Ok so in the new version, all data is organized into a treeview for easy access. This really works well in my opinion. Its organized like the following:

-->Calibers
-------> Firearms
-----------> Loads
-----------------> Targets

So for example, you can expand the .243 calibers and see all of your .243 firearms listed below that, expand the specific firearm you want to work with and you then get all of the loads for that firearm listed... and so on for targets.

Thinking ahead, with the "better idiot" in mind that out there that gets confused easily, he could easily organize his data like this (which is stupid but hey, someone will do it then complain later):

--> .243
-----> .243
---------> .243 #1
---------> .243 #2
---------> .243 #3
------------> .243 A
------------> .243 B
------------> .243 C

So what I want to do, is put an icon in front of the "children" in the treeview that specifies if its a Caliber, Firearm, Load or Target. So it would look something like this, where "a" = icon for caliber, b = icon for firearm, c = icon for load and d = icon for target.

--> [ a ] .243
-----> [ b ] .243
---------> [ c ] .243 #1
---------> [ c ] .243 #2
---------> [ c ] .243 #3
------------> [ d ] .243 A
------------> [ d ] .243 B
------------> [ d ] .243 C

Which now FINALLY brings me to my question. What to use for icons to represent the above???

Target is easy, I can make it look like the original PointBlank program icon. Firearm is also easy, make it look like maybe a pistol.

But Caliber and Load? Caliber could possibly be a small image of a case headstamp... what about Load? That one has me scratching my head. Maybe a tiny bottle of Hodgdon or something? I dont know if you can get enough detail out of a press

Ideas / suggestions? Keep in mind they are TINY icons... if you want to get an idea of how tiny open your My Computer link and look at the size of your drive icons.

IMO this is needed and will help confusion down the road from users. Its also pretty easy to add to the existing treeview.

So to recap:

Target = target icon
Firearm = Pistol or other icon
Caliber = ???
Load = ???

Post your suggestions


-DallanC

I like the head stamp,
The load could look like a flash or a spark igniting.

So, how big are the icons? And what color depth?

I'm leaning towards the press (single stage, schematic -- not detailed) to represent "load". But a bottle of powder would also work, and could perhaps be done with less detail.

After all, as long as they are easily distinguished from one another, they will minimally serve their purpose. If they are also visually appropriate, so much the better.

Just my $0.02, of course.

Albert

tikkat3 wrote:

I like the head stamp, The load could look like a flash or a spark igniting.

16x16 in size, 32bit color. Thats *really* tiny to get much detail in. I made up a test case with a headstamp, target, powder bottle and pistol. I sure changes the look of the browser tree... but overall I think I like the direction.

Maybe an image of a generic "book" would work better for the Load tree nodes. I'll leave it as is and let the beta testers give feedback once they see it. The coding was really easy and its a simple matter to replace an image with something different / better.

PS: No I havent picked testers yet, pretty much anyone that wants to test will be able to. I'll set that up maybe sunday depending on my free time.


-DallanC

How about a bullet for the load?

For the Firearms, would a gif of the rifle firing ala the sniper gif used in emoticons work?

Yeah, 16x16 is a serious challenge, but I still say so long as they look different from one another, it'll still work.

Don't sweat it too much

As I always remind myself: "Perfect" is the enemy of "Good Enough" -- whatever you think that means.

Albert

How about a weigh scale for the load .gif?

A case head for the caliber sounds good.

Good idea Dallan.

I like your ideas of a Target and Rifle/Pistol icon, and the casehead...they make the data contained "under" obvious.

For the Load...how about a stylised Reloading Manual, or a copy of a popular one. Other than that, maybe a pic showing part of a press with a hand on the press arm...not the whole press, just enough to make it obvious what it is.

Cheers, Vince

What if you have a list of generic icons with capability for the users to customize icons at the later stage?

We could make somewhere in the forum or the site to store custom icons for the program.

I like the idea for a bullet as the caliber icon, as a head stamp might end up looking too much like a yellow target.

As far as the load icon, I think a simple scale would be easiest. Be it a more conventional magnetic scale, or maybe one of those older types you must put weights on one side (Themis, the Goddess of Justice, type of scale).

I've explored some of the ideas sent to me, the problem with most of them is 16x16 is just too small to be able to determing what the object is (ie: you cant tell a reloading press is a reloading press). I'll keep an eye out for better images than what I currently am using but for now I'm moving on.


-DallanC

Might use a primer for load......should be able to tell the difference in that if the primer was say a side view. A side view of a bottle neck case?

If the icons are becoming an issue, then why not leave them out?

I reckon "most" of us can read.

Dallan, are we talking 16 x 16 pixel bitmaps?

English Mike, not me, I need pictures!!