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View Full Version : Tutorial - How to create/customize VGA quality icons for your PPC


Stake
05-19-2005, 06:45 AM
A few months ago after I got my Dell X50v, I wanted find out how to change the icons on my PPC primarily because some of the icons weren't in high res or the default icons were just a bit boring. Since I couldn't find any real documentation, I had to figure out this process myself.

After a few days I figured it out. I had mentioned, in a previous post months ago, that I would write up a tutorial on how to create VGA icons for VGA enabled PPC.

I've finally taken the time and completed a preliminary tutorial. So, if you read through and see typos or just poor use of the English language, my appologies. I didn't do a real thorough job on my proof-reading. It also might be a little wordy though most of the document contents are images.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Download the tutorial (http://www.swingoutsister.com/PPC/VGA_Ions_Tutoral_PPC.pdf)

Darius Wey
05-19-2005, 06:54 AM
Hey, nice work. You certainly put a lot of effort into this so I'm going to give it a bit of front page exposure if you don't mind. :)

Ebookslist
05-19-2005, 09:32 AM
hey, nice practical perspective

Stake
05-19-2005, 01:40 PM
Hey, nice work. You certainly put a lot of effort into this so I'm going to give it a bit of front page exposure if you don't mind. :)

That would be very cool!
Thanks Darius

Jason Dunn
05-19-2005, 02:49 PM
Awesome! If you ever want to do something like this again, contact me and we'll host it here as a Step by Step tutorial. :D

stevelam
05-19-2005, 04:24 PM
Great article (all I need now is a VGA PPC to show off my new skills with!)

SteveHoward999
05-19-2005, 07:34 PM
You should take a look at MicroAngelo


http://www.microangelo.us/

Stake
05-20-2005, 12:52 AM
Great article (all I need now is a VGA PPC to show off my new skills with!)

You should still give it a try. My guess is that it should work. If anything, the customization might just hold you over until you upgrade. :)

stevelam
05-20-2005, 03:39 PM
Great article (all I need now is a VGA PPC to show off my new skills with!)

You should still give it a try. My guess is that it should work. If anything, the customization might just hold you over until you upgrade. :)

Thanks I wasnt sure if it would work or not. Ohhh some nice shiny new icons, this alll most makes me want to spring clean the thing!

Ce
05-28-2005, 12:18 PM
If you want it the easy way use the latest version of Conduits pocket launcher. Adding icons is realy easy. I haven't noticed a system slowdown after adding these icons.

This is how it works (there no more documentation...but this is all it needs)

"Customizing icons is also easy -- locate the data folder (off of the Pocket Launcher install folder), then with ActiveSync, navigate to that directory. To customize an icon in a tab, copy the desired .ICO file into the tab directory, naming it the same as the application. For example, to change the "Contacts" icon on your "Apps" tab, navigate to \Program Files\Conduits\Pocket Launcher\data\Apps\ and copy MyContacts.ico (or whatever icon you have on hand) to "Contacts.ico" into that directory"

permutations
06-20-2005, 05:48 AM
Hi Kun Kim,

Thank you very much for taking the time to write out your tutorial. I used this information for a different purpose than you originally intended (though I do have a VGA Pocket PC).

I use spb Pocket Plus, and I'm running some custom Control Panel apps that I really wanted to make accessible from the Pocket Plus Today plug-in. I knew how to create shortcuts to Control Panel apps from the MSDN article:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnppcgen/html/ppc_tcuts2.asp

I also knew the syntax for specifying the icon, but I couldn't quite get it to work. I'd copied the .cpl files to my notebook and used a freeware utility to extract the icons, then tried copying the ico files over and specifying those. No joy. Then I tried making them into a DLL using the formerly free PC Magazine Utility IconJack. Still no joy.

Then I found your article, which explained about the renaming of the icons within the DLL, and gave me URLs to utilities that did just what I needed. I had downloaded source code from the PHM site for creating icon DLLs, but this was way easier. You saved me hours. And now I have shortcuts with appropriate icons to my custom Control Panel apps right on my Today screen.

So thanks!