This READ ME file is just to get you started. For complete documentation, click the Help icon at the top right of the Kaleidoscope control panel. This built-in help gives contact information , instructions for using the control panel, detailed step-by-step instructions for registering, a FAQ, a list of known problems, and the version history. There is an option to save this documentation into a text file to peruse at your leisure. The Kaleidoscope control panel is also equipped with Balloon Help.
What is Kaleidoscope?
Kaleidoscope is a control panel that completely overhauls your Mac's user interface using plug in Color Scheme files. Instead of me trying to describe what it does, you should really just install it and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed... If you still are not convinced, here are just a few of Kaleidoscope's features:
• Kaleidoscope includes an "Aaron" plug in Color Scheme that gives you the interface of Apple's Mac OS 8 default grayscale theme. This Color Scheme provides all of the functionality of the shareware "Aaron" extension (which we wrote), and it is based on Apple's official specifications for their new grayscale appearance.
• Kaleidoscope puts a WindowShade widget at the top right of window title bars. Clicking on it collapses the window to just its title bar. Clicking again restores the window to full size. Kaleidoscope also has an option to play "whoosh" sounds to accompany these actions. The System 7.5.x WindowShade extension does not work correctly with Kaleidoscope; if you double-click the window title bar, the window does not collapse completely.
• Kaleidoscope gives document windows a thick border which you can use to drag windows from any side.
• Kaleidoscope lets you replace the Chicago 12 system font with any font and size of your choice (with the restriction that the system font cannot be too large or else text will no longer fit in buttons and dialog boxes). Please note that the system font is NOT the font used in Finder windows; you can set the Finder window font with the "Views" control panel.
• Kaleidoscope lets you set the background of Finder windows to any color you want. It also has an option to colorize Finder windows according to the label color of the folder.
Installing Kaleidoscope
To install Kaleidoscope, place the "Kaleidoscope" file in your Control Panels folder, and put the "Kaleidoscope Color Schemes" folder (which is contained in the folder named "Put in your Extensions Folder") into your Extensions folder. Then restart your Macintosh. In order to open the Kaleidoscope control panel, it must have been installed at startup, and Kaleidoscope will not install itself it if cannot find the Kaleidoscope Color Schemes folder in your Extensions folder.
Installing New Versions
To install a new version of Kaleidoscope, first drag the old version of Kaleidoscope from the Control Panels folder to the Trash, then place the new version into your Control Panels folder, and finally restart your Macintosh. If you try to copy the new version of Kaleidoscope over the old version, the Finder will tell you that the Kaleidoscope file is in use.
To install a new "Kaleidoscope Color Schemes" folder, drag the old folder from the Extensions folder to the Trash. Then put the new "Kaleidoscope Color Schemes" folder into your Extensions folder. You can now open the Kaleidoscope control panel and select the new color schemes, without having to restart your Macintosh. You can also replace individual color scheme files by dragging the old ones from the Kaleidoscope Color Schemes folder to the Trash and then putting the new ones into the Kaleidoscope Color Schemes folder. To add completely new color schemes, just drop them into the Kaleidoscope Color Schemes folder, and you can use them immediately without having to restart.
Removing Kaleidoscope
To disable Kaleidoscope, just take the "Kaleidoscope" file out of your Control Panels folder (either by dragging it out yourself or by disabling it with an extensions manager) and restart your Macintosh. Kaleidoscope does not make any permanent changes to your system, so once you disable it, it will no longer have any effect on your Macintosh. The color scheme files in the Kaleidoscope Color Schemes folder do nothing on their own without the Kaleidoscope control panel, so when you disable Kaleidoscope, it does not matter whether you remove them.
Note for Aaron and Greg's Buttons Users
Before you install Kaleidoscope, you must disable Aaron and Greg's Buttons. Kaleidoscope includes an "Aaron" plug in Color Scheme that provides the same interface as Aaron, and Kaleisocope also duplicates most of the functionality of Greg's Buttons. To disable Aaron, just drag it out of the Extensions folder or disable it with your extensions manager. To disable Greg's Buttons, drag it out of the Extensions folder, disable it with your extensions manager, or uncheck its general "On" check box in the control panel.
If you are a registered user of Aaron or Greg's Buttons, you are entitled to register Kaleidoscope for the discounted price of $10. To get this discount in the "Register" program, click the "Aaron / Buttons Upgrade" check box. When this box is checked, the prices shown are the upgrade prices. (I hate to mention it, but if you take this discount and are not a registered user of Aaron or Greg's Buttons, we will bill you for the difference.)
The "Espi Sans" and "Tecton" Suggested Fonts
These fonts included with Kaleidoscope are versions of the popular fonts "Espy Sans" and "Tekton" that I have specially modified to work well as system fonts. I have adjusted their spacing to fix minor aesthetic problems with ClarisWorks, Eudora, the menu bar clock, and menus in various applications. So, if you like Espy or Tekton and want to make it your system font, you should use my Espi or Tecton instead.
The “Paste this onto your hard disk” icon
Kaleidoscope comes with a Mac OS 8-style hard disk icon for you to install on your hard disk. To install it, select the “Paste this onto your hard disk” file and choose “Get Info” from the “File” menu. Then click on the large icon at the top left of the info window and choose “Copy” from the “Edit” menu. Close the info window and select your hard disk icon on the desktop. Choose “Get Info” again and click on the icon at the top left of the info window. Now select “Paste” from the “Edit” menu and close the info window. Your hard disk should now have a Mac OS 8-style icon.
