Re: [bme-develop] new status icons by =?windows-1252?q?R=E9mi?= Grumeau

[Simon T. <sj...@ca...>]

> Hey!

Hi,
 
> >A few comments:
> >1) It seems odd to have the icons have 2 "people" in them, when they
> >only represent the status of a single conact. Maybe we could have 
> > just
> >one person in each icon.
> I think R=E9mi used the people program  icon, and the msn icons as 
> guideline...

Yes - but note the MSN icons for status only actually have 1 "person" 
in them - ones representing the program are fine having more than 1.
 
> >2) The gradients seem a bit over-done in small icons (obviously they
> >are designed much larger, then shrunk) - black dominates a bit too
> >much, especially in the offline icons IMHO. I think the gradients 
> > look
> >cool, but they might look better "toned down" a bit for icons as 
> > small
> >as 19x19.
> I agree on the part of the offline icons....

I think it also applies to the others, but not so much.

> >Other things:
> >1) Any chance of some 16x16 ones for the deskbar replicant :P
> >2) How about using PNG instead of GIF=3F Better quality and not so 
> > tied
> >up with patents.
> >
> R=E9mi already told me that was possible...the icons are made using 
> vector 
> graphics...that makes me think...I know you(Simon) don't like it, but 
> maybe 
> we should use SVG icons instead...size doesn't matter for them...we 
> can 
> resize them where needed and don't have to store png files of 
> different 
> sizes....

If BeOS had proper (native) support for SVG, that would be quite cool - 
especially in conversation windows, emoticons could fit text size much 
better.

However the problem I have with SVG is that the same graphic doesn't 
always look good at all sizes (look at the on-the-phone icon - when 
big, it is nice to have buttons on the phone, but when drawn small it 
would be much clearer just as an empty rectangle). Those kind of 
changes can only really be tweaked by having specific images for 
different sizes. Same with the gradients - a gradient from red to black 
over maybe 50 pixels looks cool, but shrink the (same vector graphic) 
down to just 19px, and the whole gradient has to happen in about 5 
pixels and ends up looking a little harsh.

SVG also has overhead of rendering all the time.

We can get away with 1-size emoticons (19x19, as msn does) and 2 sizes 
for status icons (19x19 for contact list and 16x16 for deskbar)...altho 
I'd like some larger status icons too.

Remi's reply to my previous email attached below...

Simon

----Remi's mail-------

> Hi Remi,
>
> Tim sent a mail to our mailing list about your new status 
> icons...great
> work, thanks!
>
> A few comments below.
>

>
> > Hey guys,
>
> Hey,
>
> > just added to CVS some emoticons and a whole bunch of new status
> > icons made
> > by R=E9mi Grumeau of BeosFrance. Personally, I think they look great, 
> > and they
> > give Bme a more professional look!

hi hi ... mum is gonna be proud of me ;)


>
> Yes, I agree...look much nicer than my awful attempts.
>
> A few comments:
> 1) It seems odd to have the icons have 2 "people" in them, when they
> only represent the status of a single conact. Maybe we could have 
> just
> one person in each icon.

right !!!! never thought about it butit's true that it'sstupid in fact 
...

> 2) The gradients seem a bit over-done in small icons (obviously they
> are designed much larger, then shrunk)

he is right ... cause they are made in vectorial / svg

 - black dominates a bit too
> much, especially in the offline icons IMHO. I think the gradients 
> look
> cool, but they might look better "toned down" a bit for icons as 
> small
> as 19x19.

probably not but i could try btw ...

> 3) The "On the phone" icon looks like it had a lot of detail on the
> phone (buttons and stuff I guess), but when shrunk to 19x19 the whole
> phone is just a muddy brown and doesn't contrast all that well with 
> the
> green of the person. If this could be brighter, I think it would help
> people to identify it.

Again, vectorial shrunk in 19x19

> 4) If you can think of a good icon for "Out to lunch" (knife and fork
> or something=3F) it might be nice to have a seperate icon for that.

ok ... will do it ! :)

>
> Other things:
> 1) Any chance of some 16x16 ones for the deskbar replicant =3F:P

vectorial ... so no problem !

> 2) ...And some bigger ones for the top view to represent the current
> user's status =3F

vectorial ... so no problem !

> 3) How about using PNG instead of GIF =3F Better quality and not so 
> tied
> up with patents.

The transparency of PNG is badly supported in BeOS. I have send those 
in PNG but
i think the BME team have translated them in GIF due of that.

>
> > Note that the block icon and signed out
> > icon aren't available yet....(as they are not available for
> > customization in
> > the icon prefs file). I think R=E9mi did a great job and can't wait 
> > to
> > see more of his icons for Bme...hope we get emoticons everywhere 
> > soon!

No emoticones in the BeOS boot screen plz ;)
Thank you guys ... feel free to ask if you need something else !!!

>
> Yup, me too.
>
> Thanks again Remi, great work!
  My pleasure ! Happy to help in a project for graphical things, cause 
i don't
know anything about coding ....
>
>
> Simon