[smeger]

Originally posted by mogura:
To quote the infamous Ellen Fiess, "Huh?"

What is that supposed to mean? We can just change the .raw to .diff?

Sorry, I'll be more specific. To create a .diff file, enter the following command in the terminal:

Code:
diff originalFile newFile > myDiffFile.diff

where

• originalFile is the path of the original file.
• newFile is the path of the new file
• myDiffFile.diff is the .diff file you want to create

Sorry for not being clear You cannot just change the extension from .raw to .diff.

[spitty27]

well, i see you are all very skilled, maybe you could make a shadow for the cursor for those of us without QE or a graphic card that we can manipulate it to enable QE...?

[barbarian]

Thanks so much for all the info.

Also thanks for the info on creating .diff files. It's actually a great way to create simple patch files.

for those that still don't get what is going on

You create a file the way you want it to be.

You then use the command above to compare the new "fixed" file to the original to create a "diff" file.

Now you can upload the diff so that other people who have the same original file can patch it with a few simple commands.

The only problem occurs if you have modified your original. Then the patching command won't know where to insert your diff command.

Don't know if that makes it clearer or more complex, but I get it and now have a cool cursor.

Thanks.

[mogura]

Ah thanks smeger. I must admit my terminal skills are slightly wanting. It sort of reminded me of algebra class. And that was sometime ago...

I'll give that a try.

[dru]

Oops. Duplicative explanation of diff...

[mogura]

I'm not sure what I'm doing, but everytime I do the command above, I get a .diff file that is 4k and the terminal says its just garbage.

This is what I enter:

diff /Volumes/mainHD/CoreGraphics /Volumes/mainHD/waitcursor.raw > /Volumes/mainHD/bluespin.diff

Question:

what is the originalFile? CoreGraphics?
what is the newFile? the .raw file boozo posted?
and I take it that the .diff file that I then create is the one that I will then patch into the main coregraphics file into the system?

Is that right?

[Phoenix1701]

Sorry, but I think you've got things a bit mixed up... b00zo would need to be the one to run diff, and it would be on two copies of CoreGraphics -- the original with the spinning beachball of doom, and then another copy with his .raw file manually inserted into it using a hex editor. Then he would release a .diff file here, you'd download it, and then copy your CoreGraphics file (say, to your Desktop) and (assuming it's not already been patched with another cursor -- if it has, you'll need to replace it with your backed up original) type this in the Terminal:

patch '~/Desktop/CoreGraphics copy' < '~/Desktop/newspiffycursor.diff'

Then you back up your old CoreGraphics file, replace the old one with the new patched one sitting on your desktop, and enjoy.

If you've currently got the .raw file, you have two options:

• Wait for someone to release a diff version of it,
• manually insert the image into CoreGraphics using the (admittedly sketchy) information previously posted about how to do so.

I realize that might not be too helpful a set of options, but unfortunately that's the best we can do right now.

[bOOzo]

I'll see if I can use your instructions to make a .diff file!

I'm glad you seem to like the new blob. I'll see if it is possible to make a QE cursor for everyone.

[himself]

Originally posted by bOOzo:
I'll see if I can use your instructions to make a .diff file!

I'm glad you seem to like the new blob. I'll see if it is possible to make a QE cursor for everyone.

I was able to replace the spinning cursor with an "Aqua Watch" without any of that diff stuff... I simply opened up a copy of my CoreGraphics file in HexEdit (after making yet another backup) and cutting and pasting the appropriate code. The code of interest is the 6000bytes between hex address 23766C - 23D66C. I got my first watch cursor working, but I decided to replace it with a new and improved model...



I could post more detailed instructions on the procedure for making a proper working cursor and how to get it into place...


P.S.: damn, this rocks!!

[mogura]

Yes bOOzo, I do like your blob.

My problem with HexEdit is that I cannot find the address that contains the information. Its probably a simple matter of some setting in HexEdit that isn't allowing me to find it. 23766C - 23D66C just doesn't appear for me in the CoreGraphics file. Or at least with the 'C' at the end.

Oh and himself, maybe you could send bOOzo the files for your 'aqua watch' cursors. He seems to have an excellent web site for such items!

