih članova, koji se bavi razvojem tema za Android operativne sisteme. Zahvaljujući njemu, zaista možemo da uživamo koristeći svoje telefone, jer je upravo on (naravno, nije jedini član zajednice koji se time bavi) autor izuzetnih vizuelnih modifikacija. Neretko su ove modifikacije deo šire promene telefona, tzv. custom ROM-ova, pa tako ne samo da vizuelne teme doprinose lepšem ugođaju u korišćenju telefona, već mogu biti i integralni deo daleko širih modifikacija koje doprinose dramatičnim unapređenjima funkcionalnosti. No, o tome više u samom intervjuu.
Sa Viktorom smo seli i popričali u opuštenoj atmosferi, kako bismo saznali nešto više o njegovom hobiju. Viktor je bio otvoren i neposredan, ljubazno je odgovarao na pitanja koja smo mu postavljali. Saznajte kako o svim stvarima vezanim za Android scenu razmišlja dosta iskusan Android korisnik i Developer tema za pomenuti jako popularni operativni sistem. Šta ga je navelo na Android, kako je odlučio da se bavi time, da li je njegov hobi stvar srca ili razuma, koliko je njegov rad komplikovan, itd. O svemu tome i još mnogo čemu sa Viktorom Vučinićem, našim sugrađaninom i članom Benchmark foruma.
Benchmark: Za početak našeg intervjua reci nam nešto o sebi, kako bi naši čitaoci saznali ko je osoba koja se krije iza korisničkog imena Vertumus.
Iza korisničkog imena Vertumus nalazi se 30-godišnjak iz Beograda, Viktor Vučinić. Radim u bankarskom sektoru preko sedam godina, po struci sam diplomirani ekonomista. Volim svoj posao i smatram da je interesantan, da ostavlja dosta prostora za kreativan pristup. Zanima me mnogo toga, od sporta, preko filma, muzike do automobila. Ipak, sebe sam pronašao u novim tehnologijama. To je nešto što me zaista fascinira i inspiriše da svoje ideje pretvorim u konkretan proizvod, koji će drugima koristiti. Jednostavno, osećam se kao da stvaram neki novi svet.
Benchmark: Pre svega, šta te je navelo na kupovinu tvog prvog modela Android telefona, tačnije, šta je bilo presudno u odluci “Hoću baš Android OS, a ne ostale platforme” ?
Oduvek sam imao Nokia telefone, smatrao ih neuporedivim sa bilo kojim drugim. Međutim, kada sam prešao da radim u drugu banku, kolega u mojoj kancelariji je imao sada već prastari HTC Magic. Uzeo sam da ga pogledam i prosto nisam mogao da verujem koliko je brže radio od moje Nokije. Telefon koji je tada koštao oko 150 evra, koji leti u odnosu na moju Nokiju N97, koja je bila jedna od sklupljih telefona tada. Ništa mi nije bilo jasno. Pitao sam ga koji operativni sistem pokreće njegov telefon. Odgovor je bio Android. Ovaj OS me je jako zainteresovao, tako da sam počeo sam malo da gledam po internetu o čemu je reč, i shvatio da Android donosi nešto novo, i da je budućnost stigla.
Moj prvi Android telefon je bio Samsung Galaxy S, i bio sam očaran ekranom i celom tom pričom. Prosto nisam mogao da verujem kako to sve radi. Bio sam oduševljen brojem dostupnih aplikacija, totalnom promenom svega u odnosu na Nokiju i njen Symbian.
Benchmark: Verujemo da bi čitaoci Benchmark sajta i foruma želeli da znaju šta je to što te je podstaklo da počneš da praviš teme za Android?
Jednom rečju “Browser ikonica”, to je stvar koja je promenila sve! Pošto sam aktivan član Benchmark foruma već nekoliko godina, video sam temu za Galaxy S model. Uglavnom sam do tada posećivao sekcije na Benchmarku za igre i računare, nikada nisam zalazio u forum vezan za mobilne uređaje. U temi za SGS je bilo dosta ljudi koji su toliko toga znali oko ove cele ove stvari, milsio sam da je sve ovo nuklearna fizika. Flešovali su se različiti romovi, menjale teme, instalirale se aplikacije… Ja sam bio pod uticajem “Šta je sve ovo”? Onda je neko postavio link ka XDA Developers forumu! To mesto je bilo druga dimenzija svega. Krenuo sam da čitam XDA iz dana u dan, sve više i više. Bio sam zaprepašćen šta se sve tamo moze naći i naučiti. U početku, sve mi je to delovalo konfuzno, ali vremenom i upornim praćenjem dešavanja, kockice su počele da se slažu.
