Hey everyone, since team blackbolt decided to use a different folder icon for MC360 from now on, we can all start over again with creating icons.

So far I created the following icons (I'll post them up soon):

Da Ali G Show
Dirty Sanchez
Futurama
Jackass
Kyle XY
Mastermovies (Dutch Online Series)
Mythbusters
Oz
Pimp My Ride
Pimp My Ride International
Prison Break
Robot Chicken
Rutger Haalt De Krant (Some More Dutch Online Series)
Rutger Leert Stappen (And Even More)
SBS6 (More Dutch Stuff)
South Park
The IT Crowd
Welcome To The Scene
Welcome To Teh Scene
Wildboyz

I will be making quite a few more I need myself, and if I feel like it, and have the time I can do some requests as well!

So; start creating some fancy icons and post them up here!

I think it will be easier for the people who made the old ones to just reup them again and hope that they have the original files :\ anyway I'll get started on the ones I did and maybe some others today

Wheeeeeeeeew!!!!!!!!! Ehhhhhh. Hope i saved all my psd files still. Should've known this might happen some day. Oh well. Life goes on i guess.

Ok, here's some for now. 4 1/2 hours of sleep, 14 1/2 hours at work, and 1 1/2 hours making these again, time for some sleep, getting delirious!!

Ok, a few more, now i'm sleeping for real this time.

first: djdafreund, not to be harsh or anything, but can you read? I allready made 2 of your icons...
second: The other icons PSDs can't be used, the tilt is totally different.
third: again for djdafreund, and again not trying to be harsh or anything, but your icons look kinda blend and are a little too big, (imo) it looks better when they don't hit the edges.

Keep on posting everyone!

Yeah I agree with TomLoth.

Lets try to keep the quality on these icons high ok? Its not fair to users if people are putting out quick rush job icons that dont really look all too good. It may be harsh to the people who create these sub-par icons, but its best for everyone all around.

If you are gonna make some icons put some effort into it, its not just a case of copying and pasting a pixelated .gif logo over the folder icon and saving. Use some skill, some effort and create something that looks good.

1st-Sorry, i already made those and thought i'd post them until your were posted. Sorry. Will make sure in the future not to do this.
third: Not taking harshly, it's ok. What is meant by "icons look kinda blend"?, i understand the little too big part, and i can change and repost those. I was used to the other folder icon where you HAD to make it ABAP, or else it wouldn't be barely readable on the screen. I haven't honestly looked at them on the xbox yet, so i'll do that, but i was just too tired last night to do it.




I could possibly use a few tips then. The others i made were apparently fine all that time. The default icon is only 128x128, how much quality can i cram in that? I am using artwork, mostly at a resolution of either 1024x768 or 800x600 (most of the logo's) and almost 'camera ready' 300dpi resolution. But when i shrink it to fit the default icon, it makes it look much worse.
Please, could you give me just a few tips as to what your doing to keep it able to look good? So i can check things in the future? I want to help contribute, and i am definitely skilled at photoshop, but might be missing something here, since i usually always work with artwork/graphics at 1280x1024 - 3072x2304.
Also maybe post a finished good PSD, so i can take a closer look at a considered good one. Then i can remake mine, and future ones, with a better understanding of what you want as expectations, using your sample, and tips. Thanks a bunch guys. Just wanting to do the right thing here.

Glad to see you take it so professionally
With blend I meant the colors look a bit washed out (I hope that clears it up)

And for the resizing; Just Google for a logo and try to get one around 300x300 or something like that.

I can't post my icons at the moment (server is being ass) but I'll post them ASAP!
I'm off to create some more icons, See Ya!

I havent actually made any icons yet. But a tip from me, is if you have Adobe Illustrator, use the LivePaint function, and turn the JPEGs of the logo's into vectors, and use that to resize in photoshop as a smart object.

