ArtWorker: Mac utility application for artwork files and more

[armadillo]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this (I guess it could equally well go into the OS apps section). Since a lot of people seem interested in modifying artwork files, I have whipped up a small application for Mac OS X to simplify the process of extracting and compressing pngs from and into artwork files. I also threw in two utilities that seem to cause some headache for those who make sources, namely the date and hash keys for Installer sources. Here's the ReadMe of ArtWorker (you can also access that ReadMe through the application itself):

ArtWorker - Version 1.1.4

Artworker allows to access the iPhone's artwork files by extracting images out of them or recompressing modified images back into them. In addition, ArtWorker helps with generating Unix Timestamps and MD5 checksums for pasting into repository source files:

• Extract png images from packed artwork files
• Recompress png images into packed artwork files
• Generate MD5 checksum for zip files
• Generate Unix Timestamp for current date and time

This version of ArtWorker can access all artwork files (including all Keyboard and Other artwork files) up to iPhone firmware version 1.1.4 and some of the artwork files in 1.1.2 (sorry, but not the 1.1.2 keyboard files).

How to use ArtWorker

ArtWorker will auto-detect the files dropped on it and perform the appropriate actions based on the received files. It presently can receive artwork and zip files as well as folders, whose names end with "pngs". All other files or folders will be ignored and prompt ArtWorker to offer help in the form of a short dialog or this Read Me text.

• Extract png images from packed artwork files

Drag and drop an artwork file (e.g. "MobilePackedImages.artwork") onto ArtWorker. This will launch iPhoneShop and extract the images into a new folder that is called like the dropped file and appended with "pngs" (e.g. "MobilePackedImages.artwork pngs"). The pngs folder will be created in the same directory as the artwork file.

• Recompress png images into packed artwork files

This is the reverse process, where a folder full of png files is recompressed into an existing artwork file. Drag and drop a folder with pngs (e.g. "MobilePackedImages.artwork pngs") onto ArtWorker. This will launch iPhoneShop and recompress the dropped folder back into the corresponding artwork file (e.g. "MobilePackedImages.artwork"). Note that the artwork file must already exist in the same directory as the pngs folder and will be overwritten.

• Generate MD5 checksum for zip files

Drag and drop a zip file onto ArtWork to have ArtWorker compute the MD5 checksum. The MD5 value will be shown in a dialog and also copied to the clipboard for easy pasting into the hash field of your repository source.

• Generate Unix Timestamp for current date and time

Double-click on ArtWork to have ArtWorker compute the Unix Timestamp for the current date and time. The Timestamp value will be shown in a dialog and also copied to the clipboard for easy pasting into the date field of your repository source.

You can download ArtWorker here

[CyberGreg]

I like it in this forum and thanks!

[poetic_folly]

Very nice, man, this is great! Great icon, too.

[johnnytrann]

good tool.... defiantly needed it

[ajl917]

Are there any solutions for people with Windows? Online, downloaded apps?

[Johnny Crash]

Ah, didn't see this till now; great!

Thanks!

Cheers, Johnny Crash

[armadillo]

Just a quick update. ArtWorker 1.1.4 is now available. I have edited the first post, so check it out. All keyboard files (Common, Latin, and Japanese) are supported as well as Other.artwork.

And before anyone asks about Windows, Get a Mac

OMG, I have made it. It's a sticky

[MattMac]

Thanks heaps man, exactly what I need.
Legend.

[Apple iPie]

Helps,THANKS!

[LarryX]

Good Job... Thnk's