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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Creating and changing the .exe Icon


Like all things done on the computer there are multiple ways to accomplish a task.

You can use various software freely available from the net to accomplish the creation and loading of icon images.
I have listed a few options below so lets get started:

Software Option #1
- XN Resource Editor
- - Not largely documented but seems to be widely used by other users on the net including many forums.
- - Created by Colin Wilson

Software Option #2
- Resource Hacker
- - An older program than the formerly stated but is thus more widely documented.

Software Option #3
- IcoFx v.1.6.4
- - v.1.6.4 is free but if you download any of their newer versions it's only free for 30 days.

 Software Option #4
You can also create icon files using Adobe Photoshop by downloading the .ico save file type. If I am just replacing one specific file like the chili framework uses I will use Photoshop. 

If you wish to not download any of the software options one can also use the online upload ICO converter - IcoConverter

My favorite software of the bunch is IcoFx. Developed as an icon editor it is by far the most polished compared to the other two above. There is a resource editor built into this software as well.

So without any further ado I am going to walk you through the process of how I create, alter, and save icon files to be held in the resource file.

1. I start out by saving the original resource file found in the Assets folder. It's the file that ends with ( .res ). I save the original in a new folder in Assets called "OriginalResourceFile". You can name it whatever you like. This serves as a backup in case something fouls up during the changes we are going to make.

2. Renaming the resource file:
It can be renamed from inside Visual Studio by right clicking the file name in the solution explorer and choosing rename or double left clicking on the name will accomplish the same.

3. Saving multiple image sizes in one icon file using IcoFx:

- File -> Import Image: navigate to your image file you wish to replace chili's image with.
- - CLICK "Open".

- - Then CLICK on the windows symbol in the tool bar, a popup window will appear for you to choose the sizes of images saved inside the icon file.
- - Choose the sizes you wish and CLICK "OK".

- - File -> Save As: navigate to where you wish to save your file, name the file and CLICK "Save".

4. Now that we have our file to upload open Resource Hacker or like software.
- File -> Open: Navigate to the resource file we renamed earlier and select "Open".
- If the file is not showing up make sure under Files Of Type: Resource(.res) is selected.
- On the left there is a tree of folders. Two root files named Icon and Icon Group.
- Clicking the "+" symbol next to the Icon Group folder. You should now see two sub folders name 101 and 103. 101 holds the 16x16 icon and 103 holds the 32x32 icon.
- Click the "+" next to each folder to see these files.
- Select the "0" next to the gear symbol in the 101 folder.
- Select "Action" -> replace Icon: CLICK "Open File With New Icon..." Navigate to the .ico file we created in the earlier steps.
- CLICK "Replace"

Follow the same procedure for the 103 file.

Congratulations! Back on Visual Studio Re-Compile your program ( Ctrl+F5 ) and you're done!

Advanced:

Sometimes having a taskbar icon of 32x32 on larger monitors looks a little pixelated. So for those of you that are still with me we are going to add 48x48 size support to the chili framework.

1. We need to create a 48x48 version of our icon and I'm going to assume since you got this far you can figure that out as described above.

2. Lets add some code. Open VS ( Visual Studio ) Resource.h:

#ifndef IDC_STATIC
#define IDC_STATIC (-1)
#endif

#define IDI_APPICON16 101 // 16x16
#define IDI_APPICON32 103 // 32x32
// Add the following
#define IDI_APPICON48 105 // 48x48

3. Now lets change some code. Windows.cpp:

int WINAPI wWinMain( HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE, LPWSTR, INT )
{
   WNDCLASSEX wc = { sizeof( WNDCLASSEX ),
                                           CS_CLASSDC, MsgProc,
                                           0,
                                           0,
                                           GetModuleHandle( NULL ),
                                           NULL,
                                           NULL,
                                           NULL,
                                           NULL,
                                           L"Chili DirectX Framework Window",
                                           NULL
                                        };
    wc.hIconSm = (HICON)LoadImage( hInst,
                                                                MAKEINTRESOURCE( IDI_APPICON16 ),
                                                                IMAGE_ICON,
                                                                16,
                                                                16,
                                                                0
                                                             );
// Commented the next line out
   //wc.hIcon   = (HICON)LoadImage( hInst,
                                                              MAKEINTRESOURCE( IDI_APPICON32 ),
                                                              IMAGE_ICON,
                                                              32,
                                                              32,
                                                              0
                                                            );
// Replacing it with the next line
   wc.hIcon   = (HICON)LoadImage( hInst,
                                                            MAKEINTRESOURCE( IDI_APPICON48 ),
                                                            IMAGE_ICON,
                                                            48,
                                                            48,
                                                            0
                                                          );

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Five Story Brainstorming Topics


I was recently asked, “How do you come up with your stories?” Whether for film, animation, or a graphic novel it's all story telling in the end. With such an organic process, as imagination, someone who is new to story telling may not know where to begin which is a natural place to be. Maybe you have thought of a few elements but don't know where to go from there.

