• Welcome to OS2World OLD-STATIC-BACKUP Forum.
 

News:

This is an old OS2World backup forum for reference only. IT IS READ ONLY!!!

If you need help with OS/2 - eComStation visit http://www.os2world.com/forum

Main Menu

New Icon theme for eCS 2.0 desktop

Started by DavidG, 2007.10.08, 21:36:39

Previous topic - Next topic

lpino

There are some icon convertion programs available at hobbes. I developed one of them and you could convert the icons from the Win format into the OS/2 format. The advantage of the one I did was that you convert all the icons placed in a folder and the 32x32 was converted into 40x40 without scaling just filling the border with background, that way you got an icon with 16x16, 20x20, 32x32 and 40x40. It supported 24 bits format and it didn't have the problem of PMView of painting the background black. It doesn't support PNG or any new windows format though.

The other program was very good one, and you could convert windows icon libraries into the os/2 format. The sources are also available so a programmer could include support for the new windows formats.

Leonardo Pino


Saijin_Naib

Interesting. I was always wondering why the OS/2 icons were not high-color, I thought it was a limtation of PM or something, but if they can render RGB then there is potential for some very clean looking icons.

Do RGB icons really take that much more than 256 color icons?
Would you ever consider making a high-def and 256color distribution of your themes so people could choose?

davidfor

Quote from: lpino on 2007.10.25, 17:30:31
There are some icon convertion programs available at hobbes. I developed one of them and you could convert the icons from the Win format into the OS/2 format. The advantage of the one I did was that you convert all the icons placed in a folder and the 32x32 was converted into 40x40 without scaling just filling the border with background, that way you got an icon with 16x16, 20x20, 32x32 and 40x40. It supported 24 bits format and it didn't have the problem of PMView of painting the background black. It doesn't support PNG or any new windows format though.

The other program was very good one, and you could convert windows icon libraries into the os/2 format. The sources are also available so a programmer could include support for the new windows formats.

I have a Rexx program that converts Windows themes to OS/2.  One of the steps was to convert the icons to OS/2 format and I used one of these two programs.   From memory, I was handling icon libraries, so it must have been the second one.

And I have to agree with David Graser, its a pain doing this.  There are so many icons and other settings to setup and get right.  I have seen some very nice icon sets for Linux and considered converting those, but the amount of work involved was just to much at the time.

DavidG

Quote from: lpino on 2007.10.25, 17:30:31
There are some icon convertion programs available at hobbes. I developed one of them and you could convert the icons from the Win format into the OS/2 format. The advantage of the one I did was that you convert all the icons placed in a folder and the 32x32 was converted into 40x40 without scaling just filling the border with background, that way you got an icon with 16x16, 20x20, 32x32 and 40x40. It supported 24 bits format and it didn't have the problem of PMView of painting the background black. It doesn't support PNG or any new windows format though.

The other program was very good one, and you could convert windows icon libraries into the os/2 format. The sources are also available so a programmer could include support for the new windows formats.

Leonardo Pino



Did your icon conversion program handle the conversion of the new Windows multipage icons?  This would be a plus be because all one would have to do would be to go in and do some cleanup after the conversion.

I agree with you about PMView.  It is the only drawback I have with PMView.  To me, one should have the option of selecting either a black or white background.  I would chose the white.

I have noticed that a lot of the icons people have converted from other platforms are either 32x32, 40x40, or contain both sizes.  However, none I have found contain all four sized that are really needed to handle the smaller sizes except for the ones I have uploaded to Hobbes.

DavidG

Quote from: Saijin_Naib on 2007.10.25, 23:11:11
Interesting. I was always wondering why the OS/2 icons were not high-color, I thought it was a limtation of PM or something, but if they can render RGB then there is potential for some very clean looking icons.

Do RGB icons really take that much more than 256 color icons?
Would you ever consider making a high-def and 256color distribution of your themes so people could choose?

Most of the icons are 256 with a few RBG.  The ones that exceed 256 colors are the ones I convert to RBG.

As I have stated ealier, the work involved to create an icon theme package is tremendous, even when one cuts corners as I usually do.  I don't believe there would be much benefit to making all the icons RBG since eCS does not handle (don't know what the technical term is since I am just a hobbyist) antialiasing, transparency, or whatever it is called.  Remember, any light colored pixels on the edge of a OS2/eCS icon turn white when viewed.  That is why Windows icons have to be touched up after conversion which is just more work that must be done.

