2009 Icon Editor Font

[jspaarg]

I will try playing with editor later.

Right now, I just took Hoovah's advice and changed the icon editor name.

I don't have all the goodies from the new editor, but at least I can make my text look the same.

While this is not really a solution (I think the appropriate solution is for NI to support the old font in the new editor), it works for now.

They can create a new font and call it NIoldIcon --or something similar--.

[RavensFan]

Go with whatever you need to do to get the job done now.  But I don't see a difference on either my work PC or my home PC between the two versions and how they handle the fonts.  Both of mine are showing up as "Small Fonts".  I think the problem is within your LabVIEW setup.

Look in the LabVIEW.ini files for each version and search for the word "Icon".  In LV8.6, I see a setting for IconFont.  In LV 2009, I see multiple settings for IconEditor.  where various font, size, alignment settings are set.  My guess is that you have the settings different between the versions.

[ThSa]

Jspaarg,

do you mind to take some screenshots of the new IE?

I read through this thread and I kinda struggle with the imagination what exactly is going on.

Thanks,

Tom

[jspaarg]

I see the setting in LabView.ini in 8.6 and in 2009; they are very different formats (expected with an upgrade).

Other threads have indicated that the font in the old versions was hard-coded; are they wrong?

I am now getting the font size changing when I type in text lines.

It doesn't change font with the Text tool.

The Line Text entrys do not give me as much control as I would like in relative placement.

It seems that regardless of which Line is typed, the characters are in the same place, i.e. Line 1 and Line 4 put all text in the same place if they are the only lines chosen.

This holds true for a second line, i.e. if I use Line 1 and then Line 2 OR Line 4, Lines 2 and 4 wind up in the same place.

The only control that I see for relative placement is to use the Text tool, same as the old editor, which seems to be limited to one font.

However, I still don't know which of the new fonts matches the font from the old font if I use the Text Lines.

Also, I cannot seem to get colors into the History with the pipette tool like it worked on the old editor.

And what is with the two different colors in the lower right with the right angle arrows?

[RavensFan · Accepted solution]

Yes, the font in the old versions does seem to be sort of hardcoded.  You can change the .ini, but I don't know of any menu choices within the old icon editor to modify it like the Options menu in the new icon editor.

I still don't know why you are having a problem with the text tool.  If I use Tools/Icon Editor Properties, or double click on the text tool, I get the dialog box to change the font, alignment and size.  Small Fonts are certainly there in my dialog box.

As for relative displacement.  If you only type 1 line, it seems to center it vertically no matter which of the 4 text lines you enter your text.  However if you put a space in the other lines such as line 1, 2, and 3 are space, line 4 has your text, then the text will show up at the bottom of the icon.

I'm not sure how the eye dropper worked before.  But if you use the eye dropper, that selects the color.  If you go to the History section of the color picker and select a blank box, then the color that is either your current left click color or right click color will get dropped there when you left click or right click on the empty box.

The two arrow/triangles give you the ability to flip an image or rotate it.

Message Edited by Ravens Fan on 09-22-2009 11:12 AM

[rex1030]

To be honest, I suggest not using the Icon Text tab at all. Go to the layers tab, drop down a new layer by hitting the plus. Select the text tool and type a couple words. Move them into place with the selection tool. Rinse and repeat for more lines. I have found this is so much faster and more effective because you can not only put the text exactly where you want it, but you can also move it closer together than the default text editor does, which leaves room for glyphs and symbols on the bottom half. I am used to working in photoshop and this way seems to be a lot faster and easier. I have had a lot of success making better icons faster with the new editor and while it still needs a lot of work, it is a vast improvement over the previous one (which was nearly useless).

Check out some of the icons I have posted here on the forums. Did them in about ten minutes with the new icon editor. Would have taken forever in the old one.

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[jspaarg]

Great Info, Thanks.

Double Click the text tool icon "Doh!"

Click the History box works also, didn't do that in the old one, it just automatically added it as the last accessed color.

The rotate arrows were not what I meant.

In the bottom right, there are two colors with right-angle arrows, one arrow pointing at each color.

They seem to be two different layers.

It appears that one layer is the background (like the old editor) and the other is the text (not the text lines).

The text lines seem to have their own layer.

So between the history click and the text tool click, you seem to have solve my dominant issues.

The only one left is to match a new font to the old font, but now that is nowhere near as troubling.

Thanks

[RavensFan]

Okay, now I know what you mean.  That is the active colors.  The left one is your left click color, the right one is the right click color.  Left click on either one and the color picker will come up.

Honestly, I always found choosing the fonts in the old editor a little tedious.  I usually like my text centered, but it was usually set for left as default.  I would alway put some text in and it would be the wrong alignment.  Then I'd have to clear it before it became set in the window.  Then I'd have to take a couple seconds before I realized that click on the Text tool brought up the font dialog box.

I still get a couple of questions in my mind of what do I have to click or do to get what I want.  But overall the new icon editor much better.  The layers themselves give you a chance to play around with text location and glyph selections independently without writing over one another.

I am actually using PJM's icon editor.  http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=430714  It seems to behave very similarly to the new LV icon editor (I haven't noticed any differences.)  But I like the layout much better and reminds me more of MS Paint.  The new LV editor just feels kind of backwards to me.

Thanks PJM for creating it!