This is the first of an ongoing series of story related blog posts. Hope it may shine some light on the mystery behind where idea and thought become something to transform the viewer to another time and place.

Five Story Brainstorming Topics: Think of a Situation, Character, Dialogue, Setting, or Object. The topics do not have to be in that order, whichever one stands out to you first. If you can't immediately think of one, pick an object from the room around you and your imagination will come up with the rest; I promise you. Once you've decided on your first topic start asking yourself what fits within that world and fill in the other four.

Lets start with...

Situation: A knight is fighting a dragon.
Now flesh out the scene around the purposed situation by answering the other four topics.





Character: Is it a male or female dressed in armor? Are they fighting heroically or cowering behind a rock afraid to attack? What body style or weight do they possess? Is that weight affecting how they are fighting?
Our situation gave us two characters so we can't forget to ask the important character questions about the dragon.
What color is the dragon? Can it fly or is it injured? Does your dragon breathe fire?
All of these things could change the story significantly.

Dialogue: Is the knight muttering under his or her breath afraid to move or is he or she cursing the dragon for killing their loved one? Very different scenes in deed. Can the dragon talk?

 

 Setting: On the sharp shale rocks of a distant mountain top overlooking a small village smoldering from a recent fire. Burnt from the dragon? Could be. Maybe the knight burned the village in order to lure the dragon out of hiding by the smell of burnt flesh. With one decision a little imagination turned our dragon slaying hero into a hellbent villain willing to sacrifice anyone. Setting can also include time as well as place. Is it a knight fighting a dragon in space because the moon was knocked out of orbit by a man made explosion sending it hurtling toward the sun and due to the increased temperatures it cracks open sending forth a mass of baby dragons headed for earth. (Possible Armageddon 5 plot, just wait you'll see.)

Object: It can be something that all the characters are after like Hitchcock's MacGuffin. “A MacGuffin is a plot device that motivates the characters and advances the story, but has little other relevance to the story itself” (hitchcockwiki.com). Maybe the deed to a piece of property or a diseased love ones will. In our example, I'm choosing a magical sword in the hands of the knight passed down from a council of ancients. However the knight could seize the sword of power earlier than expected by killing his or her mentor before completing training; setting up the knight's fatal flaw for the climax dragon battle.

Once you've made a few key decisions and choose an object for your characters to interact with you'll be surprised how quickly your story will start telling itself. I look forward to viewing the stories you create. Remember to not be afraid to turn your characters' lives upside down because that's what will make them interesting to follow.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Wrapping up a week long project, "How I attack a photo assignment"

Involving the creation of 60 dvd's to distribute to each graduate of the 2011 LMC RN program. The dvd's contained 150+ pictures of the graduation event consisting of the pinning ceremony with the graduates and their families.


Preparation for Event:

Charging batteries for camera and flash

Cleaning both lenses

Checking camera sensor for dust

Format memory cards


Equipment List:

Canon 5dmrk2 (main)

-Battery (x2)

Canon 30d (Backup)

-Battery

External Flash 580 exII

Canon 70-300is (DO Glass)

Canon 16-35 (L-Series)

8GB CF Memory Card (x4)

Rechargeable AA Battery (x4)

Backup AA Battery (x4)

Microfiber cleaning cloth

Lens Cleaning Solution

Once On Location: Try to get in to see the lighting situation as early as possible. Check ISO sensitivity settings. Determine a good shutter speed so your subject in the location light doesn't become blurry. In this case the location was a local theater with stage lighting. Ask around and find out what lighting changes the producers are planning, choreography, etc. Like a good athlete picture the event in your mind and try and think of how to overcome any problems you foresee. Scan the location and try a few different shooting positions. Even though you may think one place is best for the shoot. Try more than one for the likely possibility that your subjects may do something spontaneous and unpredictable with which you as the photographer must adapt to those unforeseen changes. Remember your goal is to execute your clients dream or idea. Countless times I’ve been on a job and stumble onto a unique and individual way to photograph something. You are hopefully being paid for your individual eye but first and foremost you’re delivering what the client is expecting to see in the finished results. It’s ok and often a great moment when you deliver the product they expect along with a few results from out of the box thinking. Surprise your client as long as you’ve delivered what they asked for. After all you’re an artist and that’s what makes each job fun.

