User guide

Table Of Contents
Since background images for dynamic elements require borders and you do not know what size you should use for
the dynamic elements, you should use dynamic background images instead of static images. If you create an image
that includes a border and background and then scale the image to fit, the borders scale as well, resulting in
inconsistent border widths for similar elements. If you create separate images for the borders and background, the
number or resources required is impractical.
To create a scalable image background with consistent border widths, the BlackBerry® Theme Builder uses pattern
tile images. A pattern tile is a single image that includes a border and a repeatable pattern for the background fill.
After you create a pattern tile, you can use the Tile Image dialog box to create the tile definition.The tile definition
separates the repeatable tile portion and the border.
The tile definition instructs the BlackBerry device how to manipulate the image for an element that is dynamic. The
BlackBerry device scales the portions that you specified as the border to surround the edges of the element and tiles
the portion you specified as the repeatable pattern to fill the entire background.
For example, suppose you create the following pattern tile:
If you use the pattern tile as the background image for a dynamic element such as a dialog box, you must open the
Tile Image dialog box to create the tile definition:
After you create the tile definition, you can view the how the image will appear on the dynamic element in the
Preview pane.
User Guide
Creating background images for dynamically sized screen elements
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