Lutanjem XDA forumom, naišao sam na jednu temu za model, koja mi se svidela. Bila je zelena i bio sam baš zadovoljan njom. Jedino što mi je smetalo je Browser ikonica. Sve je bilo odlično, osim nje. Toliko mi je smetala da sam počeo da kopam po aplikaciji u pokušaju da nađem gde se ona nalazi. Želeo sam da je promenim, i da ubacim onu koja se meni sviđa. Prvi put kada sam pokušao, nisam uspeo u tome, prokleta stvar nije htela da se promeni! Tada sam počeo da čitam o tome kako se to radi, i to je bio prvi korak kako sam počeo da se bavim ovime…
Benchmark: Kada si već odlučio da počneš da se baviš ovim hobijem, koliko ti je bilo potrebno vremena da se uhodaš u celu stvar, tačnije, koliko vremena si proveo u učenju stvari potrebnih za pravljenje Android tema?
Zapravo, treba dosta vremena – svakim danom učis sve više i više. Svoju prvu temu na XDA forumu sam postavio u junu 2011-e. Tada je sve krenulo. Ova cela stvar zahteva dosta čitanja, pokušavanja, eksperimentisanja. Danas, kada sam skoro sve naučio vezano za pravljenje tema za Android, sa svakom novom verzijom teme koju pustim, još uvek učim. Dodaću još jednu bitnu stavku, potrebna je upornost i tvrdoglavost, to je ključ do uspeha. Svoje teme sam flešovao na telefon preko 30.000 puta…
Benchmark: Da li je sam proces pravljenja tema komplikovan – koliko ti je prosečno vremena oduzimao u početku, a koliko ti vremena oduzima sada, kada si se već izveštio u tom poslu?
Dosta je komplikovano. Vremenom sve ide brže, ali u početku je to išlo sporo, jer je teren bio nepoznat. Vreme koje je potrebno da bi odradili jednu aplikaciju i dizajnirali je onako kako vi želite, je 3-4 dana, minimum dnevno oko 8-10 sati rada. Naravno, to je slučaj kada ste suludi perfekcionista kao ja.
Benchmark: Pošto si nam pomenuo da imaš regularan posao i druge obaveze u svom životu, kao što je tvoja porodica, kako uspevaš da pronađeš vremena za ovaj hobi?
Noć je moj najbolji prijatelj. Tokom dana sam na poslu oko 9-10 sati, a kada dođem kući, vreme provodim sa sinom, dok svi ne odu na spavanje. Tada postajem Vertumus i radim do kasno u noć. Retko kad legnem pre 3 sata iza ponoći. Dešavalo se puno puta da i ne spavam, i da ujutru samo produžim na posao. Jednostavno, navikao sam se da spavam jako malo. Znam da to nije dobro za zdravlje, ali…
Benchmark: Tokom trajanja našeg intervjua, primetili smo da obraćaš veliku pažnju na razne sitne elemente u tvojim temama – Da li je to ono što ti oduzima najviše vremena u procesu pravljenja i da li smatraš da je upravo to stvar koja te ističe od drugih tvoraca tema na XDA Developers forumu?
Bravo. To je upravo slučaj. Detalji su jako značajni. Mislim da je to i privuklo pažnju ljudima, da pogledaju moju temu, i da budu zadovoljni mojim radom. Ne želim da se hvalim, uvek sam imao mišljenje da su dela važnija od reči, ali trenutno niko na XDA forumu ne nudi toliko detaljno urađenu temu kao što je moja. Išao sam do najsitnijih detalja, ne možete ni da zamislite kojih. Svaki od njih ima jednaku važnost kao i onaj drugi očigledniji detalj, ali mnogo njih koji prave teme ne misle tako. Takođe, malo je onih koji toliko edituju XML fajlove (kodovi, pokretači cele priče). Smatram da je to ono što me izdvaja iz gomile. Takođe, trenutno nijedna tema nema toliko modifikovanih često korišćenih aplikacija kao moja. Bukvalno, u koju kod od mojih modifikovanih aplikacija da uđete i zavirite, videćete da je tu nešto promenjeno.
