Archive for the 'Intermediate OS X' Category
This is a neat little tip. Type the name of any Application into Spotlight, wait a moment, and the Application will appear as the top hit in a list of the search results. Just hit Return and the Application will open.
You can refine your search results in Spotlight to search for and display the Applications first. Open Spotlight in System Preferences by typing “Spotlight pref” in Spotlight and hit Return. This will take you directly to the Spotlight Preference Pane.
In the Spotlight Preference Pane you can customize how search results are displayed.
The typical Apple Keyboard Shortcut for Spotlight is Cmd+Space. This will direct typing on the keyboard to Spotlight. So just type in the search string and press Return.
Want to impress your Mac Addict buddies or surprise the typical Mac user? I stumbled upon an Application called BootXChanger that will let you change the normal Apple boot logo.
There are a few restrictions: you must keep the background color the same grey (#BFBFBF in hexadecimal) and the image can only contain less than 100 colors. Save your image as a GIF or PNG-8 in Photoshop and you’ll be set. Further instructions are at the Official Site for BootXChanger. Did I mention this Application is free?
Can’t remember the name of a file you created or edited the other day, last week, or even in the past month?
The Finder makes searching for files really easy in OS X Leopard. Open a Finder window and look for The SEARCH FOR section of the Side Bar. Click “Past Week” and all the files you have edited in the past week will open chronologically, starting with the latest.
But what if the document you are looking for was created in the past month? The Spotlight in the Finder allows you to make searches using AND, OR, and NOT in OS X 10.5 Leopard. You can use the Finder window to add specifications to the search as well. Furthermore, you can Save Searches and then add them to the Side Bar.
In this short tutorial, I will show you how to set up a Saved Search for the Past Month in the Side Bar. The ideas in this tutorial can be expanded for other search criteria too.
Open the Finder, Select the Mac from the Side Bar, put a period (.) in the Spotlight Search Bar (you will erase this period later) and Hit Return.
Notice how a new Search Bar appears under the Tool Bar. It tells you where you are searching, and even gives the options to search the contents of files or just the file names. But look directly to the right and you will see a plus (+) sign. Click the plus sign. A new search criteria will appear, and it will say “Kind is Any”. Change these variables to say “Created date is within last 31 days”.
The following is not necessary for these steps but good to know when making customizable searches in the Finder.
If you hold down Option at this point the plus sign will become a … button. This will allow you to add further criteria to the search string using Any (OR), All (AND), or None (NOT).
Remove the . (period) from the Search bar you originally used to start the Search.
Click the Save Button. Name the new Search something meaningful like “Past Month”. Make sure Add to Sidebar is checked. Hit Save. A new Search called “Past Month” will now be available in the Search For section of the Sidebar.
For a more technical explanation and even a video, visit MacWorld: Max OS X Hints Article, “Add Conditions to Finder Searches.
It seems a lot of people do not like the 3D Dock in OS X Leopard. There is even a website totally dedicated to modding the Leopard Dock.
Sometimes I find myself surfing to certain websites daily. Usually, there is only one part of that website that interests me. In Safari 3, I can take a snapshot of any website and make it into a Dashboard Widget easily with WebClips. The new Widget will automatically update as the website does, allowing me to just press F12 to Open Dashboard and look at all the websites I usually visit in one shot.
To make any section of a website into a Dashboard widget all I need to do is Open Safari and surf to the website I wish to capture. I visited the Apple Start Page for this example.
Click the WebClip button that is directly left of the Address bar. Safari will now darken the window except for a highlighted region. Anywhere I hover the mouse over will become highlighted.
I can hover above headlines and whole text boxes will become highlighted. If I click a highlighted region, it will become selected and nodes will appear on the corners. I can resize and position the highlighted region now. Sometimes I may want to clip a region of a website, so if I hover over any section of the site where the background is showing a standard sized box will appear.
Click the Add Button to Create a WebClip.
Dashboard will now load the WebClip…
I can change the border style of the WebClip by pressing the i button in the lower right hand corner of the Widget. The Widget will flip over and reveal the border styles. Click Done and the Widget will flip back over.
