Extracting and repackaging icons from existing programs

[prestonmcafee]

I would like to create a file of icons from programs that run from the sd card, so that those icons can be placed in main memory, and then the links reference that icon file. That way a program that resides on the SD card can have a link in main memory which specifies a main memory icon, and that icon will appear on the start menu (programs on the start menu don't usually have icons).

I have read a fair bit about this without finding out how to do it. Icon_viewer let me see the icons, and identify their number, but I need to strip them out and put them in a dll or exe. This would also make phm_traylnch work better, by creating shortcuts that have their own icon files, so that large programs which aren't being opened don't need scanning for the icons. Indeed, if the links to large files in /Windows/Start Menu/ specified their icons in a file that contained only icons, wouldn't WM5 start up faster?

[meschle]

Firstly which rom are you running? - I had that problem with my old pre-aku2 rom using phm traylaunch but has now gone running aku2 rom.
Icons from storage card appear with no delay, also start menu startup is swift. (plus maybe its my fast min-sd card as well!)

If you really want to experiment try res hacker http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/ it does work on wince progs as well. You can remove/change icons using this program.

For large exe's I found upx compressing the executable made a world of difference to icon refresh/update. see here http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=49990

[prestonmcafee]

I'm running Xelencin's 2.24 T-Mobile customization. I have an alternate solution for PHM_Traylnch, using SKSchema to run traylnch after 20 seconds, making sure the SD card is available.

I have an A-Data 2GB miniSD; it was the only 2GB available when I bought my MDA. It hasn't given me any trouble but probably isn't super fast.

I don't mind my startup time at all, as it is much faster, but I do have some large programs on the miniSD.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll try UPX -- it sounds great!

[vijay555]

I've written long posts about this before, and it caused me to write my program VJBrisk.

The way to do it is to create an Icon DLL, and then use modified shortcuts pointing at custom icons in the dll. This will speed up boot time, start menu population, SmallMenu/GSPocketMagic etc, and prevent blank icons loading from SD Card.

I recommend downloading Microangelo on the PC.
Load your target icon .exe into Microangelo librarian.exe.
Click each (or all) icons, and save as .ico.

Modify icons if necessary in Microangelo Studio.

Next, (easiest way) is to start with the PHM Icon library dll. Load into librarian. Rip out all existing icons (optional). (Harder way is to create a blank resource dll in Visual Studio etc).
Drop in your extracted .ico files.

Save the dll, copy to PPC, and smile.

For hints (for beginners) on modifying shortcut icons for files and folders, search against my username for the word "completeness".

I do this for my today screen icons.

http://www.vijay555.com/vj/screenshots/november3.jpg

V

[prestonmcafee]

Thanks, I am very impressed with all of your programs! Also, thanks for the tip on searching; if one can't find an unusual word, it is difficult to find the right thread, because so many unrelated threads turn up.

Unfortunately, microangelo seems a little steep for the minor purpose to which I am putting this, especially since I already have a solution that works ok using skschema.

[vijay555]

Microangelo is very useful for all icon work in my experience. But you can do all of this for free with a Resource Hacker (or Visual Studio, or many other apps):
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

V