Also another tip is shadows, use shadows below the logos correctly, some of your shadows are hard edged and it just looks jaggie and amateurish. Blend your logos into the background icon, not literatly, just make the image fit together better. Avoid jpeg artifacted logos too, beware of jaggie edges once resized, like your family guy logo has just been shrunk down and plonked on the folder, its jaggie and not at the right aspect ratio, like you stretched it to fill the folder. Just take care and make use of all the tools photoshop has to offer. The biggest tip I can give you is DON'T RUSH, thats the biggest mistake people make with photoshop or other art apps, rushing to get it done because you can't be bothered, is bad. Take a break untill you want to continue. God knows I get pissed off doing graphics as I do it so much in life, but usually a break away from it for a few hours then I can continue fresh minded.

Ok, i value both your opinions, and appreciate your tips. I'll implement them in my future icons. They all make more sense now actually. The family guy logo i used (cleanest one i can find, might just scan my box art from dvd collection if i end up needing to.) was 400x264 so i tried to restrech it to match the original one.
Thanks so much guys for your tips and help!! That will definitely help me out in the future. And i will try not to rush also. I see your point, and i do understand what you mean about after doing some, you don't mean to rush more in the process intentionally, but to just stop, and come back later with a fresh mind.

And remember now, as an artist, PIXELS are your enemy.

NEVER use lo-res artwork with hi-res artwork, I hate that more than anything, its like people actually don't understand the difference when mixing the two resolutions together.

Jaggies are your enemey, try to work towards NO jaggies and NO pixelation and you will be on the road to success. You should get into doing your art in vectors as much as possible.

Gotcha. I personally hate pixels, but at 128x128, it's not dealing with a perfect world. But i will try for sure. Now in all fairness though, a good part of the original artwork i did use was pretty good size in resolution. (Car-640x480,Family Guy-400x264, Living color-400x300) Not making excuses here of course, just letting you know i am totally also a hater of EVER using low quality with high quality.
I do side jobs of doing picture's for customers wanting special favors, or custom making pictures using different shots.(IE-Family picture's where a certain member couldn't be there at the time, removing certain objects, or indivuduals, or changing backgrounds, etc.) and am much more skilled with using high resolution images then i am at using low quality detailed images (200x200 or below), so all that info both you gave me will really be of help to me.
Can CS2 and CS3(Beta tester) can do Vector imaging? I'm not to experienced with vector imaging. I used it here and there when i did jobs when i managed and worked in the copy center at an Office Depot for 5 years. I understand the concept behind vector imaging (can scale without loosing any loss) but not in terms of proper programs to do it the right way, as well as how to actually work in to my advantage. Any links to guide me in the right direction would help if you have any though, on the side of course. Thanks BIG TIME!!

I personally use Adobe Illustrator, love it. But I think you can use Photoshop to vectors, well I KNOW you can, just not with as much control as illustrator has.

Ok. I think i have a friend that has is. I'll mess with photoshop til then and see if it works for me for this at least. And thanks again, seriously, for the help. I might clip these and save them as some guidelines. I always appreciate good help. One is never old enough to learn.

Ok everybody, I have made 59 icons so far (15-1-2007), half of them is probably useless for the most of you, but I need then nearly all. I hope you like them, and post your own

http://www.box.net/public/hjn2k3got3 (EDIT: I forgot to say, they don't extract in a folder )

PS. Maybe someone can make some season icons (I suck at those )

good job so far man thank you.

Any requests anyone?

I have all the icons I need, but what do YOU need?

Ok, my friend had Illustrator CS2. So i got it installed, and have been trying to mess around with the vectoring area. Do either of you have a profile you mostly use to convert logo's to vectors? Or any tips of what settings work best? I'd like to start making some icons, but as you said, i want them to be good and i want to do this the right way now. Thanks, hope i'm not being a pest. I am very much a perfectionist though. And i gather the same from both of you.

Loving these new icons peeps!!! TomLoth your standard is well above mine (but I’m learning) so could I gratefully request a few? I think a lot of other users will be able to make use of these as well .

24
American Dad
Band of Brothers
CSI Miami
CSI NY
CSI Vegas
Friday Night Lights
Heroes
Lost
Men behaving badly (UK version)
NCIS
Nip/Tuck
Rome
Scrubs
The 4400
The Simpsons
The Sopranos

Emulators Folder
Porno Folder (someone had to ask!!!)

