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09-01-2003, 04:56 PM
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#1 | | Registered User Silver Contributor
Join Date: May 2002 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 440
 | ZLauncher Iconset Factory
First a big thanks to the_iceman for his help and support!
For the past few months I’ve been working on a Windows application called ZL Iconset Factory, ZLIF for short.
ZLIF is a utility for making ZLauncher iconsets. (BTW, it's not for editing the icon artwork.)
OK, so what’s so special about that?
A lot of people may not realize that a properly formatted ZLauncher iconset, can replace ANY or ALL icons on your PDA, in a fashion similar to programs like AppIcon. However, creating this type of iconset isn’t particularly easy to do, especially if you don’t have any programming chops.
Also, since there are so many Palm applications, distributing this type of iconset is likely to result in wasted memory for icons that won’t be used.
What’s needed is an application that makes it simple for any user to make an iconset for themselves. And that’s the purpose of ZLIF.
I know that many of you are familiar with my ThemeMaker program. ZLIF doesn’t work anything like it. Virtually everything in ZLIF is automatic. Here are some of the things ZLIF does:
Modify existing iconsets or create new ones.
Automatically keeps track of new programs you install, so those icons will be available.
Automatically converts to other color depths on the fly.
Automatically converts images you load or paste to the correct color depth.
Automatically selects the transparent color for you, and displays icons using the transparent color.
Automatically strip out all of the low or high res icons, depending on what you need.
Create templates from any iconset with your favorite program icons.
If you’re curious to see what ZLIF looks like, there are some screen shots on my web page.
OK, now for a couple of pieces of “bad news”.
1) ZLIF isn’t going to be free. I apologize if anyone on the board got the impression that it would be. There are several reasons for this, but the biggest reason is the huge amount of time I’ve had to put into it. (As a comparison, the ML background converter on my web page took about a week and a half from start to finish.) If there’s any good news in this, it’s that I plan on making it quite inexpensive.
2) The second piece of bad news is that even though ZLIF is pretty much fully functional now, I can’t sell it because it’s currently using PilRc to compile the iconset. Even though PilRc is a free application, it has licensing restrictions that don’t allow it to be used with anything other than a free program. The program can’t be sold until I finish writing my own resource compiler, and to be honest I’m not certain how long that will take yet, but hopefully not too long.
So the reason I’m posting this today is I would like to get a few more people who would be willing to be testers. So hopefully when the resource compiler is finished, the front end will be pretty bullet proof.
If you’re just curious about ZLIF, please don’t volunteer to be a tester. If there’s enough people who just want to check out the program, we can make a demo available for anyone to download. The demo version will save ZL system icons, but will only save 2 application icons per iconset.
I will give the first 5 people who ask, a reg key code and the location where the program can downloaded.
Most of the testers that I’m currently using are members of ClieSource. So if you have a question or problem, please post it here first to let the others know and in case other testers can supply the answers. (Which gives me more time to finish the program.)
Again, if you don’t want to commit to being a tester, but are interested in seeing the program work, post a request here.
Thanks,
Bob (Festus440)
OK, I'm off to the state fair to have a deep fried Twinky on a stick. (No I'm not kidding!) | 
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09-01-2003, 05:09 PM
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#2 | | NEW! Alienware Area-51m..
Join Date: May 2003 Location: UK
Posts: 212
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PC: AMD Athlon XP 'Mobile' 2500+ @ 3200+, DFI Ultra Infinity NFII, GeIL Golden Dragon (2x256mb) Dual Channel, ATi Radeon 9800 Pro, 36GB WD Raptor, 80GB Seagate Barracuda, Sony DVD+RW 8x, 17" LG TFT, Chenbro Gaming Bomb Silver
PDA : SONY CLIE NX70v/e, 128Mb MS, 256Mb CF, GameCon
Phone : Nokia N-Gage, 32mb MMC, Various Game Titles
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09-01-2003, 05:13 PM
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#3 | | The One and Only...
Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Seattle
Posts: 617
| I would like to try it out and help ya..
email me at hteasthope (at) yahoo.com..also sent ya a PM
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Treo 700P 8GB SD Card! | |
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09-01-2003, 05:23 PM
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#4 | | Guest | I know this won't log me in inside the post but w/e. I want to be a tester too! dasilverblaze (at) hotmail.com | |
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09-01-2003, 08:25 PM
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#5 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Australia
Posts: 17
| I would be happy to beta test for you!
joelshovel (at) hotmail.com | |
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09-01-2003, 09:24 PM
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#6 | | Advance Wars = Crack
Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: your mom
Posts: 1,895
| Any estimated release date?
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HP iPAQ rx3715
Motorola v710
Creative Zen Micro 5GB
Nintendo DS | |
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09-01-2003, 10:29 PM
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#7 | | Registered User Silver Contributor
Join Date: May 2002 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 440
| I think it's a Minnesota thing, everything on a stick at the state fair. Pancakes, pizza, pork chops, deep fried candy bars, and of course the Twinkie (with chocolate syrup). The rumor is that next year its deep fried White Castle hamburgers on a stick 
As far as the release date, I'd like to get a little more into resouce compiler before I commit. I've done all the compression routines before in ThemeMaker, and I'm already doing the palette conversions in the dll that comes with ZLIF, so I'm hoping it won't be too bad. I'm as anxious as anyone to get it finished. Its been a long project. | |
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09-01-2003, 10:50 PM
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#8 | | Support Our Troops! Bronze Contributor
Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: In a Puddle Somewhere in Seattle
Posts: 1,833
| mmmmmmmmmmmmm white castle... none of those out here.... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
well... I can get 'em frozen at Costco.... but not the same. | |
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09-01-2003, 11:20 PM
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#9 | | Registered User Silver Contributor
Join Date: May 2002 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 440
| I'll think of you when I'm eating the deep fried burger next year
Looks like the tester slots are filled.
Thanks. | |
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09-01-2003, 11:22 PM
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#10 | | Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Minnesota
Posts: 86
| yes, the state fair, a gastronome nightmare or nirvana...
hey Festus, we went to the state fair yesterday. I did try the Deep Fried Twinkie on a Stick. Found it to be much better than last year's deep fried Snickers on a STick!!!
As for your ZLIF, I would like to see that too! May not be as good as trying the food experiments at the fair. I always like the Food Building too......where is my Bromo Selzter? 
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09-01-2003, 11:31 PM
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#11 | | Support Our Troops! Bronze Contributor
Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: In a Puddle Somewhere in Seattle
Posts: 1,833
| work from home day tomorrow festus ...... I can concentrate more on the current ZLIF I have  | |
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09-02-2003, 03:00 AM
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#12 | | You never lose by trying
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 434
| Festus, I would love to give it a try. I just dug out the old skinning tools and have started in again (now that zztech is not changing there format every release ) I would also like to be the first to purchase it when it is released. You have done so much for the skinning community an I would like to give something back. Just let me know.
Thanks Dave
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Sting? I don't really listen to his music.
But I respect the fact that he is making it
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09-02-2003, 06:23 AM
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#13 | | Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Cleveland, OH
Posts: 119
| I'll be a beta tester...I've been waiting for this program for a long time... | |
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09-02-2003, 06:50 AM
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#14 | | Registered User Silver Contributor
Join Date: May 2002 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 440
| Sorry, but no more testers please.
BTW - Since my normal Yahoo e-mail address appears on a lot of web pages, it's getting constantly clobbered with Sobig virus e-mails. (Sometimes up to 30 per hour!) So it gets filled up quick.
Another one that can be used is festus440 [AT] zlthemes.com
Version V0415 has been uploaded this morning with following changes / fixes.
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Fixed problem that caused start-up search to happen regardless of the setting.
Unknown icons can now be modified.
Added some additional Palm OS system icons.
Fixed lockup that occured when changing the application of an unknown icon.
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There's a history file in the root of the install directory. | |
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09-02-2003, 05:44 PM
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#15 | | Guest | Think I might be to late, but I would like to be count as a beta tester too. | |
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