A tool to make .ico files?
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Hi, Got a question. I've been developing my homebrew apps and it has occurred to me that when I put shortcut to an executable they are all represented by an ugly standard blue and white window rectangle. I want to make them prettier, whipping something up is not really a problem, however, converting is. Can anyone recommend a free tool to convert images to .ico format? Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon. Thanks.
Visual Studio does it you know
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Hi, Got a question. I've been developing my homebrew apps and it has occurred to me that when I put shortcut to an executable they are all represented by an ugly standard blue and white window rectangle. I want to make them prettier, whipping something up is not really a problem, however, converting is. Can anyone recommend a free tool to convert images to .ico format? Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon. Thanks.
I am not sure but I think good ol' ms paint can do that :) Aren't .ico actualy bitmaps? Edit: " Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon." :doh: OK forget mspaint.
"Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. " - Morpheus
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Axialis IconWorkshop[^] is way cool.
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I second Axialis, bought it a month or so ago. It's very nice and you get free upgrades for life.
Jonathan Wilkes Darka [Xanya.net]
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I am not sure but I think good ol' ms paint can do that :) Aren't .ico actualy bitmaps? Edit: " Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon." :doh: OK forget mspaint.
"Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. " - Morpheus
dnh wrote:
Aren't .ico actualy bitmaps?
certainly not. .ico actually contains several devices, of different sizes and colors depth...
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
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Hi, Got a question. I've been developing my homebrew apps and it has occurred to me that when I put shortcut to an executable they are all represented by an ugly standard blue and white window rectangle. I want to make them prettier, whipping something up is not really a problem, however, converting is. Can anyone recommend a free tool to convert images to .ico format? Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon. Thanks.
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dnh wrote:
Aren't .ico actualy bitmaps?
certainly not. .ico actually contains several devices, of different sizes and colors depth...
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
Well, make 16x16 bitmap. Save. Rename to .ico. It now appears as icon instead of bitmap. Can be used as icon for shortcuts. Just tested. I've made some icons for my app waaaay back in time this way.
"Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. " - Morpheus
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Hi, Got a question. I've been developing my homebrew apps and it has occurred to me that when I put shortcut to an executable they are all represented by an ugly standard blue and white window rectangle. I want to make them prettier, whipping something up is not really a problem, however, converting is. Can anyone recommend a free tool to convert images to .ico format? Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon. Thanks.
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dnh wrote:
Aren't .ico actualy bitmaps?
certainly not. .ico actually contains several devices, of different sizes and colors depth...
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
Usually I use MS Paint, make either a 16x16 or 32x32 bitmap and save it with the .ico extension. Never had problems.
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
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Well, make 16x16 bitmap. Save. Rename to .ico. It now appears as icon instead of bitmap. Can be used as icon for shortcuts. Just tested. I've made some icons for my app waaaay back in time this way.
"Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. " - Morpheus
wow i didn't know we could do that. for your side, open the default icon provided with a new project you create within Visual Studio, and see, there are 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, 64x64.... all these into a same .ico file
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
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Usually I use MS Paint, make either a 16x16 or 32x32 bitmap and save it with the .ico extension. Never had problems.
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
yes that certainly works for a 1 device icon... not for more complex ones
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wow i didn't know we could do that. for your side, open the default icon provided with a new project you create within Visual Studio, and see, there are 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, 64x64.... all these into a same .ico file
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
Just run mspaint in "expert" mode. :-D
"Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. " - Morpheus
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Just run mspaint in "expert" mode. :-D
"Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. " - Morpheus
dnh wrote:
Just run mspaint in "expert" mode
rotfl. do we have some undocumented command line switch for that ? :laugh:
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
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Usually I use MS Paint, make either a 16x16 or 32x32 bitmap and save it with the .ico extension. Never had problems.
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
How do you get transparency in the icon then?
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I am not sure but I think good ol' ms paint can do that :) Aren't .ico actualy bitmaps? Edit: " Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon." :doh: OK forget mspaint.
"Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. " - Morpheus
i found this excelent description by the way : Icon vs Bitmap[^]
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How do you get transparency in the icon then?
Don't know. I assumed that Windows took care of it. Can't remember for sure, but most likely my icons used all the bitmap space.
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
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dnh wrote:
Just run mspaint in "expert" mode
rotfl. do we have some undocumented command line switch for that ? :laugh:
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
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Hi, Got a question. I've been developing my homebrew apps and it has occurred to me that when I put shortcut to an executable they are all represented by an ugly standard blue and white window rectangle. I want to make them prettier, whipping something up is not really a problem, however, converting is. Can anyone recommend a free tool to convert images to .ico format? Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon. Thanks.
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Anton Afanasyev wrote:
:~ X| are you mad ? leave me my native Paint please
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
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Anton Afanasyev wrote:
:~ X| are you mad ? leave me my native Paint please
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
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Hi, Got a question. I've been developing my homebrew apps and it has occurred to me that when I put shortcut to an executable they are all represented by an ugly standard blue and white window rectangle. I want to make them prettier, whipping something up is not really a problem, however, converting is. Can anyone recommend a free tool to convert images to .ico format? Something that preferably supports transparency, and can embed several images in one .ico file so that the same file could be used for the shortcut and the application icon. Thanks.
I would highly recommend
Paint Express: http://www.slavasoft.com/paintexpress/index.htm[^]. One of its best features is that you can start with a high color (24/32-bit) bitmap, copy it to the clipboard, and have the product automatically generate multiple sized and multiple depth (e.g. 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, XP-style w/Alpha, 24-Bit and 8-Bit) icons from it, and it generate them all at once using a single interface! Fastest way to create icons from bitmaps, and you can use whatever paint tool you are familiar with that can spit put BMP files. The only thing is that you have to open the Generated ICO files in DevStudio (or whatever) to fill in the Transparent areas with the Transparent color. Some of the best money I ever spent. Peace!-=- James
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