Image to icon conversion is one of the key operations of every serious icon editor out there. Today, I decided to compare our icon editor with six others, learn their strengths and weaknesses, and finally decide which of their features are worth implementing in the next version of RWIE :-).
The Unicorn3D subsystem is intended for simple models and that’s exactly what is needed when creating an icon. Or maybe that’s what WAS needed in the past. Windows Vista 256×256 format is not that small anymore and one of our customers required a more detailed keyboard on their icon. Well, it was not easy, I had to add some new functions to make this task feasible.
Everybody has heard about the famous “plug-ins” design pattern. Allowing third-party extensions to one’s software was a key feature that took applications like Photoshop or Mozilla where they are today. But let’s not stop there. With a few minor improvements, this design pattern can be much more usefull - I call it Cooperating Plug-Ins.
The freeware RW Cursor Editor is becoming quite popular. In the near future (early 2007), it will get a new sibling - a more powerfull shareware app. The Pro version will integrate the 3D subsystem currently present in RW Icon Editor and will make the creation of animated 3D cursors easy.
A drop shadow filter is a crucial part of every web or application graphics editor. If you need more convincing that drop shadow is your friend, read the article about the role of shadows in icon design. The good news is that the old JScript-based filter will be replaced by a new one. A better one. A faster one.
Upcoming versions of RealWorld Designer-based applications are going to have a much needed feature: the ability to run a filter and display a preview of the outcome.