Panarchy
26th April 2009 11:08 UTC

How can I make the icon [image] background transparent on all Windows OS? -Using NSIS
Hello

How do I make the icon (actual image) background transparent?

I would like to know how to do this using either C++ or NSIS.

To be more specific, with a blue wallpaper, using the exact same installation wizard, the computer icon looks different.

Exhibit A http://http.cdnlayer.com/dreamincode...lt/icon_up.gif

http://i40.tinypic.com/29vxnk3.png

Exhibit B http://http.cdnlayer.com/dreamincode.../icon_down.gif

http://i42.tinypic.com/34sgsvo.jpg

Is there a way to make (through registry changes perhaps?) the change from Exhibit B to Exhibit A automatically?

Any suggestions on how this could be achieved would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Panarchy

Anders
26th April 2009 11:31 UTC

are we talking about .ico here? if so, this has nothing to do with NSIS or c++, you just need to set the transparency correctly in your icon. There are several free icon editors out there, checkout http://icofx.ro/ or http://www.snapfiles.com/get/gficoneditor.html

Panarchy
26th April 2009 11:55 UTC

Hello.

The actual .ico is A-OK (fine).

On some of the computers I go on, and install the program, the icon looks different. On some computer the icon has transparency, on some it just doesn't. The exact same installer is being used.

Please tell me how I can make the icon transparent for the Computers that don't make icons transparent by default.

Thanks in advance,

Panarchy

Anders
26th April 2009 12:33 UTC

I still say your icon is broken. If you only have a 32bit color version in there, you might see some problems on older systems

Panarchy
26th April 2009 12:40 UTC

All operating systems I've tested this on are Windows Server 2003.

Anders
26th April 2009 13:54 UTC

If other windows icons are also broken, there is something wrong with windows or your graphics driver. If only your icon has the problem, then your icon is broken, use one of the icon editors I linked to

Panarchy
27th April 2009 01:28 UTC

Problem solved, solution found.

Thanks for all the help.

Panarchy

lewellyn
27th April 2009 02:21 UTC

Where was the problem, so as to help others searching for this in the future? :D Was it a bad icon? bad Windows version? bad display driver/settings? NSIS's fault?

Panarchy
27th April 2009 03:32 UTC

I dunno!

Created the icon from the png with a different online image editor/converter, yet it wasn't giving me the different dimensions on the actual .exe (it was on the .ico though).
This also includes the installer itself, as well as the program.

(that is, it didn't work for anything but the .ico)

However, when testing it on the computer in question, it just worked.

A little overly outlined, but nothing to worry about.

So it just all works now!

Pretty confusing, eh?

Hope this helps,

Panarchy

lewellyn
27th April 2009 07:30 UTC

Yeah, icons can be tough to get right. :P

Personally, I'm a huge fan of IconBuilder. They make versions of it for Windows and Mac, and it's only about fifty bucks. (Compared to the hours you can spend with trying to make lesser tools work [especially free online tools, as great as sites like iConvert are...], over time, it's a bargain...)

Only problem is that it requires an Adobe/Macromedia app (Photoshop, Elements, and/or Fireworks). But, again, you probably have or will obtain a copy of one of them if you do lots of icon work, as I know few people who use open source apps for serious icon design. (In fact, I know quite a few people who do their icon work in Illustrator and paste the vectors into Photoshop...)

(Note: I'm not at all affiliated with Iconfactory, Adobe, or any other company mentioned in this post... Just a satisfied customer who gladly doesn't have many icon issues anymore. ;))

But, I'm glad you got it working! :D