Vista Users - get your giant icons here!

[Jake]

As you may or may not know, Windows Vista supports a new icon format... a new ridiculously enormous icon format. While XP maxed out at icons that were 48x48 pixels, Vista has upped the ante to a gigantic 256x256 square.

Vista users may have noticed that I caught this in time for episodes 4 through 6 - those games ship with the epic MegIcons already there and working, and look very pretty in Vista. Episodes 1 through 3, however, are limited to a (now) meager 48x48.

I am here to remedy this!

Behold: Vista-size icons for Sam & Max Episodes 1 - 3 (http://files.telltalegames.com/samandmax/icons/samandmax-1-3-vista-icons.zip)

And what would a weird zip full of mystery files glommed on after the fact be without a convoluted dance step of an install guide with at least four too many arrows? I couldn't really tell you what it would be, because I've never seen such an occurrence, so here's a quick step by step to upgrade your bliss Windows icon experience!

http://files.telltalegames.com/samandmax/icons/vistaicons_convoluted_instructions.gif

If you run into any issues with these, let me know. Otherwise, showering this thread with thanks will suffice.

[schuubars]

Jummie, thanks Jake. :)

[BarfHappy]

Neat ! Thank you ! (oddly enough, the game performs better on Vista than on XP on my machine :P)

[Dangerzone]

hmm, big icons..... i think you are compensating for something :D
thanks telltale, now my sam and max icon set is no longer deformed :rolleyes:

P.S. can we get extra large icons for the other telltale games..... csi, bone, etc..

[Jake]

P.S. can we get extra large icons for the other telltale games..... csi, bone, etc..

I don't know how large the source art is for those icons, but it would be nice, wouldn't it? I'll look into it and get back to you within 4-6 business months. :)

[Dangerzone]

only 5 months? see you then :D
fast answers..... slow solutions, thats the telltale way ;)

[schuubars]

heh, compared to the gears of state(doesn't matter which one), it's lightning fast. ;)


hint: you could create in a matter of minutes(to hours. :P) your own set of icons, to bridge the time. *g*

[Mel]

Vista Users, Get Your GIANT Icons Here!! http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a254/Melanie68/stan.gif





:spam:
I also think your installation guide is nifty. :)

[Jordik]

Thanks a bunch! I had actually upscaled them myself (badly), so "This Is Great"™ :)

[Benni]

That is one large image.

[SupSuper]

If you're a Windows Vista user, like me, and have a possibly clinical need to have everything on your computer match, like meWhy how dare you sir? Are you saying you're more clinically needy than me? That does it, just for that, I'm writing Game Definition Files for every Sam & Max game, even if it kills me! :p

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/supsuper/sammaxvista.jpg

I'm using your icons though. :)

[Keadin]

Oh please, this is just far too awesome. So much more than I asked. SupSuper, could you please explain how to build these ourselves? I am insanely obsessive about the perfection of my library.

[xChri5x]

So hows Vista compared to XP? I got to try Vista out for the first time today at Wal-Mart (yes I know :S) and It did seem pretty nifty. Is it kinda confusing at first?

[schuubars]

The little workflow things does it for me in Vista, many things that did XP wrong makes vista better.(IMO)

[fhqwhgads]

I just realised something. Jake gave away the icon for Episode 6 on his blog entry! :eek:

[Cyberlink420]

*gasp* YOU'RE RIGHT! And now he's gone and spoiled the fact that Sam's in the game, and it takes place on the moon!

NO! How could something so important have been revealed like that! The episode is ruined! RUINED! *goes off to rock back and forth in a fetal position while sobbing uncontrollably*

[Jake]

Hey weird what was I thinking? Well, now you all know that it was actually Sam who was behind the scheme all along! No need to release episode 6 now that that's out of the bag.

[ShaggE]

That's not the only thing out of the bag, thanks to GameTap.... :( Couldn't avoid the trailer, it snuck up on me while downloading a game... WHYYYY!?

