XP-like icons

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solid_black
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by solid_black »

justincase wrote:Yeah, I think one of the top corners might be better, but IDK, does it even need an LED? (also (if I were (which I'm not) doing it) I would try placing an LED on the bottom corner of the monitor, just to see how it looks, but again IDK.)
No problem ;)
[ external image ]
justincase
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by justincase »

MAN that was confusing.
I was just experimenting with doing this on my own real quick (just to see), and I came back to look at yours to compare, zoomed out, and the LED in the middle disappeared, I looked closer and there was an LED on the monitor and I was totally flippin' out for a second before I realized that zooming out had triggered AutoPager to load the next page, and I was looking at a whole new post. ... Trippy!

Anyway, the LEDs look a little bright to me (personal preference), but I know you're basing it on the style of the XP Icon, so that's fine.

And for reference here's what I'd done when I came back to compare.
[ external image ]
However I was just editing the bitmap you'd uploaded. So, take it as a suggestion if you want to, or ignore it. I don't know really what I'm doing.
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solid_black
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by solid_black »

justincase wrote:Anyway, the LEDs look a little bright to me (personal preference), but I know you're basing it on the style of the XP Icon, so that's fine.
Your LEDs are just as bright as they should be on a real computer, but remember this thing is to be scaled down to 32x32. I doubt they will be visible.

EDIT: By the way, you seem to know a simple way of making the background transparent. I have no Photoshop/GIMP/Paint.NET installed so do you know how to do that without using any of them?
justincase
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by justincase »

solid_black wrote:
justincase wrote:Anyway, the LEDs look a little bright to me (personal preference), but I know you're basing it on the style of the XP Icon, so that's fine.
Your LEDs are just as bright as they should be on a real computer, but remember this thing is to be scaled down to 32x32. I doubt they will be visible.

EDIT: By the way, you seem to know a simple way of making the background transparent. I have no Photoshop/GIMP/Paint.NET installed so do you know how to do that without using any of them?
Uh, I used GIMP for this, if you can (& want to) use GIMP, but don't want to install it there's a Portable version from PortableApps.com.
Also, there is some good free ICO creation software out there (e.g. IcoFX (1.x is free, works well, and is Portable, 2.x costs), and Greenfish Icon Editor (aka GFIE, GPL licensed, haven't used it as much, also Portable) if that's what you're looking for (I think they can make backgrounds transparent without too much difficulty)

How are you making your current icons if not with software capable of creating backgroundless images? (I'd assumed you were using InkScape (want a Portable version of that too?), in which case I think you just need to export as something that supports transparency, e.g. PNG)
Last edited by justincase on Thu May 22, 2014 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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solid_black
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by solid_black »

justincase wrote:Uh, I used GIMP for this, if you can (& want to) use GIMP, but don't want to install it there's a Portable version from PortableApps.com.
Also, I don't know how easy/hard it is to make transparent, but there's some good free ICO creation software out there (e.g. IcoFX (1.x is free, works well, and is Portable, 2.x costs), and Greenfish Icon Editor (aka GFIE, GPL licensed, haven't used it as much, also Portable)
Wow, thank you so much!
justincase
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by justincase »

solid_black wrote:Wow, thank you so much!
You're welcome.
And, ... Erm, also I edited my post, but I think you posted yours before my 'new-and-improved' post went up.
What are you using to make your current images?
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solid_black
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by solid_black »

justincase wrote:And, ... Erm, also I edited my post, but I think you posted yours before my 'new-and-improved' post went up.
Yes
solid_black wrote:(By the way, you could also guess what application have I used to create this.)
justincase wrote:What are you using to make your current images?
No, no Inkscape, nothing like this! The key, the great thing is that everybody can quite easily make icons that are very similar to XP ones without having any special software installed. And of course I know that in order to have transparency I've got to use png :).

Here is the clue/answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZp7BvQJnU8 (that video was not recorded by me, of course, it has just inspired me to try myself).
justincase
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by justincase »

solid_black wrote:
solid_black wrote:(By the way, you could also guess what application have I used to create this.)
justincase wrote:What are you using to make your current images?
No, no Inkscape, nothing like this! The key, the great thing is that everybody can quite easily make icons that are very similar to XP ones without having any special software installed. And of course I know that in order to have transparency I've got to use png :).
If you are in fact using the same software as is used in that video, ... well, I suppose you're technically not using software specialized for this specific task, but I'm not about to buy it, the only reason I have Windows 7 is because (after having enjoyed Beta Testing it) I was eligible for an academic discount that made it $30.

I wonder if you could copy what you made out into GIMP (or other software), that might make transparentizing your background a bit easier if it works.
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solid_black
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by solid_black »

justincase wrote:If you are in fact using the same software as is used in that video
Yes I do.

