Xfce Forum

TiberiusT

Member

Registered: 2012-05-13

Posts: 12

[Solved] Icon Shape

Is there anyway to make the launcher Icon shape in the panels rectangular instead of square?

Why? : Because I am designing a very basic custom version of Xubuntu and I’ve found my target users find it much much easier to use if they can read text written on a launcher button instead of an avatar/icon picture for each program. And currently the square shape means limited text without wordwrapping it. Also, text looks much better bcos yu can make it uniform, whereas now every program has a radically different icon style which IMHO looks messy in a panel.

Alternatively - is there another panel that I can use inside XFCE to accomplish this?

Thanks in advance
T

TiberiusT

Member

Registered: 2012-05-13

Posts: 12

Re: [Solved] Icon Shape

Anyone? Can't believe I am the first one to want this

Rgds/T

n3storm

Member

Registered: 2012-07-16

Posts: 2

Re: [Solved] Icon Shape

Hi, I'm interested in ways of visually changing, adapting, tunning XFCE either for original usage or to resemble other DEs.
Can you post a mockup (maybe done with inkscape) to better explaint what do you want to achieve?

cheers

secipolla

Member

Registered: 2012-01-15

Posts: 393

Re: [Solved] Icon Shape

To the OP. You can use whatever icon you like for panel launchers and there are many 'text' icons for docks, like:
http://www.paintbits.com/desktop-custom … ock-icons/
http://arctictransfuse.deviantart.com/a … -154466636
http://thiagolooney.deviantart.com/art/ … s-87322857
http://carburator.deviantart.com/art/PL … -109474171
http://symbioterider.deviantart.com/art … n-84348840
http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=dock+text

Don't know how well they work with xfce4panel but you can maybe try a dock app (Dreamlinux used 'plank', I think. Maybe it's the one from the elementary project; at least the name is the same).

TiberiusT

Member

Registered: 2012-05-13

Posts: 12

Re: [Solved] Icon Shape

Tks for the responses.

I did some more research based on Secipolla's links and it seems that the square icon shape is set in stone. Interestingly, the third of your examples is exactly what I want to achieve and I see from the .pngs included in that d/l, that all the creator has done is to start with a square shape then apply alpha transparency to the top half so the user only sees the bottom half - the desktop background bleeds thru the transparent top half. It appears therefore rectangular. Easy! When someone has shown you how

I'm in search of simplicity and reliability for this little project so I will stick with XFCE panels - they've always been 100pct reliable for me.

I'll mark this as solved. Tks again

Rgds/T