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iconStiX Changelog

What's new in iconStiX 3.7

Mar 31, 2018
  • Limit use of deprecated methods only for backward compatibility with a new option "run in native mode" in the preferences. If this option is selected, documents and preferences are saved in a format which is partially not readable in earlier versions of iconStiX. Please select this option, if you use only iconStiX v.3.7 for macOS v.10.13 (or later).
  • Bug fix by drawing rotated objects with recess effects and by centering objects.
  • Further internal modifications.
  • Several updates following the Apple's Guidelines:
  • 8x8 px based preview background (grid and checkerboard)
  • additional options by saving in the png format: no alpha and sRGB
  • sizes and properties of png images for iOS icons, etc.

New in iconStiX 3.5 (Sep 4, 2016)

  • Possible to select objects to be inculded in icon image by clicking the respective green / white buttons in the object table.
  • Last used optional properties are applied on creating new shape objects.
  • Internal adjustments for the latest OS X & removal of the links to the closed Kagi order site.

New in iconStiX 3.4.1 (Jun 9, 2016)

  • Possible to change opacity of objects (image, shape, text) quickly with a slider.
  • Minor internal adjustments.

New in iconStiX 3.4 (Dec 20, 2015)

  • Possible to add shading (gradient) in addition to color.
  • Change colors by clicking the area above one of the small color squares.
  • Drag a color line to shift the start / end position
  • Use the circular slider to change the direction.
  • Note: Applying a recess effect, you can adjust its intensity with this option. Internal modifications by creating icons (the sRGB colorspace as default).

New in iconStiX 3.3.1 (Oct 19, 2015)

  • Internal adjustments for OS X compatibility and stability.
  • "Recess" effect is adjusted and "Recess2" is added which matches better with the El Capitan system folders.
  • Messages once suppressed can be reset on the Preferences panel.

New in iconStiX 3.2 (Apr 2, 2015)

  • Several adjustments for OS X Yosemite :
  • Deprecated methods are replaced.
  • QuickLook plugin, which is included in the app, is updated.
  • Icon attachment methods regarding alias (bookmark) and symlink are modified so that their originals are processed.
  • Notes:
  • 
new icons are visible only after restarting the computer and/or renaming the alias / symlink in concern (completely new names are required to avoid the 'cache' issue).
  • 
selecting an item and changing its icon does not update its aliases / symlinks if any (aliases / symlinks are re-created manually, as far as tested on OS X 10.10.2 and 10.10.3 preview).
  • to update icons, it is helpful to delete the contents of the folder '/Library/Caches/com.apple.iconservices.store' and restart, though this is not a convenient way at all…
  • A few lately intruded bugs are fixed (mainly in relation to drawing shapes and text).

New in iconStiX 3.1.1 (Oct 23, 2014)

  • A few minor adjustments (re. coloring the Yosemite internal HD icon, etc).

New in iconStiX 3.1 (Sep 23, 2014)

  • Various internal modifications for energy efficiency and for better compatibility with the latest OS X.
  • Icon attachment is now processed in a background thread. (a menu item "Attaching to..." appears on the main menu bar while the process is in progress.)
  • Image data optimization can be now opt out in the Preferences. The process can reduce memory use (e.g. ca. 300 K by icon including 1024x1024 representation; i.e. 1.1 M instead of 1.4 M) but takes somewhat long.
  • As before, select a max icon size 512 or less, if you do not need full image quality and like to reduce memory use.

New in iconStiX 3.0 (Oct 24, 2013)

  • Internal revision to replace all the methods deprecated in OSX v.10.9 (or earlier).
  • Color space option (generic RGB or sRGB) and possibility to adjust gamma.
  • Note: these settings are relevant to the created icons only. Selecting sRGB, you may need to make them lighter to match with what you see in the editor.
  • Possible to copy (⇧⌘C) & paste the selected objects as they are between iconStiX documents.
  • Note: normal copy (⌘C) makes one image of all the objects.

New in iconStiX 2.3.2 (Feb 14, 2013)

  • A menu item "Copy Selected" is added under "Edit".
  • Effect options are modified.
  • Note:"Shine (darker)" is effectual with light-colored objects in comparison to "Shine".
  • Bug fix by multiple selection and several other internal adjustments for smoother operations.

New in iconStiX 2.3.1 (Aug 22, 2012)

  • HiDPI option is added to "Export…" (availability depends on the OS version, max icon size limit, and image format).
  • Bug fix by attaching icons to the start-up volume.
  • Note: You need "Read & Write" privilege to change custom icons (cf. the Get Info panel).
  • Internal adjustments for stability and smoother operations.
  • ( Please kindly take note v.2.3.1 will be released at the App Store as well as soon as the review is done there.)

New in iconStiX 2.3 (Aug 16, 2012)

  • Support to handle hiDPI icons and the Retina display.
  • Effect option ( cf. video "Simple Effects") :
  • Recess: suitable for simple images such as logos and pictographs.
  • Shine: applicable for shapes and text (replaced with the previous font option "aqua").
  • Sketch: fun to see how photos can be simplified.
  • A tolerance slider is added to the retouch panel.
  • The favorites panel has a new list of icon images automatically collected from the desktop.
  • "Export as" menu is added.
  • As to png, include a size (e.g. image_128.png) to save in a specific size instead of default 512x512.
  • In the Preferences you can assign a key equivalent ⌘⌥S to image format (icns, png, tiff).
  • Other adjustments (default object size & color, text editing, etc).

