And attempted to search but found nothing. I am the owner of a Dash (Excalibur), but have two friends running Wings and they would like to know how to change around home screens. Ruttensoft and MadBeetle seem to be geared towards different sized screens.
Any software out there to efficiently change the screens?
Go to Settings, then TODAY, then under ITEMS
Apologize for not being more clear. I would like to create my own homescreens
Use any popular photo editing software (Photoshop, Paintshop, even IfranView) and crop/shrink the image to a 320x320 resolution. Send the image to your phone... Menu > Set as Today Background. Set the parameters you like (transparancy and the such) and hit OK.
Unless of course you want to change the colors of your Today screen too... then you'd have to use something like ThemeGen to create a theme from scratch and export it as a .tsk file.
Personally, I just use SKTools. It allows you to change all the colors from within the program. No need to create theme files or anything! Plus you get a much wider range of colors.
freakingwilly said:
Use any popular photo editing software (Photoshop, Paintshop, even IfranView) and crop/shrink the image to a 320x320 resolution. Send the image to your phone... Menu > Set as Today Background. Set the parameters you like (transparancy and the such) and hit OK.
Unless of course you want to change the colors of your Today screen too... then you'd have to use something like ThemeGen to create a theme from scratch and export it as a .tsk file.
Personally, I just use SKTools. It allows you to change all the colors from within the program. No need to create theme files or anything! Plus you get a much wider range of colors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That easy eh? I need to dump my Dash!
Want to create your own icon sets based on an existing one?
Tired of manually having to apply all necessary steps per icon?
Well... maybe this little tool can help you:
Icon Set-Builder v1.x
:: Introduction ::
Lately I saw an icon style I'd liked and wanted to recreate it using Android ICS icons as base.
Using Paint.NET I could create my template and do so... but since Paint.NET does not support scripting, I had to do everything (resizing, changing color and transparency, applying as alpha mask to my template, etc) again and again for about 200 times.
Being a .NET developer, I thought "Why not write a little script to do that treadmill work for me?".
Well, finally it grew into this "Icon Set-Builder" tool.
:: Screenshots ::
Here's one screenshot of the app, more are in the second post or here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/byzwc8u40kjuai0/xIQ72kDZBG
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
:: Features ::
What can you do with it?
Well, basically it works with several layers (template, icon, mask and overlay) for each you can apply a lot of adjustments.
The basic steps:
Choose a template and, if supported, a template style (i.e. several colors)
Choose your favorite icon set
Optionally, choose an alpha mask to be applied for each icon
Optionally, choose a matching overlay
Play around with the settings
Let the tool generate your icon set
All changes you make are immediately applied to the previews, so you always know, what the result would look like.
Basic icon sets (ICS, Metro, PixelPerfect, iOS-like) and templates are included.
Most templates i created myself myself, some are based on or inspired by other's ideas (see below).
But of course you are free and encouraged to create your own stuff and contribute!
Well... that's what it's for, right?
To easier bring your own ideas to live!
:: Download Location ::
Versions 0.9.x as well as (maybe in time...) older versions can be found in this DropBox:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e837ronlu4k4roc/j_kuqNgUo0
Download of version 1.0.0 and later is available here:
http://iconsetbuilder.echtzeitig.de
Direct links for latest version:
MSI-Installer
ZIP-Archive
Some AddOns:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6edgq8hnvxkur5y/lBL0R4i8n2
Both a simply zipped version as well as an MSI-installer are available.
The folder also contains a ZIP "IconSetBuilder_Samples.zip" containing some created samples.
The tool itself is only 160kB, but with base stuff it's about 9MB.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Using MSI-installer, v0.9.1 should no longer cause problems with Windows "User Access Control", since the installation folder changed.
Also fixed a nasty bug with leftover debug-code which tried to save an intermediate image in "D:\Temp" and crashed if that folder was not available. SORRY!!!
Requirements: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later, but I guess that's already installed nowadays on all Windows PCs.
