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Custom Button Styles for Powerbar Pro
Scott Brown, of the GUI Junky, stopped by and suggested this week's hack - "How to make custom button styles for Powerbar Pro 3.0."
One use for this hack allows you match your Powerbar Toolbars with your favorite Kaleidoscope Scheme. For example, one of my favorite schemes is Light Ultra. Below are pictures showing how I've changed the button style to match.
Before
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After
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Powerbar provides a dozen button styles with the application. Pick one (any one) and duplicate it using Command-D in the Finder. Rename the copy (perhaps matching your Kaleidoscope scheme).
My duplicated/renamed Button Style
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Open your Button Style with ResEdit.
The cicn resources are used for Toolbars viewed as buttons (with or without names).
The ppat is used on Toolbars viewed as names (with or without icons).
A pasted in icl8 from the Light Ultra K-Scheme
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Start off by opening cicn, ID#128.
As a starting point, I've pasted in an icon from the Light Ultra color scheme.
Then using the Selection tool, I copied and pasted to fill the square, covering up the old icon.
The completed Button Style
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On the left is my completed icon
Don't forget to make the MASK the exact shape of the color icon. I didn't bother with the Black & White icon.
Completed cicn set
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Using the technique shown above, edit the remaining button icons. Numbers 129 & 131 are the "selected" buttons in the Toolbar.
Ready to go ppat
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After finishing the cicn's, open the ppat resource. Select the resource that's there, and delete it. Using the menu option "Create New Resource (command-K)" create a new, empty ppat with ID#128.
Double-click on the new resource to open it.
Your empty ppat
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This is the empty ppat. It's the wrong size for our purpose, so from the ppat menu (in the menu bar), select "Pattern Size".
"Pattern Size" dialog box
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Regardless of how wide you will want your pattern before it repeats, it will need to be at least 32 pixels tall.
My ppat will be a simple repeating pattern, so I can select the 32H x 8W window.
After you've made your selection, click the Resize button.
My finished ppat
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Pictured on the left is my finished pattern.
Don't use the first row, it won't be seen, and your pattern should be 22 pixels high.
As you draw the icon, the pattern will be repeated off to the right in the Color window.
I chose to skip the Black & White pattern.
Once you're done with your pattern, save your work and quit ReEdit.
To use your new Button Style, just drag it on to each Toolbar.
Maybe in the future, some Kaleidoscope Scheme creators will include Powerbar Button Styles, but until then, you can make your own! |
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