kriss@AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM (R M Kriss) (03/02/91)
ADDING COLOR TO OLD B/W INITs & CDEVs Have you ever wondered how to make your old B/W startup icons parade in color? If so read on! When I got my Mac IIsi, one of the first things I wanted to do was to add color to various INITs and CDEVs as the Mac was loading. While this may sound like an easy task, it was hard to find documentation and several people told me it was just too hard. Wrong! After messing with it for more time than I wish to admit, I figured out how to add color to some of my old B/W INITs and its not hard. Try it, you may like it! You need one application and one INIT: - ResEdit, Version 2.1 or higher - Icon Colorizer, Version 1.6 ============================================================ If you like this INIT, write to me and let me know! If you want files (the source code, documentation, new version (if any) of the INIT, etc.), send a disk with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to me at the following address. NOTE: I cannot make printouts for you. Robert P. Munafo 239 Clinton Road Brookline, MA 02146 (617) 738-0650 or (401) 246P1814 ============================================================ For reasons I do not understand the Sun Desk will not add color to startup INITs and CDEVs. This is way I use Robert Munafo's super Icon Colorizer. Quick Tip: Use ResEdit to copy the #ICN from your favorite INIT to the Icon CZ Icon file, assign it a unique ID number, create and color a new icl8 resource and save it. Thats it! The Icon Colorizer does its thing using the new icl8 you have created. Expanded Tip: Step 1 Start by loading the generic Icon Colorizer INIT to your System with its standard "Icon CZ Icon" file. Drop both in your system folder and restart. Get the Icon Colorizer working per the excellent docs provided by Robert Manufo. Step 2 Open ResEdit and copy the old #ICN from your favorite INIT or CDEV and paste it into the Icon Colorizer's Icon CZ Icon file. Step 3 ResEdit will nag you about your preferences for the resource ID. I suggest you paste the file, then Get Info on the file and change the ID to a new set of numbers. I used 32001 for my first new resource and when up from there for additional icons. Changing the resource to a new ID number is important to accomplishing this task. You will understand why when your read the Icon Colorizer docs. Step 4 Now for the neat stuff! Use ResEdit to open the new #ICN you have pasted to the Icon CZ Icon file. Double click on the #ICON and you will be in ResEdit's resource editor with a black and white version of the #ICN showing in the window. Drag this Icon to the icl8 box. This creates a new resource for your Icon CZ file. Step 5 Use ResEdit's coloring tools (lower left of your screen) and do your stuff until you have all of the color you can stand. One bit of caution. Do not exceed the boundaries defined by the original #ICN. If you do, the color version will not load and the Icon Colorizer will default to the old B/W version. Step 6 Close the Icon CZ Icon file and SAVE! Restart your Mac and you should see the old B/W Icon show up in color as as part of the INIT/CDEV parade at startup. Thats It! Don't worry about messing up your System or the INIT as you are only making changes to the Icon CZ Icon file. BTW, I pruned my Icon CZ Icon file down from 200K to about 30K for the color icons I want to see. You can edit yours to suit your own taste. You can also paste the new #ICN and icl8 into the Icon Colorizer and forget about using the Icon CZ Icon file. Your call. I use the CZ file so I don't have to worry about messing up the INIT with a ResEdit mistake. To quote Andy Rooney, "Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done." This applies to adding color to startup icons. Richard M. Kriss 904 Dartmoor Cove Austin, Texas Internet: kriss@austin.lockheed.com Packet: KD5VU @ N5LJF.#AUS.TX.USA.COM Phone: 512-327-9566 (evenings)