Icon Editor - COMPETITION TIME

RandomCoder · #1 (**permalink**) 07-15-2007, 01:24 PM

Please see this thread for where the idea has come from and some links to other sites detailing the format of an icon file http://www.basic4ppc.com/forum/questions-windows-mobile/580-icon-editor-ppc-best.html

I'm going to need some help to set this in motion because I don't fully understand what is required myself

It looks like we need to program an editor that is capable of drawing/modifying two or three different size icons namely 16x16, 32x32 and 48x48 with a standard set of colours.
There is then also two layers that are required, the AND and the XOR mask. From what I can understand this is to do with transparency.
Once the image has been created we then need to save it to a file that is correctly formatted to be recognized as a valid Icon file (which interestingly can contain more than one image). A good example of an icon file with several images included is the WiFi icon on your device!!!!

Who's up for the challenge?
Can anyone shed some more light on what we actually need to do to make this work?
I've got to admit that creating the designer I think should be easy enough but I've had very little involvement with creating files so that will be my biggest hurdle

Regards,
RandomCoder

Erel · #2 (**permalink**) 07-19-2007, 05:42 AM

Attached is a small application that reads icon files, shows the color palette and the images.
It is based on this page: http://www.daubnet.com/formats/ICO.html
You can use it and expand it to an editor.

Stellaferox · #3 (**permalink**) 07-19-2007, 09:22 AM

I think that is a very good start with equal opportunities for everyone. RandomCoder, I think you pretty much covered the needs so far. SAVE and LOAD-features.
I suggest after the competition we pick a winner and that program will be standardized with features that are well thought of from the other candidates. This program can be built up as "our" very own editor and put on the net.
What say you....?

RandomCoder · #4 (**permalink**) 07-19-2007, 12:55 PM

I love the idea

But do we need a more clearly defined structure?

I also think that one month (just four weeks) is possibly a too restrictive timescale for most people given the level of work and research that is required.
Would it be better to say two months?
For those of us in the UK, this pretty much coincides with the childrens school hildays and so I guess that some people will be busy with holidays whilst others maybe enjoying some extra free time.

I really like the idea and I'm well up for it but I'm just a little afraid that I will not be able to make proper sense of the file handling side of things.
But at least I should learn a lot from this

Regards,
RandomCoder.

Cableguy · #5 (**permalink**) 07-19-2007, 01:27 PM

I tryed the sample app and I can't see an icon image, in whatever size I choose!!

RandomCoder · #6 (**permalink**) 07-19-2007, 07:41 PM

I just located an icon file in the windows directory, haven't tried it on the device yet. I know that the WiFi icon is a good icon to chose.

Got to admit that I got several errors when trying different files and different size icons but you have to accept that it was very good of Erel to demonstrate how it should work.

Regards,
RandomCoder.

Erel · #7 (**permalink**) 07-19-2007, 08:17 PM

This application only supports icons with 256 colors or 16 colors (like the icons supported by devices).

RandomCoder · #8 (**permalink**) 07-24-2007, 05:49 PM

Has anyone tried doing anything with this yet????

Its really, really difficult

I'm trying to create the designer.
First of all I started by using Buttons set in a 32x32 grid but that took WAY too long to load. I then thought that I could use Labels instead but this took just as long.
I've now worked around the problem by drawing directly on the form (don't want to give too much away

), but now my next problem is finding a source that lists the standard device colours.
I want to create the pallete and need to set the correct RGB values. Can anyone point me in the direction of a good source of information

Regards,
RandomCoder

Erel · #9 (**permalink**) 07-24-2007, 06:57 PM

Devices support about 65,000 colors.
I've attached a text file with a list of 256 colors you could regard as a standard palette.
Here is a link to a very nice icon editor (for the desktop) which will help you understand how icons are built: http://www.mintrasystems.com/product...uct.php?p=iico

RandomCoder · #10 (**permalink**) 07-24-2007, 08:35 PM

I've created the pallete using a For loop and was hoping to assign the colours using a kind of algorithm. Then when a Button is pressed I just grab the Color assigned to it and use that to draw with.

Have you any other suggestions as to how I can program around this?
I'm really pleased with the editor, I've got it running pretty quick now.

Regards,
RandomCoder