8/31/98
Almost 70% of ResExcellence readers are tired of hearing about Monica Lewinsky. Does this mean it's a bad time to announce that we were just selected as the National Enquirer Site of the Week? :)
This week, tell the Polling Place how you feel about the difficuly of the edits presented at ResExcellence.
Several emails have come from around the world to let me know that Etak only supplies latitude and longitude for the continental U.S.
I searched, but could not find another company with worldwide coverage. If you know of one, please send it to me. In the meantime, you can click on the little map in the Map control panel, and it will generate numbers that should be accurate enough for most people.
It's odd how requests for a particular edit come in bunches. Are some of you starting "Chain-Letters"? Several recent emails have asked about changing the color of the Control Strip. It must be getting its color information from the same elusive place that the Finder windows do, because I can't find it. You can change the little tab though - it's an icl8 resource.
Judging from the screen shots I've seen around the net, I doubt that the Control Strip will even be Theme-Savy in OS 8.5.
There use to be a shareware replacement for Apple's Control Strip control panel. Tell me what it is, and maybe I can change the colors on it.
8/28/98
A reader was having troubles editing the color cursor extensions that had been downloaded from MacPlaza. If you open one of these extensions, you'll notice there is not only a crsr (color cursor) resource, but also a CURS (B&W cursor).
Don't modify the CURS resource. It's there so the extension knows which pointer to match and replace.
The User Contributions page has some new items.
Wednesday's edit, Add a new city to the Map and Date & Time control panels, is not only one of the most complicated ones ever posted on ResExcellence, but it is also one of the most popular.
Several of you have noticed that there are additonal cities in the Date & Time resources that don't appear in the control panel's dialog list.
I don't know why the data is in there, but I know it won't display because it's in the Map format, not the Date & Time format.
Maybe they use to be listed in previous versions of Date & Time? Ideas?
If you're running multiple keyboard layouts and System 7.x , have you been envious of the fact that OS 8 puts a keyboard icon in the menu bar for easier access? Colter Reed contributes this little edit to add the feature in pre OS 8 systems:
To activate the keyboard menu in pre-OS8 versions of the system:
- Open a copy of the System file in ResEdit
- Open the 'itlc' resource. (There's only one.)
- Scroll down to the "Always show keybd. icon" switch.
- Toggle this from 0 to 1.
- Save your work, replace the old System, and restart.
You should now have an iconic keyboard menu.
8/26/98
The other day, we described changing a creator code to get Tex-Edit Plus to open all of our SimpleText files. That's works for that situation, but what if you want set default applications for many different creator types? Fred Young and Cletus Waldman recommended Default App 1.0.
I happen to use Default App and I love it. The best feature for me is its ability to use all your file mappings from Internet Config.
Dan Beekman mentioned the venerable Snitch. It adds tons of great features to the Get Info window, such as changing the Creator and Type.
John Connor wonders if he should worry that Tech Tool reports his recently hacked Finder as corrupt! Not to worry Jon, Tech Tool is correctly reporting that resources have been modified, but if that's due to a ResExcellence edit, you should have nothing to worry about.
Add a new city to the Map and Date & Time control panels.
Let's pretend for a moment that you're President Bill Clinton. You have to fly to Little Rock, Arkansas to meet with your lawyers, and you're trusty Powerbook is coming along on Air Force One for the ride.
Imagine your surprise when you discover that the Map and Date & Time control panels don't have entries for Little Rock! Too bad you didn't read ResExcellence and learn how to add new locations...
(Continued...)
8/24/98
 The waiting is over! Ben Hawkey was the 100,000 visitor to ResExcellence and is now the proud owner of two great pieces of software: DragThing 2.5 and Window Monkey!
Since many of the fine readers who frequent this site consider themselves first rate hackers, it's no surprise that I also received several faked images! It was all in good fun because the perpetrators readily confessed to the crime.
Thanks again to everyone who visits the site!
Several readers have asked for an edit that allows another program to open SimpleText files be default. My solution isn't an actual hack, but there is beauty in its simplicity.
