Saving Away Messages in ichat

When leopard comes out I'm going to be backing up all my data and doing a clean install. I was curious how can I backup my away messages that are saved in ichat. Any ideas?
-Ken

Only by dragging back the com.apple.ichat.plist would this be possible (if the .plists are compatible) as that is where they are stored.
11:48 PM Saturday; October 27, 2007

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IChat shortening away messages?

iChat seems to be shortening my away messages - I have a bunch of rather lengthy messages saved in my status list, but just as of recently only about 40 characters or so of my message are visible when viewed from other screenames signed on in other clients. I've already tried restarting the machine and trashing the preference files...any ideas?

There is a limit or 42 characters to creating a Away message in iChat.
An away message created in another App can be read in full by mousing over the Buddy and holding still for a few secs. A yellow Info box will contain the full Message.
Go here and scroll down to see a AppleScript to produce longer ones
http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/page11.html#Where_canI
There are other ways of producing "Scrolling"/rolling messages.
Somewhat based on the iTunes script.
Currently it is difficult to post them here.
They do use up a significant amount of Text Bandwidth and can effect Video chat as well because of this.
This has been like this since iChat 2
10:49 PM Thursday; August 9, 2007

Finding my Custom Away Message

I've searched through the posts already on here, and they don't lead me to where I need to be. I'm looking to switch computers as I graduate, and want to take my (quite extensive) collection of custom away messages from iChat 3.1.4.
I've looked in Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.plist, and they aren't stored in there. I have installed Chax to extend iChat's basic functionality, but its preference file doesn't contain the custom away messages, either. I've searched through all the other iChat ".plist" files, including the Agent, Menu Extras, etc. Anybody have an idea where these away messages are stored?

I've looked in Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.plist, and
they aren't stored in there.
This is where they are stored by iChat. Look under CustomAwayMessages and you'll see the away messages if you have the "Remember Custom Messages" checked under "Edit Status Menu" in iChat.
It can take a few minutes for this plist file to update.
-Ryan

Multiline Away Messages?

Apple,
Is it possible to have a multiline away message in iChat? So far I've been unable to do this.
-JR

Hi,
Copy and Pate this into Apple Script Editor
tell application "iChat"
set status message to "It's really too early"
delay 2
set status message to "to be Available...."
delay 2
set status message to "so I'll say I'm physically available,"
delay 2
set status message to "but mentally I'm still sleeping "
end tell
return
This one will run a prescribed number of times.
repeat 999 times
tell application "iChat"
set status message to "I am not here right now"
delay 2
set status message to "Phone 555 ....."
delay 2
set status message to "Weather... 0ºC, -4 Wind Chill..."
delay 2
set status message to "... -7ºC Dewpoint, 61% Humidity..."
set status message to "... Cloudy"
delay 5
end tell
end repeat
Both cause iChat to constantly update the AIM servers. (and therefore your Buddies)
This can get in the way of File Sending and having Pic-in-Chats
Rolling text can be done but tends to look smoother at your end than it does for Buddies
9:34 PM Sunday; May 10, 2009
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Problem with iChat changing my custom away message after 30 minutes

Lately, I've been having a big problem with iChat changing any custom away message that I put up to "Away" after 30 minutes or so. Is there anything I can do to make it stop? Another issue I'm having is that sometimes when people on my buddy list change their away message, it doesn't show up on iChat unless I go offline and then sign back on. Any idea why it's doing that, and what I can do to get it to stop?
Thanks.
- Danielle
G3 iMac Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Hi ienjoyanime,
Go to the General Section of iChat Preferences.
Does it say you are set to Go to Away when you log off/QUit iChat ?
is the computer going to Sleep at this point ?
10:59 PM Saturday; April 1, 2006

Two ichat accounts/users --- two away messages simultaneously?

i have two teens using ichat 3.1.4 (v432) on my emac -- when one is on his buddy list the other wants her away message to be visible
is there a way to do this?
emac Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Hi kpeifer,
Yes.
Set up the required number of Mac User accounts.
Engage Fast User Switching
Set the iChat > Preferences > General section options that deal with this (middle of screen drop down Set To Away when Fast User Switching is used)
It can not be done from one Mac User account and one instance of iChat
10:20 PM Thursday; July 6, 2006

Delete previous away messages help

Over the year ive accumulated 100s of away messages. is there any way i can get rid of all of the saved ones and start fresh. any help would be appreciated. thanks.