New in iconStiX 2.2 (Feb 17, 2012)

  • Support for multiple objects selection:
  • To select more than one object, hold the shift-key while clicking an object in the preview.
  • Notes:
  • When a controller (sliders, buttons, etc. at the right side of the preview) is used, its value is applied to all the selected objects.
  • To move the selected objects relatively, locate the mouse around the middle of the four corner knobs and drag, or use an arrow key.
  • To resize them relatively, drag one of the corner knobs or use an arrow key with the shift-key.
  • Bug fixing by selecting images to replace, retouching images of colored objects and a few others.

New in iconStiX 2.1 (Dec 9, 2011)

  • "Add or Replace" confirmation sheet has a new button to turn opaque background of the dropped image transparent.
  • First, if a wrong color is selected, click the relevant location of the image, and then click "Transparent".
  • Simple retouch possibility for image objects requiring finer tuning.
  • Select an object and click "Retouch" to open the panel, where you can partially erase or paint over its image manually or semi-automatically.
  • "Export as png" is improved with a couple of default sizes and keeping the last used option.
  • Proportional scaling is now center-based (instead of corner).
  • Minor bug fixing.

New in iconStiX 2.0 (Oct 27, 2011)

  • Shape objects are available in addition to image and text objects.
  • To add a shape, click "+Shape" button.
  • Then click "Frames" to modify its form, thickness, stroke color and style.
  • Contextual menu for text editing on the objects table (the one below the preview) is improved.
  • It newly contains alignment options and possibility to change line spacing.
  • To display the menu, select text and right-click (ctrl-click).
  • Note: to write multiple lines, press the return-key and the alt (option) key together.
  • A few internal adjustments and bug fixing.

New in iconStiX 1.9 (Sep 6, 2011)

  • 2 new menu items: "Show/Hide Grid" and "Duplicate Object".
  • Possible to limit the maximum icon size (effective by applying as icon or saving as image): the default max size is 512x512 and 1024 if appropriate, but now you can select 512 (i.e. no 1024), 256 or 128.
  • Bug fix by closing documents and other internal adjustments.

New in iconStiX 1.8 (Jul 27, 2011)

  • Support for 1024x1024 icon image if applicable.
  • Additional shadow option: color and blur.
  • Size option is added to save preview image in the png format. Select a size or write a number (min. 4; appropriate between 16 and 512 or the largest image object size).
  • Default user location can be set on the Preferences panel. You can set your preferable location to be selected when a navigation panel opens to save documents, to export as images, and to create new folders (default: current directory, i.e. folder accessed last time for any operation).
  • QuickLook support on OSX v.10.7 for documents created with this version.
  • Bug fix by 256x256 icon image color as well as by text location inconsistency.
  • Several other internal adjustments.

New in iconStiX 1.7 (Apr 22, 2011)

  • The color panel for image objects has a drop box accepting image files (picture is used to cover the selected image object).
  • Option "Add custom icon" is added to the 'export as image' panel.
  • Note: "icns" files look the same on the desktop with or without custom icons, but without them generic icons appear on copy & paste (e.g. on the "Get Info" panel).
  • Bug fix by reordering the columns of the objects table.

New in iconStiX 1.6 (Feb 20, 2011)

  • The font panel is modified to provide stroke, underline, strikethrough and/or aqua-like effect for text objects.
  • A menu item "Create Custom Folder" is added to the "File" menu.
  • A few minor bug fixes and internal adjustments.

New in iconStiX 1.5.1 (Jan 20, 2011)

  • Bug fix by saving and undoing color attribute.
  • Image quality adjustment and a few internal updates.

New in iconStiX 1.5 (Jan 3, 2011)

  • 3 more services (copy icon, attach and remove custom icon) are available in addition to the existing "open with iconStiX".
  • "Paste" works in the favorite view (e.g. use the "Copy Icon" service and then paste it to your favorites).

New in iconStiX 1.4 (Dec 3, 2010)

  • The smallest icon image (16 x 16 px) can be added separately for better distinctness in the Finder's list view.
  • Minor internal modifications and bug fixing in relation to undo/redo.

New in iconStiX 1.3 (Oct 15, 2010)

  • 3 options are added to the user preferences (⌘,) :
  • whether to confirm or not when an item is dropped in the "Remove" box.
  • whether to warn or not when an item with a custom icon is dropped in the "Attach" box.
  • whether to replace, add, or ask when an image source is dragged to iconStix while there is an image object already selected.
  • each document saves which object is selected, so that it becomes the replacement target when the document is opened next time with any image source.
  • Minor bug fixing.

New in iconStiX 1.2 (Jul 2, 2010)

  • Four sliders are added to skew objects.
  • You can transform the selected object to a shape illustrated at each end of the sliders.
  • Possible to resize the selected object pixel by pixel with the shift-key + an arrow key (possible to nudge without the shift-key).
  • "Export (Save as Image)" function is improved in relation to setting filenames.

New in iconStiX 1.1 (May 5, 2010)

  • possible to rotate objects.
  • the preview mode is added, where you can see the current image in different sizes (manual scaling or animation).
  • option "Terminate after the last window is closed" is added.
  • accepts drag & drop of a desktop item on the program icon or in the Dock.
  • internal adjustments to minimize influence of display devices on attached icon color.