:: Samples ::
Sheets displaying a few icons of various styles can be found here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cugwu9xzh06riuh/ecqPW_CzTY
More samples as single PNG icons are here (no complete sets!!):
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tvvmptmz47rnq2e/RDL4p3oTFZ
:: Detailed Features ::
Template:
Choose a basic template
Some templates may offer styles, i.e. various colors
Templates may have matching default settings, which one can automatically load and apply
Adjust size, cropping and position
Modify colors: invert, greyscale, transparency
Icon Set:
Choose icon set
Adjust size, cropping and position
Modify colors: invert, greyscale, transparency
Choose style: overlay / blend with template / apply as alpha mask (i.e. to create a "cut-out" in the template)
Apply a shadow/glow effect
Rotate the icon
Add mirror effect on X- or Y-axis with adjustable axis-position
Choose all or just some icons you want to use
Textual Icons:
Choose a txt-file containing the texts for your icons in icon set-list
Choose your favorite font from system or custom folder
Change the fonts size and style
Change color and transparency for the text
Choose alignment (top/middle/bottom, left/center/right)
Choose wether text should wrap on blanks and/or shrink to fit inside the available space
Use all basic effects mentioned above for further modifications
Alpha Mask:
If you wish, you can apply an alpha mask to the icon
This allows i.e. to cut off parts
Overlay:
If you wish, choose an overlay
Adjust size, cropping and position
Modify colors: invert, greyscale, transparency
Choose style: overlay / blend with template / apply as alpha mask
Preview:
Save currently shown icon as single file (without generating complete set)
Open a preview window which "simulates" a phone's screen
Choose between different backgrounds to see what it looks like
Layouts from 3x3 to 5x6, plus dock
Create:
Choose the output size of the icon, from 8x8 to 256x256 everything is possible
Give your icon set a name (will be used as folder name)
If the folder exists, you can let the tool automatically create a new one (i.e. "My Set (001)") or use the existing output folder
If an existing folder contains icons, you can let the tool delete all of them before generating the new set
Optionally save your settings for later reuse
Press "Generate" and watch it do it's work
The tool works pretty fast. Some effects (shadow basically) may take a little longer. But overall it takes less than or only a little longer than a second per icon.
:: Thanks and Mentions ::
I would like to thank the following guys for their great work and inspiration.
Their ideas and work are the fundament the tools is build upon.
Some elements I reused as templates or basics, I hope they don't mind (will inform them soon and will remove from tool if necessary).
NiteOwl360
for the great "Semi Sense" icons I cut and spliced and re-implemented as template
BlackBearBlanc
for his awesome minimalistic ICS-based icon sets, which I included honorably as templates
for his work on the ICS- and additional icons included as base in some of his set (BTW: some needed optimization; I did so *g*)
rawdealer
for his "PixelPerfect" icon set, great minimal basic set; I took the liberty to also include them
P_C
for his "3C" icon set, great minimal basic set; I took the liberty to also include them
Unknown guys:
the various Suave icons I included
the various other iOS-like icons I included
various creators of Metro-styled icons (I don't quite remember which one I used for creating my basic set, SORRY!!!)
Samples
Some samples, more attached:
Eclipse Rounded Square:
Roostilabel'd Metro:
Semi Sense'd:
Sketch (Chalkboard)
Wooden Plate
Colored Tiles
"3C" in 3D
More samples of V1.0.0 in this posting.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31505848&postcount=123
Version 1.1.0:
Greatly optimized performance for many functions, average 30-40% faster now
Label-over-Icon with seperate "Shadow" settings
Mirror: Optimized and enhanced, more options
"Open folder"-buttons to easily open folders (i.e. containing Exports) in Explorers
Details here.
Version 1.0.2:
NEW: Textual Icons: change texts case to lower case, UPPER CASE or Title Case
NEW: Textual Icons: "wrap" and "shrink" for 2-line-text-icons
NEW: Textual Icons: rewritten 2-line-text-icons functions
FIXED: Rotation of final icons sometimes resulted in not properly sized icons (i.e. 128x124 instead of square 128x128)
Version 1.0.1:
Added "Brightness to Alpha": Create single color icons with the original icons' brightness used as transparency value. More in this posting.
Version 1.0.0:
New stuff:
App Settings: Some settings are now stored in a config-file, like chosen Visual Style, Preview Device or Author Name
Continue session: When closing Icon Set-Builder, this current settings are automatically saved, so next time you start the tool, you are asked wether you want to load the settings and continue your work.
Add to queue: If you want to create multiple icon sets (different, slightly changed or whatever), you may queue the generating and finally start processing all queued sets at once.
Import/Export: FINALLY the long awaited feature to export your creation to a ZIP file and of course import ones from others is available!
Overlays now also have "Hue/Satuation/Lightness" settings like templates.
