Is there any chance to change standard icons ?

[Quorthon]

Hello you wonderful people !

Is there any chance to see some better looking icons in the main Pop Peeper window ?

Program itself is wonderful, but we all know first impression is also very important... especially for all new Pop Peeper users.

Here is an example I made, so if developers are interested, I have original files here (PNG, as well as ico files)... just have to tell me which format and what sizes.



If not, sorry for bothering you guys...

Regards !

[JRF]

Hi Quorthon , I am sure your suggestions will be mostly appreciated (are you the artist ?) .
Jeff will address this topic latter .

[Quorthon]

Hello JRF, and thanks for your respond ! You guys are unbelievable good !

So many helpful threads and stuff, people are really happy with the service you guys are providing. Thanks for that too !

Yes, I am a graphic/web/flash designer, doing graphic works almost 15 years by now. My name is Sasha Z.Craftec and I am also a skin designer for avast! antivirus program. I am also part of the technical support and forum regular (with more than 5200 posts) at our computer security related forum which deals with avast! issues, but also with anything computer security related.

Those guys at Alwil software are unbelievable, just because they also do exactly same thing as you people. There is a freeware version of avast! antivirus (Home Edition) and also technical support that we are providing through e-mail, PMs, phone and the forum, is completely free... just like here. Anyway, just wanted to explain a bit what I'm doing in my free time.

If anyone is interested, he/she can take a look at those skins I designed in here:

http://home.comcast.net/~sasha3160/szc_skins.html

Those are full size previews, just because on avast! official web site, there are just small thumbnails without an option to see them in full size. Official avast! skins download web page is located here:

http://www.avast.com/eng/skins.html

I also do some web/flash site designing, and my web page can be seen in here (just in case you are interested):

::: MY PERSONAL WEBSITE :::

::: MY BUSINESS WEB SITE :::

Of course, Flash player is required and recommended screen resolution is at least 1024x768 pixels. There is a bunch of graphic materials (my GFX gallery), video clips (DVD authoring) I made, my sound section (I also compose chill-out music), Flash portfolio, and some other interesting things...

I also redesigned old avast! On-Access Scanner panel icons, and improved (I hope) their appearance. See here:



I hope we will see them in next major program update...

This si how they looked like before:



So, if you people think I can help somehow, just let me know. The thing what you all are doing is wonderful, providing us with such a wonderful program and all that for free. I can understand it since I am involved in some similar projects as well... But still, program of this quality and for free... unbelievable !

I really don't want all this to look like I am bragging or anything like that... it's just I use your wonderful utility and I am so happy with it. I used to use PopTray, one and a half year ago, but switched to Pop Peeper and never ever regretted it.

Regards,
Sasha

[Quorthon]

And my vision of the Pop Peeper logo... of course if you people are looking for something. Do not get me wrong please, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the old logo, but it looks just like plain font. I though, maybe you would like to have something more noticeable.

Maybe something like this:



Of course, it can be easily adjusted to fit any background, or any color...



Or maybe even something like this:





Regards !

[Quorthon]

Third day and still no replies...

Does that mean no one is interested or something else ? Please do not get me wrong, I am not trying to "force" anyone use my suggestions, but as an act of good will I offered to help with those icons which btw, in their original state looks really jaggy at the edges...

It would be nice to hear from somebody though... JRF ?

Thanks guys,
Sasha

[Jeff]

Quorthon -- Don't fret, I just don't get to the forums as often as I should sometimes. I am *very* impressed with your work, I especially like the icon for Delete All. I was actually going to attempt to touch up the graphics for the next version, but now...

I can't tell if your supplied email address is legit or not; please email me (support .at. poppeeper.com) so we can discuss this further.

[Quorthon]

Quorthon -- Don't fret, I just don't get to the forums as often as I should sometimes. I am *very* impressed with your work, I especially like the icon for Delete All. I was actually going to attempt to touch up the graphics for the next version, but now...

I can't tell if your supplied email address is legit or not; please email me (support .at. poppeeper.com) so we can discuss this further.

No, no I didn't mean anything wrong... I just was worried what's going on. I mean 3 days no replies, I though maybe you guys are not interested or something. Of course, no hard feelings at all, I wouldn't mind even if you didn't like those... c'mon, I've learned to accept all kind of crytics, kudos, or something third... that's a common part of this business, it's just I wanted to know if you liked it or not...

Delete All is actually little bit redesigned default Micrososft Vista icon, but I am sure you guys can use all those icons that comes with Windows, just like you are allowed to use windows and other OS shell parts. Anyway, even if requested I can make another trashcan (Delete All) icon, 100% original.

Yes, my mail provided in my forum profile is valid. You can contact me through that e-mail address. I am looking forward to get in contact with you Jeff. Your work is great and trully amazing... people like you desereved to get even more positive attention. You are doing wonderful job my friend !