[Keadin]

Maybe you could work in Vista support better into the disc before you ship it. I've gathered some info on it if this could help you...

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173435.aspx

Hope this aids.

[SupSuper]

Oh please, this is just far too awesome. So much more than I asked. SupSuper, could you please explain how to build these ourselves? I am insanely obsessive about the perfection of my library.
Maybe you could work in Vista support better into the disc before you ship it. I've gathered some info on it if this could help you...

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173435.aspx

Hope this aids.That's what I used to get the Sam & Max games on my Games Explorer properly, but it's a stupidly daunting process, specially for your average user:
1. Get the Microsoft DirectX SDK (500mb or something) which includes the GDF Editor
2. Use the GDF Editor to fill out the details for the game (this is the easiest part)
3. Build it into a resource file which you then have to build into a DLL (or the game itself)
4. Register the DLL into the Game Explorer with an installer of some such
5. Repeat for every Sam & Max game. :eek:

Links:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173435.aspx
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb206359.aspx
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Game_explorer

Once I get it all figured out, trust me, I'll put it all here for any other Vista users to enjoy. :D

[Keadin]

I've built the Resource files... .How do I make the dll or put it into the game itself?

[SupSuper]

You need to build the resource files into a RES, then add it to a library (DLL) with some compiler, then register that DLL with the Game Explorer with an installer... (more info here (http://www.coldacid.net/articles/building-game-explorer-support-your-xna-project)) needless to say, Microsoft really knows how to complicate things. :eek:

Yet, I still managed to reach SUCCESS! :D
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/supsuper/sammaxvista2.jpg
If you don't want to go through all that trouble, I made this NSIS Installer (http://www.dream17.co.uk/supsuper/samvista.zip) which should take care of everything for you. You probably need to run it with administrator rights. Just select the Sam & Max Episodes you have installed and it'll register them on the Games Explorer. Or at least it works for me. If it ends up making your computer disappear into a black hole or something... um... I'm not held responsible. :p
In any case it has an Uninstaller that undoes it all, in Programs > Telltale Games > Uninstall Sam & Max Vista Support.

[fhqwhgads]

Hey weird what was I thinking? Well, now you all know that it was actually Sam who was behind the scheme all along! No need to release episode 6 now that that's out of the bag.

Thats ok, I'll have to replay Episode 1 anyway. By that logic Brady Culture wasn't the baddy, but MAX was! :eek:

[Keadin]

I love the installer, but I really do want to learn how to do this for other games. would you mind explaining the part after getting the GDF file complete how to turn it into a RES (whatever that is) and then get Games Explorer to recognize i ultra-laymans terms?

[Cyberlink420]

Okay, this is weird.

I just got a new laptop for my birthday with Vista installed, and while Abe Lincoln Must Die! does indeed have a 256x256 icon, the 96x96 icon strangely refuses to show up. Any tips?

[Jake]

No clue why that would happen, since as far as I know, Vista doesn't actually have a 96x96 icon resource, it just scales down the 256x256 one.

[Keadin]

Actually Vista does have both, for when you look in list views and such. I reccomend just using the NSIS installer SUp provided above, it works perfectly.

[SupSuper]

Actually Vista does have both, for when you look in list views and such. I reccomend just using the NSIS installer SUp provided above, it works perfectly.Well you can have icon resources of any size up to 256x256, but Windows just resizes if it doesn't have the right one.
Cyberlink, try refreshing, restarting, hovering the icon or just delete and recreate the shortcut to make sure Windows is doing it right.
I love the installer, but I really do want to learn how to do this for other games. would you mind explaining the part after getting the GDF file complete how to turn it into a RES (whatever that is) and then get Games Explorer to recognize i ultra-laymans terms?The problem is it's not a task for ultra-layman, or even a regular-layman :P but I'll try (btw you probably need to have "Administrator privileges" to do all this):

