One matter that ’s really nice about OS X is the relaxation with which you could customize at least some aspects of most applications . Do n’t care a sure colour scheme ? ascertain a particular sound plaguy with no room to invalid it in the diligence ’s preferences ? Just alter the spite elements yourself ! In the pre - OS X days , modifying an app required ResEdit and a good bit of detective study . For many O X apps , all it takes is a couplet of mouse clicks , the ability to reduplicate a Indian file ( for backup rationality ) , and a willingness to experiment . A bit of the hints you ’ll see here capitalise on this ease of customization , starting with this one .
iChat in 10.4 has some really nice features ; one of the most useful is the improved group affair . Using groups , you’re able to sort an clunky buddy list into small more - manageable subsets . For instance , you could create a group for coworkers , another for online friend , perhaps one for relatives , etc . Previous versions of iChat had fundamental grouping support , but the port for manage and using groups was a routine inapt , to put it gently .
In Tiger , iChat ’s chemical group support has become much more usable . Once you ’ve enable group ( View - > Groups ) , created some new groups ( using the plus sign at the bottom left field of the Buddy List windowpane ) , and sorted your buddies into those mathematical group ( via pull and driblet ) , iChat presents your buddy inclination nicely sorted into the groups you make :
As you’re able to see , the group dividers can be individually opened or close , shit for a much easier to expend Buddy List windowpane . But when I saw the dividers , my initial reply was “ ugh , I really do n’t like that grey color in the divider bar . ” Since the Buddy List window is visible any time I ’m using my machine , I wanted something a little more pleasing to my eye . This is where the ease of modify OS X applications comes into period of play . With just a spot of body of work in the Finder , and some tweaks in a graphics program ( Photoshop Elements in my case ) , you’re able to easily customise the dividers . Here ’s how …
As a quick aside , the key to modifying OS X applications lies in their social structure . Most OS go software are actually just unconstipated folders with a particular name — they all finish in .app . With this special denotation present , a leaflet turns into an coating . Try it yourself and see — make a new leaflet and name it “ MyTest.app ” or something exchangeable , and notice that it will seem with an program icon , not a folder image . You ’ve just created an software , even though it ’s just a booklet . So the first step in qualify any syllabus is to “ dive into ” the program ’s contents , which are hidden inside these exceptional ‘ lotion booklet . ’ Thankfully , that ’s as elementary as control - clicking on the lotion you wish to look at and selecting “ Show Package Contents ” from the protrude - up menu . This will open up a new window showing you the message of the app .
Since we ’ll be modifying iChat , first verify the broadcast is n’t running . Then get the picture into the iChat program — ascendence - select the program and choose Show Package Contents from the belt down - up menu . In the Modern windowpane that opens , you ’ll see a individual subject matter brochure ; open that one , and then open Resources within that booklet . This is the pamphlet where you ’ll commonly find the easy - to - variety graphics and sounds for any given program . For iChat in particular , you ’ll see a long lean of files , most of which have self - explanatory names . There are images ( .tiff , .png ) , audio files ( .aiff ) , a few odd data file , and a bunch of leaflet , one for each supported voice communication ( Italian.lproj , Japanese.lproj , etc . ) . Inside the speech folders is where you ’ll find the files used to work up the software ’s user interface ( since these are language - specific ) , as well as additional suffer files — it ’s where we look , for instance , to incapacitate certain smileys in the first place this week . But today , we ’ll be spending our time in the Resources leaflet .
As noted above , most of the file name in the Resources folder at least give some reading of their use in the program ( frown.tiff ) . But even if the name is n’t clear , the preview of the computer graphic should give you a somewhat dependable idea of what it does ( you could also meet intelligent files in the Finder to see what ’s what ) . In today ’s exercise , we ’re trying to alter the grouping splitter graphic , so seem at the “ G ” plane section of the file leaning . We ’re concerned in four file , as seen below :
The GroupRowBG files set the color of the background behind the name of each group , and the two Triangle files are the images used for the opened and closed triangles next to each group ’s name . Before you do anything else , make a copy of these four file cabinet — you shouldalwaysmake backups of any Indian file you are operate to alter , just in case something goes wrong . After duplicate , you may wish to rename the duplication . or else of GroupRowBG copy.tiff , for illustration , use something like GroupRowBG.tiff_original . This will make the original files well-situated to spy , and if you ever want to practice them again , you just have to absent the _ original at the end of the filename .
Now afford each of the four file cabinet in your pet graphics editing package , and alter them as you see fit . Donotchange the sizing of the look-alike ; form within the already - set boundaries . Within that blank space , though , feel free to try anything you care . Keep in mind that the background single file are simply reduplicate patterns — that small gradient is ingeminate horizontally as necessary to fill the available infinite . As such , you ’ll require to use a colour , gradient , or pattern that reiterate swimmingly from side to side . Also keep in mind that the text for the group names is white-hot , so you ’ll want to stick to darker colours to make trusted the group name are visible . Once you ’ve made your changes , write the files , and make certain you do n’t shift the filename or format ( .tiff ) of the file . After that , you ’re done — just launch iChat and enjoy the young aspect of your group divider .
In my font , I decided to go with a “ Tiger - like ” Aqua dismal slope , with dark profane disclosure triangles :
I personally find this much easier to look at than the grizzly divider , and it more clearly visually separates each of my groups . If you ’d wish to habituate what I make as a starting stop , here ’s an archive ( 21KB)of the four images I make . Make copy of the originals first , then just drop these into iChat ’s Resources folder . you may then edit them as you see fit , or just use them as - is by launching iChat .
One downside to modifying practical app is that , like sand castles on the beach , you ’re never quite sure how long your work may survive . Future updates to iChat may very well overwrite the changes you ’ve made . If you pass a lot of metre tweaking an software , it ’s probably a well idea to copy your modified files to another directory when you ’re done — create a folder called “ iChat Tweaks , ” for representative , and put written matter of your change images into the folder . Then , if an update does wipe out your hard work , you ’re a simple Finder written matter forth from restoring your qualify nontextual matter .