To quickly increase the number of patterns available (such as the tile/square patterns included with Desk Pattern), simply open the desired file of patterns and the file 'Desk Patterns' in ResEdit (v2.1 or later) and copy the patterns you like into the Desk Patterns file. For details on how to do this, read on.
Managing patterns from within Desk Pattern is simple — the patterns are displayed, starting with the current desktop pattern, in the order in which they were entered into the file Desk Patterns. In terms of resources (see below) they are generally sorted by their ID numbers (lowest numbers first). When you paste a new pattern in, it is displayed immediately, even though its actual position will generally be the last pattern (or the one just before 'Original'). One possibly confusing aspect is that when a pattern is installed as the desktop pattern, it is not actually removed from the Desk Patterns file. This means that you will see two copies of this pattern, one at the beginning, and one wherever the original was in the file to begin with. Installing a new pattern only deletes the copy used for the desktop, never the original.
While it is relatively easy to install patterns in Desk Pattern, if you use this utility for any length of time, you will rapidly find that the number of patterns in your Desktop Patterns file is becoming unmanageable. The best (currently) tool for managing larger numbers of patterns is ResEdit (v2.1 or later) from Apple. If you don't have a copy, then ask your dealer for one — it is free. There will also soon be a book published by Addison-Wesley describing how to use ResEdit — check at your local book store for pricing and availability (you'll almost certainly have to order it). However, you can probably get by without this book if you are only moving patterns. When using ResEdit it is generally a good idea to make a copy of the file you are working on before changing anything. An additional word of warning - never run Desk Pattern from within ResEdit when the file 'Desk Patterns' is open, or unpredictable things may happen.
When you open a file of patterns in ResEdit you will normally see a single icon labelled ppat. You may also see other icons, but these types of resources aren't used by Desk Pattern (you can even remove them if no applications other than Desk Pattern use the file with patterns in it). Remember that the file containing the patterns currently available is 'Desk Patterns', with an 's' at the end. Double clicking one the ppat icon will bring up a display of all patterns in the file, though only the upper 32x32 pixels of the ppat are actually displayed (I know this can cause problems, but if there is confusion you will always have a backup copy of the original, since you remembered to make one — didn't you?). Each pattern has a number, which is used by the System, but is really of little concern when dealing with desktop patterns. Two exceptions to this do apply, however — don't number patterns between 0 and 127 [the number can be changed by the Get Info menu command with the offending pattern(s) selected], and never, never, edit ppats in the System file directly (you can copy ppat ID=16 from the System folder — it's the current desktop pattern). To install patterns, you must move them into the file 'Desk Patterns', which will be found in the System Folder if you have installed it already.
ResEdit allows several files to be open at once, and new (empty) files can be created easily. The patterns can be selected and moved around by copying and pasting, though only a few patterns should be copied at a time, or ResEdit may run out of memory. Sometimes when moving patterns you will see a dialog box stating that a certain ID number is duplicated, and giving three options: Yes, No, and Unique ID. If you are sure the pattern is not already in the file, then choose Unique ID, and the new pattern will be renumbered to avoid conflicts. If you're not sure, choose No. Selecting Yes will replace the existing pattern with that number, even if it was a different pattern, so avoid using this.
Now you know about all there is to know about moving patterns. I would suggest keeping a maximum of about twenty or thirty of your favourite patterns in the Desk Patterns file at all times, though a much larger number are possible without difficulty. Keep the rest of the patterns you have in files somewhere else (anywhere else is fine). I will likely be distributing several files with even more patterns than those included here. Obviously my artistic talents are not extensive, but I think that the results are passable, and hopefully will provide good ideas for more artistic individuals who haven't thought much about patterns. Please send me any patterns you might create, addressed to Brian Lowry 30 Renwick Heights Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850.
