Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!purdue!haven!uflorida!novavax!suther
From: suther@novavax.UUCP (Scot M. Sutherland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Icon sizes, Workbench hand (was Re: My AmigaDOS 1.4 wishlist)
Keywords: icons
Message-ID: <1432@novavax.UUCP>
Date: 12 Aug 89 23:27:25 GMT
References: <12878@well.UUCP>  <16025@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> <1989Aug8.220028.13827@nc386.uucp> <16163@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> <2584@cbnewsm.ATT.COM> <10706@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Reply-To: suther@novavax.UUCP (Scot M. Sutherland)
Followup-To: Icons too large
Distribution: all
Organization: Nova University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Lines: 55

In article <10706@boulder.Colorado.EDU> rademach@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Simon Rademacher) writes:

>A few of ugly solutions:
>
>1) Include program to shrink all icons to standard size.  The problem is
>that detail is lost and the result could be horrendous to look at.
>
>2) Write a program that displays a bunch of icons for the user to choose as
>a replacement for the included icon.  Icons can be found on some of the Fish
>disks.  Problem: requires user input and would require lots of tedious work
>to replace many disk's program's icons.  But after this initial replacement,
>each furthur one would just be part of the installation of new software.
>
>3) Include two icons for each program.  (Oops, forgot interlace.  4 icons?
>this is getting out of hand.)
>  a) put two icons in each .info file, one of standard size.  Include a
>preferences option to choose plain or fancy icons.  Problems: increases size
>of .info files and would have to be backwards compatiable.  Neither of these
>are real biggies.  Of couse, programmers wouldn't have to give two icons, so
>this may be wasted.
>  b) include two .info files.  Then, either have the user choose one to use
>as the .info, or have a preferences option that picks which one to display.
>Problem: adds lots of files to already cluttered directories.
>
>4) Change workbench to display standard, built-in icons for every .info file
>found.  Ie, check the .info for file type and then display the appropriate
>icon.  Problems: Dull, repetetive, have to resort to reading file name to
>see what program is rather than look at icon.

One of the things about the Amiga mystique, if you will, is the
unique icons.  I agree that the large gawdy icons so often used
detract from this basically clever feature.  I always tend to
resist uniformity and constricting order.  Even as a technical
writer I try to inject clever turns of thought or induendo,
whenever I can.  I believe the creative animated icons fit
nicely with chip names like Agnus, Paula, Denise.  I find that
the most clever and brilliant creations have their own special
look and feel.

Having said all of that, I have spent some valuable work time
reorganizing or changing Icons, so I can sympathize with you
complaint.  When I'm really in a hurry to check out a new disk or
get copying and housekeeping tasks done I use DiskMan or another
pointer-based utility than bypasses the icons.
 
Having used Macs a fair bit, I find that the color full featured
icons are easier to recognize for me.  I have to look more
carefully at Mac icons, especially disk icons.  I don't have to
read the label on the icon as much on the Amiga.  I thought that
was the idea behind icons...a picture worth a thousand...

I would like to see a program that simply doubles the vertical
size of the icons when in interlace.  That's what I do when I
really need an icon in interlace.  They don't have the exact
proportion as non-interlace but they are very close.