note - the Gadget font is needed for this readme to look right :-)
What you need:
Resedit (or another resource editing program) and a graphics program to create graphics for the numerals 0-9, AM, PM, :, and (blank).
What if I'm not smart enough to use ResEdit?
If you REALLY want to make a skin and you know how to use an art program, make a large PICT file with all of the images (details below) and email the PICT to me (mike@axisproductions.com) and if you ask really nice and I have some free time, I'll do all of this scary resource editing stuff for you.
OK, now what?
There are a few things you need to do to ensure the MP3 Alarm Clock will accept your skin, and have it look good.
√ All graphics must be the same height.
√ 0-9 and (blank) must be the same width.
√ AM and PM must be the same width.
If you fail to do this - you will get an error message that looks like this when you try to use your new skin:
Now - onto creating the skins!
Duplicate any old skin and open it up with the resource editing program of your choice. Skin files have 2 components you need to worry about, PICT resources and STR# resources. Take your pictures that you created and paste them into the skin. Here is a screenshot of me pasting in the "2" numeral in my default skin:
The PICTs are numbered as so:
128 -> Unused
129 - 138 -> 0 - 9 numeral pictures
139 -> blank picture (just the background color/pattern)
140 -> AM picture
141 -> PM picture
142 -> : (time separator) picture
the STR#s (strings) are numbered as so:
128/1 -> Official name of skin
128/2 -> Your name
129/1 -> Version number (make it equal to the current version of the MP3 Alarm Clock)
Is that all? Is it really that easy?
Pretty much. There are two steps left.
1) Paste one of the numeral PICTs onto the files icon like so:
• Copy a PICT inside your art program
• Get Info on the new skin (File->Get Info or Apple-I)
• Click on the icon
• Paste (Edit>Paste or Apple-V)
2) Email me (mike@axisproductions.com) with the new skin. If you want I'll bundle it with my program, or make it available on my website for people to download!