Get the Microsoft DirectX SDK (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=86cf7fa2-e953-475c-abde-f016e4f7b61a&displaylang=en) (a bazillion MBs) with the Game Definition Editor to make your GDFs (btw keep each GDFProject in a separate folder since they create subfolders that can easily mix up with other GDFProjects)
Get the Microsoft Platform SDK (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A55B6B43-E24F-4EA3-A93E-40C0EC4F68E5&displaylang=en) (another bazillion MBs) and use the Build Environment to build the ".rc" and ".h" files into a ".res" with the "rc YourFileHere.rc" command. If you get include errors, also use "set INCLUDE=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2\Include;C:\Program Files\Microsoft DirectX SDK (February 2007)\Include;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2\Include\atl;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2\Include\crt;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2\Include\gl;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2\Include\mfc"
Build the .RES into a .DLL with some compiler. I use Visual Studio Express (http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/). Just create a Class Library project, add the RESource file, build and you should get a DLL.
Now, the hard part, getting it registered onto Game Explorer. :p I'm not sure how this works exactly, since you're supposed to make an installer to do this for you with the stuff included in DirectX SDK. I didn't work this out though, so I just "hacked" my way into it. Every game needs this to register in Game Explorer:

A GUID (a unique hexadecimal ID) so generate one through the Game Definition File editor or some other utility.
A registry key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\GameUX\Games\{GUID}
(you can edit the registry through the Registry Editor in Start > Run > "regedit" but you can't undo anything, so don't screw it up!)
Just look at the existing entries for your installed games to get an idea. Or if that's not enough, the key has to contain these string values:
ApplicationId = The GUID for the game
ConfigApplicationPath = The path of the game
ConfigGDFBinaryPath = The path to the DLL with the GDF info
ConfigInstallType = 2 (I think this controls whether the game is installed for all users or not, though I install everything for "all users")
IsSigned = 0x00000001 (DWORD value)
Title = Title of the game
The "Play" and other options in the Game Explorer come from shortcuts in here:
C:\Users\YOUR USER NAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\GameExplorer\ {GUID}\Play\NUMBERS FROM 0 TO WHATEVER\some shortcut.lnk
(you might need to turn on "access to protected folders and crap" in Folder Options if you can't get here)
(each folder can only have one shortcut, and you need to create at least the "Play" shortcut so you can run the game from the Game Explorer. Again, just look at the folders for the other games when in doubt)



And... done. You might need to restart for the changes to work. Now aren't you glad you asked me? :rolleyes:

[marsan]

thanks, that's all I needed to make the decision to never run Vista :)

[Jake]

thanks, that's all I needed to make the decision to never run Vista :)

Still running Windows 3.11, then? DOS 6.2?

[marsan]

Still running Windows 3.11, then? DOS 6.2?

yep, how did you know? :)
I especially love the boot logo for Windows 3.11. It's fabolus!

http://www.infosatellite.com/images/articlepics/windows_311_screenshot.gif

You gotta admire the artwork :)

[tabacco]

thanks, that's all I needed to make the decision to never run Vista :)

why, because compiling DLLs isn't simple?

[fhqwhgads]

why, because compiling DLLs isn't simple?

Because everything is too simple, and things that are not are insanely NOT simple. :P

If I wanted to be treated like an idiot, I'll get a stupid haircut. It's cheaper too :P (unless you're David Beckham)

[marsan]

why, because compiling DLLs isn't simple?

no, because I understood very little of what he said, and I thought changing the icons that a game shortcut should use was simple. I didn't even understand that compilining DLLs was involved in that long explanation.

If I want to change an icon in XP, I just make an .ico file with the picture I want to use as an icon. Then I right click the shortcut, and select "Shortcut" and then "Change Icon...". Then I just browse to my newly made .ico file, and voila, by pushing "ok" two times I got a new icon for the shortcut. I just didn't understand why changing the icon in Games Explorer should be any more difficult. Just the thought that one has to make a program to do it properly is quite the shocker to me.

