OS2 World Community Forum
OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Programming => Topic started by: xynixme on November 12, 2018, 01:33:29 am
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Derived question, new thread: is it recommended to ship new apps, or e.g. ports without an OS/2 icon, with a "BIGICON"? If so, then how does that work and what are the sizes of BIGICONS?
Let's say I've got a new HELLO.EXE and a HELLO.ICO (sizes 16,20 32 and 40). Save a 64x64 HELLO.PNG and a 128x128 HELLO_128px.PNG in the same directory?
Is it worth releases upgrades of old apps, just to add BIGICONS to such a package?
I'm not using a system with BIGICONS. Hence the basic questions. I don't mind creating a 128x128 icon as well, but I'm not sure if there's documentation and if it's worth the efforts.
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Hi André.
I think there is not right or wrong answers, there are only opinions. I would said that it is good idea to include the PNG image of the icon file software, even if it is an old software. Of course, there will be some user running OS/2 on their CGA monitor that would say that is a waste of time ;)
About your suggestion of naming icons like:
- HELLO.ICO
- HELLO.PNG (64x64)
- HELLO_128px.PNG
Why not just making HELLO.PNG at 128x128? Is there some performance issue or limitation for BIGICONS to resize a 128x128 png file to render 64x64 on the WPS desktop? If not I would prefer to go only with the bigger one. I haven't tested this further.
I also wondered about the .ICO, why don't make it as big as possible and that can be supported by the WPS desktop? Ex 128x128 / RGB / Ver 1.2 for a .ICO file is not giving me issues on my OS/2 environments (here I posted a little test (https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Personal_Comments_about_OS/2_Icons)). But I also don't know what performance issues or limitation can be shown on other OS/2 systems/configurations.
Regards
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Martin
I have never seen OS/2, eCS, or ArcaOS run at anything larger than a 40x40 icon. That is why I never do anything larger than 40x40. What resolution are you running your screen at? What size is your monitor? Or are you saying that while doing the icons, also create a 64x64 and/or 128x128 pngs?
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Hi
Or are you saying that while doing the icons, also create a 64x64 and/or 128x128 pngs?
Both. There is André's idea to include a PNG icon file on each program, which I consider good.
And I had also created 128x128 RGB icons for OS/2 that works for me (renders on the WPS desktop). Can you give those a try and let me know if those work? Remember that it would not be a surprise if I'm doing things terrible wrong.
Regards
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Hi
Or are you saying that while doing the icons, also create a 64x64 and/or 128x128 pngs?
Both. There is André's idea to include a PNG icon file on each program, which I consider good.
And I had also created 128x128 RGB icons for OS/2 that works for me (renders on the WPS desktop). Can you give those a try and let me know if those work? Remember that it would not be a surprise if I'm doing things terrible wrong.
Regards
Okay Martin
I tried your 128x128 bit icons. At 40x40, which is what the System reduces them down to, the icons don't look good. Icons just don;t reduce in size well with the WPS. That is why I tried to fix as best as I can at the 4 sizes when constructing as icon.
I made a few test pngs. Using ArcaOS's dynamic icons, these pngs reduce down extremely well.
I have uploaded a couple of pics. One at 128x128 and one with a reduce max size of 80x80, which is the highest size limit that ArcaOS supports. Also attached the test pngs.
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I have never seen OS/2, eCS, or ArcaOS run at anything larger than a 40x40 icon.
Until OS/2 1.2 the Presentation Manager used 64 pel icons. It should be easy to find some screenshots from people running OS/2 high-resolution display adapters. The later pel size of 40 was an enhancement introduced by OS/2 1.3. Please read the chapter 6 of GG24-3630-00 for more details.
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Be carefull openning BIGICONS folder as icon view, there is a png issue making storage not released and after a while, the system may hung and crash
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Hi Remy,
I would better report that either to the original author or, since this is a system component, to the ArcaOS bug tracker.
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There is a ticket in the ArcaOS bug tracker and it appears the issue may have been fixed.
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There is a ticket in the ArcaOS bug tracker and it appears the issue may have been fixed.
I didn't find the ticket nor did I get any fixes... !
