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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Icon emblems
From:       James Richard Tyrer <tyrerj () acm ! org>
Date:       2005-03-09 7:10:05
Message-ID: 422EA14D.2030504 () acm ! org
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Sébastien Laoût wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> We see more and more personalized icons in the filesystem icons group.
> We can have folder_image, folder_html, folder_download, folder_sound...
> 
> That's very great because we can arrange our home folder with some
> folders ("Images", "Sounds", "Downloads"...) and folders are very
> quickly recognizable (quicker than reading texts).
> 
> But there will never be enough icons.
> What about if we want folder_mail, for example (to assign to ~/evolution
> or ~/Mails folder: we don't want it to look like an incoming mail box),
> or folder_tmp, or folder_my_project...
> 
> And what happens when switching icon themes?
> Some icons suddently don't show anymore and are replaced with an "empty
> file" icon.
> I sometimes switch from/to CrystalSVG and Nuvola and need to use only
> the common icons.
> 
> That's where "icon emblems" save life.
> Yes, it's from GNOME, but it's a good idea IMHO:
> - Folders always look like folders
> - If I change icon them, icons are changed and EXISTS
>   (no empty icon instead of a folder and no need to start The GIMP
>    to add a pseudo-emblem to a folder and save it in the icon theme
>    folder...)
> 
> And it could not be restricted to folders: files can use emblems as
> labels or tags like "finished", "draft", "work", "urgent", "favorite".
> 
> It could even be a start for the "search desktop" (yes, it's not only
> search, as I've read): emblem can be a searchable/filterable meta-data.
> 
> Why not introduce this feature in KDE 4?
> Is this make sense usability wise (I think so)?
> Or would it add another layer of "cluttered interface"?
> 
> Of course, emblems will change with icon theme.
> For example, I apply the icon "Image" to a folder, then when switching
> to eg. Nuvola, it's the Nuvola "Image" icon that will be used a an
> emblem (contrary to GNOME, that have Fixed emblems, stored in an home
> sub-foldern as I understand it).

For just folder icons, I would like to make another suggestion.

Many of these: folder_<type> icons consist of the folder icon with a 
smaller icon superimposed on it.  If KDE could do this (like it is {or 
was??} able to do with: "Folder Icons Reflect Contents".  All that would 
need to be changed is where it looked for the name of the icon to use. 
This could be stored along with the icon for the folder in the 
".directory" file.  This would increase the number of folder icons 
available without having to have more icons -- actually we would have 
less since some could be eliminated.

-- 
JRT
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