6/30/99
A new beta of the rc5des client has been posted. Elliot Robinson was the first to send this link for beta 2 that squashes several bugs.
Greg Evanitsky jumped to the top of Team ResExcellence yesterday with an astounding 2100 blocks in one day! How did he do it?
- Mac 7500 with a 300mhz upgrade card
- Mac 7300/180
- Pentium 333 (3)
- Pentium 400 (2)
- Pentium 500 (whenever the boss is at the office)
- Pentium 100 (5) they don't do much at all!
Yikes! I'll even accept the Wintel boxes since our cause is charitable.
 [Update:] We had been warned, but who would have predicted such a devistating inital attack!
Icon Amazons has arived! This site was founded for female iconists to show their work - and what a prolific group they are! Over a dozen new icon sets are ready for you to download.
While similar edits have been covered before, thirteen year old Emmett McQuinn sends these tips:
For Internet Explorer: To change the default URL address when clicking on the Animated Icon, first open Internet Explorer with ResEdit. Then open "Shared Strings" ( 1000 ID) in STR#, and go to the string 315. It should have a URL after it. Or, you could open "Shared Strings" as hex and search for "http://www.microsoft.com." Change this to the URL of the site you want and save your work in ResEdit. Afterwards you'll wonder why they didn't make this an option in the preferences!
For Netscape Navigator: If you want to change where you go when you click on the Logo Button, open Netscape Navigator with ResEdit. Next open "Logo Button URL" ( 2022 ID) in STR, and change the string to the URL of the page you wish to go to when you click on the Logo Button. Save your work and quit ResEdit. Now you have your own custom link.
Outstanding work Emmett! After your sixteenth birthday, be sure to send me a resume! :)
"I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of User Contributions." - Augustus Caesar
- William Marler sends two great MOSS screens with a nice 3D look.
- Chis Clarke submitted three cursors that from Mario Land
- Ben Fiess has been flying so high since getting Falcon 4 that he made a MOSS featuring the game!
- I don't want to say that Patrick Kelleher is a generic kind of guy, but I have my doubts after seeing his Generic MOSS and Generic Explorer splash. The set also includes a desktop pattern that is, well, generic!
For today's hack, ResEdit just won't work! After receiving inspiration from Bobby Kinstle and the work he did on his Powerbook G3, I opened the screen on mine and added an LED to illuminate the white Apple Logo! (Continued...)
VillageTronic Video Card For Only $99 at Smalldog.com!
6/28/99
 It was almost a 50/50 split on last week's Polling Place question regarding the Usenet newsgroups. As a big fan of newsgroups (the original internet!), I highly recommend that you download MacSoup or a version of NewsWatcher and check out the comp.sys.mac groups. People stop me on the street and ask, "How did you get so darn smart when it comes to Macintosh computers?"
"Two words", I reply, "newsgroups and naturally born genius intelligence. " (well, six words.)
 And the newsgroups are on fire with discussions on the new metallic interface that Apple is using in Quicktime Player 4 and the next version of Sherlock. So this week's Polling Place asks, "Do you like the look of the new Quicktime Player?"
Easy come, easy go! Tri bar software has released Internet Menu 1.1 that addresses the recent ResExcellence edit to handle the Remote Access control panel. This latest version of Internet Menu 1.1 has even more features including ftp and Sherlock support.
Takashi Oura, the author of Desktop Color Control has written to say that he will release an English version of his program, hopefully within a month!
When this site was formed, I racked my brain searching for the perfect name. Apparently, I should have thought a little harder!
Nick D'Amato recently saw this post in the Usenet newsgroups:
Can anybody give me the IP address of the ResExcellence site (www.resexcellence.com)? The dumb corporate proxy server won't let me access it by name because it's got the letters "sex" in it...
For the record, the site name is phonetically pronounced: Rez -X -sell - ens, and the IP is 208.223.116.4. :)
Nick is also the author of a nifty program called Sound Shuffler that randomizes the Alert Beep from a folder of select sound files.
"Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is User Contributions." - Yoggi Berra.
- Peter McHugh fights back with two anti-Redmond MOSS screens.
- Peter also created a great looking Giant MOSS to compliment the Galactica Kaleidoscope Scheme.
- Rick Medland submits a swirling Netscape splashscreen.
- MaulOS is a Waferbaby's MOSS featured the universe's latest evil demon.
- Matt Basham put together a collection of trash cans icons from around the net.