Also it would be good if icons could be created with just an age restriction logo on, for example here in the UK, most media is rated by the BBFC, I think the equivalent in the Netherlands is Kijkwijzer system (as if I didn't google that!!!). Here is an example of an 18 restricted release such as GTA 3:


It would be nice to arrange files under these categories.

Will there be a new icon thread like the old one at any stage in the near future?

No rush dude, just throwing these suggestions out there!!

Thanks again,

Thats more of a XBMC request.

I did think that at first, but then thought with all the different international variations of the ratings system, its unlikely it would ever get implemented (i'll post the idea anyway ) mainly because although we have 8 ratings (Uc, U, PG, 12a, 15, 18, R18) other systems don't necessarily have a direct comparison (meaning it might not be as simple as changing the Artwork and language file for each region), that could mean implementing an extra organisational system into XBMC for possibly every country in the world. I think it would be much simpler to create the icons, at least with folder art people could create custom folders and arrange files themselves.

Although don't get me wrong I do see the benefits of having the system built into XBMC, users could be restricted from viewing certain files & games depending on their profile (Age would need added to that), files could be auto arranged etc.. this is turning into an XBMC request post so I'll stop here and head in that direction.

It was just a thought - but then again I'm not the one coding, skinning or creating creating all the icons in my spare time!!!

Keep up the good work Blackbolt, there's life in the old box yet!!

Ok, Ive had my fill of football today so here is my 1st attempt:



Hope its ok!!

2 more for everyone,

Last ones for today, prob shouldn't have requested them really, but today's 7 are my first and didn't think I'd do any at all before yesterday afternoon.

Let me know about standards, I'll refine them if you think they need it.

These are some I've been working on the past few days - some of my old ones and a few new 'uns. The new folder is good.
http://www.box.net/public/0p4ua6t9d4
Will do some more soon.

With this folder being almost flat, you can get a bigger icon in there this time. I used a few guides in Photoshop to max out each picture (see screenshot) and got them to the red line. There's still a tiny gap at all edges but it looks fine? I wonder if we should all keep to some rules when making these this time round - so they all look alike. I notice people wanting to go over the folder edges and others don't Let's discuss.

Also, should we use some kind of converter like png to vector? Stuff looks like crap when you get down to it at 128x128 but at 100% (normal) size, you can't really tell..

Photoshop guides:

Good batch of icons, I think setting some general rules would be a good idea before everyone starts making a big group of icons that people wont use.

From my point of view, I like:

1) No part of the icon in the 'tab' part of folder. Gives a cleaner look when they are lined up, rather than some with and some without.

2) A 3 pixel gap on the left and right edges and bottom I suppose, if the icon is that big. Dont compare my previous submissions on this, ive just checked this one out and seems about right - I'll redo previous folders .

Anyone else got any likes/dislikes???

Good point. Somthing I didn't realise when first doing these.
The taller ones are now resized and made to fit under the tab. + there's a few fixes and updates.
http://www.box.net/public/fkkfspsayi

Nicely updated... The Sopranos especially stand out as much clearer now.

I’m away from home for a week or so now, I don’t have access to a computer with the packages I need to make any more folders so I won’t be able to do any until I'm back.

Keep up the good work. I'll continue as soon as I can...

Another update http://www.box.net/public/9lk2la0xf0
Sorry if this pisses anyone off? The Dl is tiny btw. Just love messing with these icons and I've got nothing better to do

The Sopranos is much better in that last pack, the first time round I forgot to do it properly anyways.

This might be the last crack I have at these.. spending too much time on this silly stuff
Some of these shows (mainly webseries) I've wanted to give a coloured folder - black, blue, red ect to match the theme of the originating site. It seems to work better than white?
http://www.box.net/public/5n6689n7nc

But. Doesn't this all seem like a waste of time? The wide icons blow these little folders clear out of the water.

And something I just realised was we could have taken all the PSD images from JoyMonkey's PMIII folders - if he wouldn't mind. And that would've saved a load of time. They're all well done..

Yeah, that might be a little easier, let alone faster to do, as they are already 'acceptable' within terms. I'll go ahead and redo those, giving him credit of course for the artwork. I already have started, and am making the same styled MAIN psd, so i can easily modify anything (like the original psd inside the rar file with all the artwork layers.)
I will post when finished. I am using the guides based on whats been discussed here so far.

