Thanks mate...might look into that sever.

I found that, but that adds a contact to my address book which I don't like...since I then have heaps of address book contacts and it gets messy.

I mean how people like write a crappy long display name in their MSN, is there anyway to show that? Doesnt really matter but just curious.

Your showing as away at the moment, And I dont know as to youtr last one, those long tedious crappy names where one of he biggest turnoffs of msn.

Hmm...I am on normal MSN you see... oh well will look soon.

They are I agree! I am trying to get the gf to switch to iChat when she gets her MacBook though so that might have been a help! Oh well.

Ok, currently trying that hack with the shortcuts and smilies...will report back soon.

Anyone got screen grabs of msn chat in ichat? interested to see the interface. I have alot of contacts.

cheers

I can fix you up soon mate...just in the middle of trying this new hack I have just thought of.

Update: Part one works!!!! I managed to change the shortcut keys by modifying the .plist file. I can now have it, if I type (l) on ichat that will show up as a love heart as per the msn shortcut and my contact on msn will see the heart...similarly if my msn contact sends me a heart (which for them is (l) where as in ichat its <3) I now get a heart instead of the just the text (l)

Woo Hoo!

About to try replacing some of the ichat emoticons with the MSN ones to see if that works...will post back soon.

Update: Part two works with a catch! I can replace the emoticon but it has the white around it when it shows up in the chat window....I am assuming this is a result of me having to change the msn .png to a .tif which is what iChat uses...

Hmm...will work on this

Great guide mate!
Good job!

I think I have it sussed... but like you hate the long MSN email + jabber server extension as a list of my contacts!
Some I'm not sure who is who just from the start of the email addresses they used for their MSN accounts!
I need their names in there!

Just opened iChat - and now have two windows - one for Jabber MSN transport and the other AIM. haven't played in the new iChat yet but I think someone said they can get it all in one window?

Oh and no one on my list in MSN appears to be online - which is weird... there are always a few mates that leave theirs on... checked via MSN Messenger and I have 6 contacts online... so I may have made a mistake along the way.

Will try and work it out tomorrow.
Thanks for the thread and PM.

Update on my amatuer hacking skills!

Although my hack worked...I was getting the white backround around the smilies...

I have found a fix though, with this pack containing most of the MSN smilies I wanted

http://ismileys.free.fr/smileys/

I am going to modify the .plist file to then have the shortcut keys I want on it as well and I am set!

Your welcome mate

Try it again now...wasnt working for me either before.

VOILA!

You are right! they are now there - if only their "nick" was displayed not their dodgy sort of email!

Can iChat have one window with AIM / MSN in it? or are you displaying two iChat boxes?

I currently only use MSN...how sad! I am about to set up a .mac/AIM account so will try soon. I swear I read something about it not long ago...

As promised mrldigitalmedia;

Looks good

You need the two boxws one for jabber one for aim, not aware of a way pf combining them. Double click on a contact in the contact box and show info will allow you to change the name and pic of your contacts. And you can change the background of the text window, and the colours fonts etc in ichat preferences.

How did you get MSN nick's and info / descriptions appearing - instead of the string of email addresses?

Ok I am onto something with these nicknames... need some expert advice.

It seems that the contacts using MSN, their MSN names are recognized by the Jabber Transport as seen here;



Getting into in PSI shows that ^ which is the current MSN display name/nickname (what PSI calls it).

I cant get that to show up in iChat though or PSI

Hmm it looks okay, really don't like the chat window though. Might give it a try anyway hey!