Perform a "Find File" for SimpleText and delete all but one copy of the application (you may be surprised at how many there are!). For the remaining copy, Stuffit and then delete it, so you are left without any copies of SinpleText.
In my example, I'm going to use Tex-Edit+ as the replacement program, so duplicate it and open it in ResEdit. From the File menu select "Get Info..." and change the creator code to ttxt. Save and quit ResEdit.
Now when you double-click a SimpleText file, the copy of Tex-Edit+ will open it. I renamed my copy, "Tex-Edit does SimpleText"!
According to last week's Polling Place, the majority of you are using Apple's Applescript for your Macro/Scripting needs. Once again, the readers of ResExcellence surprise me. I've never considered Applescript to be user friendly, but now I'll give it another look.
Ryan Gould inspired todays tongue-in-cheek Polling Place. Apologies to the overseas readers who may not have been exposed to any of these topics. Consider yourselves fortunate! :)
 Create your own Explorer Toolbar. Maybe you're an educator and want to simplify the options for a student; or at work you can configure a more helpful Toolbar for your company; either way, this edit lets you create the Internet Explorer toolbar that's perfect for you. (Continued..)
8/22/98
Something special for our 100,000th visitor.
 
Sometime on Monday, ResExcellence will serve its 100,000th main page since since moving to the new server a few months ago! If you're the person who submits a screen capture of the bottom counter with the notable number of 100,000 - you will win copies of two outstanding programs: Window Monkey and DragThing!
Even if you're not the lucky visitor, everyone should know I appreciate your taking the time to stop by this little domain. The friendly letters and upward tick of the page counter are incentive for me to work hard at providing content you'll enjoy.
About the prizes:
Window Monkey can be seen in many of the screen shots used on ResExcellence. Whenever I use another computer at work, it's the first thing I miss. It was created by Robert Mathews, who was previously interviewed on ResExcellence.
DragThing is an excellent launcher/docking program. The layering option makes the best use of limited screen space. The author, James Thomson, is a programmer serving on the front lines at Apple's facility in Cork, Ireland.
Thanks to both of them for contributing their software!
8/21/98
dabreens adds a comment about playing a sound file early in the startup:
I'm sure this is pretty obvious, but if you use a StartUp Movie but want it to load earlier, just rename Quicktime by adding a few spaces in front, " QuickTime" so that it loads at the beginning. Also, Conflict Catcher has the ability to re-arrange extensions load order.
All these sound suggestions could make for a chatty Mac. Welcome could say, "Initializing Boot Process". Startup Movie can add, "Startup Process half way complete". And the sound in the Startup Folder can announce, "Startup sequence complete"!
Greg Uchrin has experienced a problem with one of the previous edits. Is this happening to anyone else? I can't seem to duplicate it.
I love the Netscape Menu modification that makes "New Window With This Link" the default in Netscape instead of "Open This Link." The problem is, I just dloaded Netscape 4.06 Navigator--very stable, until I modified the Menu resource. Then it started freezing my machine. While this didn't happen everytime I went to Open a New Window, it did happen around the third or fourth time, necessitating quitting Netscape and restarting the program
How do you run two two copies of a program - each with its own documents? That's what Garry Brooke wants to know:
I have a copy of Quicken V5 and a demo copy of Quicken V7. They have the same creator codes.Normally, I want to use V5. But if I install V7 all my Quicken data files change to point to V7 instead of V5. So, is it possible to change the creator code of an application so that it won't 'takeover' existing data files (unless of course they are opened and saved in V7) ?
I use Quicken daily, both for my personnel accounts, and to keep track of ResExcellence expenditures. Here's how I made a copy of Quicken for each data file.
- Make a copy of Quicken and open it in ResEdit.
- From the file menu, Get Info and change the creator code from INTU to INTO.
- Open the BNDL resource and its only ID, and change it to INTO also.
- Save the modified Quicken.
- Next open in ResEdit any data files you want associated with the modified Quicken.
- Get Info on them and change their creators to INTO.
- Quit ResEdit and on the next restart, rebuild the desktop.
That should do it.
I have several (hopefully) interesting edits planned for the future. Each is taking longer than planned to distill into a reliable post, but watch these pages...