Think about it.  Beside the creator of iThemes, no one else has created any icons themes except for myself.  Again, I believe it is due to the amount of work involved.  My themes aren't perfect, but what does one expect from someone who does it as a hobby and does it for free.

By the way, I just finished working with someone on making another really nice theme for eCS.  This is the only time someone has done something and it was because he thought it was an awesome theme to convert over.  I have to agree with him.  After I helped him finish the conversion along with making improvements, I was really impressed.  I believe the eCS theme is much better than the MacOS or Linux conversions.  You all will just have to wait until it is released along with my drawingboard_blue theme. Due to his help, there will be a WarpIN installation of this theme also.  ;)

lpino

Quote from: David Graser on 2007.10.26, 17:19:14
Quote from: lpino on 2007.10.25, 17:30:31
There are some icon convertion programs available at hobbes. I developed one of them and you could convert the icons from the Win format into the OS/2 format. The advantage of the one I did was that you convert all the icons placed in a folder and the 32x32 was converted into 40x40 without scaling just filling the border with background, that way you got an icon with 16x16, 20x20, 32x32 and 40x40. It supported 24 bits format and it didn't have the problem of PMView of painting the background black. It doesn't support PNG or any new windows format though.

The other program was very good one, and you could convert windows icon libraries into the os/2 format. The sources are also available so a programmer could include support for the new windows formats.

Leonardo Pino



Did your icon conversion program handle the conversion of the new Windows multipage icons?  This would be a plus be because all one would have to do would be to go in and do some cleanup after the conversion.

I agree with you about PMView.  It is the only drawback I have with PMView.  To me, one should have the option of selecting either a black or white background.  I would chose the white.

I have noticed that a lot of the icons people have converted from other platforms are either 32x32, 40x40, or contain both sizes.  However, none I have found contain all four sized that are really needed to handle the smaller sizes except for the ones I have uploaded to Hobbes.

I don't remember but I think it did. You always got the 4 sizes available. I converted a lot of icons and it was really fast. I think, back then I used Stardock's icons. But you can download it and check the readme file. I tried to explain how to use it. Years ago Mickael Kaply from Mozilla asked me for the code and I gave them the whole thing. Also Martin published the code under GPL .... I think.

I really wanted to use an scale algorithm that could expand the 32x32 to 40x40 (interpolation of some kind), but I never got the time to do it.
The icon files are just Bitmaps (bmp files), so all the attributes you can think for a BMP you can have it for icons (colors and more).

Leonardo Pino

DavidG

Quote from: Saijin_Naib on 2007.10.25, 23:11:11

Do RGB icons really take that much more than 256 color icons?
Would you ever consider making a high-def and 256color distribution of your themes so people could choose?

The default folder icons for eCS 1.2 and above if I remember correctly are RGB icons.  The edges look blocky due to the way eCS handles the icon outlines.  Light colors are viewed as white.  This always has to be worked around unless your theme states it needs a light colored background for the icons to look OK.

DavidG

I have finished my "blackboard" theme.  There is a preview of what it looks like.

DavidG

I have also decided to try a different color scheme with the amiga cabinet style and am presently working on this.  I have no name for this modified version as of yet.

Saijin_Naib

Liking the blackboard theme, It looks very clean, and a little retro, and I am all for that.

DavidG

Quote from: Saijin_Naib on 2007.10.27, 18:09:16
Liking the blackboard theme, It looks very clean, and a little retro, and I am all for that.

Thanks

Depending on how well it is like, I realized that I can make all kinds of color variations to the scheme.  Red looks good, along with blue and majenta.  Most of the work is done.  All I would have to do would be to replace the black with the color I want.

DavidG

I just did a red version of the theme and applied it to the default eCS 2.0 backgrounds

Saijin_Naib

Pretty awesome :)
Gonna do the ROYGBIV thing?

DavidG

I have made warpin scripts of the most of my new themes.  I am awaiting premission to use a certain file that I need to update the themes.1st file in the ithemes directory.   Without premission, the file would have to be manually updated for each theme.  If all goes well, maybe by the upcoming weekend i will have the themes uploaded.

RobertM

For those who are following the forums and skip the home page, David has made one of his themes available - check here:

http://www.os2world.com/content/view/15040/2/

And much thanks to David Graser and Christian Hennecke for their efforts to make eCS prettier!!!



|
|
Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
|
|