It’s been a long time since my last post as I have been busy with some other projects but I am happy to release today, 3 new icons.  The first WriteRoom icon is simple and classic.  The other is made to match the new TaskPaper V.2 icon which is an improvement on my previous TaskPaper icon.

My current endeavor to rid my applications folder of sub-512×512 icons continues today with a 512×512 release of the Think icon. Think is an application that helps you to focus on a specific task by darkening the rest of your screen so that you can focus on a single application and get things done. You can get Think from Freeverse Software here on their site.

Awhile back I started working on a replacement for the application Resize ‘Em All (Now called Rapido Resizer).  I have since revamped my original effort and am now ready to present 2 variations of the 512×512 Resize ‘Em All icon.  I hope you enjoy it. 

I have made a replacement icon for TaskPaper that is at full resolution and also has a few other improvements that make it pop just a little more. This is still completely based on the original icon but I have an alternate icon in the works that may find its way here in the future…

If you don’t have TaskPaper but are interested in the application visit the official website here.

My first icon available for download is now up.  With NewsFire recently going Freeware, I have had the opportunity to use this program and find that it best suits my needs among the available RSS readers.  One of the first things I noticed though was that the icon was not 512×512.  So, I made my own replacement icon at 512×512 along with a few other minor tweaks.  If you like the existing icon but want to update to 512×512 then this replacement is for you.  I hope you enjoy it.  To see a more detailed preview of this icon click here.

 Don’t have NewsFire or another RSS reader?  Click here to get NewsFire.

Until I get everything ready to release my icons for download I’ll be posting some miscellaneous things to get things started here on the site.

Transmission is by far the best free bit torrent client available for Mac OS X. However, I have felt that it’s interface could use some improvements. I never really liked having a separate window open up with the more detailed information on a torrent and had wished that the developers would incorporate that information into the main window itself like Xtorrent and Bit Rocket had done. But I did eventually come up with a solution that made the use of a separate windowed Info Pane look a little less cumbersome.

After a bit of tweaking in Interface Builder and some image editing I was able to transform the Info Pane into a HUD that seems much “lighter” and less obtrusive. While I do think that many people who like to “Mod” their application interfaces overuse HUDs I feel that this functions as a HUD is meant to.

If you would like to get the replacement files so that you can use them with Transmission leave a comment on this post or send me a message on my contact page.

Many of the great applications I use have not yet updated their icons to the full 512×512 resolution for Leopard and so I have begun creating full resolution replacement icons based on the originals. Some of the apps I am currently working on are Resize ‘Em All, Newsfire, TaskPaper, and a script for Leopard that makes your front Finder window enlarge to full screen and switch to Cover Flow mode.

These are still works in progress and need some refinement. Some are being slightly tweaked from their original designs such as Resize ‘Em All in which I have replaced the wooden ruler with a metal one. Also, on my Flickr page you can see a few other icons and designs I’ve been working on.

These will be posted as free downloads as soon as I feel they are ready for release.

Also, some icons you can expect to see in the future are Think, Visual Hub (replacement design), MacTheRipper, and more. If you have any suggestions of icons that you’d like to see 512×512 versions of, let me know in the comments.

One feature that didn’t make the cut for Leopard was the ability to select a group of applications and drag them into the Dock to create a Stack of those applications. Many people, however, have wanted to create Stacks for different groups of applications and have been forced to drag the actual applications into a folder which must then be dragged to the Dock. Or in the case of the Adobe CS3 programs (which cannot be moved from their folders) you’re forced to make aliases to those programs to put in a Stack folder. However, making the aliases results in the programs in the Stack having an alias badge in the corner of the icon.

Wouldn’t they look so much better in a stack without the alias arrow badges in the bottom left corner of every icon?

Well, I have come up with a solution that works for me. It isn’t perfect but it gets the job done if you are willing to wait about 1 to 3 seconds longer for your application to launch after clicking it. This is accomplished with the help of AppleScripts. All you have to do is write a simple AppleScript for each application telling it to launch (for example: ‘tell application “Illustrator” to launch’), save the script as an application, and change the icon of the script to the corresponding application icon. Then take all the scripts, put them in a folder titled “Design Premium CS3″ (or something of that nature), and drag the folder to the right side of the Dock.

And there you have it… a working Adobe CS3 application Stack.