Re: Question about PNGs in a new shape set

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 anthonym overture com wrote:

> Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:53:10 -0700
> From: anthonym overture com
> Reply-To: discussions about usage and development of dia
>     <dia-list gnome org>
> To: dia-list gnome org
> Subject: Question about PNGs in a new shape set
>
> Hi,
>
>   About a year ago, I created a shape set for drawing BPMN diagrams
> (http://www.bpmn.org/).  I used it for a while and have had several
> people emailing me asking for it, so I thought I'd submit a patch
> to have it included in the core dia.

For anyone else who might be wondering BPNM stands for Business Process
Modeling Notation (BPMN).  I'm thinking it would be best to label the
sheet "Business" and only create a subsheet with the acronym BPNM later if
we need to distinguish it from some other types of business diagrams.

Please do attach them to a bug report.  I'd also be interested to see a
sample diagram (screenshot, png format preferably).

Using google I found this screenshot of BPMN
http://www.bpmn.org/Samples/ebXML_Business_Process/ebXML%20Example.jpg

If you can provide the necessary makefiles and other work to make your
shape set translatable that will help speed things along too.  Grab a
source code tarball and take a look at you the other sheets are done to
see what I mean.

>   The question I have with this is, how do I get my PNGs to look
> as nice as those in the other shape sets?

Tedious and meticulous hand editing.
I used the exported screenshtos only as a guide and essentially redrew
them one pixel at a time (using MSPaint of all things, only using other
software for the PNG conversion and addition of transparency).

> I created the shapes using dia, then used exporting as a shape to create
> the PNGs, however several of the images have white borders and
> backgrounds. How do people usually go about cleaning these up?

I never got around to it I had in mind to automate some of the task and
make it easier to fit the previews to a consistent size, usually
22x22pixels.  Despite having spent an insane amount of time on making my
artwork look pretty I have to say in hindsight it is far more important to
get your work out there and not let the artwork hold you back.  It is not
that users wont care but I think they care more about having the useful
shapes.

When you post the shapes and I take a look at them perhaps I will be able
to make more helpful suggestions and even help out, so I lookforward to
seeing them.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan

Inkscape http://inkscape.org
Abiword http://www.abisource.com
Dia http://gnome.org/projects/dia/
Open Clip Art http://OpenClipArt.org

Alan's Diary http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/