Remove 5 second redial delay in Remote Access
Today's tip is courtesy of phydeaux.
If you get too impatient waiting for the Remote Access Control panel to redial a busy access number, this little edit sets the redial delay to practically zero! (Continued...)
Stocking Stuffers from Kensington and Smalldog.com!
6/25/99
Are you looking for an easy way to select your printer without a trip to the Chooser? Try using an AppleScript Scripting Addition called Use Printer. It has only three commands, and here's how easy it is.
 After moving Use Printer into the Scripting Additions folder, repeat the following steps for each print driver in the Chooser.
Goto the Chooser and select a printer. In the Script Editor run the following command:
This creates a small preference file in the “UsePrinter Prefs” folder with the name of the print driver, for example, DeskWriter 6.0.3. Feel free to rename it to something shorter.
To select that printer, create an Apple Script with the following line:
I did this for all my printers at work and home, and stored the little AppleScripts in the OSA Menu. Now I can quickly switch printers!
While on the topic of OSA Menu, you can shorten the width of the menu by deleting the phrases, "Open Some Folder..." as seen in the picture above.
Open the OSA extension in ResEdit and find STR# 1024. Delete the text in items 4 and 5 to clean up the menu.
Ryan Colley submitted these AppleScripts that allow you to use Outlook Express with GroupWise:
I work at a corporation that uses GroupWise 5 for our email and appointments package. Being that the Mac Client sucks, I wanted a way to use another mail program. I wrote the following two Apple Scripts to use in conjunction with Outlook Express.
The first will take forwarded mail from GroupWise, clean it up and strip out the Garbage.
The second will take a forwarded appointment from GroupWise, and strip out the appropriate information, and make an appointment in Palm Desktop 2.x. You may need to tweak them a little, but they work flawlessly for me. I would also be glad to help.
"One small step for a man, one giant leap for User Contributions!"
- Scott Chitwood sent a psychedelic MOSS with matching desktop picture
- While I'm old enough to remember the days of disco, I never ran into this guy on the dance floor - Kelly Fehr boogied on over with Disco Cow MOSS!
- Steve! Wipe that lip!
Harry Heitz gave Steve Jobs a glass of milk in this StartupScreen.
- There's more for fans of the Matrix! Dan Jensen created a MOSS and matching Netscape splash screen based on the movie.
- You'll have a tough time deciding which of these four beautiful Netscape splashes to use after seeing this batch from Gauvin Romain.
- And in the Throbber department, Matt Basham puts his shaggy Austin Powers dog into a swirl in this Explorer replacement. (Are you Netscape users envious? I think Matt's working on converting them.)
 Tri Bar software released Internet Menu - a handy way to access common internet functions.
Unfortunately, ResExcellence reader Chris Brown noticed that the Open PPP Control Panel option is set for an older version and won't open the new Remote Access Control Panel.
Using Resedit, this simple edit can fix that! (Continued...)
Register to Win an iPod at Smalldog.com
6/23/99
Let's say you're feeling a little wacky and you're gonna install MacOS 8.6 on a computer with only 16 meg of RAM (As I said, you're feeling wacky!).
Since the installer requires at least 24 megs of real RAM, your feel-good moment would wither on the vine without this tip from Ted Capiendo:
I just got Mac OS 8.6 and I tried to install it into my PB1400, but couldn't proceed because I have only 16MB RAM and the installer requires at least 24 MB. Do the following to make the installer work:
Made a copy of 'Mac OS 8.6:Full Install Pieces:Install Mac OS 8.6'; there is also a corresponding file in the 'Update Install Pieces' folder. Open the copy in ResEdit. Then open up the 'exgs', ID=128 resource.
You should see one line: 7261 6D20 0180 0000
Change it to: 7261 6D20 0000 0000
Save the file and double-click it or drag-and-drop it onto the 'Mac OS 8.6: Full Install Pieces: Mac OS Install' application to run the installer.
The PseudoRoom has released AerOS - an artsy-looking system replacement icon set.
Andrew Rambaut sends this Sherlock tip - If you Command-Click on a link in the Sherlock results window, it will be opened in a new browser window. (I didn't know that!)