Benchmark: Reci nam ukratko šta je pored ogromnog strpljenja potrebno za pravljenje jedne teme, tačnije koji je softver potreban za pravljenje tema, i ako bi mogao, opiši nam ukratko kako teče tipičan proces – i još jedno pod pitanje – da li smatraš da pri pravljenju teme treba nešto više od čistog poznavanja procesa?
Kao što ste rekli, prve i osnovne stvari su strpljenje i imanje cilja. Naravno, to je u slučaju ako hoćete da uradite sve kako treba, da ostavite neki trag, po čemu bi ste bili prepoznatljivi. Od softvera vam treba Google-ov SDK Development program, Java, Apktool, ApkManager, WinMerge, Notepad++, Notepad, Gimp, Photoshop, Windows Office Picture Manager, i naravno vaš mozak.
Tipičan proces je sledeći. Skinete ROM (software za vas telefon), i izaberete aplikaciju koju želite da napravite da izgleda onako kako vi želite. Ubacite je u folder gde vam je smešten ApkTool ili ApkManager. Tu se radi dekompajliranje aplikacije. Dekompajliranje je proces koji vam omogućava da vidite sve kodove koje je vas proizvođač telefona stavljao unutar Android aplikacije. Izaberete ikonu ili sličicu koju želite da promenite i otvorite je sa Gimpom ili Photoshopom. Tu promenite ono što zelite i sačuvate je. Tako radite sa svim ikonicama koje vam se ne sviđaju i koje želite da promenite. Želeo bih da napomenem da prosečna Android aplikacija ima preko 500 sličica u sebi! Onda u ApkTool-u ili ApkManageru-u odradite proces kompajliranja aplikacije. To je proces kojim “zatvarate” aplikaciju da bi ste mogli da je koristite na telefonu. Prebacujete je na telefon USB vezom i flešujete iz recovery-a ili pomoću ADB-a, koji imate u Android SDK programu. Kada se telefon restartuje, uđete u aplikaciju da vidite kako sada izlgeda. Tako u krug, sve dok ne budete zadovoljni. Ovo je najprostiji mogući scenario, bez editovanja kodova i XML fajlova koji su, po meni, ključ do uspeha. Kada editujete XML fajlove koristite Notepad++.
Treba imati smisla za tako nešto, razumeti kako sve to funkcioniše i kako ga učiniti još lepšim i boljim.
Benchmark: Očigledno je da su tvoje teme za Samsung Galaxy S II model najpopularnije u jednoj ogromnoj zajednici kao što je XDA Developers, i znamo da dosta ljudi ceni tvoj rad i nestrpljivo čeka svaku novu promenu – kako se osećaš povodom toga?
Moram priznati da je osećaj fantastičan. Znajući da ogroman broj ljudi čeka samo tebe i da će tvoj rad biti na njihovim telefonima, koji će oni svakodnevno koristiti, to je divna stvar. Čak sam dobio i nadimak “Master Vertumus”. Moja tema ima preko 1.500.000 pregleda, i to mi daje enegiju da nastavim dalje. Kada najavim novu verziju par dana unapred, stvara se neverovatna euforija, i moram da priznam, čak se i ja malo unervozim da li ću ispuniti njihova očekivanja. Za sada mi je to polazilo za rukom.
Benchmark: Upoznati smo sa činjenicom da dobijaš dosta zahteva za nove teme i da je sve to teško postići i udovoljiti svakome, ali da li imaš planove za adaptaciju svojih tema na druge popularne modele, kao što je na primer HTC Sensation, ili i dalje jako popularni model Samsung Galaxy S?
Imam planove, ali trenutno mislim da nisu ostvarljivi u bliskoj budućnosti. Prva i osnovna prepreka je vreme. Jednostavno nemam vremena za podršku drugih telefona. Ja bih jako voleo, ali mislim da barem trenutno nije izvodljivo. Takođe, trebao bi mi primerak svakog telefona na kojem bi radio, kako bih mogao da testiram. Ako jednog dana promenim svoje zanimanje i skroz se usmerim samo na ovo, onda ću praviti teme za većinu popularnih modela.
