To “extract” resources from Extras files, you need ThemePark (linked to in the tutorial) to read the resources and an application such as Photoshop (there’s a built-in “send to Photoshop/retrieve from Photoshop” feature) to edit them. From then onwards, you just need to copy the graphic and make new ones.

I don’t know what kind of theme I have…
I was sent these files:
- “Extras.rsrc” and “Extras2.rsrc”
- “SArtFile.bin”
- “iTunes.rsrc” and “Localized.rsrc” (for iTunes I presume)

I really don’t want to be much trouble to you, but how do I extract the resources from the “extras”?

Once again, thank you so much for your help Peter!

There are two theming methods to be distinguished. The first concerns what is called “disabling CoreUI”, and this allows users to use themes made for 10.4. However, many people have reported that disabling CoreUI has an impact on performance, and it is anyway not the method Leopard uses by default to draw the UI.
The second method replaces resources used by Leopard by default, and this is the method I use in iTunesque and in the above tutorial.

Now, Extras.rsrc & Extras2.rsrc are remnants of the Tiger UI method, because Leopard has not yet fully ditched the Tiger UI controls.
As such, Tiger themes are able to work in Leopard through the replacement of the Extras files and the disabling of CoreUI.

In “normal” Leopard, Extras.rsrc and Extras2.rsrc are only used for progress bars, scroll bars and a couple of such elements. The rest of the UI in Leopard is based on ArtFile.bin and SArtFile.bin (plus a couple of mysteries that haven’t been fully cracked so far, it would seem).
As such, traffic lights in “normal” Leopard are drawn by ArtFile.bin (in its “titlebarcontrols” section).

The result of this is a two-way procedure: if you have a Tiger theme, you can either apply it (to some extent, and at your own risk) by disabling CoreUI after replacing the Extras files, or you can port it to “normal” Leopard by using the resources in the Extras files as a basis for the “titlebarcontrols” images of ArtFile.bin.

Does that make more sense?

You have no idea how I was thrilled to find this post of yours!
I am a complete ignorant when it comes to Leopard theming and I wanted to change only the traffic lights.

I have a question though… may I?
The only thing I have to do is the procedure you discribe in “Example 2: traffic lights”, but with Leopards default ArtFile and the ArtFile from a theme that contains the desired traffic lights?
I ask this because I have read something about 2 other files (extras.rsrc and extras2.rsrc) that really confused me…

Would you please shed some light on this?
Thank you so much!

Now, regarding example 1, there is an “easier” way of doing it thanks to the keyboard.
You know the Cmd + Tilde shortcut for switching windows? (on AZERTY keyboards, it’s “Cmd <“)

Because in ThemePark, using the arrows allows an easy navigation, and so you can combine arrows, “Cmd C”, “Cmd ~” and “Cmd V” to go much faster.

Step by step, it gives this:
- in the “Source Theme” windows in ThemePark, go right until you reach the images. All images are selected.
- copy
- switch to “Target Theme” window, and select the images in the same way
- paste
- switch back to “Source Theme”, go left, down, right, and you’ll be selecting the next images

I didn’t know Architect + Façade, but ThemePark & ShapeShifter,
do they do a better job?

thanks for the tutorial