Regarding the edit to protect the trash from accidental deletion by kiddies, Adrian Duczynski offers the improved AppleScript with password protection:
on run
try
set x to display dialog ¬
"Password to empty trash?" default answer "" buttons {"OK"}
set thePass to (text returned of x) as string
if thePass = "password" then -- Change to your Password!
tell application "Finder"
empty trash
end tell
else
display dialog ("Incorrect Password.") buttons {"OK"}
end if
on error x
display dialog x buttons {"OK"}
display dialog ("Incorrect Password.") buttons {"OK"}
end try
end run
(Download the Script)
If this next AppleScript wasn't so much fun to watch, it would almost be categorized as a virus! xyz created this script that randomly moves your desktop icons around the screen. After pasting it into the Script Editor, save it as an application with the startup screen off, and "always stay open" on.
on idle
try
tell application "Finder" to set AllItems to every item of desktop
repeat with AnItem in AllItems
set RX to random number from 60 to 750 --change these as desired
set Ry to random number from 60 to 750 --change these as desired
tell application "Finder" to set position of AnItem to {RX, Ry}
end repeat
on error
return 1 * 5
end try
return 1 * 5 --change these as desired
end idle
--Xtra : Save as stay open/application.
--Use Resedit to change file type to "appe".
--Open the Size resource scroll to only background,
--and switch this setting from 0 to 1
--Give it a fun icon and drop on your closed system folder.
--(to move to the Extensions folder)
--Restart. Have fun chasing your icons around. My 2 children love it.
(Added to the Sloppy AppleScript Archive)
I got your User Contributions Baby!
- Matt Blevins searched long and hard, but finally found the elusive Mozzila Splash screen. Dave Titus is the original artist on the majority of Mozzila artwork through the years. His web site has an amazing collection.
- Peter McHugh converted Jeffrey Stowell's Stealth MOSS to a Giant version.
- Ground Control to Keith Bragg! He submitted this David Bowie MOSS.
- A Giant Sonata MOSS was created by Joe Daniels (How do so many people know what Sonata looks like!)
- A dreamy looking 3dfx MOSS was added by Ben Fiess.
- Michael Dicker's SETI MOSS is out of this world.
- An "About this Mac..." replacement featuring MST3K was submitted by Russ Boucher.
- And yours truly adds five new blue 32-bit folders for your favorite applications - including the RC5 client.
Ilicon Graphic Design
6/21/99
 Last week's Polling Place results reveal that a little more than half of you listen to Theme file sounds. For those of you who leave them off, maybe you haven't found the perfect Sound Set. Here are a couple of sites to get you started:
Web, web, web. You would think the that before web browsers there wasn't even an internet! One on the original and best ways to get help and information on the net is through the Usenet Newsgroups. This week's Polling Place asks, "Do you read and post to newsgroups?".
Regarding the DeskTopOpColour Control Panel, David Chapmon was kind enough to send this translation of the Read Me text clipping.
DeskTopOpColur Control is shareware.
About the name change: OpColurControl has been changed to DeskTopOpColourControl. The version numbers are continuing in sequence, however.
This most recent version is being released as shareware, and though it is fully functional, it will expire at the end of August. Another update will be released during July, however, which please download and use thereafter.
The July update will include registration and ID issuance methods; please make no enqiuries in this regard prior to that as I will not reply to them.
The shareware fee will probably be 2,000 yen. ($15-$20 US)
Please forward bug reports by email or to the forum below.
http://www.powerbook.org/cybernet/
cybernet@powerbook.org
Takashi Oura
Serveral readers have submitted the control panel with the text translated to English. While I truly appreciate the effort, I don't want to post them without the author's permission. Hopefully, he will answer one of our emails and we can get this squared away.
Propaganda has released volume 19 of their beautiful desktop patterns. These seamless patterns are saved as jpeg files, so load them as desktop pictures and tile them.
 Whoa! After working overtime for many evenings, Ilicon has released an outstanding set of System replacment icons. A matching desktop pattern and over a dozen folder icons round out this collection of over 100 icons.
Before pasting these into your System suitcase, peruse this previous edit to force MacOS 8.5 and up to use 8-bit icons.
To entertain the kids, I followed the instructions on Chris Geiger's web site and added a blue LED to the iMac's mouse. If you know which end of a soldering iron to grab, it's an easy little addition.
Nate Hamilton suggests this way to stop the upgrade nag screen when using Quicktime Player 4.0
Open QuickTime Player, and from the Help menu, select '"Check for Updates". In that dialog, simply check "Don't notify me of updates". Problem solved for good, until you want to turn it back on again.
Elliot Robinson was the first to send this link to a beta version of the the distributed.net RC5 client. While this version avoids the nag dialog box under MacOS 8.6, your average key rate will be slower.