This post will outline everything someone will need who wants to start designing new Stationery for Mail in OS X Leopard. Hopefully, this will turn into an ongoing series about Stationery in Mail.
First Attempt at Skinning the Air Mail Stationery
What you will need to create new Stationery for Mail:
- OS X 10.5 Leopard
- XCode Installed
- Photoshop (or other Image Editor capable of editing .jpg and transparent .png)
- HTML / XML Editor
- Package Maker (installed w/ XCode)
Do not overwrite existing files. If you wish to the modify existing files, backup the originals before changing anything!
The default Stationery you see in Mail is stored in a folder at the following location:
/System/Library/Application Support/Apple/Mail/Stationary/Apple/Contents/Resources/
If you navigate to this folder, you will notice a file called TableofContents.plist. This file contains the XML necessary for Mail.app to list the Categories of Mail Stationery.
Notice how each Category has it’s own Folder? By default there are Announcements, Birthday, Photos, Sentiments, and Stationery Folders. If you click on one of these folders, you will see it has it’s own directory structure: /Announcements/Contents/Resources. You will find the the actual stationery in the Resources folder for a specific Category.
There are two oddball files among the Stationery, another TableofContents.plist and an English.lproj Folder (I imagine for others running Leopard in other languages this folder may change, can someone confirm?). TableofContents.plist here is another XML document that lists the Category’s Stationery in a format Mail.app can understand. Does anyone know what the Stationery ID parameter in this file might be for? How can I create a new Stationary ID or a new piece of Stationery? The English.lproj folder contains a file called DisplayName.strings. In this file there is a comment that says: “Stationery category name as appears in the stationery selection pane in the New Message window after clicking Show Stationery toolbar item.”
If you go back to the Resources folder and Ctrl+Click on a .mailstationery file, you can select Show Package Contents from the menu. This will open the Stationery’s Directory Structure which is the same: /Stationary/Content/Resources/. Here you will find the files that make up a piece of Stationery in Mail.
There will most likely be the following basic files:
- bg_pattern.jpg : The Background Image
- top.jpg : Header Image
- bottom.jpg : Footer Image
- content.html : The HTML Template
- Description.plist : The XML File Necessary for Interactivity in Mail.app
- English.lproj folder : Contains DisplayName.strings (file that names the Stationery for Mail.app)
- thumbnail.png : The Thumbnail for the Selection Screen in Mail
Photo Stationery may have the following:
- Mask1.png : The Mask for Drop Zones
- placeholder1.jpg : The Placeholder Image for Drop Zones
- banner.jpg : Usually the Background for the Masked Drop Zones
- frames.png : The Template for the Drop Zones
The Workflow:
Do not overwrite existing files. If you wish the modify existing files, backup the originals before changing anything!
- Create New Folder for “Custom” Stationery in the Resources folder, give it the Directory Structure /Content/Resources/
- In this folder, make a file called TableofContents.plist. You will need to enter XML data here for the Individual Stationery inside the “Custom” Category. Project Folders and eventually Packages will go in this folder. An English.lproj folder with DisplayName.strings (for the Category name) must be in this folder as well.
- Make a New Folder for the new Stationery and give it the same directory structure: /Content/Resources/
- This is the folder you will place the HTML template (content.html), XML template (Description.plist), all images, and the English.lproj folder with DisplayName.strings (Name of the individual Stationery)
- Use Package Maker to create a Package for the Stationery (must have .mailstationary as a filename and the correct Directory Structure)
- Backup TableofContents.plist in /System/Library/Application Support/Apple/Mail/Stationary/Apple/Contents/Resources/
- Add new lines in TableofContents.plist for the new Category
Can anyone tell me what that the Stationery ID is for in TableofContents.plist and how to create unique Stationery IDs for new Stationery and is this necessary?
If anyone ends up creating new Stationery because they read this tutorial, I would gladly post custom templates on iUseApple.com.
