How to make a simple Android Live Wallpaper with Libgdx

Libgdx is a java game engine, but with this game engine you could make an android live wallpaper too. I assume you already know or maybe have used this game engine before. In this tutorial i will show you how to make a simple android live wallpaper template. The result will be an live wallpaper that only have an image as background without animation. You could use this template, put some your work with Libgdx and implement it for your live wallpaper. Okay Let's begin :

I am using the Libgdx library that i downloaded at the beginning of July and Eclipse Juno. Don't forget to use an image that has a power of 2. i was using a 512x512 pixel image.

1. Make an android project and name it "SimpleLiveWallpaperTemplate".
2. Import Libgdx library in your project.
   
3. Make 3 java class and name it "LiveWallpaperStarter.java", "LiveWallpaperScreen.java" and "LiveWallpaperAndroid.java".
   
   LiveWallpaperStarter.java

   package com.example.simplelivewallpapertemplate;
   
   import com.badlogic.gdx.Game;
   public class LiveWallpaperStarter extends Game{
   
    @Override
    public void create() {
     setScreen(new LiveWallpaperScreen(this));
    }
   
   }
   

   LiveWallpaperScreen.java

   package com.example.simplelivewallpapertemplate;
   
   import com.badlogic.gdx.Game;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.Gdx;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.Screen;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.GL10;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.GLCommon;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.OrthographicCamera;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Texture;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Texture.TextureFilter;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d.SpriteBatch;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d.TextureRegion;
   
   public class LiveWallpaperScreen implements Screen{
    Game game;
    
    OrthographicCamera camera;
       Texture textureBg;
       TextureRegion background;
    SpriteBatch batcher;
    
    public LiveWallpaperScreen(final Game game) {
     this.game = game;
     
     camera = new OrthographicCamera(320, 480);
     camera.position.set(camera.viewportWidth / 2, camera.viewportHeight / 2, 0);
     
     textureBg = new Texture("background.jpg");
     textureBg.setFilter(TextureFilter.Linear, TextureFilter.Linear);
     background = new TextureRegion(textureBg, 0, 0, 256, 512);
     batcher = new SpriteBatch();
    }
   
    @Override
    public void dispose() {
     // TODO Auto-generated method stub
     
    }
   
    @Override
    public void hide() {
     // TODO Auto-generated method stub
     
    }
   
    @Override
    public void pause() {
     // TODO Auto-generated method stub
     
    }
    
    private void draw(float delta) {
     GLCommon gl = Gdx.gl;
     gl.glClearColor(0, 0, 0, 1);
     gl.glClear(GL10.GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
     camera.update();
     
     batcher.setProjectionMatrix(camera.combined);
           batcher.begin();
           batcher.draw(background, 0, 0,camera.viewportWidth, camera.viewportHeight);
     batcher.end();
    }
   
    private void update(float delta) {
    }
    
    @Override
    public void render(float delta) {
     update(delta);
     draw(delta);
    }
   
    @Override
    public void resize(int width, int height) {
     // TODO Auto-generated method stub
     
    }
   
    @Override
    public void resume() {
     // TODO Auto-generated method stub
     
    }
   
    @Override
    public void show() {
     // TODO Auto-generated method stub
     
    }
   }
   
   

   LiveWallpaperAndroid.java

   package com.example.simplelivewallpapertemplate;
   
   import android.util.Log;
   
   import com.badlogic.gdx.ApplicationListener;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.Game;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.android.AndroidApplicationConfiguration;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.android.AndroidLiveWallpaperService;
   import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.android.AndroidWallpaperListener;
   
   public class LiveWallpaperAndroid extends AndroidLiveWallpaperService { 
    
    @Override
    public void onCreateApplication () {
     super.onCreateApplication();
     
     AndroidApplicationConfiguration config = new AndroidApplicationConfiguration();
     config.useGL20 = false;
     config.useCompass = false;
     config.useWakelock = false;
     config.useAccelerometer = false;
     config.getTouchEventsForLiveWallpaper = true;
     
     ApplicationListener listener = new LiveWallpaperStarter();
     initialize(listener, config);
    }
    
    public static class MyLiveWallpaperListener extends LiveWallpaperScreen implements AndroidWallpaperListener {
   
     public MyLiveWallpaperListener(Game game) {
      super(game);
      // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
     }
   
     @Override
     public void offsetChange (float xOffset, float yOffset, float xOffsetStep, float yOffsetStep, int xPixelOffset, int yPixelOffset) {
      Log.i("LiveWallpaper test", "offsetChange(xOffset:"+xOffset+" yOffset:"+yOffset+" xOffsetSteep:"+xOffsetStep+" yOffsetStep:"+yOffsetStep+" xPixelOffset:"+xPixelOffset+" yPixelOffset:"+yPixelOffset+")");
     }
     
     @Override
     public void previewStateChange (boolean isPreview) {
      Log.i("LiveWallpaper test", "previewStateChange(isPreview:"+isPreview+")");
     }
    }
   }
   

4. Edit your AndroidMafest.xml file.

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.simplelivewallpapertemplate"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="8"
        android:targetSdkVersion="17" />
 <uses-feature android:name ="android:software.live_wallpaper" android:required="false"/>
    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <service android:name =".LiveWallpaperAndroid"
         android:label = "@string/app_name"
         android:icon = "@drawable/ic_launcher"
         android:permission = "android.permission.BIND_WALLPAPER" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.service.wallpaper.WallpaperService" />
            </intent-filter>
            <meta-data android:name ="android.service.wallpaper"
             android:resource ="@xml/livewallpaper" />
        </service>
    </application>

</manifest>

5. Make a folder in resource folder and name it "xml", then make a xml file and name it "livewallpaper.xml".
   

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <wallpaper
    xmlns:android ="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:thumbnail = "@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:description = "@string/app_name"  />
   

6. Don't forget to put your image in assets folder
   
7. The last things build your project and see the result.
   

You can download the source code here, Easy isn't it? It would more easy if you know Libgdx before. You can try my live wallpaper that i make with Libgdx game engine here and here.