[caraewilton]

Hi everyone
I need to create a few icons for windows.
I am currently using windows vista.
I have corel photoshop and the gimp. Are either of these programmes capable of creating an icon, and if so how.
Alternatively does anyone know of a good free programme that I could use instead. I have the picture I want to turn into icons in .gif and . jpg format already.
Many thanks
Cara

[Noyb]

Since you said "free" ... I'd use ... http://www.irfanview.com/
and save as an ico file.

Irfaniew makes a very good default replacement for Vista's Photo Gallery
Why gif or jpg ??

[caraewilton]

Hi Noyb. I like your christmas hat
I already have Irfanview and use it as my default browser. I just forgot it has some nifty editing and saving options. Worked ever so easily. Just press "s" and off you go. It also offers a couple of different icon formats.
Grand idea. Many thanks.
Oh, experimented a little, gimp, save as also has icon formats, which can be accessed from save as. But a lot more effort required in order to produce a good quality, clear icon.

[lister]

This may suit ... @icon sushi
http://www.towofu.net/soft/e-aicon.php

[Noyb]

I use Microangleo and "On Display" .. but it's been awhile.
Made some custom Irfanview Icons for the plugins .. but don't think Vista will let you use them.

Seems like Vista's engineers forgot there's a difference between Icons and Thumbnails ..
and your gonna get thumbnails .. like it or not.

[caraewilton]

Hi Noyb. Well, I run a programme called rocket docket, which has a docker that pops up on mouse over. On this I have short cuts to programmes I use regulaly. Rocket docket uses png icons. Irfanview makes super png is a jiffy, so I now have the shortcut to the company letter head template as the companies logo instead of W. Looks cool.
As for regular icons working in vista?
I will need to experiment further. I can't get a .gif or .jpg to work as an icon, had hoped it might with the new operating system. So I think the old windows icon format is still used.

[caraewilton]

Your Icons seem to work in vista. I changed the icon of a short cut on my desktop to a cat eye tattoed with BMP

[Noyb]

Do they show on the desktop as labeled Icons ???
gif .. bmp .. jpeg ... etc ... for an Image file on the desk top ... not shortcut ???

I liked my Cat's blue eye better than Irfan's red bandit.

You anywhere near .. Wierda Park, Centurion

[caraewilton]

Sorry Nyob, not quite sure what you are asking. Your file is a dll. I created a a short cut on my desktop of a random word document. I then right clicked, went to properties and clicked on change icon. I then browsed to your file and opened it. Took the first icon, the blue eyed cat and said okay. Now the icon for that short cut is the one you made.
By the same token, I tried to use a gif and jpeg as an icon, but vista would not accept these.
In other words, it behaves exactly like xp does. Hope this sort of answers your question.

[caraewilton]

What I have noticed that if I paste a jpeg file on my desktop, it shows the thumbnail. Personally I prefer this, as I have a lot of things I am working with so it is easy to find the correct picture. The only drawback is, if I have different formats of the same picture. To get around that, I have set vista to show known file extensions.

[caraewilton]

Originally Posted by Noyb

You anywhere near .. Wierda Park, Centurion

Yes PTA. Why?

[Noyb]

I hate this .. If I wanted Thumbnails .. I'd ask for them
If Thumbnails make good icons for images ...
then why not Thumbnails for word docs, pdfs ... etc ??

Life sure is easier in XP .. IMHO

[caraewilton]

You have a point. It would be nice if one could set this. But I have always worked in thumbnail view on xp, so had not even noticed until now

[Noyb]

Thumbnails are great .. But not as an icon on the desktop.
I see that Vista still is not able to show Thumbnails for PSD files.
If they can't do it right then why force it ??

OK .. I'll quit complaining about Vista.

[caraewilton]

Thanks to Noyb I have discovered an annoying quirk in Vista. The MS gods have elected to disable thumbnail view of wmf files. Apparently they are a security threat and it has been decided than rather than fix the threat, the function will just be diabled. Good and well, except wmf is MS own format for vector graphics. I also have about 500000 of the damb things. Will have to use irfanview.
On another side, it is possible to dissable the thumbnail view of other picture formats. If you interested Nyob, will let you know how it is done