8/19/98
Another nice program is available to create Appearance Manager Accents - Appearance Designer 1.0. It has a great user interface, but it may still have a few lurking bugs when selecting a color. (thanks GUI-Junky)
Referring to the Polling Place, Skeeter reminds me that SpeedDoubler's Keyboard Power can act as a macro/file launching utility, and Dave Campbell mentions that Program Switcher has a similar function.
Ben Hawley cites another way to have a sound play early in the Startup process:
If you want to play a startup sound earlier in the startup sequence there is no need for an extension. Just convert the sound you want into a quicktime movie, rename it to Startup Movie, and chuck it into the system folder. It will then play right after Quicktime loads. You can also have a startup movie with this if you so desire.
This idea works great and has the added ability to playing a movie. The caveat is that you have to wait until the Quicktime extension boots. The previously mentioned Welcome can play a sound right after SpeedDoubler loads, but has the disadvantage of installing INIT code. Either way, a couple of good ideas to add a feature.
 While I may look like a Superman at resource editing, rest assured I have my own personal version of Kryponite - LinuxPPC!
For the second time, a part of my Powerbook 3400's hard drive has been set aside, and I'm getting familiar with the ins and outs of kde. If any ResEx'ers know their way around LinuxPPC on a Powerbook, I'd like to hear from you.
One last tidbit: Just for the heck of it, I called my local Chicagoland CompUSA and asked about the availabilty of the iMac. The salesman stated there was a long waiting list and he could add my name - only if I paid in full up front! I can't wait for the third and fourth quarter results from Apple - and CompUSA!
High-Tech your Netscape with new colors and icons
 It's obvious from the download statistics at the Kaleidoscope Scheme Archive that the dark high-tech look is a favorite. The problem is most application windows steadfastly cling to the Platinum Appearance.
This two step edit helps peal away a few more layers of Platinum and bring a nice dark look to your web browser. (Continued...)
8/17/98
These are the dog days of summer. When the hot, humid air and the peaceful sounds of birds chirping and children playing make it difficult to keep the eye lids from falling.
Wake Up!
As expected, most respondents to last week's survey have the same pixel size as I do - 800x600. I'm so average. It was surprising to see how few 640x480 screens are left (16%). Combined with previous polls asking about OS versions and processor types, I conclude that ResExcellent users readily update their hardware and software to stay on the bleeding edge (but we knew that, or you wouldn't be at this web site!).
For many months now, I have covered KeyQuencer in detail. While I use it because I feel it's faster and more stable than many of the alternatives, the Polling Place ponders, "Which Macro/Scripting program do you primarily use?"
(If you select Other, please let me know which program you are using.)
If you put sound files in your Startup Folder, but have never liked how late in the boot process you have to wait until you hear them, Ben Lukens wrote to mention a little extension he found on MacHacks called "Welcome". The sole purpose of this little ditty is to play an embedded sound resource early in the boot sequence. You can change the sound the same way we did in the Windowshade edit using the great sounds from Clixsounds.
8/14/98
It seems that Apple's Find File program has many little known features. John Baxter expounded on Mike Hurley's tip by adding:
Find File will do more if you select several attributes, and drag the file into one of the text boxes, all the selected attributes are shown. If as an afterthought, click More Choices again and add the attribute you forgot...its value appears.
Quite nice...a common use will be Creator and Type codes. I found that by experimenting with Michael Hurley's excellent tip!
That's what ResExcellence is all about - People helping People (TM).
In the graphic below, you can see an example of Find File after I dragged Eudora onto it.
Edit the Extensions Manger to show all items
When I want to disable certain extensions, I often also want to move any associated help files and libraries to the disabled folder. Conflict Catcher makes this possible by allowing you to add file types for it to recognize - but what about Apple's Extension Manager? (Continued...)
8/13/98
Lets say Netscape releases the final version of 4.5. You want to be the first on the block to have it, so you start hammering away at their ftp servers. Of course, you can't get in because 3000 of your closest friends also want it first.
At this point you could launch Hotline and connect to BoffoMac. They always manage to get these things sooner than anyone else. But surprise - they're even overloaded! What do you do?