Here I will show you briefly how to set up the external partition correctly for the OS X Leopard Install, make an image of the Install Disc, restore that image to the external partition, and finally how to boot from an external firewire drive.
It is a good idea to place a partition called “Mac OS X Install DVD” on an external hard drive for several reasons. The foremost is for DVD challenged Macs. Perhaps your Superdrive or Combo Drive is broken? It provides a handy method of fixing disk permissions, updating Firmware passwords, and whatever else you can do off the Install, without the actual DVD. In OS X Leopard, Time Machine can be used to Restore Backed Up versions of OS X. The catch is, it needs the Leopard Install DVD to do this. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a copy of the Leopard Install partitioned right next to our backup data on an External Hard Drive? Installing from an external hard drive can also be faster than booting off the DVD.
You will need the following:
- OS X 10.5 Leopard Install Disk and/or .dmg Disk Image
- A Mac Running OS X 10.4 Tiger
- A working DVD Drive (for those copying from DVD to External)
- External Firewire Hard Drive + FW Cable
Backup OS X Tiger 10.4 Before You Install
Before you install any new Operating System on a Mac it is highly recommended you backup your entire hard drive first to another hard drive, usually an external hard drive. I used SuperDuper! to clone OS X Tiger onto a bootable Backup Partition. You should do the same. This means we will take all our files and duplicate them onto another drive. It is really handy to own an external hard drive, mainly for this purpose and also if we want to take advantages of the instant backup nature of Time Machine in Leopard. So, before you install Leopard go out and purchase a Lacie or similar External Firewire hard drive. If you have a Mac Pro, G5 or MacBook Pro 17″ or most 15″ and 17″ PowerBooks, you should be shopping for an external hard drive with Firewire 800 connectivity. All other Macs should be connected to a Firewire 400 Hard Drive. USB 2.0 Externals will not boot on a PowerMac, but will boot using an Intel Mac.
iUseApple.com or any of it’s writers are not responsible for the damage caused to files or to a hard drive that anyone formats or partitions.
The Steps:
- Make a Disk Image (.DMG) from Install DVD using Disk Utility
- Partition External Hard Drive for Install Partition
- Restore the Partition from .DMG of Install DVD
- Restart, Booting from Install Partition
For those who have the OS X Leopard Install DVD:
Skip here if you already have a .dmg file.
Make a .DMG from the Leopard Install DVD
First, you need to make a disk image of the DVD using Disk Utility. Disk Utility is found in /System/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app. Put the Install DVD into your Mac’s Combo Drive, Superdrive, or External DVD Reader.
You will see the Install DVD appear on the left in Disk Utility. Single Click the listing from Mac OS X Install DVD. Then select New Image from the Tool Bar. Change the Image Format to “entire device”. Find a place to save the disk image, name it Mac OS X Install DVD. Click Save. Wait until the process is complete (This can take a while, so go outside and play).
When it is finished, you will have a .dmg of the Install DVD on your hard drive.
Make a 10.0GB Partition on the External Hard Drive
Do you have files on this External Hard Drive? If so, you will want to back these up before proceeding. When partitioning a drive in Tiger, it means you must erase the drive and segment it. If you have a fresh Hard Drive, this process is much easier in OS X Tiger, since you will not lose any data.
A Brief Note About the Difference Between Partition Maps for
PowerPC and Intel Macs
You may need to change the Partition Table for the drive. The Partition Table you are currently using is highlighted in Disk Utility, under the Partition Tab, in the Options… menu. If you are making a bootable partition for PowerPC, you will need to select Apple Partition Map if it is not already selected. Intel Mac users should select GUID Partition Table. If you have to reformat the Partition Table, this means you will need to completely format the drive and will lose all data. Other World Computing has a detailed explanation about Partitioning Drives on PowerPC vs. Intel Mac.