Benchmark: Kakav je tvoj stav po pitanju deljenja svog rada sa drugim developerima na XDA forumu, i da li si davao dozvolu da se tvoja tema nađe u tuđim Custom ROM-ovima ili slično?
Nadaleko sam poznat da svoj rad delim sa drugima i da hoću da im pomognem. To se ne može reći za neke osobe koji sa bave ovim stvarima, jer kada sam ja počinjao, toliko puta sam naleteo na zid. Nisam dobijao odgovore, čak je bilo i onih koji su bezobrazni. Ako ste dovoljno dobri i imate ideje, ne morate da se plašite da će neko nešto da iskoristi protiv vas, za ono za šta ste mu pomogli. Ako znate sta radite ovaj posao, uvek ćete smišljati nešto novo i biti ispred drugih. Moje teme možete naći kod više drugih developera u njihovim radovima, jer sam svakome ko me je pitao davao dozvolu. Jedino ne dozvoljavam da koriste moj rad na telefonima na kojima ja radim, što je i logično. Trenutni podržani modeli na kojima radim su Samsung Galaxy S II i Samsung Galaxy Note. Naravno, bilo je i slučajeva kada su moje radove uzimali bez dozvole, pa posle moje prijave administraciji XDA, bili su izbačeni sa foruma. To je jedno od pravila koje tamo ne smete prekršiti.
Benchmark: Nedavno je izašla tvoja tema i za Samsung Galaxy Note – da li bi voleo da pomeneš osobe koje su ti pomogle u njenoj realizaciji, pošto ne poseduješ pomenuti model.
Jako je teško nešto raditi, a ne posedovati uređaj na kome bi ste to mogli da testirate. Zbog velikog broja zahteva, privatnih poruka i email-ova koje sam dobijao, odlučio sam da uradim temu i za Samsung Galaxy Note. Tražio sam ljude koji ga poseduju i koji su voljni da rade sa mnom i da testiraju. Za uzvrat sam sa njima delio moje znanje. Veliki broj njih se javio u želji da sarađuju samnom. Izabrao sam korisnika sa imenom PKOPER i nisam se pokajao. Pokazao je veliko strpljenje, znanje i želju da nauči. Pored toga, ozbiljan je i odmeren. Sva naša komunikacija je vršena preko GTalk-a. Dopisivali smo se do kasno u noć. Skype je možda i bolje rešenje, ali kako i on ima malo dete, nismo mogli noću to da radimo, pa je najprostiji chat bio naša konekcija.
Benchmark: Slobodno možeš pomenuti i druge osobe sa XDA Developers foruma za koje smatraš da su ti bile od velike pomoći u prošlosti i sa kojima si sarađivao za vreme od kako si član ovog mesta.
Pomenuću samo neke od njih koji su mi dosta pomogli: ZduneX25, pauldiddy, juffo, kahvitahra, LeoMar75, pulser, doctorcete, GadgetCheck, JKay. Naravno, veliku zahvalnost Benchmark sajtu i forumu, i svim donatorima koji me podržavaju. Ako sam nekog zaboravio, unapred se izvinjavam.
Benchmark: Verujemo da je ovo jedna od stvari koja direktno ide uz popularnost, pogotovo u ovolikoj zajednici kolika je XDA Developers, i hteli bi smo da te pitamo kako se boriš sa zamerkama koji ljudi imaju, suludim pitanjima, specijalnim željama, kritikovanjem da nešto ne valja i slično – verujemo da takve stvari mogu da budu umarajuće?
Uh, veoma umarajuće. Pogotovo ako to pojasnite i napišete bezbroj puta, a neko dođe i opet pita isto. Dnevno primim preko 50 privatnih poruka na XDA i isto toliko email-ova. Generalno, većina ljudi je zadovoljna sa izgledom teme, ali ima njih koji hoće nešto drugačije. Verovali ili ne, ja odgovorim na svaku poruku, e-mail ili post u temi. Trudim se da svima udovoljim, ali nekad stvarno nemam vremena za sve njih. Veliki problem je što hoće sve i hoće odmah, a to je jednostavno neizvodljivo.
