DO's image conversion seems to be sufficient. I can convert any image file to a different type of a specific size. I've been able to create the .dis file and it worked... although for some reason, the icons weren't immediately available. When I tried selecting one while configuring a new button, the icons would appear with the others but I couldn't select them. But it worked the 2nd time around.
Question: which of the available destination formats should be used? GIF, JPEG, PNG, BMP?
nate
You should be able to use any of those. In fact, I just found out today that the Opus 8 Icon Set is on your hard drive in .dis format, if you want to dissect it.
Go to /dopusglobaldata\Icons and you will see the Opus8Icons.dis. It's just a zip file, which can be listed.
Inside are two .png files and the XML file:[ul][li] AllIconsLarge.png[/li]
[li] AllIconsSmall.png[/li]
[li] Opus8Icons.xml[/li][/ul]
Hello,
I've been reading this thread, but haven't commented until now.
I have no doubt that eventually there will be a DOpus update or a good windows program that will create the dis fle.
A dis file is easily imported to a flash drve export of DOpus.
I couldn't wait either, and I am writing a PHP5 program that generates the internal xml file of a dis file of several individual icons using the PHP5 xmlWriter.
I have the program working now for a directory of icons ( gif or png ) that I upload to a directory.
There are a few problems yet:[ul]1) Unfortunately, unix filenames don't allow all unicode characters ( on my server anyway ).
2) I can create a unix textfile of the code in utf-8, but it's Unix and the newlines don't display properly in Windows notepad.
Textpad or Ultraedit see it though.
3) Noone wants to upload their icon files to my server.
That would be quite stupid.
4) How can the image size be determined if the fles aren't present on the server ?
It really is best that they be the same size.
[/ul]
So, I'm working on a copy and paste solution.
One needs to use Clipboard Copynames nopaths to get a list of image filenames.
Then, one pastes the clipboard into an HTML form textarea.
Click submit and a new page asks for filename aliases, image sizes, etc.....
I'm working on this now.
Click Submit again and and the result is then posted in another HTML textarea.
Just copy and paste into Notepad or your text editor and save it as the name of the dis XML file.
I have a crude result page of a demo large icon set posted here .
I am Not really the Artist and GPSoft is Not the copyright holder.
I'm still working on it.
Perhaps a week from now, maybe sooner ....
Zippo
They should all work but PNG is generally the best format for this type of image, since it compresses well without losing any information and it also allows for 24-bit colour (unlike GIF) with an 8-bit alpha channel (unlike any of the other formats) for smooth shadows and antialiasing on any background colour.
Example of the PNG alpha channel in action:
nudel.dopus.com/opus9/transparency.html
(Note the shadows.)
Thanks for the recommendation Nudel.
nate
One other question related to image conversion...
If I have an .ico and a .png file as a source (but the .png is 256x256 and needs to be resized), is the .png also a higher quality candidate to copy from as well?
nate
It depends how the .ico file was made.
These days .ico files can be up to 256x256 and have alpha channels just like PNG files. The only difference is they'd be bigger as they are not compressed.
(Actually, on Windows Vista, .ico files can literally contain PNG images.)
That said, not all .ico files will be high quality. Some may only contain a 16x16 8-colour image, for example.
I've made some progress on my PHP5 xml file generator.
The idea is to use PHP5 to create the xml file of a dis file that contains various similar sized png or gif icon images.
It's not finished yet.
It needs at least one more good work session.
It uses this button to copy filenames of images to the clipboard:
Clipboard Copynames nopathsIt won't output the final result yet, but utf-8 unicode is working !
I'm working on a javascript pulldown menu that populates all the image size text fields.
The idea is that one may choose either 'small' or 'large' from a pulldown menu and the sizes textfields are populated with 20 x 20 or 32 x 32.
These textfields can be edited as well.
On submit, a function validates that the sizes are numeric.
Hmmm.... I can do the function, but I just thought of another problem as the form action is to another page and not the same page.
Well, in any case the dummy 'ww' and 'hh' entries that are there now will not be there when all is working.
You can see it here.
Interpreting the post data of this is really not that difficult.
Much of it is just a big array.
Hmmm.... maybe I'll have it by monday.
Regards,
Zippo
Just in case anyone is interested, it's all working now.
I've moved it to here.
I have no doubt that we'll eventually have something more integrated with Directory Opus.
Untill then, this can be a time saver.
