32 Bit Icons on OS4... Just a pretty face or worth waiting a little longer for?

[FuZion]

I have been having a little look at those new PowerIcons & the packages available on AmiNet:

http://ftp.uni-paderborn.de/aminetbin/find?png+icons

I have uploaded a grab for you to see them if you haven't already but it's taking an age to show up (I'll put the url in here when it's ready)

Now I know everyones taste is different but I think these icons are fantastic. There's all sorts of icons at www.kdelook.org but these are my fave.

So, my question:

The way I see it you see. We have been a patient lot & Hyperion have explained that it'll be ready when it's ready ;-) (We love it don't we!). Now since we don't have a release date for OS4, therefore aren't EXPECTING it on a certain date & Elena seems to have got a lot of ground works done here. Is it feasable for us to call on the Hyperion team & ask nicely if they'd mind implementing a new icons system like this into the 1st release of OS4 rather than waiting for "Boing Bags" to update this or worse still, people having to patch their sparkly new OS already? As you can see form the icons on AmiNet, a bulk of the artwork is already completed although we'll probably need a few Amiga specific icons.

Hyperion may already have other ideas in hiding. Scalabe vector things, in which case bitmap type PNGs may be out of the question at this moment, I don't know, but it would seem to me to be a good thing to do.

Anyone agree? Disagree?

[Warface]

Current modern OSes have support for scalable 24 bit bitmap icons with alpha channel, so it is a "must have". I bet OS4 will have it as well, sooner or later - this way or the other.

[Methuselas]

Well, I know that Hyperion has a 'graphic consultant' working on the themes and look of OS4. I'm almost positive that Matt Chaput is the one said 'consultant', as it was mentioned some time ago the the icons used were to be based off his 'Glow Icon' set.

Since OS4 is nearing completion (and well ALL know that's a fact.), to ask Hyperion to do such a thing would not only delay it's release (it's a hack, remember?), but would also be an insult to Matt or whoever is their 'consultant'.

Far be it better to simply send a letter to Hyperion and say 'Hey, take a look at her work and if you think it would be a welcome addition to further releases of OS4.0, talk to Elena.' Personally, I LOVE her Icons, but I'd rather see the Glow Icon style in 24 bit. Matt, Oliver, Sammy and many others contributed GREAT Icons. I use OS3.9 and when I run UAE and see those  gawdy 3.1 icons, I think how lucky I am that there ARE people like Matt, Oliver and Sammy contributing to such a wonderful platform.

Well, thought out and a wonderful idea, but I would rather have OS4 with Glow Icons than have to wait another 6 months, year or whatever to get the 24bit png icons.

Just my two cents.

M

 :-D

[FuZion]

Here it is:

http://amiga.org/gallery/index.php?n=496

Just for those that don't wanna try & change their mind.

[Warface]

Definitely awesome :-)

[Munchkin]

What I'm wondering a little about before I try is how much would using this slow down my A4k/040? So much that it is unusable or just a bit?

[cockney_dave]

Would be nice to see support for PNG icons in OS4, but not too bothered personally. It would either have to be...

1. Basic functionality of power icons built into the OS icon library so you could use a .png as a .info if you wanted to, maybe some example sets in contributions. Would imagine this could be done fairly painlessly and easily without delaying the release much, would be nice for people who were into customizing there WB.

Or...

2. A full makeover with the existing glow icons redesigned in 24 bit PNG and compatability with other programs, i.e. AmiDock, MUI, browser toolbars and so on. Would probably delay, the already delayed, OS4 and could introduce some nasty bugs if rushed through.

At the end of the day, there will always be something else people want in an OS update, but I think you have to draw the line somewhere otherwise you would never get anything released. As it is now the OS4.0 we will be getting is actually OS4.1 on the original planned time line and feature set - OS4.0 was originally just going to be a straight port of 3.9 to PPC, but instead we're getting much of the new functionality that was penciled in for 4.1. As I think Hyperion have said, an OS can never really be finished (the computer world moves/changes too quickly) and should be constant work in progress.

[pixie]

One thing I would like to see implemented is the ability to use two png images like we are used to on normal icons.

 I've heard there's also an animation format for png, maybe it could be used so that with two frames one could be used for clicked and not clicked...

[Dagon]

AmigaOS 4.0 MUST have icons with two states (not just glow or whatever). That's one of the things that caracterize Amiga.

When I click a drawer I want to see it open not just ghosted like in other OSes. I like glowicons but only when they have a second state i.e. the ram disk icon.

So if they make PNG icons for the Amiga they better have a second Amiga-like state when they are clicked.