Author Topic: Dynamic Icons  (Read 23190 times)

David Graser

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Dynamic Icons
« on: January 04, 2018, 06:15:16 pm »
This is a great feature that ArcaOS has implemented.  I checked and it was not in eCS.  Not only can one download and use PNGs off the internet or make your own, one can go to the "Display" setting in each folder's properties, select "Dynamic Icons", and then select the size that he or she wants.  Although it works with OS/2 icons, the real benefit comes when one uses PNGs.  ArcaOS comes with a directory called BigIcons that one can select PNGs from.  They are sized in 64x64, which is a nice size.

David

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2018, 06:42:05 pm »
Hi David.

I also consider it a nice feature, it is required for higher resolutions. I wrote this down about that because I forget things from time to time.
http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Increasing_Icon_Size_in_ArcaOS_5.0

If I don't get it wrong that feature cames from the NeoWPS project, I remember that it was also available on eComStation with the name "BigIcon".

On my Santa's wishlist I hope that this component can be open sourced and merged together with XWorkplace. And also if someday it can replace the "icon" property of the WPS objects to don't have "Icon" and "Dynamic Icon" and just one.

Regards

« Last Edit: January 04, 2018, 06:44:14 pm by Martin Iturbide »
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David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2018, 06:55:47 pm »
A little off subject, but I think that ArcaOS could have been called "Looking Glass" and instead of calling folders folders, call them portals.  Instead of showing folders, have a round glass transparent window with an icon in it.  Always thinking.  One of those off the wall ideas I had. 

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2018, 11:21:50 pm »
This is a great feature that ArcaOS has implemented.  I checked and it was not in eCS.
In fact it's the same Russian shareware, just renamed, as Martin already mentioned.

Quote
Not only can one download and use PNGs off the internet or make your own, one can go to the "Display" setting in each folder's properties, select "Dynamic Icons", and then select the size that he or she wants.  Although it works with OS/2 icons, the real benefit comes when one uses PNGs.  ArcaOS comes with a directory called BigIcons that one can select PNGs from.  They are sized in 64x64, which is a nice size.
As long the folders only contain a small amount of PNG icons, it works to some degree. But everybody can make a simple calculation how it scales with a higher number. Each PNG file needs at least 32k of extra memory. In the end you will loose more features than you can win actually. Sizes of 64x64 pixel or higher were already available with OS/2 1.2 PM in 1989.

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David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2018, 06:39:20 am »
A little off subject, but I think that ArcaOS could have been called "Looking Glass" and instead of calling folders folders, call them portals.  Instead of showing folders, have a round glass transparent window with an icon in it.  Always thinking.  One of those off the wall ideas I had.

I did a proof of concept to see what it looked like.  I have attached the 2 pics.  The second one shows a folder (portal) open.  The open icon shows no picture because the folder icons are now showing.   I may continue to play with this for my desktop.

I believe I have found a bug.  Dynamic icons work fine when done on the desktop.  However, if you open a folder (portal), and try to do a dynamic icon from inside the folder, it does not work.  Open properties and it shows that it is there.  Close and the default icons always shows.  I tried this just for folders inside of folders.  This problem may hold true for program objects too.



« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 01:58:09 am by David Graser »

David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2018, 08:48:47 am »
A little off subject, but I think that ArcaOS could have been called "Looking Glass" and instead of calling folders folders, call them portals.  Instead of showing folders, have a round glass transparent window with an icon in it.  Always thinking.  One of those off the wall ideas I had.

I believe I have found a bug.  Dynamic icons work fine when done on the desktop.  However, if you open a folder (portal), and try to do a dynamic icon from inside the folder, it does not work.  Open properties and it shows that it is there.  Close and the default icons always shows.  I tried this just for folders inside of folders.  This problem may hold true for program objects too.

I tested further.  Dynamic icons only work for the desktop icons.  No where else do they work.  The problems exist for both folders and program objects. 