[Mediaman_12]

Someone neads to come up with an app to replace these.
One that can take ether .raw or .diff files and patch them into the coregraphics os file, it should also create a backup of the origonal (unaltered) coregraphics first.
taking trips into the terminal to do this once is ok, but people keep coming up with nicer and nicer wait cusors. That Apple watch one (it even has a dot for the Apple logo on the face) is fantastic.

[faragbre967]

Originally posted by himself:


I was able to replace the spinning cursor with an "Aqua Watch" without any of that diff stuff... I simply opened up a copy of my CoreGraphics file in HexEdit (after making yet another backup) and cutting and pasting the appropriate code. The code of interest is the 6000bytes between hex address 23766C - 23D66C. I got my first watch cursor working, but I decided to replace it with a new and improved model...



I could post more detailed instructions on the procedure for making a proper working cursor and how to get it into place...


P.S.: damn, this rocks!!

That watch is sweet! Please make a .diff or a .raw file of it, either way I can get my system to use it. Thanks.

[bOOzo]

Originally posted by mogura:
Yes bOOzo, I do like your blob.

My problem with HexEdit is that I cannot find the address that contains the information. Its probably a simple matter of some setting in HexEdit that isn't allowing me to find it. 23766C - 23D66C just doesn't appear for me in the CoreGraphics file. Or at least with the 'C' at the end.

Oh and himself, maybe you could send bOOzo the files for your 'aqua watch' cursors. He seems to have an excellent web site for such items!

Press cmd-J and enter 23766C and then hold down shift and press page down a couple of times. Keep track of the numbers in the upper right of the window where is says "23766C - XXXXXX" until the X says 23D66C. I think it should be 2100 bytes. Then open the .raw file and copy and paste and save. Then replace the CoreGraphics file with the edited one.

I agree that someone with the knowledge should make an app to make this easier..

Also, I tried to make the QE cursor for non supported computers, but the problem is that the resource is not big enough to have the shadow. It might be possible to resize it but that is way out of my knowledge..

[bOOzo]

I tried the whole shadow cursor thing again and it turned out better than the first time:


I had to crop the 1 pixel on the top and the shadow on the bottom, but it looks pretty good anyway. However, when I tried switching to millions of colors, it got messed up. But I decided to upload it anyway:
Download here
So if any one else could try it that would be nice. Insert it in 23556c - 23766c with Hexedit.

[dwishbone]

id write an app to do it, but someone who knew alot about this hacking method would need to help.
i can right the front end in REALbasic (yeah yeah whatever) if someone could help with the more techical aspects such as the raw and diff files.

[unfaded]

Originally posted by bOOzo:
I tried the whole shadow cursor thing again and it turned out better than the first time:


I had to crop the 1 pixel on the top and the shadow on the bottom, but it looks pretty good anyway. However, when I tried switching to millions of colors, it got messed up. But I decided to upload it anyway:
Download here
So if any one else could try it that would be nice. Insert it in 23556c - 23766c with Hexedit.

Looks great, except, as you said, in millions of colours. Heavily distorted.

However, if that gets fixed, it'll look absolutely great (I can't tell that you croped anything...)

[fetopher]

So how do I patch CoreGraphics with my backup? I want to use of the newer .diff files but I have to have my original CoreGraphics. Do I just copy the CoreGraphics file back to its location?

[palmberg]

Two things:

1) This thread is a perfect example of why Mac users rock.

2) Do I have to have a machine that supports QE to take advantage of these blobs/watches/etc.?

Excellent work, all. And thanks to those who've posted the detailed directions for installation, too.

[smeger]

There still seems to be some confusion about the whole .raw, .diff thing.

To create a new cursor patch, one needs to create an image and save it in the .raw format. One then needs to use HexEdit to paste the .raw code into the CoreGraphics file. Once this is done, you've got a modified CoreGraphics that can run on your machine, and that will provide your new cursor.

If you'd like to distribute this change to other people, you can create a .diff file. The .diff file is a small file that will allow someone else to "patch" their CoreGraphics file so that it includes your cursor. You use a .diff file because it's very small and (relatively) easier to use than using the .raw file and HexEdit.

Use my instructions above to create a .diff file. When creating a .diff, the original file is the unmodified CoreGraphics file and the new file is the modified CoreGraphics file. You can call the resulting .diff file anything you like, but you should probably keep the '.diff' extension.

Distribute the .diff to whoever you please.

