Preserved Topic: windows icons (Page 1 of 1)

Okay, someone asked about windows icons in the ozone section so I thought I'd put the answer here since it involves photoshop a little bit.

Usually icons contain several different formats in one file. If you want, you can create a 32 x 32 pixel .bmp file in 256 indexed colors and rename it to *.ico and it will act like an icon file.

However, if you want to create a real icon you need a different program.

An *.ico file usually contains six formats:
1) 16 x 16, 16 colors
2) 16 x 16, 256 colors
3) 32 x 32, 16 colors
4) 32 x 32, 256 colors
5) 48 x 48, 16 colors
6) 48 x 48, 256 colors

These different colors are for different screen resolutions, color depth, and display options. How do you get them all into one file?
Use an icon editing program.

Axialis Ax-icons is a great program for doing just that. Not only does it have a pretty good image editing interface, you can import .jpg, .bmp, and other formats you made in photoshop and save them as .ico files.

The program is at www.axialis.com
The shareware is pretty good, and it only gots about $15 to get the full version.

Thanks for that info silence, I have had a look at the shareware and it looks very interesting. I will be having a go at this tonight when I get home, can't do shit on my work PC, to many protections in place.

IMO, the best icon editor is Microangelo -> http://www.impactsoft.com/

I like icon easel and eppie desktop, but how did they redo their program icons ? Where can you find these ?

Max is right, microangelo is a great program, but it's a bit pricey. If you're doing serious work, go for it. Otherwise, ax-icons is a more cost-effective way to get your feet wet in icon work.

And, which icons are you talking about bob? could you clarify?

I think he means the icons that a lot of people had on their desktop screen shots in the other thread. They had cool icons for My Computer and Recycle Bin, etc. It looked like an icon pack to me, they were all similar in style. Am I right Bob?


These eyes have walls.

Thanks a lot, silence ))))))))))))))))))))

No Blook, sorry. I must have been trippin. It was about 5 hours from time to go work and I thought I saw some desktops with altered program shortcuts, like Netscape, or Real Player. I went back to see who`s desktop they were on and couldn`t find them

guess I went to sleep a little while before I thought I did.

The My computer, start button/ menu, max, min, close buttons are what I use Eppie desktop and icon easel for. ( see post in desk top thread )

Where`s VP ? somebody`s screwed up my meds !! NUUURRSSSSE !!

( turns and resumes drooling )




<edit> seriously cool sig blook</edit>



[This message has been edited by docilebob (edited 02-04-2001).]

errrr... thatwould be" Janitor" ... Bob! *slips ya a shiny blue pill* (fyi janitors and mops, nurses and meds) ....shhhhhhhhshhhh.. the nurses dont approve of after hours medication.. heheheheh...

~Vp~

Thanks VP. I needed that, man. BTW, I don`t care who brings `em, as long as I get my meds...

Bob:

You can change the shortcut icons just by right clicking on the shortcut, going to Properties, and then clicking on the Change Icon button.

To make it quicker to change my default system icons, I use Icon Packager. Though I don't find that I change icons very often.

Hope it helps.

Peter




ICQ:# 10237808

Thanks DG, I`ll givethat a shot.

I knew there had to be a way.

I use a program called E-Icons. It lets you easily change the icon for anything on your computer. You can change icons by file extension as well. It has other little morsels too, like letting you rename your recycle bin.
http://www.deepgls.com/eicons/main.htm

Check it out. Its freeware too!

Krets, E-Icons is not freeware - it's a 19$US shareware...