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Add a System Font to the Apearance Manager

This week, we will modify a font to become a System wide font that is recognized by the Appearance Manager. I know many of you already use hacked copies of Espy, but I've also noticed many people like Times or New York as their system font.

Using the procedure outlined here, you'll be left with a nice system font that has the command key symbol.

In this example, I've chosen New York as the font to convert. I picked it because it's a TrueType font with a selection of bitmaps. I tried the hack on several different fonts with varying degrees of success. I found if a font consisted of only a TrueType element (no bitmaps), I was unable to add a command key character. Other fonts simply didn't look good in the menu bar - either riding too high, or looking too small. I hope which ever font you choose will be a success.



Make a copy of New York and place it on the desktop.

Open it with ResEdit and select the FOND resource; opening it with a double-click.


Highlight the ID number and type Command-I to Get Info on the resource.



Change the name FOND ID#2 to one of these choices:
Chisel, Gadget, Sand, Textile, Techno.

These names are predetermined be the Appearance Manager, and I can't find any way around it! If anyone knows a way around this, please let me know.

In my example featuring New York, I changed the name to Sand.


Next, open the sfnts resources and after Getting Info on the ID, rename it Sand.


This next step is the trickiest, but it also will set your font apart from the other versions of this hack I've seen on the net.

Open the NFNT resources.

Each ID represents a bitmap version of the font for screen display. What we're going to do is add the Command Key character to each bitmap so our menu bar will look great!

Open the first ID with a double-click




Letter "A" is ASCII character number 65. We need to scroll over to ASCII character 17 and create the Command Key. Do you see where @ A B are in a row? Clicking on @ will scroll you to the left. Continue clicking until you reach ASCII 17.






Above is my new Command Key character in ACSII position 17. Do you see the position arrows along the bottom of the character window? Reposition yours so that the left one is flush with the left edge of your character, and the right one is a single empty space off of the right edge of your character. Use my picture above as a guide.

You will need to add the command key for each of the NFNT ID's. When you're finished, close the NFNT window and select Get Info on... from the File menu. Rename your font to Sand. The program will save and close by default.


You now have a modified New York font, renamed to Sand, that will be recognized by the Appearance Manager - and have a Command Key character!


Place the font in the Font folder in the System folder and open the Appearance Manager.


If you select Sand while holding the Option key, the change takes affect immediately.

Wow, notice how nice that font looks.

And if you check the menu bar, you'll see a good lookin' command key.
:)



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GUI Goodies
Clocks iTunes Skins
Desktop Pictures Makeovers & Skins
GUI Software Explorer Skins
Icons Propaganda Tiles
Interarchy Interfaces Themes
Throbbers
Home Page
Splash Screens
ATM Replacements
Application Splashes
Explorer Splashes
MacOS Startups (MOSS)
Netscape Splashes
MacOS X
MacOS X Mods
Login Panels
Boot Panels
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ResEdit
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In Addition...
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Download Stats

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