I hope these are much better. The artwork is credited (most of them, some i did from scratch) to Joymonkey's PM 3 Artwork.





And some more. .. . .








Some of these may have been done, if so, sorry. I have very limited time, and can't afford to download every posted zip file and search just to see if it's been done or not. So until we can come up with a better solution (I only think it's fair, since only so many of us are making them to contribute.) like posting each one here like a few of us, or a website hosted all to see at glance, just ignore them instead of complaining it's been done. The only one that is out is the person creating it a second time, who didn't mind. So please, no complaints if this happens until we find a better solution. Thanks.

I hope you are all keeping the PSDs for these.

As its highly likely I am going to adjust the folder icon a bit, transparency wise and some other adjustments to the shadow. So keep your renders back for now till I say.

For those of you doing this properly, you will just be able to plonk the new folder in at the bottom of your layer window and it will work fine.

I don't care about TV show icons because I usually delete the episodes them after I see them. However, I'm pretty experienced with image editing and felt the need to say something about this. I don't mean to be harsh but I think that there's a time when one needs to know when to be humble and leave it to others who do it better. I think that it's important to always keep up the quality.
You know what? When you resize down a higher resolution picture to a low res like 128x128, it will actually look better and unpixelized because everything gets smoothed, including the edges. In some cases, resizing it down will even hide tiny imperfections, so I don't understand what you're talking about. If it looks pixelized than you're doing something wrong or didn't cut out the edges of the image properly.

Not really, here are some examples:
Pixelized:

Badly cut:

Pixelized / badly cut:

Besides, they all look awkward because the title artwork edges are too close to the folder icon edges.
Recycling low resolution artwork isn't a good idea and those images are a good example of that.
I'm sorry to say this, but you definately are not. And even if you know a thing or two when working with big images, you obviously lack the eye to see when something looks really good and high quality or not. You're wasting your time making those icons, sorry.

Everyone has an opinion. Obviously. 1st and formost. I have been a copy center manager for about 7 years now, doing things from manipulating pictures, photo editing, cleaning up imagery, designing brochure's and letterhead, etc., and YES i am very experienced. I've built quite a huge amount of clientel because of my reputation of my quality level. So i majorly beg to differ with your opinion on that note. Not comparing myself to you at all since i don't know where you come from either.
You can't cram a nickel into a penny. By that i mean, some of the artwork i am using is VERY CLEAN AND SHARP and at 150dpi, but once scaled down in to a small icon, i beg to differ with you that it can look better. Sure, maybe i AM doing something wrong in the process of scaling the image down. But you shouldn't be judging a book by its cover (saying i'm not experienced with photoshop, i would be willing to place a bet there.) because of my inability to work with a 128x128 image, which i NEVER do.
Second of all, your examples of 'BADLY CUT'. I didn't cut ANY OF THEM, so your insulting someone else's work, which APPARENTLY everyone else has been using for a while, and hasn't had a single issue with it. Yet, now it is. You example of them not looking good (' Too close to the edges' ) is what we decided on doing as a STANDARD with the people who are making them here. I am not changing anything, as this isn't a part of the MC360 skin, it's a mere extra FOR the skin, or as you will an enhancement not originally offered by the skin itself. And since so far everything put out there in this, MINE is the only one seemed to be picked on, so i guess oh well. I will keep making them, and if you don't want to use them, you don't have to. Or make them yourself. That's pretty disrespectful if you ask me, i'm one of few people that have been contributing, and others i've seen aren't any different in quality to mine.

Sorry, i have had a really crappy day and all night at work, and coming home to read these insults, without even knowing me, YET judging me because of a fricken 128x128 crappy icon, and even when using SOMEONE ELSE'S (widely used) icons AS-IS, still saying I'M doing something wrong, frankly bugs the hell out of me. So whatever. I've done over $80k in jobs for my skills for someone with 'lack of eye to see quality, and not being experience'. Thats all i have to say.