FEATURE: Download from Web
FEATURE: Import/Export
FEATURE: "Devices" in Simulation
FEATURE: Levels and Gamma
FEATURE: Label Over Icon
FEATURE: Tool "Extract from Titanium Backup"
FEATURE: "Save settings as default"
FEATURE: "Process Queue"
FEATURE: Random items
Detailed descriptions in this post and following.
Improved:
Speed: At various places I could improve the speed a lot.
Rotation: Rotating had some issues, didn't work correctly sometimes, or left too large margins.
Version 0.9.9a:
Hotfix for invalid file name when trying to generate a 2-line styled textual icon set (TAB contained in file name - DUH!!)
Version 0.9.9:
Interims release with just 2 new enhancements/features:
"Fade Out" with adjustable width in "Mirror" function; can be used for mirror reflection also, just set the "axis" appropriately
"2 Line Text Icons": allows to create textual icons with two lines that can be configured seperatly (font, size, color)
Items in TXT-file for icons must contain both lines' texts seperated by TAB-character (i.e. "Read[TAB]Mails")
Enable in "Textual Icons" tab and configure
Version 0.9.8:
Lots of new functions and effects:
Use icon as Mask
Colorize icon
Colorize template
FX: Random Hue Shift
FX: Apply Texture
FX: Pseudo 3D
In-detail descriptions in this and the next postings:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30344572#post30344503
Many samples (not complete sets!) you can find here in the DropBox (previews and zips):
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/udpmii8763x7zs0/lXfLC3fcfg
Version 0.9.7:
Minor changes.
HSB color functions are now also available for template
Moved "Generate" parts (output size, icon set name, buttons) from tab to main window area
Version 0.9.6b:
In version 0.9.6 MSI and ZIPs one DevExpress DLL was missing, app didn't even start, SORRY for that!
Uploaded 0.9.6b with included missing file, should work now properly.
Version 0.9.6:
Added "Random Rotation" as finalize function
Added "Crop to icon size" as finalize function
...plus all from 0.9.5pre2
Read more here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29991028&postcount=47
Version 0.9.5pre2:
Preview version only right now, not released yet!!!
Reworking UI in progress
New effect "Pixelation"
New effect "Color Accent" with three modes and adjustable width of accent
Color Accent: only accent chosen color
Primary Color: finds primary color in icon and accentuates that color
Replace Primary Color: finds primary color, but uses chosen color for accentuation
New adjustments "HSL":
Shift HUE in color wheel, i.e. red becomes blue etc
Adjust SATURATION (boost or dim color strength)
Adjust BRIGHTNESS, make colors brighter or darker
Version 0.9.3:
Only added functionality to save currently shown icon as single file (without generating complete set).
Version 0.9.2:
Added "Simulation Preview":
Open a preview window which "simulates" a phone's screen
Choose between different backgrounds to see what it looks like
Layouts from 3x3 to 5x6, plus dock
Version 0.9.1:
SORRY the first version caused problems. Didn't take Windows Vista/7 UAC into account. Also there was a stupid DEBUG-code left over, which tried to save an intermediate file into "D:\Temp", but crashed if that path didn't exist. That and hopefully missing rights related problems are fixed now. For MSI please try 0.9.1, it uses a different (per user) install folder, so UAC should be history now. Uninstall 0.9.0 before.
reserved3
reserved4
Looks like a great tool! Does it make an apk that will automatically apply the icons?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
No, sorry. Maybe the name is misleading. It creates a folder containing the generated PNGs. But that's an interesting idea!
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for share
Enviado desde mi MB860 usando Tapatalk 2
will try when i am free:good:
Thank you this will make it alot easier, was gonna do an icon set.
Added quick note in first post regarding Windows's UAC.
When using MSI installer, you might encounter the tool runs, but is not able to generate icons.
Sorry, will fix this soon. For now: use "Run as administrator" in this case. Or use ZIP and unzip to a non-protected folder.
Version 0.9.1 available.
SORRY the first version caused problems. Didn't take Windows Vista/7 UAC into account. Also there was a stupid DEBUG-code left over, which tried to save an intermediate file into "D:\Temp", but crashed if that path didn't exist. That and hopefully missing rights related problems are fixed now.
For MSI please try 0.9.1, it uses a different (per user) install folder, so UAC should be history now. Uninstall 0.9.0 before.
Thanks for this! I'm not having any troubles so far.
