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.
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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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.
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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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.
IcoFx - a good free icon editor.
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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.
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.
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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 like Snico Edit too. Google it.
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Axialis IconWorkshop[^] is way cool.
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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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Visual Studio does it you know
[VisualCalc][Flags Beginner's Guide][CommDialogs new! ] | [Forums Guidelines]
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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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
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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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"
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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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]
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"