[Touch GSM General] carlosp_uk:
Icon Packs

Upcoming versions of Touch Settings will soon support installable ‘icon packs’. These will be packages of icons, plus suggested layouts for them, and optional suggested applications for the icons. The idea is that they should help novice users with a ‘plug and go’ solution to transforming an entire face of their cube.

Does anybody fancy pitching in to design some icons and make an icon pack?

I will be releasing a tool to help create icon packs at some point, but in the meantime here is some developer information to create them from scratch:

Icon Packs – Developer Info

Files should be packaged in a CAB file, which should install to its own subdirectory inside:

\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\

e.g:

\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube

The folder will either be installed on the device or the storage card, the user will choose which on installation, based upon where they installed Touch Settings.

Inside the directory can be any number of .brn icon files, which should be:

-	In .BRN format or .PNG format (don’t mix and match, as PNG support was phased out after the original Touch device)

-	Any size you like, up to a maximum of 240x320

-	If possible, on a black background, so they can be re-used and swapped around, but in some cases (e.g. see the iCube skin) your bottom row of icons might have a graduated background to give the appearance of a ‘floor’ to the cube face.

Also inside the directory is an XML document entitled iconpack.xml, see below for more information on this.

EXAMPLE .CAB CONTENTS:

\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\iconpack.xml
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\calc.brn
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\calc_HL.brn
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\explorer.brn
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\explorer_HL.brn
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\browser.brn
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\browser_HL.brn
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\sol.brn
\Program Files\Touch Settings\IconPacks\superCube\sol_HL.brn

EXAMPLE ICONPACK.XML FILE:

<icon-pack>
<params>
<param type="name" value="The Super Cube">
<param type="author" value="Carlos P">
<param type="description" value="My amazing 3x4 custom-designed cube face.">
<param type="format" value="BRN">
</params>
<icons>
<icon name="Calculator" id=1 iconpath="calc.brn" iconpresspath="calc_HL.brn" path="\Windows\mobilecalc.exe">
<icon name="Explorer" id=2 iconpath="explorer.brn" iconpresspath="explorer_HL.brn" path="\Windows\explorer.exe">
<icon name="Browser" id=3 iconpath="browser.brn" iconpresspath="browser_HL.brn" path="\Windows\mobilecalc.exe">
<icon name="Solitaire" id=4 iconpath="sol.brn" iconpresspath="sol_HL.brn" path="\Windows\solitare.exe">
<icon name="Music" id=5 iconpath="\Windows\MH_01.brn" iconpresspath="\Windows\MH_01_HL.brn" iconplayingpath="\Windows\MH_01.brn" iconplayingpresspath="\Windows\MH_01_HL.brn" path="\Windows\wmplayer.exe">
<icon name="Pictures" id=6 iconpath="\Windows\MH_02.brn" iconpresspath="\Windows\MH_02_HL.brn" iconplayingpath="\Windows\MH_02.brn" iconplayingpresspath="\Windows\MH_02_HL.brn" path="\Windows\pimg.exe">
<icon name="Video" id=7 iconpath="\Windows\MH_03.brn" iconpresspath="\Windows\MH_03_HL.brn" iconplayingpath="\Windows\MH_03.brn" iconplayingpresspath="\Windows\MH_03_HL.brn" path="\Program Files\TCPMP\player.exe">
</icons>
<layouts>
<cubeface type="APLauncher" name="2x2 APLauncher">
<item id=4 xpos=0 ypos=0 height=160 width=120>
<item id=3 xpos=120 ypos=0 height=160 width=120>
<item id=1 xpos=160 ypos=0 height=160 width=120>
<item id=1 xpos=160 ypos=120 height=160 width=120>
</cubeface>
<cubeface type="APLauncher" name="1x1 APLauncher">
<item id=2 xpos=100 ypos=100 height=200 width=150>
</cubeface>
<cubeface type="MediaHubMini" name="Standard MediaHub">
<item id=5>
<item id=6>
<item id=7>
</cubeface>
</layouts>
</icon-pack>

The above .xml file presents the end user with a choice of two APLauncher cube faces:

- A 2x2 grid. (Solitare, Browser, Calculator and Calculator)

- A 1x1 single-button cube face, with an icon for Explorer on it.

...and one MediaHubMini face:

- Standard 1x3 grid.

Notes

- It’s important to realise that within the <cubeface> section, each <item> has an ID which refers back to the ID number of the relevant icon.

- Icon Paths within this file can be of the format "filename.brn" (in which case they are expected to be located in the same directory as the icon pack) OR you can use full file paths, e.g. \My Documents\iCube\icons\calc.brn (but of course you'd need to tweak your installation CAB to put the icons somewhere else)

- MediaHubMini icons cannot be placed, sized, etc, this section must simply contain three items, each with an ID, as above. Additional parameters will be ignored.

Using this .xml file, it should be easy to create layouts for 3x4 faces, 4x4 faces, up to an imposed maximum of 36 icons per layout. There is no reasonable limit to the number of cube faces the XML file can contain.

If anybody fancies developing up an icon pack, please feel free to have a go! The idea is that they should help novice users with a ‘plug and go’ solution to transforming an entire face of their cube. We can also create icon packs to help restore cube faces back to normal defaults.