Sorry for my bad English, I'm still learning... recently came to live in Canada.

Regards,
Sasha

[JRF]

Hi Quorthon

1- as I told you in my last reply , you should be now treating w/ Jeff , about the best way to enhance PP image (BTW , did you email him , as requested ?) .

2- we all try to give the best answer to the itens posted in this Forum ; unfortunately there are occasions when our private duties overwhelm the available time .

3- the mailbox logos really catch the attention (... and funny : I proposed a very ingenuous [and flat!] suggestion to Jeff , in Oct2002 ) .

Thinking more about the Mailbox image , I am not sure it has an universal meaning , I feel that the significance of it as "Mail" is quite unequal in North | South Americas , Europe ... (as opposite to the Envelope figure , e.g.)

4- just to say , in PPs main window , the icon you represented as the yellow "PP" , in fact is variable , showing the official logo of the users Email Client (MS Outlook , or Outlook Express , Eudora , ...)

[Quorthon]

Hi Quorthon

1- as I told you in my last reply , you should be now treating w/ Jeff , about the best way to enhance PP image (BTW , did you email him , as requested ?) .

2- we all try to give the best answer to the itens posted in this Forum ; unfortunately there are occasions when our private duties overwhelm the available time .

3- the mailbox logos really catch the attention (... and funny : I proposed a very ingenuous [and flat!] suggestion to Jeff , in Oct2002 ) .

Thinking more about the Mailbox image , I am not sure it has an universal meaning , I feel that the significance of it as "Mail" is quite unequal in North | South Americas , Europe ... (as opposite to the Envelope figure , e.g.)

4- just to say , in PPs main window , the icon you represented as the yellow "PP" , in fact is variable , showing the official logo of the users Email Client (MS Outlook , or Outlook Express , Eudora , ...)

Hi there,

I'll try to cover all those 4 points you mentioned... so I better start...

1- Yes I e-mailed him as well as I mentioned in my previous reply to him that the e-mail I provided in my forum profile is valid... so he can use that one too.

2- I know exactly what are you talking about since I am also forum regular in avast! antivirus forums and a part of technical support. Hanging around more than 2 and a half years, I totally understand you. But we all are trying to provide best possible service, and of course sometimes it's almost impossible since we all have our families and our primary jobs as well as some outside duties...

3- well, I tried to make it more attractive but in the same time to keep it's original funny tone (those eyes watching and checking around, hehe)

4- Yes I know about that, but that's just example, not finished product. All my designs, everything I do has to pass tens and believe me sometimes even hundreds of tests, and of course I take user's opinions as something that's unbelievable important to me. So the screenshot from the first (initial) post in this thread, is just something as an example how everything can look like.

The other thing... all other icons like MSN, or Hotmail etc. look quite nice and they really don't need any changes or anything... but the Outlook Express icon is also little bit jaggy on the edges, so we would need to work on that one too...

Again, the envelope icon with yellow PP sign was just something as Process Mail option in Mail Washer is... so I put some small PP mail icon... of course we can change everything.

Your suggestions are always welcome !

Cheers !

[Jeff]

but the Outlook Express icon is also little bit jaggy on the edges, so we would need to work on that one too...

fyi -- Those icons are taken from the client's application at run-time, so if you want to change it, you'll have to convince Microsoft

[Quorthon]

Well, in that case, we can go with "our" own icon design... I've seen (literally) thousands of redesigned (read: improved) OE or even IE icons on the net as well as inside some very popular applications.

But as I said, we can always go with our own design. It doesn't have to be OE icon at all. I know you wanted to represent each of those mail clients with it's own icon, but if that's so "touchy" area, you can always put a text instead of thsoe icons... for example, when user's default e-mail client is OE, inside that button it would say simply "Start OE"...

Or... even better idea... why not make it simple and put our own icon (of course I would design it later)... something similar like seen in MailWasher... PROCESS MAIL, and regardless of which mail client user uses, PROCESS MAIL button (with it's own wonderful icon) would take him straight to his default mail client.

User anyway doesn't have to see the icon of his default e-mail client since everybody already knows what's their default e-mail client.

Cheers !

EDIT: Actually I just looked at OE icon more closely and there is really nothing wrong with it at all... it's not jaggy as I though it is... I meant on the other icon on the left side (CHECK MAIL), but my toungue was faster than my brain, hehe... it's just, it would be much better if we can resize and enlarge those icons a bit... not too much, just a bit so we would get some more space to work on...

[Jeff]

User anyway doesn't have to see the icon of his default e-mail client since everybody already knows what's their default e-mail client.

Not entirely true. It can be an indication of what email client will be used based on the selected account. Besides, it's cool.

