* Custom icons

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E Wilcock
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Custom icons

Post by E Wilcock »

I notice that various users have created custom icons for use in genealogical research.

A google search shows that there are icons on line and some which one could use in the context of historical research. But I know nothing about icons.

Are there any instructions please for the file type of icon file and specs, size etc, that can be downloaded by users and added to the icon folder in fh?

I would not want to make my set public. In fh one can use flag icons to mark private or sensitive information. Religion, proscribed political party membership, sexual orientation. I may want to look at a family and see who enlisted and who were conscientious objectors.
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davidm_uk
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Re: Custom icons

Post by davidm_uk »

I find that the easiest way is to take a copy of one of the standard FH icon .bmp files (C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Icons ), open it with a picture editor and modify it to suit. You can use the Paint program that comes with Windows, or an editor of your own choice, and best to keep all your icons the same size (in pixels) and in .bmp format.

On my PC I've moved any of the standard FH icons that I don't use to a subfolder, so that the default folder just contains the standard ones that I use, plus any personalised ones.
David Miller - researching Miller, Hare, Walker, Bright (mostly Herts, Beds, Dorset and London)
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PeterR
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Re: Custom icons

Post by PeterR »

[Nothing to do with Plugins!]
There is quite a choice at fhugdownloads:diagramicons|– Downloads and Links ~ Diagram Icons.

The first item found by searching FH Help for "icons" is Box Features Dialog which includes:
You can also create and use your own icons if you wish. You need to use another program to do this. You can, for example, use the Paint accessory program that comes with all versions of Windows. If you use this program to create your own icons, remember to save your image in bitmap (.bmp) format. Whatever colour appears in the top-left hand corner of the bitmap will be interpreted by Family Historian as transparent. So, for example, if the top-left corner is white, every white pixel in your bitmap will appear to be transparent when the icon is displayed in a diagram.

You can also choose the Size for icons. The choices are all given in dpi - that, is in dots per inch. When you increase the number of dots per inch, you effectively make the icon appear smaller when displayed in a diagram. Conversely, if you reduce the dpi the icons will get bigger, The default is 250 dpi. The minimum size value is 50 dpi.
Peter Richmond (researching Richmond, Bulman, Martin, Driscoll, Baxter, Hall, Dales, Tyrer)
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tatewise
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Re: Custom icons

Post by tatewise »

I have moved this to FH General Usage as it is nothing to do with Plugins.

Just avoid any confusion suggested by the term 'flag icons', there are two distinct features:
1) Record Flags can be added to Individual records and be identified in the Property Box, Records Window, Queries, etc.
2) Diagram Icons can only appear on Boxes in Diagrams and can be triggered by both Flags and Expressions
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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E Wilcock
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Re: Custom icons

Post by E Wilcock »

Well, I thought it counted as a plug in since icon sets were added by users.

And I know only about icons that appear on diagrams.

I asked because TMG provided specs for icons. both file type and size. They were usually used for buttons on custom tool bars.
The small arrow in fh is 68-68. So if there is no guidance it will be trial and error. I am not going to design my own!
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tatewise
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Re: Custom icons

Post by tatewise »

Just to clarify, Plugins are specifically associated with the Tools > Plugins feature and Plugin Store as described in plugins:index|> Family Historian Plugins.

All the other downloads, etc, are known as customisations of other features such as Diagrams and Reports.

There are lots of icons in fhugdownloads:diagramicons|> Downloads and Links ~ Diagram Icons.

PeterR pointed to the guidance in the FH Help pages that gives file type and size.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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E Wilcock
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Re: Custom icons

Post by E Wilcock »

davidm_uk wrote: You can use the Paint program that comes with Windows, and best to keep all your icons the same size (in pixels) and in .bmp format.
Thank you for giving me the idea. I am sorry if I dismissed it. I had never used Paint before. But I down loaded some icons, saved them as BMP and then edited them just a bit in Paint. I take photographs and it isnt that different from using photoshop elements -
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tatewise
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Re: Custom icons

Post by tatewise »

You can edit BMP files in Photoshop Elements too.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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