Can't 'edit' Mac Dock Appearance!

-BigMac- · Jun 18, 2013

Hi guys.

I decided i want to change the way my dock looks in Mavericks.

I have tried Mirage, and to my surprise, that didn't work in 'making the dock transparent'.

I tried the terminal commands, to at least make the dock 2-D.

Didn't work. I have been doing that terminal hack since 10.5, never failed before.

Going through the Dock Options pane, i could move the position of the dock to the sides, where it would become 2D, so it is not broken.

Anyone else seen this? I can't change the appearance of it at all.

Thanks

Eithanius · Jun 18, 2013

Just noticed that as well, 2D Dock no longer works despite Terminal command...

Nero Wolfe · Jun 18, 2013

I have a feeling that the side dock appearance (white, 2D) will be the default appearance for all dock positions in the final build of Mavericks. Maybe there will be an option to choose (for the bottom) but I'd put money on a 2D bottom dock.

Cougarcat · Jun 18, 2013

Nero Wolfe said:
I have a feeling that the side dock appearance (white, 2D) will be the default appearance for all dock positions in the final build of Mavericks. Maybe there will be an option to choose (for the bottom) but I'd put money on a 2D bottom dock.

I'd like to believe this, especially since the old 2D terminal option no longer works. Somehow I have my doubts, though.

ValSalva · Jun 19, 2013

Nero Wolfe said:
I have a feeling that the side dock appearance (white, 2D) will be the default appearance for all dock positions in the final build of Mavericks. Maybe there will be an option to choose (for the bottom) but I'd put money on a 2D bottom dock.

So maybe those sarcastic "what if Jony Ive got hold of Mavericks" mockups on the iOS 7 threads might be partially true?

Nero Wolfe · Jun 19, 2013

ValSalva said:
So maybe those sarcastic "what if Jony Ive got hold of Mavericks" mockups on the iOS 7 threads might be partially true?

Nah. It's just the Mountain Lion dock un-3D'd (is that a word?). Really, it looks like the dock from Tiger more than anything.

ValSalva · Jun 19, 2013

Nero Wolfe said:
Nah. It's just the Mountain Lion dock un-3D'd (is that a word?). Really, it really looks like the dock from Tiger more than anything.

That's true, it does look like the Tiger dock but with better icons.

karsten · Jul 18, 2013

sad that mirage no longer works. hopefully some change is in store, it looks quite dated.

Dalton63841 · Jul 18, 2013

As of Mountian Lion, the Dock is rendered by the OS, instead of the OS using a set of image files like in Lion and before, so it can't be edited.

The 2D dock terminal trick only worked via a string item in the Dock executable. As of Mavericks, that string item has been removed.

The only way to edit the dock would be to patch the encrypted Dock executable, and inject software to re-render the Dock differently in memory. Not a simple task.

meme1255 · Jul 18, 2013

Copying ML's Dock to 10.9 Dock wouldn't work? There are some changes in APIs but..

bigpoppamac31 · Jul 18, 2013

I like the 3D Dock. I hope they don't get rid of it. Or at least keep an option to turn it on or off.

Dalton63841 · Jul 18, 2013

meme1255 said:
Copying ML's Dock to 10.9 Dock wouldn't work? There are some changes in APIs but..

This is a no. The executable simply won't launch. Just to be sure I went ahead and tested myself. Swapping the app, swapping just the executable, either way it won't.

Spikestrip · Jul 25, 2013

Dalton63841 said:
As of Mountian Lion, the Dock is rendered by the OS, instead of the OS using a set of image files like in Lion and before, so it can't be edited.

The 2D dock terminal trick only worked via a string item in the Dock executable. As of Mavericks, that string item has been removed.

The only way to edit the dock would be to patch the encrypted Dock executable, and inject software to re-render the Dock differently in memory. Not a simple task.

We wouldn't be able to change the color of the many many png images in /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources in order to change the color of the Dock?

Dalton63841 · Jul 25, 2013

Spikestrip said:
We wouldn't be able to change the color of the many many png images in /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources in order to change the color of the Dock?

Take a closer look. The pngs in that location are for certain small aspects of the dock(stacks background, "poof"), and the dashboard, but none for the actual look of the dock itself.

andreaslarsen · Aug 1, 2013

I like the new dock better than the old one - just some cleanup and icon change and I'm happy

DocMultimedia · Aug 8, 2013

Any smart folks out there know if DP5 let's you get a dark 2d dock again? I really don't like the new look at all. Harsh.

ytsejam · Oct 25, 2013

Maybe we can go about it another way... is it possible to force the new look for the dock when it is on the left or right, but place it in the bottom still?

DockMac · Oct 26, 2013

Dalton63841 said:
As of Mountian Lion, the Dock is rendered by the OS, instead of the OS using a set of image files like in Lion and before, so it can't be edited.

The 2D dock terminal trick only worked via a string item in the Dock executable. As of Mavericks, that string item has been removed.

The only way to edit the dock would be to patch the encrypted Dock executable, and inject software to re-render the Dock differently in memory. Not a simple task.

What does "rendered by the OS" mean?

Dalton63841 · Oct 26, 2013

DockMac said:
What does "rendered by the OS" mean?

Oh god I suck at explaining things, but I'll try... Previously, the Dock was made up of a set of .png images. The Dock.app binary basically just said, "Hey CPU/GPU/whatever, these .png's need to show up *here* when Dock.app is active."
Now, however, the Dock.app binary says, "Hey CPU/GPU/whatever, this set of pixels on the screen need to be colored *this way* when Dock.app is active. You can handle that right?"

Can't 'edit' Mac Dock Appearance!

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