If you have the Leopard Install DVD and can boot from it: Restart the Mac and hold down the C key while starting up. Right after you select the language (the first install window), you can use the Leopard version of Disk Utility to resize existing Partitions on the External Hard Drive. Disk Utility is found in the menu bar. In the Leopard version of Disk Utility, you can divide existing Partitions and resize them accordingly. On screen instructions for this are found in Disk Utility itself, but I’ll tell you anyways. In Disk Utility, Select the Hard Drive you wish to Partition (not the name of the drive, but the device name). Click on the Partition Tab. Single Click on an existing Partition under the Volume Scheme. Click the Plus Sign just beneath that. Click on the new Partition and name it “Mac OS X Install DVD”, Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled), Size: 10GB. Click Apply. After you are finished resizing the partitions, exit the installer and startup regularly in OS X Tiger. Skip the next paragraph.
If you cannot boot from the Leopard Install DVD: In Disk Utility, Select the Hard Drive you wish to Partition (not the name of the drive, but the device name). Click on the Partition Tab. Directly under Volume Scheme, select the number of Partitions you want. Make sure one of the Partitions is named “Mac OS X Install DVD”, Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled), Size: 10GB. Why these settings? I’m ultra paranoid that it won’t work without the name and 10 GB is ample room for the DVD. Partition the rest of the drive as you wish. Click the Partition button in the lower right only when you are sure of the settings and have backed up any data that was on the drive.
Restore the External Partition from the .DMG
Select the “Mac OS X Install DVD” Partition from the left in Disk Utility.
Now Select the Restore Tab. Drag the .DMG into the Source field. Drag the External Partition into the Destination Field. Click Restore in the lower right corner.
Once this is finished, the Auto Start Screen from the Leopard Install DVD should appear. You now have a copy of the Leopard Install DVD on the External Hard Drive.
Boot Leopard Install from External Hard Drive
I suggest if you have the Install DVD inside the Mac still to eject it. Make sure the Firewire External Hard Drive is connected. Restart the Mac, while holding down the Option key until a blue screen appears. Wait for the waiting cursor to change into a mouse cursor. Select the “Mac OS X Install DVD” partition from the list. The Mac will now boot the Leopard Install from the External Hard Drive.
Read Step by Step How to Install OS X Leopard for screenshots from the entire install process.
Fed up with the new 3D appearance of the Dock? Well turns out you’re not alone. TUAW reported a method of switching between 2D and 3D versions of the Dock in Terminal. But for anyone who doesn’t like to fool around with a command line interface, a one button solution was created just for you!
2DOrNot2D is an Application for OS X Leopard that will let you switch between 2D and 3D versions of the Dock.
Possibly better yet, Dock Doctor is a Dashboard Widget that coverts the Dock from 2D to 3D. The Dashboard is more accessible and the widget does the same things as 2DOrNot2D.
At first I didn’t like the new Dock either, but I am slowly getting used to it’s new appearance. But I wonder when I am running video intensive Applications, if the added transparency effects in the Dock and Menu Bar are worth processing time.
Have two Macs on the same network? It is rather easy to connect to another Mac via Screen Sharing in the Finder, but I have found another quick way of controlling another Mac rather quickly from the Dock. This tip may be better suited for the techno-savvy crowd.
Screen Sharing.app is found here: /System/Library/CoreServices/Screen Sharing.app. Just drag the Application icon to the Dock! If you open Screen Sharing this way, the Application will ask you for the Host Name of the Mac you wish to connect to. I.P. Addresses can be typed here, but thanks to a tip Brian sent in, you can just type the name of the computer you are trying to connect to i.e. if you have a G5 sitting across the network, just type G5. If you have named the computer in Network Preferences, then type that name.
The Finder has gone through quite the overhaul in OS X 10.5 Leopard. Not only is the interface designed to look a whole lot like iTunes, CoverFlow is now a view option, icons have “resolution independence”, any document can be previewed directly in the Finder with the new Quick Look feature. The toolbar and left column are bascially the same, but throw away the old brushed metal look of OS X Tiger. New icons and search options can be found in the Sidebar.