Zippo
P.S.
Nice Dave... I'm trying out your webscript now and will shout back with results...
Also, for anyone reading this thread and hearing about Axialis Icon Workshop... It is indeed a good icon editor, but you might also want to try IcoFX - which is a freeware icon editor and has alot of the saem features and ease of use points that the Axialis product has.
Hi Steje,
Well, if you can believe this..... you're really the first to try it !
Out of curiousity, I do log the UTF-8 unix textfiles.
It's really not full unicode yet.
The PHP5 XML writer saves alot of PHP code writing,
but fails with unicode on the Displayed Name, Copyright, and Artist tags.
It's just not all there yet.
I think I can hack fix it, but noone at all is interested.
Works fine for me though !
I've converted all my toolbar icons to dis files.
BTW, you do need to convert to the small size icons.
Directory Opus does not resize an icon in a dis file yet.
As of 9.002 it does crop from the upper lefthand corner.
If your icons are already square in size,
you'll save yourself a few headaches if you simply resize them using Directory Opus.
Convert to png and resize.
It results in a 32 bit png with transparency intact.
Whatever DO is using is quite good for this.
Nothing ugly at all, crisp and not too thick.
Fast and easy !
Other thoughts:
It would be very good to see a Directory Opus USB export with all of the dis files.
As of now you need to import them in yourself .
Don't forget to add dis to your Preferences zip file extensions if you use that.
Zippo
Edit Note: June 18
[quote]It's really not full unicode yet.
The PHP5 XML writer saves alot of PHP code writing,
but fails with unicode on the Displayed Name, Copyright, and Artist tags.
It's just not all there yet.
I think I can hack fix it, but noone at all is interested.
[/quote]
This is fixed now.
A hack fix was not needed.
I was over encoding to UTF-8.
I also needed to convert some HTML entities back to UTF-8 to make the logged textfile fully UTF-8.
Hi Steje,
[ul]1) I'm thinking that 16 x 16 pixel icons may be better in context and drop menus.
2) For fun I created a dis file of the Beautiful 256 x 256 pixel icons embedded in dopus.exe.[/ul]
The results are beautiful and just hillarious !
Shout back and I'll give you the dis file !
Dave
post it!
Hi nate_dawg,
These icons are absolutely beautiful.
I had posted a feature request some time ago for a few images that I could use to make a window decal for my Ford Explorer Sport.
I'm seriously thinking of using this one.
These are copyrighted images, and I'm reluctant to post the simple dis file I made.
The image names in the file are just On The Fly names I thought of as are the displayed names.
Selecting the images while editing a button is difficult at best.
They are extremely layered upon one another and it's very difficult to know exactly which image one is selecting.
It also screws up the allicons file.
However, I burst out laughing after creating and seeing an actual button at 256 x 256 resolution.
Note that smaller sizes of these icons are also embedded in dopus.exe.
That said, if you'd really like to try out my 256 x 256 dis file , I'd be happy to give you a private link to download it.
Dave
Where can i downlaod the manual
Thanks
Wow,
This really is an old thread !
To answer your question, the full specifications for Icon Sets are downloadable from GPSoft on the same page as you download program updates from.
gpsoft.com.au/DScripts/Download.asp
Regards,
Dave
Thnaks Dave
[quote="David"]
So, I'm working on a copy and paste solution.
One needs to use Clipboard Copynames nopaths to get a list of image filenames.
Then, one pastes the clipboard into an HTML form textarea.
Click submit and a new page asks for filename aliases, image sizes, etc.....
I'm working on this now.
Click Submit again and and the result is then posted in another HTML textarea.
Just copy and paste into Notepad or your text editor and save it as the name of the dis XML file.
I have a crude result page of a demo large icon set posted here .
I am Not really the Artist and GPSoft is Not the copyright holder.
I'm still working on it.
Perhaps a week from now, maybe sooner ....
Zippo[/quote]
This is an old tread but I remember I used a button or a tool that created the entries in the xml file. I think it was the tool in the quote above from David.
Sadly the link does not work. Does anyone have a button or any other way to create this entries in the xml for the .dis file.
Thanks in advance.
It's here if anyone else is looking for it.
It hasn't been worked on since it was first written.
It would probably be a good idea to read the Directory Opus Icon Set Specifications first.
It may not be what you are really looking for.
Thank you very much David. Such a great tool.