Benchmark: Za kraj našeg intervjua da li smatraš da ima prostora za napredak i podizanje nivoa kvaliteta tvojih tema – i reci nam ukratko koje to promene korisnici tvojih tema mogu da očekuju u bliskoj budućnosti?
Uvek ima mesta za napredak. Počinjem da radim temu za Android 4.0 koja je totalno nova platforma. Takođe, počeo sam da učim kako se prave aplikacije za Android, pa se možda jednog dana nađem na Android Marketu, što mi je i želja. Voleo bih da korisnicima pružim i aplikaciju koja bi išla uz temu, za koju već imam ideju, ali je još uvek neću otkriti, neka za sad ostane misterija.
Benchmark: Moramo priznati da smo se lepo ispričali pri našem susretu, kako o stvarima vezanim za tvoj uspeh na XDA Developers sajtu, tako i o drugim stvarima koje nisu vezane za njega, tako da bi smo hteli da ti se zahvalimo na utrošenom vremenu i da ti poželimo još veći uspeh u budućnosti.
Hvala vam puno.
Benchmark se zahvaljuje gospodinu Viktoru Vučiniću na izdvojenom vremenu i gostoprimstvu koje nam je ukazao, i želi mu puno sreće u nastavku karijere, kao i još mnogo, mnogo vizuelno atraktivnih tema za Android platformu, na njegovo i naše zadovoljstvo.
English version
Benchmark: For the beginning of our interview, tell us something about yourself, so that the readers know who exactly is the person hiding behind a username Vertumus.
Hiding behind a username Vertumus, there is a 30 year-old from Belgrade, Viktor Vučinić. I work in a banking sector for over seven years now, and my profession is graduated Economist. I love my job and I consider it interesting and that it leaves a lot of space for a creative approach. I have many interests, from sports and movies, to music and cars. However, I have found myself in new technologies. That is something really fascinating, and inspires me to convert my ideas into an actual product, which is useful to others.
Benchmark: First of all, what is the thing that led you to buying your first model of Android phone, more precisely, what was crucial in the decision ” I want an Android OS, not the other platforms” ?
I've always had Nokia phones, and i considered them incomparable to other brands. However, when i transferred to another bank, a college in my office had the – now almost ancient – HTC Magic. I took a closer look at it, tried it for a bit, and i couldn't believe how faster it was, compared to my Nokia. That model, which had the price about 150 euros, was flying compared to my Nokia N97, which was one of the expensive models back then. At that time, it didn't make much sense to me. I asked him what is that OS that runs his phone – and the answer was “Android”. This OS peaked my interest, and so I began googling to see what's it all about, so I realized that Android brings something new, and that the future is here.
My first Android phone was Samsung Galaxy S, and I was delighted with the screen quality, and pretty much everything about that model. At first, i couldn't belive how great it is. I was thrilled with number of available apps, which was a total opposite of Nokia and Symbian.
Benchmark: We believe that the readers of Benchmark website and forum would like to know, what was the thing that encouraged you to start making themes for Android?
In short “Browser icon”, that was the thing that changed everything. Since I am an active member of Benchmark forum for a couple of years now, back in the day I stumbled upon a topic for Galaxy S model. Until then, I mostly visited Benchmarks Games and PC sections, and I've never step foot in the Mobile section. In the topic for SGS, there were a lot of people who knew so much about this, it was nuclear physics to me back then. People were flashing different ROMs, changing themes, installing apps… I was under impression “What is all this”? Then, someone posted a link to XDA Developers forum! That place was a whole new dimension of everything. I started reading XDA, gradually more and more every day. I was stunned what one can find and learn there. In the beginning, everything seemed confusing, but as the time passed, and as I began following more closely, pieces started to come together.
Roaming through XDA forums, I stumbled upon a theme for my model, which I liked. It was green, and I was very pleased with it. The only thing that bugged me, was the Browser icon. Everything was great, except that. It bugged me so much, that I started digging through the app, in an effort to find what is the icon location. I wanted to replace it with the one I liked. First time I tried it, I was unsuccessful, the damn thing just refused to change! That was the time I started reading about the process of how it should be done, and that was the first step of how I started doing this…
Benchmark: When you decided on starting this hobby, how much time did it take for you to get the know the whole thing, precisely, how much time did you spend learning the things needed to make Android themes?