[vent mode off]

Whoa, I'm sorry if you got offended like that, I didn't mean to pick on you personally or start a fight, so I won't say anything else about it and just say sorry to keep this topic clean. You're probably a fine guy with whom I would enjoy drinking a beer or something elsewhere, I didn't meant to be conflictuous or offend your personal and professional life. As I said before, I don't care about TV show icons so there's not much interest in making them myself (unless someone requested for help, which in that case I would be glad to help).

Sometimes I point when something doesn't look good enough not with the intention to piss off anyone, but to alert that it can be done better (when that person isn't using its full potential or when I could do much better).
I believe that it is time to raise the quality bar in this community and think more about the users. I mean, we're not in 2003 anymore when a quick 5 minute slacker job would be fine. We're in 2007, when the professionally HQ looking Mc360 v1.0 and when a new generation of promising quality skins are being released by people who put their best effort on their work, when XBMC is ported to the pc and probably will be ported to other new platforms in a not too distant future. Maybe sometimes I am too direct and harsh with my comments, but I don't mean to offend anyone, I'm just trying to show that the quality bar can be raised a bit higher at a realistic height, that's all.

I'm sorry if you took it badly, let's carry on with the thread on topic.

Ah, Hell no! You must be joking!
Seriously, I respected the first change and heads up... But changing it again will cost a lot of people a lot of time. I know you are spending ages at MC360, and that these folder icons are peanuts to what you do, but I wouldn't like to have to import the folder to all of my PSDs. And I am sure a lot of people feel the same. Sorry if I pissed you off, but this is just how I feel.

Thanks for that. That goes a long way!!! Cheers to a beer to you

I agree with TomLoth. Some of us don't have but only so much time ourselves to dedicate, but DO want to help. And although the quality SHOULD be set high, it shouldn't be set TOO high. Remember, these icons are looked at briefly to pick a show or movie, used to navigate easier, not being displayed in a museum. So although the quality should be set high, it should be within reason. Xbox is dated now, and a true port is out of the question. (IE- Media portal is closest thing, i ported the PM3 skin, but isn't the same IMO as xbmc even til now, overall. GBPVR is the closest, I also ported the PM3 skin over to that. And the xbmc_pc skin will ONLY be for skinners mostly, and will never be a complete port. As mentioned on the xbmc main site.)
I just don't think we need to go crazy with stipulations and levels. It is what it is, a 128x128 icon. It should look nice, and is merely used to help navigate. Hopefully we can all agree with that? The Heroes logo i made almost from scratch, as there weren't anything usable i could find, and everything looked bad. And i made it with 150DPI, 708x256. But once scaled down in PS, only looks so good. STILL much better looking then the old one i made out there.

TomLoth, sorry but thats the way shit happens. You should keep one PSD, with all the layers inside it. It don't make sense to have PSDs for every single folder. Just split the overlays into Named Groups within the layer panel.

I don't mean to sign like an ass, but you are right, doing folder icons is peanuts to what we have done. So something as simple as sliding a folder icon under the layers in a photoshop file, shouldnt be too much of a problem. Name your layer groups accordingly and run a photoshop batch script to save each layer + the folder icon at the bottom as a png with the group name. And it will take you preciesly 0.2 of a second to resave them all with one click of the macro'd F key.

Smart Alec!! I already, myself, have 1 PSD, that has all the arkwork done as layers, so i just have to click on one layer to show, then save that as the said icon. Do you have a script made already you could share that does that auto-saves each icon? I would like that.

Nope sorry. I was simply putting forward the idea for someone to take it and run with themselves.

Ah, thats cool. I'll mess around and try to make one. Thanks for the idea.

This time round I did put keep all the images in one PSD (learned from the JoyMonkey pack) - will post that later if anyone wants a peek inside.

Ok, i got around to getting my friend to setup a forum on his site for posting any/all folder icons. Any idea's or changes are welcome. This is just to get started. Eventually a webpage will be added there, once all folders are collected, that will show all icons, and will be downloadable as one file below all.

MC360 Folder Icon Forum.

Heres a couple of icons I've been playing around with

very very nice

really nice i like your idea seems to be my favorite

Heres a Prison Break Icon, + I've fixed the drop shadow.

Wow, i really like those. Very nice work!