As always a few shots and there settings for you to ponder.


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter: 1/40
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm @ 16mm
ISO: 500
Date Taken: May.26.2011


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter: 1/40
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm @ 19mm
ISO: 500
Date Taken: May.26.2011


Upon comparing the specs of each image it is not hard to see they are almost identical, save the lens zoom reposition and yet the images are vastly different in subject matter relationship to the viewer and lighting. The technique employed in achieving this difference is that of birds eye view and alternately worms eye view. Neither photo is rendered at the usual human perspective of 5-6 feet off the ground. Implying a perspective unlike our own leaving the viewer slightly unfamiliar with how the object appears but the brain is still able to determine what the object is. Good shooting.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Some Photoshop Lovin'!

Gimme Some Lovin'... You got it!

Learn the Nuts and Bolts of photo manipulation from yours truly. The following is the first of three videos going over key features and best practices. This is the Basics tutorial and wont go into heavy manipulation just yet.
It's perfect if you've just cracked open the program and your wondering "where to begin". Hope you learn something you didn't know already and remember there are a million ways to do the same thing and no one way is right. The only right way is the way to get the job done. Good luck Manipulators.

Photo Manipulation Basics ~ LogankeitH from LogankeitH on Vimeo.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Bird of a Diffrent Color...

Animals can be some of the best and worst subjects to photograph. Luckily this little guy, at the Antioch county fair, had some emotion to show right as I snapped the shoot. I'm particularly happy with the tiki mask in the background giving it even more character.

PHOTO TIP of the post is: You'll get a better and prettier blur out of your lens by zooming in to your subject from a few feet away rather than putting your subject a few inches from your lens. Shooting with a large aperture like f/2.8-5.6 doesn't hurt either.



Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/125
Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm 3.5-5.6 @ 300mm
ISO: 400
Date Taken: June.02.2007

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A Passing of Knowledge

My girlfriend and I took a coworker with us on our most resent adventure, what have become Walk&Click trips, into San Francisco. They start off early packing camera gear of all sorts. Myself having the most of course, you never know when something will come in handy. I managed to leave just enough room for sandwiches to satisfy the "rumbly in the tumbaly" feeling halfway through the day.
Our plan was to start at the embarcadero and trek our way south along the waterfront towards the giants baseball stadium. A route chosen by the new member of the group, Berette and partly because we had not gone that way in some time.
We got a little exercise, passed on information to an enthusiastic new photographer and each got a rosier complexion thanks to one of the clearest days I've seen in that part of the bay.

PHOTO TIP of the post is: Your next shot might be a few feet away, the next side street up. EXPLORE and you'll find the shot screams out at you. (Take Me!)

Below are some of those moments.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter: 1/500
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8 @ 16mm
ISO: 100
Date Taken: July.14.2009


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/22
Shutter: 1/30
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8 @ 18mm
ISO: 100
Date Taken: July.14.2009


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/11
Shutter: 1/200
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8 @ 30mm
ISO: 100
Date Taken: July.14.2009


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/22
Shutter: 1/30
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8 @ 18mm
ISO: 100
Date Taken: July.14.2009


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter: 1/4000
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8 @ 35mm
ISO: 100
Date Taken: July.14.2009


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter: 1/2500
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8 @ 35mm
ISO: 100
Date Taken: July.14.2009

Monday, February 2, 2009

Drop Dead And See Me Some Time!

It was late at night in a house not my own. All the lights were off but I knew I wasn't walking straight. My eyes fixed on a beam of light that trickled from a street lamp through the blinds casting an orange glow against the floor. BLAM! My flash fires. BLAM! BLAM! My eyes strained to re-adjust. I can't see a thing but I know I got the shot.

The things a mind will do at two in the morning, when you're waiting for a friend to drive up from southern California. At first I was disappointed that the glass container was in the shot but I soon realized it divides the shot up, giving it a rule of thirds feel.



Camera:
Canon 30D
Aperture: f/11
Shutter: 1/250
Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm 4.5 @ 300mm
ISO: 100
Date Taken: Jan.12.2009