When you receive a .diff file, you can use it to patch your unmodified CoreGraphics file, giving you a new CoreGraphics file that has the new cursor. You do this by entering the following command in Terminal:

Code:
patch originalFile diffFile.diff

To sum up - the original creator is the only one who must deal with .raw and HexEdit. He creates a .diff, which everyone else can apply using 'patch.'

Note: Technically, a very very savvy user could use this approach to distribute virii. When you apply a .diff, you're patching a root-owned operating system file. Danger.

Note 2: You may need to prefix the 'patch' command with 'sudo' if you don't have root permissions. The complete command would be 'sudo patch originalFile diffFile.diff'

I hope Mac users don't start getting in the habit of distributing diffs. It's not a very user-friendly technique.

[himself]

I may try to create a .diff so the good folks in this forum can patch their Coregraphics files. If I am successful, I will post my results here. In the meantime, here is a .raw file of the watch cursor...

[mogura]

Well, I was able to patch bOOzo's blue spinner using the steps he outlined using HexEdit. And its awsome!!! Thanks bOOzo.

I'm sure doing the same with himself's watch cursor would be as successful. However, I do have to admit that the .diff file, while not that user friendly, is mos def better then monkey'n around with copy and paste in HexEdit.

Cheers!

[invisibleX]

I get the same message in the terminal about my diff file being garbage when trying it with the diff file I made from the cursor he made.

[mogura]

"Press cmd-J and enter 23766C and then hold down shift and press page down a couple of times. Keep track of the numbers in the upper right of the window where is says "23766C - XXXXXX" until the X says 23D66C. I think it should be 2100 bytes. Then open the .raw file and copy and paste and save. Then replace the CoreGraphics file with the edited one." as quoted from bOOzo!

don't bother trying to make a diff file, just do the copy and paste thing. I found that HexEdit was weird while logged in as root, so try it in main admin user. (the hex addresses don't show up as noted above, not sure why)

but first i found it necessary to save a new CoreGraphics file thru HexEdit BEFORE modifiying it...otherwise it wouldn't allow me to paste to it. So open HexEdit with your CoreGraphics file, save a copy, then paste to it, then save again. It will back up your original file as well, so not to worry.

Oh the complications!!!

On another note, how do I use the quote feature in the forums? d'oh!

[himself]

If you downloaded the .raw file I posted earlier, it has some slight modifications so you should download it again... there are also a few new timepieces available. Order yours today!




�edit� these files are now .diffs. These will only patch the original CoreGraphics file.

[dwishbone]

if someone is willing to assist me i am willing to write and distribute a freeware app that will change these.
anyone interested?

[KidRed]

Originally posted by himself:
If you downloaded the .raw file I posted earlier, it has some slight modifications so you should download it again... there are also a few new timepieces available. Order yours today!

You need to get with dwishbone and make a little switching app where we can switching the cursors we want and include all of these.

[invisibleX]

I'll make an app to do it if dwishbone doesn't/can't. Seems very simple. Has anyone had success with patching coreservices with a .diff? If so, how?

[AU_student_iceBook]

YES, I agree with the above posts! Please make an app to switch these great graphics you guys are making!

[mogura]

Yes, invisibleX. I had success with patching the .diff file, altho i had to use the suggestion made by mrtew on page two (i think) by unstuffing the .gz file in the finder then dropping it onto the terminal window and then by following the rest of the patching commands.

That would be most excellent if you could make an app or apple script to modify these cursors. Also, just getting the blue pinwheel without the watch (no offence himself) would be cool.

[dwishbone]

i can write the app. i know how to manipulate the terminal using an RB app as a front end.

What I need are the .diff files and someone that really knows the ins and outs of how to make them and so forth.

right now the only .diff file available is the original blue wave (ripple) cursor.

all the others were done in .raw format.

[mogura]

Read smeger's posts. He seems to know about .diff files. I just can't seem to get it to work properly...maybe more preservance is called for. Also the author of the ripple, inio would know, but he hasn't posted here in sometime.

[dwishbone]

thats my problem. i need someone that knows alot about that sort of thing.

[Phoenix1701]

Hmm... I probably should have checked in here first before doing all of this, but...