Hi Fotoshopfan,
When you use the drop down to create a new Away or Available (custom) message they are saved as you say.
AT the bottom of this drop down is Edit Messages.
Use this.
Use the " - " key to delete messages after you have selected them first.
There is another way but it is more drastic.
Go to Users/(your account)/Library/Preferences and delete com.apple.ichat.plist and restart iChat.
This will also lose you any speech Alerts you have made, Font Colour Choices, Bubble colour choices and any Sound/Alert choice you have made. (hence the Drastic nature of this method)
11:04 AM Saturday; August 4, 2007

Customize away message for live feed?

I would like to set up an away message where the content is pulled from a live feed. I assume this is possible because that's essentially what it does when it displays the current song on iTunes.
Does anyone know any shareware/freeware that can do this, or other way to set this up? Specifically, there is an online queryable database I'd like to pull the away message from.
MacBook Pro 15"/2.16Ghz/2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Hi RKNYC,
AppleScript is the way.
There is a basic one here
http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/page11.html#Where_canI
You need to scroll down a bit (Blue text)
This takes several pre typed messages and rotates them to give a partial scroll.
<hr>
This is a real scroll of a saved/typed message
---------- script start ----------
-- idea and script: [email protected]
set a to every character in " Read the FAQs at www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com :-D "
set h to ""
set i to 1
set c to count every item in a
repeat
repeat with n from 1 to c
repeat with m from 1 to c
set h to h & item i of a
if (n = 1 or n mod c = 1) and i = (c) then
set i to i - (c - 2)
else if i = (c) then
set i to i - (c - 1)
else if m = c then
set i to i + 2
else
set i to i + 1
end if
end repeat
tell application "iChat"
delay 0.2
set status message to h & ""
set h to ""
end tell
end repeat
set i to 1
end repeat
---------- script end ----------
This gets past the 42 character limit
<hr>
Next is to Scroll the current Status Message
------Start Script----------
tell application "iChat"
get status message
set b to status message
set a to every character in b
set h to ""
set i to 1
set c to count every item in a
repeat
repeat with n from 1 to c
repeat with m from 1 to c
set h to h & item i of a
if (n = 1 or n mod c = 1) and i = (c) then
set i to i - (c - 2)
else if i = (c) then
set i to i - (c - 1)
else if m = c then
set i to i + 2
else
set i to i + 1
end if
end repeat
tell application "iChat"
delay 0.1
set status message to h & ""
set h to ""
end tell
end repeat
set i to 1
end repeat
end tell
----------End Script -----------
<hr>
This one shows that you can call from other Apps
It actually swops the Buddy icon for iTunes Pics/artwork
------Script Start----
tell application "System Events"
if ((application processes whose (name is equal to "iTunes")) ¬
count) is greater than 0 then
tell application "iTunes"
if player state is playing then
set the_artist to artist of current track
set the_song to name of current track
if artworks of current track exists then
set currentArt to data of front artwork of current track
my iChatIconFromArtwork(currentArt)
end if
if the_artist is not missing value then
return the_artist & " - " & the_song
else
return the_song
end if
else if player state is paused then
return "iTunes is paused"
else if player state is stopped then
return "iTunes is quiet"
end if
end tell
else
return "iTunes is Off"
end if
end tell
on iChatIconFromArtwork(inArt)
tell application "System Events"
if ((application processes whose (name is equal to "iChat")) ¬
count) is greater than 0 then
tell application "iChat"
try
set file_name to ":tmp:artwork2avatar.pict" as string
try
do shell script "rm /tmp/artwork2avatar.pict"
end try
open for access file_name write permission 1
copy the result to file_reference
write inArt starting at 0 to file_reference as picture
close access file_reference
set theImage to open for access file file_name ¬
without write permission
set imageData to read theImage as TIFF picture
set image to imageData
close access theImage
on error errStr
try
close access file_reference
end try
display dialog "Error: " & errStr
end try
end tell
end if
end tell
end iChatIconFromArtwork
-------End Script---------
This one will run once and change the pic. It then needs running again to change to the next pic. Saves putting a loop to check the pic every minute or so and using Processor time.
All these need to copy and pasted into Script Editor
They can be run from there on a individual basis or you Can save them as App and then run them.
They are heavy on the 5190 port and can effect Video chats on slower machines or sending Files or Pics in Text Chats ("Too much data too quickly" is the normal error message).
9:11 PM Sunday; December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas

Different away messages for each screen name signed on.