Try this little KeyQuencer Macro submitted by judy. It will keep trying to download a file from a Hotline server by dismissing the "To Many Users" window, and selecting the file again.
Before you run the macro, you need to have the file you want highlighted in its folder window. Type it in exactly as shown, assign a key, and you're ready to go!
Key return
WaitWindow "Server Message"
Key return
Wait 2 seconds
Key cmd opt ctrl "f"--this just calls the macro over again - the looping
The User Contributions page has been updated with a couple of new items.
8/12/98
Not wanting to be the last one to jump on the iMac bandwagon, I had my name legally changed to iMichael Coyle. In addition, iResExcellence will be sponsoring a special iMac promotion for the remainder of iAugust. If I post one of your ideas or comments, and you send me a self addressed stamped envelope, iResExcellence will send you a free piece of teal copier paper. That's right - absolutely free.
If you're looking for some interesting cursors, Brian Boucheron has posted some humorous ones on his web page.
Bewarned, these cursors would be blocked by NetNanny!
John Bloor asks an interesting question:
If you use a startup screen, does it get loaded into the RAM and therefore affect any applications you subsequently load, or does it not have any bearing at all?
I ran several tests starting with a 24 bit StartupScreen and without, and it's my belief that the StartupScreen does not reside in RAM. Perhaps a programmer can confirm this.
PlustoSet Converter (beta 1) has been released by Ben Blake. It takes Windows Themes and converts them to Mac format.
Stop back tomorrow for a User Contributions Update.
Change the Windowshade sounds in the Appearance Manager.
 If you use Kaleidoscope, you can visit Clixsounds and download dozens of Windowshade replacement sounds. But what if you don't run Kaleidoscope? (Continued...)
8/11/98
A special update today to let you know MacPlaza has moved to a speedier server: http://207.137.96.214/. In celebration, they've released ten new sets of PowerBar Pro button sets.
The research department at ResExcellence is taking a lot of heat over this week's Polling Place. Several state senators have launched an investigation as to why monitor size was not a consideration. "The pixels don't tell the whole story", an anonymous source stated. The Attorney General has asked for a special prosecutor to find out if people with multiple monitors were deliberately discriminated against. When pressed for a comment by CNN news, Mr. Coyle, chairman of ResExcellence.com, stated he has never had an intern.
8/10/98
In the newsgroups, I hear people complain when a new program or upgrade no longer supports 68k Macs. That's why I was curious to see how many ResEx'ers had PPC machines. It turns out 90% of you are surfing the web with PowerMacs - a surprisingly high number. Bear with me for one more hardware question as this week's Polling Place asks, "What's your monitor size?".
Every year, Macintosh programmers from around the world gather at the MacHack convention to show-off odd little bits of code they've cobbled together. Recent creations are now online and I recommend everyone stop by and take a look. These hacks often find their way into the best shareware, and even the MacOS. A must see is iMacOS.
Jason Zimmer submitted a collection of almost two dozen Macintosh ROM sounds to ResExcellence. I still get goose-bumps when I play the "Chimes of Death"!
PowerBar Pro has been updated to version 3.1 and provides many bug fixes and easier Toolbar creation for first time users. ResExcellence can show you how to create custom buttons styles.
Do you know of a school that is considering a switch to Wintel from Mac? Need some facts for the next PTA meeting? Stop by MacInSchool and fill your plate with plenty of solid data.
Change the default palette in Apple's Color Picker.
Erik Barzeski from AppleWizards asks if there is a way to change the Color Picker to open to a palette other than HSV. I agree - everytime I need to select a color in an application, Apple's Color Picker opens the HSV palette. While the rainbow patterns are pretty, it's not quite my idea of a user friendly way to pick blue! (Continued...)
8/7/98
The other day, I posted a way to play a sound when a Mac wakes up from sleep mode. Several fine readers have mentioned another way, summarized by Anders Hagborg,
There is a much simpler way to play the startup sound
(or any other sound) at wakeup.
1 - Go to Energy Saver "control panel" (it is actually an application)
2 - Select Preferences - Notification ...
3 - Set "Play sound at wakeup"
This option is not available on Powerbooks.