This is pretty much exactly what dwishbone was talking about doing... I'm using a couple plug-ins (MFileExecutor, MLock, and MFile plugins, all part of the Mac OS X Utils package) to get things like access to authentication services and dynamic icons (the icon for the app won't always be a REALbasic document, obviously!). All the code is written, but the diff command itself isn't being executed yet because, well, I don't have many diff files to work with either! I'll probably get out my backup copy of CoreGraphics with the old rainbow SBOD, then re-apply the diff using my program and see if it works... but I'm feeling lazy and have schoolwork to do today, so that'll probably not be until tomorrow. And dwishbone, if you want to take over development of this rather than creating your own from scratch, email me (phoenix1701 at mac.com) and I'll ship you the source code, if you're willing to put up with someone else's (mostly uncommented) code. As it is, I'm only using a demo version of REALbasic 4.5, so unless I figure out a way to get all these nifty sheets (reliably) in RB 3.x, I may be S.O.L. anyway...

[raskol]

If anybody wants to watch their spinning cursor for a good long time goto the alt.binaries.mac.applications newsgroup with MTNewsWatcher. Seems to take about 5 minutes to get all threads and sort them. That's my contribution. Keep up the hard works guys I'm rooting for you.

[diamondsw]

The secret is apparently to use:

diff -a originalFile newFile > diffFile

Which can then be applied with:

patch -b originalFile diffFile

The -a option above forces it to compare as text (guess what - diff otherwise won't deal with binary files - d'oh!), and the -b option makes a backup before patching.

The end result is a diff file for bOOzo's lovely blue wheel:

http://homepage.mac.com/jochs/FileSharing1.html

[himself]

For all who would like .diff versions of the watches (no offense taken, mogura ), the download links in my previous post have been updated. The best way to apply the patch is to keep a version of your original CoreGraphics file (named CoreGraphics.orig, for example) in your home directory. If you want to replace your already modified cursor with a new one, you would type this into the terminal:

sudo cp CoreGraphics.orig /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/CoreGraphics

��then you can run the patch:

sudo patch /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/CoreGraphics cursor.diff

restart and you're set. That's been the quickest & easiest method for me.

I would like to help with building an app to switch the cursors, but I don't know how much help I'd be... I'm a graphics guy, not Unix guru nor a programmer... good luck anyway!

[plot twist]

so someone want to spill the beans on how to save a photoshop file to the proper raw format? everything i have tried so far has turned up odd results (at one point, i had no wait cursor at all). thanx.

[himself]

Originally posted by plot twist:
so someone want to spill the beans on how to save a photoshop file to the proper raw format? everything i have tried so far has turned up odd results (at one point, i had no wait cursor at all). thanx.

I was going to post this earlier, but I forgot. For those of you who want to know how to create your own spinning cursor in photoshop, here it is. It's kinda long, so I suggest you cut and past the following into a new document...

�To create a custom spinning cursor, you should first get a copy of the original spinning cursor to use as a template. If you get one from this thread, it probably has more than 6 frames, which are too many. You will first need to crop the image down to 32x192px, anchored from the top, giving you 6 frames.

If you need to extract the cursor from a copy of the CoreGraphics file (you should also have a backup of the original CoreGraphics file), you will need a hex editor (like HexEdit). Open your editable copy of CoreGraphics in your hex editor app and go to address 23766C. Starting from this point, select all of the data from 23766C to 23D66C for a total length of 6000bytes. Copy this data and paste it into a new file in your hex editor, and save this as .raw file. You now have the orignal spinning cursor!

�Open this file in Photoshop. In the dialog that appears, enter 32 for width and 192 for height. For channels, enter 4. Check the interleaved box, and set for 8 bits. Header is 0.

�The file will look off-color, but this is how the file is formatted. Open the channels palette, select the Cyan channel, copy and paste it into a new file, and trash the cyan channel in the original cursor image. The cyan channel is the alpha channel, and you won't need it again until you're ready to save your modified cursor. Back in the original image, go to the Image> Mode menu and convert the file to RGB. It should display properly now. Using this as your template, you make your own 6 frame cursor animation. If you go with a different shape than that of the original cursor, you will need to make a new alpha channel to match the shape. It would simply be a white shilouette of your cursor frames on a black background. Again, this can be in a separate file for now.