Also, reading this note didn't really make me feel it was easy either: You need to build the resource files into a RES, then add it to a library (DLL) with some compiler, then register that DLL with the Game Explorer with an installer... (more info here) needless to say, Microsoft really knows how to complicate things.

To get to the point. I just don't understand the point of making stuff more difficult behind the scene, when it's supposed to be easier to work with for the user. In linux I can change practically anything in readable files, why does Microsoft have to make everything so complicated? Also, why do they try to make stuff less logical than they actually are? With every Windows version, understanding the inner workings of Windows gets more and more complicated and illogical. Soon one have to be a programmer just to be able to prevent programs from starting automatically...

[Jake]

He isn't talking about changing icons - that works the same in Vista as it's worked since Windows 95 and is easy as pie. The discussion about dlls and stuff has been about hacking your own information data into Vista Games Explorer, which is the Vista games browser.

Anyone can add games to their copy of Games Explorer simply by dragging the game's exe file or shortcut into the Games Explorer window... but there is a bunch of additional info that Games Explorer supports which isn't easily user-modifyable (eg the name of the developer, name of publisher, system specs, website for the game, etc).

SupSuper was explaining how users can add their own detailed information to Vista's Games Explorer for the Sam & Max games. He wasn't talking about how to change an icon.

[ShaggE]

That's the thing though: it LOOKS complicated, until you've actually done it. Like writing a batch file... to a computer newbie, it looks daunting, when it's really incredibly simple. The problem lies in most people being intimidated by file extensions and the idea of compiling code and such. Some people still think they'll blow up their computer by getting an e-mail account :P

[marsan]

Fine. Why make it more complicated to add your own information to Vista Games Explorer than adding a shortcut to the explorer, or for that sake - changing the information on a mp3 file? Isn't that moving backwards?

[Jake]

1) Yes it's stupid. Users should be able to enter that stuff.

2) I think they decided to make it effectively not editable by users so that they could regulate the information that goes in there. For instance, the games in Games Explorer can have system requirements listed, which Games Explorer will then attempt to rate against your current machine. This isn't necessarily the sort of thing that Microsoft wants users to decide - the thinking is that things like that, or the URL to go for tech support, should only be edited by the developer/publisher of the game.

Do I agree with that mentality? Not necessarily. I'd rather it worked like a Wiki, or like the FreeDB CD information database (which many media playing programs use to download track information for CDs you drop into your drive), which are built up over time and fact checked by users, greatly improving the breadth and depth of the information included in the database... but community-driven and Microsoft are pretty much the antithesis of each other, so don't hold your breath.

[marsan]

Then we agree :) Now we are best of friends again.

Yep, I'm sure they mean well, and I don't see Microsoft going for an open solution either. I just wanted to express my frustration with how difficult things seems to be in Vista, even though it's also appears to be user friendly ;) But still, I won't go for Vista for a while, but that's just because I'm trying to cure my addiction of always having the newest and hottest. It's quite expensive to upgrade the computer every year or so... and now when I don't play much games anymore, I think I can let my computer rest for a while. I got so much old, used, hardware lying around here that I could open a hardware shop... Also, I used to get Windows for free. But now I know nobody who can supply me with free Windows editions anymore. Something just seems wrong about paying for Windows :D

[SupSuper]

It's not really that complicated to add games onto the Games Explorer once you've done it once. Plus, as Jake said, it's meant for developers. Developers probably already have the required SDKs and know how to build a DLL, add registry entries and make an installer. Average users will be happy just dragging and customizing shortcuts.