I meant on the other icon on the left side (CHECK MAIL)

Well then, in that case, I completely agree. I liked how you superimposed the stop graphic over the disabled checkmail graphic, although now that I think about it, I'm not sure the magnifying glass is appropriate since that usually signifies a search/find. But you're the graphic artist, I'll leave that to you

[Quorthon]

Not entirely true. It can be an indication of what email client will be used based on the selected account. Besides, it's cool.

Yes you are right, it is pretty cool. Anyway, those icons should stay, nothing is really wrong with them.

Well then, in that case, I completely agree. I liked how you superimposed the stop graphic over the disabled checkmail graphic, although now that I think about it, I'm not sure the magnifying glass is appropriate since that usually signifies a search/find. But you're the graphic artist, I'll leave that to you

Then, we will not need the icon on the right (open envelope with yellow PP logo). We can use that one and place it on the left side (CHECK MAIL). It looks like PP (Pop Peeper) is opening mail (open envelope). All those mail client icons should and will stay untouched on the right side...

Also, stop sign over the magnifying glass can be easily transfered to the envelope-yellow-PP icon and turn it into disabled-check-mail icon... anyway, you'll need that one too, right ?

Something like this:



I think that would work.

P.S. Yes magnifying glass is mostly associated to Search/Find, but also if you want to check something, let's say some fine print or something else, you'll use it to Check things...

[Quorthon]

And this is how those toolbar icons would look like when shrinked to 24x24 pixels (I remember you mentioned that 24x24 would be kind of nice).



Another thing - ABOUT POP PEEPER... window, little bit rearanged and also, using new logos. Two examples...



Regards !
Sasha

[JRF]

Hi Quorthon , I am watching the progress of your creation , w/ the guidelines of Jeff , the last versions look great .

On the "About" windows , I like better the 2nd one , it has a "classical" look , this is just an opinion .

BTW , have a look at the shadow of the 1st P over the 2nd .

[Quorthon]

Yes the shadow may look strange, but that's just because I used two light sources when traced those images (two spot lamps) to make everything more bright. However, it's not a problem to remove that shadow that falls on second P if needed.

The first and biggest problem now is to solve BMP or PNG file format issues. Jeff would like to stay with BMPs, but as I explained him through e-mails, it doesn't allow us to have antialiased edges on icons... therefore all icons would look pretty jaggy on the edges... except if we use plain square shaped icons or icons that have horizontal, vertical and 45 degrees lines only... PNGs (32 bit) allows me to use alpha cahannels, semi-transparent icons, so regardless of the window background color, those icons looks always nice and smooth. Even if user is using some dark background like this from this Visual Style (Black):

http://www.deviantart.com/view/10184133

More and more people started to use dark visual styles, especially because new Windows Vista is comming... Take a look in here, this is how Pop Peeper looks like using one of those Visual Styles... Of course, first example is when I used PNGs as icons and it looks quite good:



And this is how it looks when I use BMPs instead of PNGs... not exactly pretty...



Anyway, I'm working on another idea (I'll use BMPs and all edges still will be nice and smooth, except I would need Jeff to give me some more space inside the toolbar area... icons would need to be 32x32 pixels) which looks pretty good, and right now I'm in the middle of the process of sending that proposal to Jeff... we will see if he thinks it would work.

Cheers !

[Quorthon]

...
...
...
BTW , have a look at the shadow of the 1st P over the 2nd .

Here is "fixed" version, without a shadow from the second light source... all you see now is reflection of the first "P" on the second "P"...



Also, inside the ABOUT POP PEEPER... window:



Cheers !

[JRF]

Hi Quorthon

1- I am sure you will find a solution about BMPs / PNGs ; in fact the 2nd presentation on black-styles is somewhow "shaken" .
2- PPs : have now a distinctive and sharpened look , specially on the small About window .
3- PPs : is it possible to have the horizontal "inclined planes" thicker , at the botton of the front faces ? just to be proportional to the ones at the top ?

[Quorthon]

Hi Quorthon
...
...
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3- PPs : is it possible to have the horizontal "inclined planes" thicker , at the botton of the front faces ? just to be proportional to the ones at the top ?

I'm affraid I'm not following you exactly on that one... did you maybe mean, those bevels around the PP logo face ?

If yes, then I'm assuring you they are exactly the same proportions... just because the 3D application I use, does all calculating mathematically. There is practically no chance to make an error. I just set the bevel size to 40 and all around the PP logo, bevels must be exactly the same. It's just a perspective that makes you think those at the bottom are thinner than the ones at the top... Take a good look at the larger PP/Envelope/Magnifying glass icon...

Cheers !

Edit: See here...

[JRF]

Hi Quorthon , touché ! cleaning my glasses just now .