�When you are ready to save your new cursor, you must flatten your image. Convert the file to Multichannel in the Image> Mode menu. The channels will shift to CMY. You need to convert these channels to MY&K, respectively. Double click on the cyan channel, click the "Color" box in the Spot Channel Options dialog that appears. In the Color Picker window, go to the CMYK text fields and change C to 0%, M to 100%, and Y&K=0%. Do the same for M&Y channels, so the second (M) channel becomes 100% Y, and last channel (Y) equals 100% K. When this is done, click the palette options button (in the top right corner of the Channels palette) and choose New Spot Channel. This will create a new channel which you should designate as 100% Cyan. Copy and Paste the cursor alpha channel from earlier into the new Cyan channel. Move the Cyan channel to the top, so the channel order (from top to bottom) should be C,M,Y,K.

�Go to the Image > Mode menu again and convert the image to CMYK. The file should look off-color, similar to the original spinning cursor when you first opened it. Save this as a .raw file. In the dialog that appears, enter "BINA" for the file type, "hDmp" for creator, "0" for the header (all without quotes, of course), and interleaved order checked.

�Now you have to re-insert your cursor into the CoreGraphics file. It's the exact reverse of how you extracted the file. Open the new cursor in your hex editor, select everything, copy, and close the document. Go to your Coregraphics file, select the same 6000bytes you selected earlier (23766C - 23D66C), and paste. Save the file.

�Open the Terminal. If you have your CoreGraphics file saved in your Home directory (as CoreGraphics.edit, for example), you will type:

sudo cp CoreGraphics.edit /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/CoreGraphics

Enter your password, quit all applications, and restart your computer. Cross your fingers! If it doesn't work (for whatever reason), your machine should still work fine. But just in case, you should put the original CoreGraphics backup back where you got it from.

[bOOzo]

Great going!

Other than the blob and the fake shadow cursor I've also made the win xp cursor with the shadow. I thought it would compliment my XP themes well.

Keep us posted on the app!

[dwishbone]

here is a screenshot of a very early alpha. and before i get bombarded with requests for the aqua blob, it is just a graphic. i dont have the .diff file or anything.



Functionality wise all you will have to do is type your admin password and then click the icon you want. it will bring up a confirmation box. Click Yes or No. If you click yes it will apply a diff patch.

Feedback please.

[fetopher]

Feedback=Love it! Keep up the good work!

[AU_student_iceBook]

Looks great! Bring it on!

[Mac Guru]

Here's what I was invisioning for an interface...



Mac Guru

[LightWaver-67]

Originally posted by Mac Guru:
Here's what I was invisioning for an interface...



Mac Guru

I like that... I would only add a button that "Clearly" conveys the ability to restore to Apple's original cursor(s),,, so people can feel confident knowing they can always go back to "the way it was" originally.

Other than that... I like what I see...

[dwishbone]

hey mac guru. nice look.
i am trying to make the app fully functional first. i will try and make it look good second.
i do like that layout, but I am not sure how I could use the platinum look in a REALbasic application. Are you writing it in Cocoa or RB?
I also like the idea of having different sections, but has anyone figured out how to make cursors yet?

I have a question for the people here. Should "Blobber" (also need help with a name) include a copy of the CoreGraphics? It is over 2 MB in size. If it doesn't include it you will have to make absolute sure that you have a fresh copy of CoreGraphics to start off with.

On a functionality note I have successfully got the restore function to work. I am working on the .diff patching now.

I should have a fully functional version by Monday I hope.
I'll keep everyone posted. If anyone would like to include a cursor in "blobber" please send them to [email protected]. Send a .diff file and a GIF of what it looks like as well as it's name. Thanks.

[gdiddy]

Excellent job! If you can get it to look like Macguru's it'll be even better. I think Blobber is a perfect name for it. Make two versions: One with CoreGraphics and one without.

I'm working on a blob right after I'm done typing this!

[gdiddy]

Excellent job! This will really be a great addition for all the theme'ers out there. If you can get it to look like Macguru's it'll be even better. I think Blobber is a perfect name for it. Make two versions: One with CoreGraphics and one without.

I'm working on a blob right after I'm done typing this!

G.

[mogura]

Excellent work! Can't wait for it...bring on the blobs!!!

[dwishbone]

eureka.
the first cursor replacement is a success.
it can now restore and patch cursors.
now i just need to add the backup function.
its looking good guys.
i appreciate all the help. this is going to be a great app.
free to all the mac users.
this is why the mac is so great. people banding together for the common good.

[fetopher]

I feel all warm and tickly inside.