"Ask not what you can do for your country, ask for User Contributions!":
The other day, Scott Chitwood was looking for a way to keep his toddler from empting the trash. Here's a solution using ResEdit and a simple AppleScript.
VillageTronic Video Card For Only $99 at Smalldog.com!
6/18/99
The most requested, unfulfilled edit at ResExcellence is to change the color of the white text box around Finder names on the desktop.
While aimlessly bouncing around the net, I stumbled on this page that appears to be part of the Powerbook Army site. There I found a control panel called DeskOpColour Control.
As you can see in the picture on the right, it allows you to set the color of the text, the color of the text box, and it also lets you set the tint color of an icon while you are dragging it.
The only caveat for an English speaking bloke like myself is that the web site, the control panel text, and all the documentation appear to be in Japanese!
 Through trial and error, I was able to deduce the controls, but there is still one check box that eludes me.
I have emailed the author, Takashi Oura, but my concern it that he may not speak English.
If there are any Japanese speaking readers of ResExcellence, maybe you can drop him a line and offer to translate the text resources in the Control Panel and whip up some documentation.
[UPDATE 9:05 a.m] Fredrik Cederman found this translation of the control panel at The Mac Os Page.
Have you noticed that under MacOS 8.6 if you open an item from within a Sherlock Search results window while holding the Option key, Sherlock quits like the old Find command use to? About time!
DragThing.com, the home of the excellent launcher program, has been updated with a FAQ and information on a new Carbon ready version of the utility in the works.
Here is a new Mac site that should be of interest to all of us: Macintosh Security premiers today with a great collection of related links and a story on a security problem in Outlook Express.
The Stats page at distributed.net has been updated with individual standings for all the members in Team ResExcellence. I am ranked number three! (I guess I'll have to find another computer and get it crunching!)
If you're on the team, be sure to see the new edit below.
"I think, therefore I have User Contributions"
Remove the version error dialog from rc5/des 2.7
Regardless of the team you have joined to help crack the rc5 encrypted message, you will appreciate this edit!
With the most recent upgrade to MacOS 8.6, the rc5 client has complained loudly at startup that it doesn't support this version of the OS. Many ResExcellence readers have asked for a way to remove the dialog box. (Continued...)
Stocking Stuffers from Kensington and Smalldog.com!
6/16/99
Thanks to everyone who sent ping reports on the new server - you can stop now! :)
The majority of those pings backed up the Poll results stating that the new server is faster.
As of today, all of ResExcellence's graphics and downloads have been moved to the MacOS X machine This isn't anything you will notice, except for the speed increase! Even on my ISDN line, I can tell it significantly improves the speed of the page.
If this continues to cause me zero headaches, I may move the whole site there.
Scott Chitwood needs a recommendation:
My toddler likes to place folders and other items into the trash. So far he hasn't figured out how to empty it, but it's only a matter of time. What I'm looking for is a way to attach a password to the trash so that I can prevent him from tossing out important stuff.
The PsudeoRoom and Icon Icehouse have joined forces to create a set of 27 Star Wars Episode 1 icons. These are not scanned and reduced screen captures, but are painstakingly carved pixel by pixel from the finest bits available.
"Luke, I am your Father...and these are my User Contributions."
Michael Askew has submitted our first throbber replacement for ICQ. He adds:
I used Lemkesoft's Graphic Converter to construct a PICT of the Sonic throbber that works with ICQ. Once it is constructed on screen, all that needs to be done is to copy and paste the new PICT from the image editor into ResEdit.
BTW, the ICQ throbber is 896x32 pixels and contains 28 frames in 8-bit color that are 32x32 pixels each.
Steve sent a humorous Splash screen for IE 4.5
Scott Lahteine created a colorful MOSS with SolidNirvana. I'm not sure what SolidNirvana is, but I know I don't want to see it after a few beers!
 David Phalen from The Daily iMac has graciously given ResExcellence permission to repost his outstanding edit to allow the Quicktime 4 browser plugin to play Shockwave Flash Animations.
I must admit that since I have a Powerbook, I had not visited The Daily iMac, but after seeing all the helpful tips and articles for any Mac user, I'm adding it to my daily rotation!
ResExcellence edit to allow the Quicktime 4 browser plugin to play Shockwave Flash Animations.
Register to Win an iPod at Smalldog.com
6/14/99
A little more on the ResExcellence MacOS X test Server. Your comments show that more than two-thirds of you feel the new server is faster. In fact, Ping tests I've run show it to be almost twice as fast.
