How to edit the smileys in iChat OS X !

[Ric]

One easy way changing the Smileys in iChat.

You will need to put the altered smileys on all the macs that you want to use them with...

First duplicate the iChat program. Then if anything goes wrong you can just replace your edited version with your backup.

Now control click on the Application, and click the "Show Package Contents"

Have a look inside the recources folder, thats where the iChat Smileys are located...

Here is the 'Angry Smiley'.

Now open the files in your editing program of choice...

Make sure you save it back to where it came from, and don't edit the name.

Below you can see the new smiley in place...

More to follow...

 

[zeyhra]

Awesome! Thanks Ric!

 

[Ric]

No problem !

If I get chance I'll see if I can work out how to add your own custom ones...

regards

Ric

 

[LightGear]

I have worked out how to add custom smiles

In that Resource folder where the smiles tiff are located there is a folder called -->

English.lproj

inside of that folder there is a plist called --> SmileyTable.plist

** backup plist before you start in case something goes wrong

**note when opening the plist an app called property list editor opens

--you have to add the smilies there and it will work

--first you will see root click the arrow to see the sub folders and again for the smileyList

--Now there is a list of numbers mine goes up to 148

--go to the bottom of the list what ever is you last number and highlight it

--at the top click the new sibling button it should add the next number in line

-- make the class Dictionary

--now click the arrow to see the sub folders there will not be any yet but the button at the top will change to new child

-- click new child name the new child ASCII and make the class an array

-- add New child to ASCII the class needs to be a string and put as many as you want STRINGS (These strings what ever you put the value as are the ones that if you type them out in the chat window will display the smile)

that is it for the ASCII array

-- now we need to create 2 more things and we are done

go back you to the parent of ASCII in my case it is 148

click new child twice--
one name -- > Filename
the other -->SmileyName

both class -->string

For value Filename will be the name of the tiff file you add

For value of SmileyName this is the name displayed in smiley picker window

Nw save the plist restart ichat and done it will work assuming you have put the tiff in the resource window.

 

[LightGear]

Now what I would like to know is how to make an install file from that and make it easy to give to people

 

[zeyhra]

That's great LightGear! In my case, the custom smileys would be intended to be distributed to others on my local network, so I'd most likely do as Ric says and make a copy of iChat to modify, and when all my modifications were finished I'd put it up on our server to distribute to all the users, and then just have them use the modified iChat.

 

[LightGear]

Well in this case you can just copy and paste the plist to everyones computer with the new smilies and you would just add to it. and you can then have as many as you want.

As for the installer I could make an automator script that would do the job locally but I like to think BIGGER it would be like the more smilies installer

Just Dreaming at this point

 

[Ric]

Hi Lightgear and welcome,

thanks for that !

I'll have another look to night and see if I can knock up an installer...

regards

Ric

 

[LightGear]

Great I will look forward to seeing what you come up with when you have time :biggrin:

 

[pendrifter.]

Hi,
I always use MacMail for emails, but there're aren't any smilies! Which I think sad. Is there a way to take iChat smilies, for instance, and get them into Mail?
Thanks
pendrifter.