Apple chess 2.4.1 how to change skins

[unid]

I am not a programmer my brain rapidly powers down when faced with code (and other things).
I think chess 2.4.1 is open source.
I would like to change the skins of the pieces.
Any ideas how to accomplish this?
All appreciation.

 

[jgbhardy]

I am not a programmer my brain rapidly powers down when faced with code (and other things).
I think chess 2.4.1 is open source.
I would like to change the skins of the pieces.
Any ideas how to accomplish this?
All appreciation.

Not quite sure how to do it specifically, but not quite sure if you already know how to find the pre used skins already.
right click the chess application go Show Package Contents then its under Contents/Resources/Styles.
Its a Silicon Graphics Image, maybe try to making try messing around in photoshop see what you can come up with not quite sure myself but its a starting point.

Also the .plist for each theme will need either a Piece.plist or a Board.plist

 

[jgbhardy]

Adding a new folder with a .plist with your custom graphics is recognised by the game, but i'm unable to save the graphics in the original .rgb format which maybe why whenever i try to choose the custom theme Chess crashes

 

[jgbhardy]

the graphics image i used was a jpeg, but once saved in the package contents i then added the extension .rgb, didn't think anything would work properly.
Chess didn't crash this time but it did hang for a 10 seconds but then the graphics weren't what they should of been. They were originally Red and Blue but as you can see....

 

[jgbhardy]

almost done

I've managed to save the file as a Silicon Graphics Image but with an extension .rgb using preview.
Oddly only the white pieces have seemed to work, the black ones remain the same, my black piece file should of made them red.

 

[jgbhardy]

Completed

Not quite sure why but the black pieces are now working.

1) Create your graphic in photoshop or use any pre-existing graphic (i suggest not using an actually photo as it doesn't really work that well)

2) Open it in preview then save as SGI but give it the file extension .rgb (make sure the file is not above 70KB as it may not work otherwise).

- Make sure the file name is correct to that of what it will be used for, a white chess piece should have the file name WhitePiece.rgb, for the white board graphic WhiteBoard.rgb. If you are making a board theme make sure you include a Border.rgb.

3) Open the Contents Package of the Chess app and locate the styles folder (Chess.app/Contents/Resources/Styles)

4) Create a new folder with the title of the theme you wish to call it.

5) Copy a Board.plist or/and Piece.plist, from one of the pre-existing folders, into your new folder.

6) Make sure that each theme has the following:
for a piece
- WhitePiece.rgb
- BlackPiece.rgb
- Piece.plist
For a board
- WhiteBoard.rgb
- BlackBoard.rgb
- Border.rgb
- Board.plist

The capitals are important!

Hope it Helps!

I've attached a zip of the custom Apple Chess Piece Folder I made so you can test it out.

 

[unid]

Thanks for your efforts here, I'll have a play with it and post if i come up with anything I'm satisfied with.

 

[platinumgamingg]

well going to try to import skins from the windows version called chess titans