If you're interested in pinging the servers and emailing me the results, the IP's are:
A few readers have written to ask how OS X installed on a 7300 when it's not a supported machine.
There is a menu option on the installer to allow installation on unsupported machines. If you do this, don't expect any support from Apple. Actually, from what I've been reading in the newsgroups, even on supported machines you shouldn't expect support - unless you have your VISA card ready!
I have installed OSX on my Powerbook, the 7300, and tried , but failed, to get it running on a Motorola StarMax 3000. For some notes on unsupported machine installation visit Xappeal.
Once again, ResExcellence is curious to find out how many of you are using the new features of MacOS 8.5.
This week's Polling Place question asks, "Do you usually listen to the Theme Sounds?"
Erik K. Veland, author of the popular Brushed Metal MOSS and ICQ facelift) has released some Mac-related music at MP3.com under the name of Grim. Hear Apple's own Fred and Ralph (Text-to-speech voices) "sing" the lyrics for songs like "Shutdown the Computer" and "I'm not a Vibrator".
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started the download, but these are well produced, fully instrumented dance tracks that I think you'll like.
"I love the smell of User Contributions in the morning. Smells like...victory."
- Trent Stromkins sent a great looking electrified Giant MOSS.
- Steve Wolf adds a Smiling Mac GreyGreen MOSS, and Angkor Wat Netscape splash resources.
- Nicolas Aubagnac put together a Mac-like icon patch for ICQ.
 Today's edit was discovered by HÂkan Hjorte.
Previously, ResExcellence showed you how to rename the Help menu. Now you can remove the word and replace it with an icon. (Continued...)
Ilicon Graphic Design
6/11/99
A mirror of ResExcellence is running on a MacOS X Server hooked to a SDSL line. So far, the response has been favorable with 75% of viewers feeling that it loads faster. To help me shakedown the server, please take a look and post your opinion in the mirror Polling Place.
The computer is a PowerMac 7300/200 with 128M of RAM and a 4G hard disk. Right now, there are many broken pages due to incorrect permissions, and please don't post in the mirror User Forum.
I was surprised at how easy it was to get the site up. Other than changing IP addresses, all the Perl CGI scripts ran without modification. For fun, I even telnetted into the server and changed a few scripts using vi (is that my idea of fun!). The months spent learning Linux were well spent and made the move to OSX much easier.
If you're considering playing with a MacOS X Server, install Linux first and see if you like that before plunking down half-a-grand for OSX.
Doh! While configuring the CGI scripts on the MacOS X Server, I inadvertently overwrote the real Polling Place question that asked "What features would you like to see more of on ResExcellence?". The results showed that by an overwhelming majority, you want more resource editing.
Perfect! That's why it's called ResExcellence, but remember, this site is driven by you the reader. If you think of an edit that you would like to see, drop it in the Suggestion Box. If you have created an edit that works great for you, share it at ResExcellence.
What makes a good suggestion? Keep in mind that ResEdit isn't a programming language. While it may appear to work magic, it can't really manufacture new code that adds dramatic new features. What it can do is alter the appearance of an application, or maybe make an obscure feature more obvious. Look at the Previous Edits to get a better idea of what has been accomplished.
ResExcellence has received so many requests on disabling the Quicktime 4 upgrade dialog box that I've posted a page with the simple instructions.
Scott Lahteine created a patch for the new Quicktime Player. Applying the patch can fix a couple of the complaints that many users have had about this nonstandard application.
- Buttons which are available appear brighter
- Play button changes to a depressed Pause when playing
- The sound slider looks more like a slider
- The window uses a standard frame so you can collapse it
- The Info and Controls Buttons now light up green when active
There is a new beta version of AOL's Instant Messenger available. While I was out for my evening stroll in a nearby cornfield, some bright light zoomed across the sky at an unnatural rate. Amazingly, when I looked down at my feet, there was a floppy disk containing the latest patcher for AIM from the mysterious being known as phydeaux. This patch only works on the most recent version of AIM - beta 2.1.693
Here are some helpful AppleSripts to put in your OSA Menu (where you can assign command keys to them). They launch Sherlock and select the appropriate tab.
tell application "Sherlock"
activate
-- select the Find File tab
set current tab to "tab1"
end tell
tell application "Sherlock"
activate
--select the Find by Content tab
set current tab to "tab2"
end tell
tell application "Sherlock"
activate
--selects the Search the Internet tab
set current tab to "tab3"
end tell
Let's see what's inside the bag full of User Contributions!