Display > Dynamic icons > sizes works ok everywhere.  In other words, the icon resizing works fine.

Rich Walsh

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2018, 10:26:42 pm »
I believe I have found a bug.  Dynamic icons work fine when done on the desktop.  However, if you open a folder (portal), and try to do a dynamic icon from inside the folder, it does not work.

David, Dynamic Icons is working as designed. What you take to be a bug is, sadly, a "known limitation" (i.e. it doesn't work because it isn't supposed to work, versus a bug where something should work but doesn't). In this case, the known limitation is which folder views it supports.

Based on your screen shots, it appears you were looking at an Xview window configured to display icons.  However, D.I. only supports the "classic" Icon view available from the 'Open as' menu. It does not support Xview in icon mode due to fundamental incompatibilities between the two that can not be remedied without a major redesign/rewrite of both.

David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2018, 01:49:36 am »
Thanks Rich for enlightening me.  You were correct.   Did as you suggested and it works great.  I am working on making these new folders for my ArcaOS desktop.  I think it is looking good.  If I get enough portal folders done, I may upload them here for others to try.  Again thanks for all you do!

David

David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2018, 06:16:23 am »
I have made progress on building my portal folders.  This will be my desktop once I am further along.  I have attached an updated picture of my progress so far.  I am doing this on a 12 inch notebook, so as always, I have no idea how they look on the big screen.

David

David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2018, 10:12:59 am »
I decided that I have enough icons for people to play with.  Be sure to enable Dynamic Icons for each sub folder and choose the size you want.  Each folder icon will have to be manually replaced.  However, it does not take that long.

David
« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 01:58:53 am by David Graser »

Sergey Posokhov

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2018, 10:54:29 am »
I think it is looking good.
"Proof of Concepts" are really good and modern. They are much better than aggressive "eye candies" in eCS 2.x.

David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2018, 05:44:47 am »
For those few brave souls that decided to download and give it a try, I attaching an updated pic with more portal folders made.  One thing I realized is that there needs to be some general folders; for folders that have no personalized made portal folder, a general utilities portal, and general information portals.  In the new pic, you will see the new generalized portal for those folders that don't have their own portal icons.

There are advantages to this concept.  Usually with every new release of each version of OS/2, the folder icons are changed.  This is a tremendous amount of work.   With the template, portals can be easily updated.  It is also so much faster because one is not trying to fit another large icon in with the folder icon.  I find  lot of the new folder icons just blend too much together.

Anyway, the dynamic icon feature is great.  Thank to all the planners and developers that made this happen!  I am excited about my new desktop as it develops.

I see no loss of performance on my ArcaOS system using these PNGs.

David


Anyway, I am happy with my desktop.  I will continue to make more portals and then I may start on updating some of the icons again. 


« Last Edit: January 07, 2018, 05:47:04 am by David Graser »

Dave Yeo

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2018, 08:27:12 am »
Looks good.
About performance, I think the problem is actually losing address space in the lower arena causing programs to fail quicker. This could be tested with Theseus by measuring memory with and without the dynamic icons.

David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2018, 10:47:10 am »
I have  updated, renamed, and attached my Portal Folders. I would discard the previous zip.  This one contains way more and the icons are named in a more logical order.

I have used PNGs primarily for the folders, although I do have a few PNG icons.  If someone needs a portal folder made for one of their programs, let me know and I will try to make one.

I am now looking at the desktop backgrounds.  I do believe most should be removed and put in the garbage.  I have a few I will upload in a few days for people to try and use if they so chose.  Anything is better than most of what is in the OS2\Bitmap directory.

File is too large.  Will try again later today after I have had some sleep.

David
« Last Edit: January 07, 2018, 10:54:59 am by David Graser »

David Graser

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Re: Dynamic Icons
« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2018, 01:55:24 am »
Broke Portal_Folder icons into two zip files.

The first