My goodness, the User Contributions page had more broken links than the reject bin at Oscar Mayer! I have found and fixed all of them. I think...
 ResExcellence contributor, Anthony Saxton has a great addition to the GoMac font edit.
If the user simply want's GoMac to use the font selected as the System Menu font in Kaleidoscope or Apple's Appearance control panel, then just change the 'GMsf' font to 0 (zero)! Similerly, if the user want the same size selected as well, setting the size to 0 (zero) will do it.
Anthony is also President of the Las Vegas Macintosh Users Group (VMUG) - the group my Mother-in-Law belongs to! :)
 Fred Blome likes GoMac, but the word Start gives him the shivers. If you open GoMac in ResEdit and find STR ID#-13152, you can change it to anything you like - DOJ for example.
Thanks to a recent discussion on the Macintosh News and Information Email List, I learned about some great sites for desktop pictures:
The Scenery Channel
Matt Harden's Artchive
8/5/98
I can't repeat often enough how important it is to work on a copy of a file when editing with ResEdit. This week alone, I've received several emails from unfortunate souls who did not head this warning!
Several of the download links for User Splash Screens were broken, and should now be fixed. Please continue to let me know of any problems you have while browsing the site.
The Resource List has been updated with new information.
Regarding Find File and labeling by creator code, Michael Hurley sent in this great tip:
In your edit for labelling all documents a specific color, you suggest using ResEdit to get the creator code. It's much easier than that. Just set Find File to "creator is _____" and drag the file to the text box. Find File will strip the code out of the document and display it in the text box. Cool huh?
Jonathan Albers wants his Mac to play the Startup Chime when waking from sleep. Try this: Install WakeUp Items. Then download Apple's Spec Database. It not only contains tons of technical information on every Macintosh model - it also contains all the ROM startup and error sounds! Place the appropriate startup sound in your "WakeUp Items folder" and you're all set!
Change the font used by GoMac 1.5
Nathan Wood asked: "I use GoMac and have altered my appearance extension to use a different font. I was hoping you might have some tips as to how I can hack GoMac 1.5.1 to use the same font so my desktop can look uniform."
8/3/98
What a surprise! Over half of you use Apple's Extension Manager. I foolishly thought Conflict Catcher was on the majority of machines. This information throws a monkey wrench in my previous poll asking about the number of icons shown at startup - Conflict Catcher shows many more. This week's Polling Place asks the simple question, "Does your primary computer have a PowerPC chip?"
A new version of the elusive RGB III Calculator has been posted. This utility helps generate the values needed for the Launcher Color edit.
MacTips has a comprehensive article covering tools that collect, alter, and display icons.
A tip of the hat to MacMadness for always managing to find articles on the web that I've missed - and I don't miss much! Everyday they post half a dozen links to interesting articles, often from newspapers from around the world. If you have never been there, get going!
We have our first Eudora splash screen replacement in User Contributions!
CyberBob asked:
You should make an edit that adds a menu in the Finder that holds aliases to all your used applications...Like a launcher...but a menu.....That would be neat...you could probably even make money from it.....Well I hope you do this edit cause I would LOVE it.....thanks
You're in luck Bob, I had a slow weekend around the house, so I whipped up this little utility. It will put multiple new menus in the Finder, using either words or icons. Each menu represents a folder full of aliases to your favorite applications. I call it AliasMenu. Ok, ok, I confess. I didn't really write this. It's a great piece of shareware from Benoit Widemann.
Want an iMac? Computers.com is having a contest to give one away. I'm sure that entering the contest puts you on a MicroWarehouse and Computer.com email list, but it's a chance to win an iMac and show support for your platform of choice.
James Huffman queried:
Is there a way to hack the labels menu so that it will change the color of the entire CONTENTS of a folder or disk partition. "Labels" is a great idea, but I haven't quite reached the level of anal-retentiveness required to label each and every file that I create. Until I reach that point, it would be nice to be able to easily label all Excel-related files dollar-bill green, or Word-related files library-shelf brown.
While ResEdit doesn't directly solve this problem, James' question did get me thinking, and here's my solution :
Use the Launcher to Label groups of files.
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