Jonathan Feeney used clip2icns to create this folder icon for ResEdit and Andrew Alexander adds an icon for Netscape.
For the growing numbers of Mac gamers, Michael Dicker has created MacOS Startup Screens for the following games:
VillageTronic Video Card For Only $99 at Smalldog.com!
6/9/99
Here is a description of the inexpensive way I got our home network connected to the net.
I have had ISDN in my home office for about a year. The connection was made through a PC-Card in my Powerbook G3. My old Powerbook (which my daughter uses), and the family iMac accessed the net through another ISP account using analog modems that tied up the phone line.
I had looked into getting an ISDN router in the past, but the cost was often over $1000 for a router with built-in ethernet hub and Plain Old Telephone ports (POTS), but I finally found one that was priced right.
The Netgear RH348 is priced just over $300 - less than my ISDN PC Card! It allowed me to connect the three computers to its ethernet hub (great for game-play and AppleShare), and now they all have instant access to the net. The router keeps track of mapping my local IP addresses to the internet, so home network can share one ISP account.
Not only did this free up the Analog phone line, but I even plugged an old phone into the POTS socket to gain an additional line. (A POTS connector allows you to use a regular phone on one side of an ISDN line.)
I also saved $20 per month by dropping the kid's ISP account. Can you say "Daddy's a hero?". :)
Currently, there is no cable-modem or DSL service available in my neighborhood, and fortunately, Ameritch ISDN is cheap in Illinois. If you have a couple of computers networked at home and want to get them on the net, I definitely recommend this.
Some of you probably use a RAMdisk as your browser cache. Sung-Jin Kim wrote this AppleScript to rename the RAM Disk, give it a new icon, and create some folders for both Netscape and Explorer.
In order to script the changing of the icon, you need to download the Scripting Addition: Akua Sweets.
tell application "Finder"
if the "RAM Disk" is in (list disks) then
set name of disk "RAM Disk" to "Cache Zone"
-- The next line to assign an icon requires Akua Sweets
set the icon of disk "Cache Zone" to the icon for startup disk
make new folder in disk "Cache Zone"
make new folder in disk "Cache Zone"
make new folder in disk "Cache Zone"
set name of folder "untitled folder" of disk "Cache Zone" to "Netscape Cache 1"
set name of folder "untitled folder 1" of disk "Cache Zone" to "Netscape Cache 2"
set name of folder "untitled folder 2" of disk "Cache Zone" to "MS Internet Cache"
end if
end tell
(Added to the Sloppy AppleScript Archive) (Download the compiled Script)
Owen Strain sends this tip for those of you running MacOS 8.0.
This edit is for those of us who are still stuck with OS 8 instead of 8.5. I hate having an "Apple Extras" folder, but couldn't get rid of it without having the Desktop Pictures control panel take me to the control panels folder whenever I try to find a picture.
Open the Desktop Pictures control panel with ResEdit (duh) and open STR# 137. Change the two STR#'s to whatever you want, the first is a folder at the root of your hard disk and the second one is a folder inside that folder.
Here's a nice collection of Use Contributions for you to check out!
'"Where else are you going to go? This is the only game in town" - Microsoft to IBM
Stocking Stuffers from Kensington and Smalldog.com!
6/7/99
 This weekend the family finally got around to seeing "Star Wars Episode I", so we can now join the slightly more than 50% of ResEx readers that have also viewed it! At 4 pm on a Sunday afternoon, the theater was only half full.
Star Wars movies always make me feel introspective, so this week's soul-searching Polling Place seeks out the power of the Force to make the site a better place. Make your selection of the feature you would like to see more of on ResExcellence.
And it seems that battle-droids are not the only invasion you need to worry about. The attack of the Cute Invasion icons is here! Ilicon has released a huge set of over 130 pinch-their-cheek cute icons for your drives, folders, and documents.
 Several folks have been kind enough to ask for a ResExcellence button so they can link from their to mine. I finally got around to whipping something up.
Chris Cunningham offers this edit to remove the Startup splash-screen from Powerlogix G3 Cache Profiler.
The new G3 Cache Profiler works like a charm, however, the splash screen that appears at startup is an affront to good taste, not to mention that it obscures my Giant MOSS!! Fortunately, with this simple edit you can make the annoying startup go away entirely:
- First, open a copy of the "G3 Cache Profiler INIT" Extension in ResEdit.