I find it hard to use a small Finder window anymore with all these new features. I had to stretch out the Finder window to make it larger, using the bottom right corner of the window. Cover Flow needed a larger space to work properly with PDF previews and the new Search For items get cut off at the bottom of the Sidebar if the window is too short. I can minimize each section in the Sidebar or even eliminate unnecessary items by dragging them outside the Sidebar to gain a shorter window.
Whats even more phenomenal about the Finder is that I can now change View Options for each folder independently. I can make different sized icons and background images and really customize the look and feel of the contents of folders. Why should every folder look the same? If I take advantage of these new customization options, I can easily distinguish one folder from the next. This comes in real handy when working with multiple Finder windows in Expose. And since icons can now be resolution independent, I find myself in icon view much more often than in Tiger.
CoverFlow inside the Finder
CoverFlow has become a view option found in the View Menu in the Finder’s Toolbar. It is the right most View Option available.
Click the CoverFlow button in the View Menu and the contents of a folder will be viewed with CoverFlow. If a PDF or MOV is the frontmost file in CoverFlow, I can hover over the PDF or MOV and preview pages of the PDF or even watch the MOV! Cover Flow doesn’t seem to preview audio files however (yet I can preview an audio file in Column view). Or, I can use the ultimate method of Previewing anything, Quick Look…
Use Quick Look to Preview Files
Never open another application ever again to find the file you are looking for! Kick that nasty habit of double clicking everything in sight!
Just use Quick Look, which is found in the Toolbar of the Finder (if it isn’t there, Ctrl+Click any empty space in the Toolbar and Select Customize Toolbar, drag and drop the default toolbar). Click the Eye Icon in the Toolbar to Preview any file selected in The Finder.
Quick Look will pop up a black and transparent preview window for the currently highlighted item in the Finder. I can even select another item with Quick Look still open and the preview window will change to the newly selected file. PDFs are viewable down to every page. MP3s and MOVs can be played in their entirety. When I press the two diagonal arrows icon, the file will be previewed in Full Screen. This method can be used for pretty much any filetype. If something doesn’t work, somebody will write a plug-in soon, so don’t worry about that. No more need for Quicktime Pro to view MOVs in Full Screen now!
Custom Folders in Finder Icon View
Look at the image below and you will notice two Finder windows, each viewing icons at completely different sizes and grid spacing. This is what is called resolution independence. OS X Tiger would allow me to set the icons sizing in the Finder globally, across all the folders on my Mac in Icon View. Now it is possible to not only change the size of icons in each folder separately, but the grid spacing, background color and image as well.
To view the contents of a folder in Icon View, click the leftmost icon in the View row at the top of the Finder Toolbar.
To change the View Options of a particular folder, Ctrl + Click or Right Click any whitespace in the Finder and Select Show View Options from the drop down menu. The View Options Palette will appear.
I can open any file or folder in the Finder or the Desktop and the View Options Palette will automatically know which Finder window I am talking about and adjust the settings for that particular window. Once I have the View Options window open, click the Desktop and notice the header in the palette changes to Desktop. Click inside the Finder window again and View Options is directed to the Finder. This is useful if I want to customize a bunch of folders in one sitting.
I can change a variety of settings in the View Options palette. Firstly, I can select the view I want the folder to always have by clicking Icon, List, Column, or Cover Flow in the Finder’s Toolbar and checking the first box. Icon size and Grid Spacing are the most useful. If I have a lot of icons in a folder, I may want to make the Grid Spacing and Icon Size smaller. A folder with few icons may deserve large icons spaced far apart.I can also designate the text size and position of the filename. I can toggle icon previews, meaning if this is on I can see the front page of PDFs, specific photos, and the poster frame of movies. Disabling this may lead to faster performance on slower Macs. I can also arrange the icons to snap to grid, by name, date modified, date created, size, kind or label. I can also select a background color or image for the folder as well.
Since I can change the settings for all icons on my entire Mac in the View Options Palette by pressing the Set as Default button, I can automatically snap all of my icons to a grid at once. The catch is, once I edit these folders individually they will retain their settings. To prevent cluttered icon views and the much annoying clean up in the Finder, set icons to be Snap to Grid as the default when you first start customizing folders.
