This document describes the steps needed to create and use your own chess pieces.
1) Get ResEdit
First get a copy of ResEdit if you don't have it already. ResEdit works on any Macintosh system with at least one megabyte of memory. It requires System 6.0.2 or later. It's an old, but free, program from Apple. Try:
In the Finder make a copy of one of the documents in the "Chess Set ƒ" folder. This will give you a good starting point. This will also insure your set has the correct resources, file type ('rsrc'), and creator ('IC4m').
3) Rename It
In the Finder rename the copy you just made to whatever you want to call your new chess set. Avoid ending the name with "16" since that's reserved for tiny chess sets.
4) Open It In ResEdit
Run ResEdit. Choose "Open..." from the File menu and open up your chess set.
5) Draw Your New Pieces
Double-click on the icon labelled 'cicn' to get to a screen of color piece icons. When you double-click a piece icon you'll get to a window with tools to edit it. Replace a White Pawn with a White Pawn, a Black Rook with a Black Rook and so on. Starting with a clean slate is as easy as command-A (Select All) followed by command-X (Cut). You may also paste from other programs. For more information on how to use ResEdit, there is a manual available for purchase from APDA.
When you're done you should have exactly 12 pieces in the form of 'cicn's, just like when you started. To tell what kind of piece it is, the Internet Chess client looks at the start of the icon's name. (Use "Get Resource Info" under the Resource menu to see/edit names." The first letter should be a W or B for White or Black respectively. The second letter should be a P, N, B, R, Q, or K depending on what kind of piece it is. Other than that the name is not looked at.
6) Save It
When you are through drawing, save your changes. Make sure that your new set resides in the "Chess Set ƒ" folder where it can be found. If you've done everything right, your set should be available for selection next time you bring up the "Board Display" dialog from the client's Options menu.
If you want to share your new chess set with others, contact the author Jeff Mallett (jeffm@cruzio.com). We'll post it to our client ftp site (http://www.cruzio.com/~tao/iccclient) and include it for downloading.