- Open the PICT resource by double-clicking on the icon.
- Locate resource #128 (its the only one!) and delete it!
- Close the PICT resource, and save the edited copy.
- Replace the original extension in the Extensions folder with the edited copy and restart.
If you are a user of Resorcerer 2.2, you can use this little AppleScript by Mark Thalman to compare the resources of two files and find out if there are any differences.
MacUtopia is taking your votes and comments on the best icon artists in several categories for the presenting of the "Pixel Awards".
More on Giant MOSS. Ever since Peter McHugh submitted the first, Giant MOSS submissions have skyrocketed! These oversized screens are pushing the limits, so it may be time to set some guidelines.
If you create a MOSS larger than the monitor's screen size, it will not display. So to insure your creation will work on any system, Giant MOSS submissions should be limited to 640x480 pixels.
To help artists with the placement of the text elements, Michael Dicker has generously submitted a template file for Giant MOSS.
User Contributions: One of the most popular MOSS is Brushed Metal by Eric Veland. The new Giant MOSS version is not simply a resized original, but a new creation that comes with a desktop pattern.
Additional MOSS were submitted by William Marler (iCEO), Michael Dicker, (Red Apple), Shayne Sandison (esdjco), Joseph Daniels (Sonata), Alex Norwood (Yum).
Change the Online URL's in Quicken. Victor Blais wondered if the Online URL's in Quicken 98 (which all point to Quicken Web sites) could be changed to those of your own choosing. This edit will show you how. (Continued...)
Register to Win an iPod at Smalldog.com
6/4/99
There's a new interface site on the block. GPsMac has an outstanding software collection with an interesting twist - many of the descriptions are 'mouse-overs'.
GPsMac is also the only site where you can download a new Appearance Theme named Paper.
Michael Munger, MacObserver columnist, has created a new Kaleidoscope Scheme called Nightlife, and paid me $5 to mention it on ResExcellence! (Just kidding!)
After creating an AppleScript to suit his needs, Evan Francois thought he would share it with the world. The Launcher Script searches the "Launcher Items" folder and converts everything in there to PopUp folders. It's slick as all heck to watch it in action!
Have a Palm Pilot? Ryan Colley has completely rewritten his AppleScript for synching a Pilot with a FileMaker Pro database. While this script will take some reworking to fit your needs, it offers a great starting point.
At my company we use a Networked FileMaker Pro Database to schedule calls for us technicians. We used to print the calls out and take them with us. The following applescript I wrote to sync. our records in FileMaker Pro as tasks in Palm Desktop. This essentially lets us sync our FileMaker Records with our Palm Pilots. The neat trick is that by assigning a unique id to the tasks in Palm Desktop, I also have the script close our calls in FileMaker when they are marked completed in the Palm Desktop. So the functionality that we are getting is to really be able to sync data back and forth with FileMaker Pro. Obviously this script will not just "Run" for you, but I felt that this could help others with similar solutions, so enjoy.
Aaron Marasco sent this tip to get around some menu oddities in Netscape.
Netscape Navigator is a wonderful program, but sometimes you really got to wonder who made some of the UI decisions. With JavaScript, you can open a window with "limited" menus. An example of this is the Java version of Yahoo! Pager. I've noticed that if you only have that window open and don't want to close it, there's no easy way to open a new navigator window. Here's a quick fix for it:
- Open a copy of Netscape in ResEdit and open
MENU resource ID #306
- Add a new item AT THE BOTTOM
(NC v4.51 got very confused when it was on top!)
- Name it "New"
- Check off "Has sub-menu"
- Sub-menu ID is 2
That's all that needs to be done. It's a little nonstandard order (Close/Quit/New->) but it works (and the Cmd-N shortcut is back!)
 The first of our gaming User Contributions has arrived since the call went out from Mac Gamers Ledge. The Embalmer has submitted a Netscape throbber based on the spinning Unreal icon.
Marla Erwin submitted six more Netscape Splashes based on 'The Matrix'.
Matt O'Brian created a MackOSS screen (ya gotta see it to know what I mean).
By editing the WIND and PPOB resources, Graeme McAfee was able to create a nonstandard sized splash for Netscape.
And two more MOSS are available from Jon-Paul Kelly and Steve Wolf.
After updating to MacOS 8.6, users of Speed Doubler experienced system crashes. The unsanctioned solution was to increase the extension's memory partition with ResEdit.