It was like "hey, I'm not a designer and know nothing about designing icons, have no design/icons software installed, but I want to have some fun and maybe help the project". Now imagine if everybody from the ROS community creates one icon - we would have a complete iconset!

And now I have the folder icon! It's an ico. I used the same software to create the image itself and GFIE Portable (thanks again justincase!) to make it an icon. It still lacks transparency, though.

[ external image ]
(Hm, storage service that I'm using seems to convert ico's to png. Here is a link to another service wich hosts an ico file: http://pbrd.co/1hgxCA2)

Any suggestions are welcome.
justincase wrote:I wonder if you could copy what you made out into GIMP (or other software), that might make transparentizing your background a bit easier if it works.
I can, but I still don't understand how to make 8-bit alpha like Windows icons have. This is needed for example to make the front part of that folder semi-transparent. At the moment it always shows white where it should be transparent, which would look wierd on colored background.
Last edited by solid_black on Fri May 23, 2014 4:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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dizt3mp3r
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by dizt3mp3r »

There are loads of different ways of doing what you want but rather than try to understand something simply start from scratch by doing things the 'right' way, in this case it would be to obtain two industry standard tools.

The correct tools in the case of graphical image design are GIMP and photoshop, although there are others. These are the two main tools you will use to design and create transparent PNGs, ICOs &c. You need to read some tutorials and get to grips with these tools. You can also obtain plugins that assist in creating Icons in the format you require, be it PNG, ICO, ICNS or HQX.
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Blue
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by Blue »

I would say its a copyright issue...

You might be able to make a all in one PC icon & be fine as I don't believe NT uses this for main desktop icons.

OR

LABTOP icon with a hard-drive coming out the side... This would be a like my computer icon but not truly copying Windows & this would give the same type of icon idea style in away.
oldman
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by oldman »

There are some icons posted on this wiki and on the next page. Posted by Artguy10.
Please keep the Windows classic 9x/2000 look and feel.
The layman's guides - debugging - bug reporting - compiling - ISO remaster.
They may help you with a problem, so do have a look at them.
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dizt3mp3r
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by dizt3mp3r »

In truth, I do believe we have to make the first cut of the o/s look similar to Windows Classic icons just so that there is a frame of reference visually. People really don't like having 'their' interface messed with.

I suggest we continue to follow current policy and use a complete icon set that is ReactOS' own icons but with the Windows classic 'look and feel'. A mechanism for themeing icons should be created to make it a lot more feasible than was possible in XP. Themeing was available in XP but only after patching the o/s to allow 3rd party themes. We could then ask the contributors to make sets of icons. Including an XP icon set. These should be easily applicable.

The trouble is to implement this might mean deviation from the way Windows was constructed. We all know that Linux and other o/s allow the individual icon to be changed but Windows generally doesn't. Often the icons are built into the DLL/EXE and cannot be changed.

Q. Is Reactos themeing going to implemented exactly the same as Windows themes or will it be enhanced to remove the limitations.

Would it be so much of a deviation from Windows core design to allow the sort of functionality I describe? I would suggest that full themeing of a Windows style O/S would be very popular, after all if you can make the o/s' GUI look like anything you want then what is the point of later versions of MS Windows that really only change the GUI?

I'd be happy to complete my icon set (350 icons) to correspond with whatever ReactOS requires. My set has nothing to do with XP nor Windows classic but I'd be happy to support ReactOS with what little I can provide.
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milon
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by milon »

dizt3mp3r wrote:In truth, I do believe we have to make the first cut of the o/s look similar to Windows Classic icons just so that there is a frame of reference visually. People really don't like having 'their' interface messed with.
Just a thought for the future - it may be worth having the option to choose a theme during install. Most users won't go into the settings area to change things, and many will appreciate a Windows-like theme, and many will appreciate a different theme.

And please, do continue to work on your icon set. We certainly won't be hurt by having more complete theme options!
Webunny
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Re: XP-like icons

Post by Webunny »

dizt3mp3r wrote:In truth, I do believe we have to make the first cut of the o/s look similar to Windows Classic icons just so that there is a frame of reference visually. People really don't like having 'their' interface messed with.

I suggest we continue to follow current policy and use a complete icon set that is ReactOS' own icons but with the Windows classic 'look and feel'. A mechanism for themeing icons should be created to make it a lot more feasible than was possible in XP. Themeing was available in XP but only after patching the o/s to allow 3rd party themes. We could then ask the contributors to make sets of icons. Including an XP icon set. These should be easily applicable.
Hear, hear.

I'll second that.

I think think the default icons should be as close to WinXP ones as you can get, without infringing copyright. They definitely need the 'look and feel' as to make Joe Doe trying out ROS as comfortable as possible.
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