iChat: Reduce Buddy List Font Size So More Names Can Be Displayed?

Hi IMRAN,

If you click the Buddy List so it is the Front window then use the options in the View menu you can display just names which can help.

If it still not small enough Chax can help as this has as one of it's option the opportunity to reduce the Font size.



9:39 PM Friday; May 4, 2007

More on the Buddy pics and names Display
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4511093#4511093



10:47 PM Friday; May 4, 2007

hi IMRAN,


Can you remember how you got to have the Buddy List disappear below the bottom of the screen ?

Try these.
Log Off the AIM Server to make the Buddy list just have the Header of your name and Buddy Pic.

With the Buddy List logged in make sure it is the front window
Go to iChat's View menu
Make sure the Show groups option is active.
Make sure Show Offline Buddies is deactivated though.
Go to the Buddy list and close all the Dividers between the groups.
Drag the buddy list to the top of the screen.

Has the top of the Buddy been dragged so low on the screen that it below the height of the DOCK ?
If so is it behind the DOCK and the DOCK is using Hiding ?
If this is the case that Unhide the DOCK and you should be able to grab the Buddy List if you are quick.

If all these fail then delete com.apple.ichat.plist
This file is the preferences and is stored in Users/(your account)/Library/

Restart iChat and the .plist will be recreated with defaults.
You will lose Saved Status Messages, Font in text chats choices and Bubble colour and any Sound/alert choices you have made.



2:15 AM Sunday; May 6, 2007

Hi IMRAN,

You problem is as I thought it was I was just checking I had under stood it correctly and provided info on how to fix that if it was that.

Chax Settings
Go to iChat Preferences
Select the Chax preferences that now show.
Select the General tab of those settings
Enable/Tick Use Custom Fonts.
Adjust as required with the Set Font buttons.

They is also a Automatic Resize of the Buddy list to fit the screen option lower down.

With Standard Fonts selection I can see 24 buddies and 4 Group tab bars on my 17" Cinema display.

Additional settings
Chax Adds a setting to the View menu to hide or not the Status Messages.

Change the Group names to either some alphabetical to get the Buddies you most use near the top or
Use Special characters like the * or - in front of the Group name to make it display in a different order.
I find the * displays farily small at the Standard Lucida Grande 12pt as not to be distracting to the Group name.

My Group order is

* Tests
*Family (the space above adds to the order difference)
Level 4
Regulars
WAGS (My Mac User Group)

iChat does need restarting after Installing Chax (It normally says so during the Install that it has to be shut down.)

Have you got the Chax Preference icon and the tabs when you select it ?
Have you set the Font(s) ?
Have you disabled the Status Messages ?

In addition, as I have already mentioned you can use the View menu when the Buddy List is the Front Window to reduce the Buddy List to Names only by turning off the Buddy Pics

Currently that means I can display 31 Buddies and 5 group tab bars AND have extra space at the bottom if I drag the window to the same point on the screen (Currently every one On-line)

If I change to use Show Off-line Buddies and Use Off-line group then the actual number is 35 Buddies and 6 Group bars.

Turning Off Groups in the View menu give me 41 Buddies

Now going back to Chax and Selecting Custom Fonts an Lucida Grande 9Pt I can get to 53 Buddies.

I still have to Scroll as I have about 170+ Buddies

Summary.
Group your Buddies.
Use Group Names to make the ones you want are near the top.
Turn Off Buddy Pics from the View Menu.
Turn Off Status Messages if you want (Show Text Status)
Turn Off Show Off-Line Buddies (You can not Chat to them Anyway)
Adjust Font Size if requried to show More On-Line Buddies in the Chax part of the iChat Preferences.

EDIT: P.S.
In the General Section of the Chax part of the Preferences the bottom item is Show Badge Next To Chax Menu Items
This displays a Sticking Plaster in the iChat menus next to Items added by Chax.



10:47 PM Sunday; May 6, 2007

Hi IMRAN,

One other thing is the Groups can be closed down to view other parts of the list.

Thanks for the points



6:22 PM Monday; May 7, 2007