If only I could compile these icons to nova, but that's another difficulty level for me.
Will your program work with this icon set: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1702688
Would be a great way to help it get rounded out more quickly.
MissionImprobable said:
Will your program work with this icon set: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1702688
Would be a great way to help it get rounded out more quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think so! PSD looks good, will give it a try this evening.
Suhweetness. Thanks much.
Lala v2
MissionImprobable said:
Will your program work with this icon set: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1702688
Would be a great way to help it get rounded out more quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's done, created assets for Icon Set-Builder from Lala V2-PSD-template. You need high resolution icons, but it works pretty well.
BUT: Not only did I port the template, I also added a LOT of different backgrounds for the basic icon. This opens a lot of new possibilities, i.e. to create icons like wooden block with ICS icons.
Here are some screenshots and samples:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1f6ys481qoaxdks/CmXHR4I1m2
You can download the "Lala V2"-assets here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6edgq8hnvxkur5y/lBL0R4i8n2
It's two ZIPs, one for 128x128 icons, one for 256x256 ones.
You must unzip the ZIPs into the Icon Set-Builder-tools "Assets"-folder (i.e. located at "c:\Users\{User}\AppData\Roaming\Icon Set-Builder\Assets\" if installed using the MSI).
After that it's listed in "Templates" and also applies default settings.
Enjoy!
EDIT: Fixed ZIPs, unzip into "Assets" didn't work, accidently there was an additional subfolder in the ZIP. Now it works.
Great job on getting it done so quickly and putting together such a cool utility. I've always had a bit of trouble keeping full unity when I'm trying to build icons from beveled/3D icon PSDs so this is perfect.
Here's one more you might like to add if you get the chance: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=26818917
Your Builder is definitely one of the best theme aids that has been made
MissionImprobable said:
Great job on getting it done so quickly and putting together such a cool utility. I've always had a bit of trouble keeping full unity when I'm trying to build icons from beveled/3D icon PSDs so this is perfect.
Here's one more you might like to add if you get the chance: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=26818917
Your Builder is definitely one of the best theme aids that has been made
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your appreciation! And therefore motivation
Your next suggestion looks do-able, will dive into it as soon as possible.
Also, for the tool I still got ideas in the back of my head, it's definitely not finished yet (if ever will).
Next thing is import / export for themes, so it'll be much easier to add new themes and stuff.
Am also planning further color adjustments like hue/saturation/lightness, but I think this first requires a bit redesign to avoid cluttering.
Well... Enough said. Glad this tool got some attention and response already!
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk 2
Ok, I tried it and it's really good.
Just some lower quality but it probably looks good on a 480x800 screen.
Just too bad that the 3C icon set is customized to every icon, the bottom bar has to be the same width as the icon, thanks BBB for ICS icons.
An option that resized the template to the width of the color in the icon would be too much to request, so I'll make them separately when I'm done with my other project.
Still an awesome program that I'll use alot.
Flash files are used widely, but when people use it, they always need new demand. People always chase perfect. SWF files optimization is one of the chasing things. Here is the tip for how to optimaiz flash swf files.
General optimization
Please use symbols, animated or otherwise, for every element that appears more than once. You need to use tweened animations when you are creating animation sequences, because these animations occupy less file space than keyframs. Use movie clips instead of graphic symbols for animations sequences. You need to reduce the area of change in each keyframe as possible as you can to make the action happen in as small area as possible. Try your best to avoid animating bitmap elements and use bitmap images as background or static elements.
Colors
You can use Color menu in the Symbol Property inspector to create many instances of a single symbol in different colors. Then you need to use Color Mixer to match the color palette of the document to a browser-specific palette. Use gradients sparingly. You need about 50 bytes for filling an area with gradient color. You can use alpha transparency sparingly because it can slow playback.
Texts and fonts
You need limit the number of fonts and font style. Please use embedded fonts sparingly because they can increase file size. Select only the needed characters instead of including the entire font for Embed Fonts options.
Lines and elements
Do your best to group elements. You can separate elements that minimize the number of separate lines that are used to describe shapes by using layers. Reduce the number of special line types as possible as you can, such as dashed, dotted, ragged. Solid lines require less memory and lines that are created with the Pencil tool need less memory than brush strokes.
With these tips, you need not to spend extra money to buy some software or tool. What’s more, these tips are easy to understand, you are not required much flash knowledge.