I'm sure when Microsoft designed the Games Explorer, they didn't have a games database in mind. Yes it's nice to have the Developer, Publisher, Release Date and Boxart in there, but you'll most commonly use those for commercial games. And they're just there for sorting, I think. And Microsoft already went to the trouble to add support to the thousands of pre-Vista games. Users can still just add their shortcuts in there and customize them to their will, and it'll still store the Last Played date for them so users can use it for sorting. Plus it's meant for commercial games, which Vista games (well, the ones with the "Games for Windows" logo) will all support. Because the "computer performance" rating only applies to high-end requirements (the 1 being the minimum to run Vista). Most non-commercial games don't have boxart and rating info. Other developers probably don't need to worry about it and deploy their games as they always have. You can still create shortcuts however you please.

Plus the GDF files also hold the rating information which links to the parental controls, and given Microsoft's tendency for security leaks, they're probably making sure they don't get one there. If the average user could add their games to the Games Explorer, the parental controls would be rendered useless quickly, and they probably don't wanna join the "blaming games for violence" bandwagon.

[Keadin]

SupSuper is a god, all shall praise him.

[Keadin]

I just realised something. If I'm a smartass kid and want to play daddy's copy of GTA San ANdreas, couldn't I customize the PLAY link in lets say MahJong and have it go to GTA? Or just open GTA through the normal paths?

[SupSuper]

SupSuper is a god, all shall praise him.Well, you heard him. Go on.

I just realised something. If I'm a smartass kid and want to play daddy's copy of GTA San ANdreas, couldn't I customize the PLAY link in lets say MahJong and have it go to GTA? Or just open GTA through the normal paths?I don't think so. Once the game is registered, the parental controls accordingly lock any access to the game, Game Explorer or otherwise.

[Jake]

SupSuper is a god, all shall praise him.

Praise Me! Everything is about me! Me, me, me!

[Keadin]

Praise Me! Everything is about me! Me, me, me!

Yeah sure, here you go...*bows down*

Not as satisfying when you have to beg for it, is it?

[Keadin]

Can we get big Vista Icons fro Bone too?! PLEASE?

[SupSuper]

Now that Episode 6 is out (and because Keadin knows how to bug me :p ) here's the updated Vista Support (http://www.dream17.co.uk/supsuper/snms1vista.zip) with support for Episode 6, added descriptions from Telltale's site (Microsoft says they'll use the descriptions... eventually) and fixed errors like the inconsistant Windows Experience Indexes. If you already have the previous Sam & Max Vista Support, uninstall it before installing this updated version, to prevent duplicates.

[Keadin]

<3 My hero!

[Armakuni]

Now I want Vista so I can use these awesome icons :D

[Candle]

For those on a Mac here they are converted to icns.
http://www.mooload.com/new/file.php?file=/data/140507/1179160979/Archive.zip

[Mystinsun]

For those on a Mac here they are converted to icns.
http://www.mooload.com/new/file.php?file=/data/140507/1179160979/Archive.zip

Sorry, but on my mac the icons are the same of the Vista Version. They're small and of low quality.
Can we get the icons of the 3 last episodes? Thanks :D

[Johnny Walker]

Thanks for the icons!! My Vista thanks you! What software do you use to create them?

[Jake]

Photoshop, plus the IconBuilder plugin from www.iconfactory.com. Sadly, only the MacOS X version of their plugin currently supports exporting Vista 256x256 icons, but I have a Mac around which I use for that (among other things) until they upgrade their Windows plugin.

[Johnny Walker]

Brilliant, thanks for the tip! Weird that only the OSX version supports Vista icons, though! I hope they upgrade the PC plug-in so I can start upgrading my icons soon.

[Jake]

They're mostly a Mac software company, so I think it's a slightly lower priority. Their icon utilities are second to none, though.

[Johnny Walker]

I've asked them when they're going to update their PC software... I'll see if I get a response!

[Johnny Walker]

Not only did I get a response... I'm beta testing it for them! Cool!

[SupSuper]

Apologies to those that have been trying to get the Season 1 Vista Support and ran into a 404, I moved servers, so here's the new link: http://supsuper.wurmz.net/stuff/snms1vista.zip

[Ryan_R]

Another program here that you might like to try:
http://ryzza007.googlepages.com/vgee