Do you have more information please ?
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Seems it is only partially fixed and while much better, still not ready for release.
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Dave's assessment is correct. They may push the fix to the beta testers for the next beta.
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About your suggestion of naming icons like:
- HELLO.ICO
- HELLO.PNG (64x64)
- HELLO_128px.PNG
Why not just making HELLO.PNG at 128x128? Is there some performance issue or limitation for BIGICONS to resize a 128x128 png file to render 64x64 on the WPS desktop? If not I would prefer to go only with the bigger one. I haven't tested this further.
I also wondered about the .ICO, why don't make it as big as possible and that can be supported by the WPS desktop?
The last question is the problem. I cannot support an OS which isn't available to me. My size limit is 40x40 too, from an user's point of view.
What are the icon size limits of ArcaOS? Often I won't mind to create a 128x128 icon, if my copy of ICONEDIT.EXE allows me to do save such a file, but are 128x128 and 64x64 your versions of my 40x40 and 20x20 (or 32x32 and 16x16)?
I just mentioned the PNG files because I saw 'em in the useful x:\SYS directory overview of Dave Yeo. Does ArcaOS look for a file called HELLO.PNG, just like OS/2 can look for a file called HELLO.ICO?
If you keep file sizes of a distributed HELLO.ZIP in mind, then what's the best option? I do prefer an icon saved in HELLO.EXE, with a HELLO.ICO as a next best option, but is it e.g. possible to save smaller icon sizes in the EXE and the large ones as PNG files?
Is the _128px.PNG suffix a standard? IOW: if you are executing MARTY.EXE, then will the OS look for a file called MARTY_128px.PNG to find an icon if there's none.
I don't mind distributing both PNG and ICO files, but not as "Open Image Source".
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Or are you saying that while doing the icons, also create a 64x64 and/or 128x128 pngs?
Both. There is André's idea to include a PNG icon file on each program, which I consider good.
And I had also created 128x128 RGB icons for OS/2 that works for me (renders on the WPS desktop). Can you give those a try and let me know if those work? Remember that it would not be a surprise if I'm doing things terrible wrong.
Downsized icons (ICO) do work, albeit they may not look that good and 64x64 may have been my limit.
As such I have no idea, just because I don't know what I'm talking about (yes, again). I've never seen nor used ArcaOS. With OS/2 the icon hierarchy is quite clear and documented. Both is fine with me, as long as it's required and/or reduces the file sizes significantly. Does ArcaOS support upto and including 40x40 as ICO file and >40x40 as PNG file? Then both would be fine with me: default support for OS/2, and an unknown way ArcaOS picks up larger sizes.
Recently I had to downsize large icons to obtain missing OS/2 sizes, so perhaps the good news is that some qualifying apps already have an existing 64x64 and 128x128 icon.
If there are both small and large icons in a folder, of different apps, then what does that look like? Original sizes? Downsized to 40x40?
I may send Martin a few generic tests later.
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A WHATSNEW.TXT for developers may help... ???
eCS: embedded HELLO.EXE icon, HELLO.ICO, or the WPS setup string ICONFILE=GOODBYE.ICO to assign any valid icon.
AOS: ?
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ArcaOS allows the users to use either PNGs or icons for each folder.
In Arca, for each folder one has the option of using the standard icons or dynamic icons (pngs). One can set their dyanmic icons from 16x16 up to 80xx80. Up to 40x40, I continue to use the os//2 icons. Above 40, I can assign a PNG for the dynamic icon. If no dynamic icon (png) is assigned, then it resizes the os/2 standard icon. However, if an icon has both a normal os/2 icon and a dynamic icon assigned, and dynamic icon selection is enabled, it will always use the icon selected for dynamic icon.
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Just made an interesting discovery.
Although the 64x64 pel icon is not normally used by OS/2 2.1 and higher, with ArcaOS's dynamic icons, if the OS/2 icon contains a 64x64 pel icon, and no PNG is selected for the dynamic icon, the system will use the 64x64 icon when this size is selected in the dynamic icon selection. It does not try to resize the 40x40 pel icon if the 64x64 pel icon is included in the icon set.