Actually, it takes a lot of time – every day you are learning more and more. My first theme on XDA forums was posted in June 2011. That was the time when it all began. This whole thing requires a lot of reading, trying, experimenting. Today, when I learned almost everything about making themes for Android, with every new version of the theme I publish, I'm still learning. I will add another important thing, and that is persistence and stubbornness, that is the key to success. I have flashed my themes to my phone, over 30.000 times…
Benchmark: Is the actual process of making themes complicated – how much time did it you take in the beginning, and how much time does it take now, when you are already skilled in this business?
It's very complicated. In time it goes faster and faster, but in the beginning, it was slow, since the turf was unfamiliar. The time it takes to modify an application and design it the way you want it, is 3-4 days, minimum 8-10 hours of work daily. Of course, that is the case when you are crazy perfectionist as I am.
Benchmark: Since you mentioned that you have a regular job and other commitments in your life, such as your family, how do you manage to find time for this hobby?
The night is my best friend. During the day I'm at work 9-10 hours, and when i get home, i spend some quality time with my son, until everyone goes to bed. Then, I become Vertumus and I work late into the night. I rarely get to bed before 3 AM. Often, there are times when I don't even go to sleep, and in the morning I just carry on going to work. It's just that I am used to living on very little sleep. I know it's not good for your health, but…
Benchmark: During our interview, we noticed that you pay a lot of attention to small details regarding elements in your themes – Is that the thing that consumes the most amount of time in the making process, and do you consider that is “the thing” that separates you from the other theme makers on XDA Developers forum?
Bravo. That is the exact case. Details are very important. I think that was the thing that caught the people's attention, and what attracted them to take a look at my theme, and to be pleased with my work. I don't wanna brag, I've always thought that the actions are more important than words, but I still need to point out the fact that there is no theme on XDA detailed as mine is. I am going into crazy amount of small details, you can't even imagine. Every bit of them has the equal importance as the ones that are more obvious, but a lot of theme makers don't share the same opinion. I consider that is the thing that makes me stand out of the crowd. Also, at the moment, there is no theme that has the amount of modified common apps, as mine does. Literally, in every app that i modified, when you take a peak in, you will see that something has been changed there.
Benchmark: Tell us in short, except crazy amount of patience, what is needed to make a theme, precisely – what is the software needed for making themes, and if you could, describe us in short what is the typical process. Another sub question – do you consider that it takes more than just knowing a process to make a theme?
The typical process goes like this. You download a ROM (software for your phone), and you pick an app that you wanna make look like, just the way you want it. You insert it in a folder, where you have your ApkTool or ApkManager. That is the place where you decompile an app. Decompiling is a process that allows you to see every code that manufacturer have put into the Android app. You choose an icon or picture that you want to change, and open it with Gimp or Photoshop. There, you do what you want with it, and then you save it. That is the the process with every icon you want to change. I would like to point out that the average Android app has around 500 little pictures inside! Then, in ApkTool or ApkManager, you do the process of compiling an app. That is the process that “closes” the app, so you can use it on your phone. You transfer the app via USB connection, and flash it from recovery, or ADB, that you have in Android SDK. When the phone restarts, you enter the app to see how it looks after the change. Rinse and repeat, until you are satisfied. This is the simplest scenario, without editing the codes and XML files, which are in my opinion, the key to success. When you edit XML files, you use Notepad++.
You need to be somewhat gifted for all this, to understand how it all works, and how to make it prettier and better.
Benchmark: It is obvious that your themes for Samsung Galaxy S II model, are the most popular ones, in one huge community such as XDA Developers, and we know that a lot of people appreciate your work and are eagerly awaiting every new change – How does that make you feel?
I must admit that the feeling is fantastic. Knowing that huge amount of people are waiting on you, and that your work will be on their phones, which they use every day – it's a beautiful thing. I even got a nickname “Master Vertumus”. My theme has over 1.500.000 views, and that gives me the energy to keep on going. When I announce a new version few days in advance, it creates amazing euphoric atmosphere, and I have to admit, it makes me a little nervous, thinking about fulfilling their expectations. However, I was successful so far.