It is possible to use different away message for different screen names all signed on using iChat? I have a home screen name, work screen name, and school screen name, and would like to not have one away message for all three.

No.
4:34 PM Tuesday; February 12, 2008

Custom away messages?

This question is about iChat 4.0.5 (608). I guess there's no specific forum for that.
Anyway, I use iChat as my client for AIM. Is there a way to create and use custom away messages? The only way to set a status message that I can find is to use the iChat -> My Status menu, where there are some canned messages; I can't find anyway to create my own messages.

iChat 4 http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1226
At the top of the buddy list you will see available just under your name, click on it and then click on edit status menu.
Then click on the + to add in available or away.

Formatting outgoing and away messages

I use iChat 2.1 and was wondering if there was any way to add formatting to away messages (do your normal formatting preferences apply?) and how to add line breaks to away and normal messages (for lists, poetry and song lyrics). I don't understand how to do this as everytime you press return the message sends and does not add another line. Any help would be appreciated! Thnaks!
eMac G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Hi The Dziekans,
Welcome to the Apple Dicussion Pages
You can add a line break by using the ALT key (second key away from the space bar) and enter together.
To change font in mid post, use the Format menu and then Fonts.
You can also change the Font colour here as well.
I tested this in iChat 3 but it should work in iChat 2.x
Ralph

Delete old custom "Away" messages

I have several custom "Away messages" that I'd like to delete. How do I do that?
Thanks,
Conal

launch ichat
on buddy list under your screen name where your available/away/custom message of the moment is displayed in drop-down menu, click on it.
in drop down-menu, select "edit status menu"
single click on message you want to delete
click on minus sign to remove it
(optional) uncheck "remember custom messages" if you don't want to build a list of 1000's
click on OK
2001 Quicksilver G4 (M8360LL/A) Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Away messages, help!

hello.. i need some help in iChat.. when you make a custom away message, how can you change the font in it. to windows users and also ichat users (i think also ichat users), my away message appears as times new roman 12, and i would like it to be verdana 10.
thanks,
-tyler

Hi Tyler,
You can not change the Font for Away (Status) messages.
It is actually Helvetica at 12 point.
The Buddy list names are in Lucida Grande (14)
Ralph

Away Messages

For some reason when I message people I know are away, like I'll message my girlfriend something so when she gets back from class she sees it, her away message doesn't pop up. Its used to but all the sudden it just stopped, not sure why, and for some reason I miss it.
If anyone could help with this odd pet-peeve that would be great, thanks a lot.

Hi,
There is a setting in iChat as to whether it will Auto-reply with the Away message.
In iChat 4 it is in the General Preferences
It is in the same Pane in iChat 3
It is an active choice to select it and is Not On by default.
It may be due to how she has updated to Leopard and not kept previous Settings. (A fresh Install will do this).
It maybe that she has turned it Off.
There is also a secondary setting in the General Preferences that may also be effecting this.
In the first picture it is the line the Blue Arrow points to and is the top line in the iChat 3 picture.
If this is not Set you do not Log Out of AIM. It will display the last Status that was Set so if she was set to Away before she Quit of shut down her Mac then she will appear to be On-line but obviously iChat will not be able to Respond.
It will then depend if she is allowing Off-Line Messaging Which can be turned Off with a reply to the AIM server in the text Message they send at the same time. Or turned On again by visiting the AIM site and logging in to your Account/Screen name there and resetting it.
8:44 PM Thursday; December 4, 2008

Away messages of my friends ALSO truncated?

I can see the first few words of away messages of my friends, right under their names on my buddy list, but even when i hold the cursor over their names, no full message appears. I know iChat can shorten people's away messages, but my friends use AIM on PC's, so the problem is on my end. How do I view an entire away message?

Hi,
Have you got port 5190 open to UDP traffic ? (both Mac and routing device)
Also check the Mac Firewall Advanced Button is Not set to Stealth or Blocking UDP traffic.
12:48 PM Friday; August 31, 2007

Saving Away Messages in ichat

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