I run several hidden background extension processes and have had random crashes, so I though I'd look into increasing the memory on all of them. Here's what I did.
For more interface news and resources, be sure to visit MacPlaza...
Ilicon Graphic Design
What happened to Monday's update? Am I a Slacker? Me?
I found myself away from home for the Memorial Day weekend without my trusted Powerbook by my side. Imagine my surprise when I logged in Monday evening to find a dozen User Contributions and 450 new messages!
The concept of a Giant MOSS has proved to be popular. I have already received several beautiful new ones that you can expect to see over the next few days.
Lauri Kieksi has put together some excellent install instructions to account for the larger size of the Giant MOSS:
- Give ResEdit extra memory - at least a meg
- Copy the System suitcase and open it in ResEdit.
- Open the ResEdit file that contains the MOSS you want to use.
- Find the PICT res ID -16506 of the MOSS file and open it with a doubleclick.
- Copy the image (just select Copy from the paste menu).
- Open the PICT res ID -16506 of the System copy.
- Paste the image from the clipboard into the window.
- Do the same with the other PICT resources in the MOSS file (ie. the text lines).
- Check that the resources in the MOSS file and in the System copy have the same res names and ID numbers.
- Save the System (copy) and Quit ResEdit.
- Move the original System out of the System folder and drag the copy in. Make sure it's named "System". Wait for a few seconds. You can check that the System copy works right by pulling down the Apple menu. If the menu items (eg. the items you have in the Apple Menu items folder) won't show up then wait a bit longer. If they still won't show up, something's wrong with the System copy. If everything seems to work fine, restart and that's it. Hopefully.
Last month, there were over three dozen contributions and Paul Hollingworth was randomly selected to win a small token of my appreciation.
As the very last web site in the entire world to jump on the band wagon, Paul will receive a hardcover copy of "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace".
 A whopping 80% of you still use ResEdit exclusively for tweaking your resources.
This week's abbreviated Polling Place asks the simply question, "Have you seen Star Wars Episode I?".
Peek-a-Boo is a recently updated application that I found interesting. It shows you tons of information on every application running (even hidden background processes), but what I was found fascinating was the ability to adjust a programs ability to demand processing power when in the background.
For example, in the graphic below, the Finder is the foremost application, yet look at how Photoshop and GoLive are demanding processor time.  Netscape is requesting the majority of processor power, and I discovered by dropping its priority to low that page rendering crawls and animated gifs move in slow motion.
The Claris Instant Organizer extension allows me to have instant access to my phone number database, but it was requesting a hefty amount of CPU cycles before I dialed it down to a Low priority without any negative side effects.
Peek-a-Boo can be a nice addition to your toolbox, allowing you to track those pesky hidden applications that can place an undue burden on your computer.
What are the three fastest modes of communication? Tele-phone, tele-vision, and tell-a-beta tester. One of which dropped a PGP encrypted message to say that a soon to be released update to Glidel will fix the current conflict with BeHierarchic 4.0.
Do you lay in bed at night, tossing and turning because you love reading ResExcellence, but are afraid to launch ResEdit for fear the "Resource Zombies" will get you? Maybe you need to stop by Jonathan Jacobs web page and download some of his prepared patchers that offer several of the features available from the Previous Edits page.
ResExcellence posts dozens of MOSS screens, but Trevor Covert from the Mac Gamers Ledge wonders where are the contributions based on gaming! So how-a-bout a Lookin-Good Duke Nukem, or Quad-Damaging Quake submission. Even a Maelstrom icon set would look great on the desktop.
Submissions will not only garner you the usual 15 micro-seconds of fame on ResExcellence, but your work will be admired by the bleary-eyed gamers from the MacGamers Ledge.
Tired of how Macs are left out at ZD-TV? Take a look at a useful parody site called G-3TV. In addition to taking a few pokes at ZD, the site offers helpful Macintosh troubleshooting tips.
The prolific Peter McHugh has a new Giant MOSS, ATM, and some matching desktop patterns.
Sebastien Lavoie has created additional ResEdit document icons with that oh-so-popular 32 bit look.
Is it a flake of human skin magnified 300X , the surface of the moon, or a recent burger after I've tried cooking on the grill? Download these creations by Jean-Jacques Corte and find out for yourself. There is an MOSS and ATM.
Robert Lloyd put together a subtle MOSS called "Veronica" for MacOS 8.6.
For more interface news and resources, be sure to visit MacPlaza...
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