Benchmark: We are familiar with the fact that you are getting a lot of requests for new themes, and the fact that it's hard to accomplish all of that, and please everyone, but do you have plans for adapting your themes to other popular models, such as HTC Sensation, or still very popular Samsung Galaxy S?
I do have plans, but at the moment, I don't think that they are achievable in the near future. The first and basic obstacle is time. I simply don't have enough time to support other phone models. I would like to, but it's not doable at the moment. Also, I would need actual models to work with, and test the themes on. If I change my profession one day, and focus solely on doing this, then I would be able to make themes for other popular models.
Benchmark: How do you stand on sharing your work with other developers on XDA forum, and have you given them permissions to use your theme in their Custom ROMs or something similar?
I am well-known for sharing my work with others, and that I'm willing to help. You can't say that about some individuals doing this, because when I was starting, in so many occasions I've hit a brick wall. I wasn't getting answers to my questions, and in some cases, there were ones that were just rude. If you are doing a good job, and you always have new ideas, you don't have to fear that someone will take advantage of you for helping them. You can find my themes in several works of other developers, because everyone who asked nicely, I gave them my permission. The only exception where I don't allow the use of my work, is on the models that I'm working on, which is only logical. Current models I'm working on are Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Note. Of course, there were cases when others used my work without permission, and after my report to XDA administration, they were kicked out of the forum. That is one of the rules you simply cannot break there.
Benchmark: Recently, you also published a theme for Samsung Galaxy Note – would you like to mention the people who helped you achieving that, since you don't own the actual model.
It's very hard, working on something, and not having a device to test the themes on. Since I've received a large amount of requests through private messages and e-mails, I decided to make a theme also for Samsung Galaxy Note. I began searching for people who have aforementioned model, that are willing to work with me, and are willing to do the testing. In return, I shared my knowledge with them. A lot of people wanted to work with me on this project, but i had to make a decision, so I chose a member with the nickname PKOPER, and I didn't regret it. He showed a great amount of patience, knowledge and a desire to learn. Above all, he was serious and moderate. All our communication was done over Gtalk, and we exchanged messages late into the night. Skype could have been a better solution, but he also has a little kid, so we couldn't talk at night, so the simplest chat was our connection.
Benchmark: You can freely mention other people from XDA Developers forum, that were helpful in the past, and that you worked with during the time as a member of this place.
I will mention the ones that helped me a great deal: ZduneX25, pauldiddy, juffo, kahvitahra, LeoMar75, pulser, doctorcete, GadgetCheck, JKay. Of course, big thanks to Benchmark website and forum, and all donators that support me. I'm sorry if i forgot someone.
Benchmark: We believe that this is one of the things that goes along being popular, especially in a large community like XDA Developers, but we would like to ask how do you deal with all the complaints people have, crazy questions, special requests, bad criticism of something not being right, and so on – we believe that kind of stuff can be tiring?
Oh, very tiring. Especially if you clarify and answer a million times, and someone still comes and asks the exact same thing. Daily, I receive over 50 private messages on XDA, and the same amount of e-mails. Generally, majority of people are satisfied with the look of my themes, but there are others that want something different. Believe it or not, I respond to every message, e-mail or post in the topic. I try to please everyone, but sometimes I don't have enough time for all of them. Big problem is they want everything, and they want it now, and that is just unachievable.
Benchmark: For the end of our interview, do you consider there is room for improvement, and taking the quality of your themes to another level – and tell us in short, what changes can users of your themes expect in the near future?
There is always room for improvement. I am starting to work on a theme for Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which is a whole new platform. Also, I've started learning how to make apps for Android, so one day, maybe you will find my work on Android Market, which is my desire. To the users of my themes, I would also like to provide an app that goes alongside it, and I already have an idea for it, but I won't discover what it is, let it be a mystery for now.
Benchmark: We must admit that we had a very nice talk with you, concerning things about your success on XDA Developers, and also about the stuff not related to it, so we would like to thank you for your time, and to wish you even greater success in the future.
Thank you very much.
Benchmark is very grateful to mr. Viktor Vučinić for his time and hospitality, and wishes him all the best in his career, and also many, many more attractive visual themes for Android platform, to both his and ours satisfaction and pleasure…
