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  3. A tool to make .ico files?

A tool to make .ico files?

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  • F Fernando A Gomez F

    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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    Rama Krishna Vavilala
    wrote on last edited by
    #15

    How do you get transparency in the icon then?

    F 1 Reply Last reply
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    • D DavidNohejl

      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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      toxcct
      wrote on last edited by
      #16

      i found this excelent description by the way : Icon vs Bitmap[^]


      [VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]

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      • R Rama Krishna Vavilala

        How do you get transparency in the icon then?

        F Offline
        F Offline
        Fernando A Gomez F
        wrote on last edited by
        #17

        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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        • T toxcct

          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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          Anton Afanasyev
          wrote on last edited by
          #18

          Yes, called Shift+Delete on the exe file. And then replace with Paint.net


          :badger:

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          • D daniilzol

            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.

            C Offline
            C Offline
            Clickok
            wrote on last edited by
            #19

            Free and very good: AWIcons Lite[^]


            Engaged in learning of English grammar ;)
            For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:16) :badger:

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            • A Anton Afanasyev

              Yes, called Shift+Delete on the exe file. And then replace with Paint.net


              :badger:

              T Offline
              T Offline
              toxcct
              wrote on last edited by
              #20

              Anton Afanasyev wrote:

              Paint.net

              :~ X| are you mad ? leave me my native Paint please


              [VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]

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              • T toxcct

                Anton Afanasyev wrote:

                Paint.net

                :~ X| are you mad ? leave me my native Paint please


                [VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]

                A Offline
                A Offline
                Anton Afanasyev
                wrote on last edited by
                #21

                Paint.Net[^] Your choice.


                :badger:

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                • D daniilzol

                  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.

                  J Offline
                  J Offline
                  James R Twine
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #22

                  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
                  Please rate this message - let me know if I helped or not! * * * If you think it costs a lot to do it right, just wait until you find out how much it costs to do it wrong!
                  Avoid driving a vehicle taller than you and remember that Professional Driver on Closed Course does not mean your Dumb Ass on a Public Road!
                  See DeleteFXPFiles

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                  • A Anton Afanasyev

                    Paint.Net[^] Your choice.


                    :badger:

                    T Offline
                    T Offline
                    toxcct
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #23

                    far from me


                    [VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]

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                    • D DavidNohejl

                      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

                      E Offline
                      E Offline
                      Ed Poore
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #24

                      That's because the shell icon for an icon file (as defined in the registry) is %1, i.e. itself so Windows is (just) intelligent enough to understand how to load bitmaps as well as icon files so renders it.  But it's not a valid icon file.

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                      • D daniilzol

                        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.

                        W Offline
                        W Offline
                        Warren Stevens
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #25

                        Check this out for a big list of icon resources: www.IconsReview.com[^] There is a list of articles on icons, tools for creating/editing icons, and lists of free and commercial icon collections. Hope that helps... :) Warren


                        www.IconsReview.com[^] Huge list of stock icon collections (both free and commercial)

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                        • D daniilzol

                          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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                          I Offline
                          Insincere Dave
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #26

                          IcoFx - a good free icon editor.

                          1 Reply Last reply
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                          • D daniilzol

                            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.

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            Daniel Grunwald
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #27

                            Heh, I was just thinking that I should continue writing my icon editor plugin for SharpDevelop (currently it's just an .ico viewer). The code to read/write .ico files is already there, supporting all three icon styles - classic AND/XOR bitmaps, XP-style [bitmap with alpha-channel] and Vista-style [.png file(s) embedded inside the .ico] - just the GUI is missing.

                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • D daniilzol

                              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.

                              C Offline
                              C Offline
                              code frog 0
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #28

                              I like Snico Edit too. Google it.

                              1 Reply Last reply
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                              • D Dario Solera

                                Axialis IconWorkshop[^] is way cool.

                                ________________________________________________ Personal Blog [ITA] - Tech Blog [ENG] - My Photos Developing ScrewTurn Wiki 2.0 (2.0 RC is out)

                                A Offline
                                A Offline
                                Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #29

                                Definitely. Everyone who's seen my copy has wandered off and bought their own, so it must be impressive! :laugh:

                                Anna :rose: Linting the day away :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"

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                                • T toxcct

                                  Visual Studio does it you know


                                  [VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]

                                  A Offline
                                  A Offline
                                  Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #30

                                  Correction: Visual Studio does it badly you know. ;P

                                  Anna :rose: Linting the day away :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"

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                                  • F Fernando A Gomez F

                                    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

                                    A Offline
                                    A Offline
                                    Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #31

                                    It doesn't. The formats are different.

                                    Anna :rose: Linting the day away :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"

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                                    • A Anna Jayne Metcalfe

                                      Correction: Visual Studio does it badly you know. ;P

                                      Anna :rose: Linting the day away :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"

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                                      T Offline
                                      toxcct
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #32

                                      why do you say badly ? it does it, and that's all we need. it's not an icon editor, so managing layouts and such stuff like advanced editors do is optional adds.


                                      [VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]

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                                      • T toxcct

                                        why do you say badly ? it does it, and that's all we need. it's not an icon editor, so managing layouts and such stuff like advanced editors do is optional adds.


                                        [VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]

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                                        A Offline
                                        Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #33

                                        The big one is that it can't adequately create alternate sizes/colour depths from a single image, change hue/saturation or define transparency. Try out the demo of Icon Workshop and you'll see what I mean - I struggled for years with VS's icon editor, and it was quite frankly painful.

                                        Anna :rose: Linting the day away :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"

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