PC icons -> MAC icons?

from WinCustomize Forums
I wrote this in another thread, but thought I might as well make a new one for it...

Does anyone out there know how to convert a PC .ico to a MAC icon format? I've done some searching and the only way I have come across is to actually emulate a MAC on your PC and do it the very long winded way...

Also, the 'Icon Collector Graphics Editor' can save an icon as a .MAC icon file, but I'm a little sceptical of it... can anyone out there with a mac test the file for me to see if it saves as a valid icon or not?

Or has anyone heard of some software that can do it?

Thanks in advance...
10,511 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There is a very good page about it on Plastic'a site:
http://www.virtualplastic.net
The site seems to be down for the moment, I hope it's nothing permanent.

But Iconshop can extract Mac icons. The latest version (version 1.14 alpha) can even extract large OS X icons. Very cool:
http://users.pandora.be/liontech/#1.14
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
try this one for Virtual Plastic : http://www.virtualplastic.org/
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I am not sure I understand what you mean ess-vid, but Iconshop works great. I used it many times. I even made some very nice DX objects from Mac OS X icons. Of course I am keeping them to myself, since they are copyrighted.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Cool, thanks Third Eye.

Hell Dragon, check out this link:
http://www.virtualplastic.org/html/col_mac1.html
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for the link Third Eye...

but I am looking for PC to MAC conversion and not the other way around unfortunatly

Ess-vid: Sure the resource forks could pose a problem, but you could always just save the file in Mac binary format (i.e. data fork and resource fork) and then transfer it to the Mac. - the way I understand it, this is how most PC2Mac file transfers take place anyway.

So theoretically, IF the software could convert and output the correct binary data in Mac format it could be done...
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You need something that will create the icon pre-stuffed. I know of nothing worth a damn that does that, and even if I did, most mac users downloading from you would think you're off your head when they find each individual icon has been stuffed.

The rest of you, serves you right for sleeping through reading comprehension back when you were in school.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If you going to use the PC icons in a Mac or versa, then the only thing you need, is a shareware program for Mac with a name "Iconographer" and you can find it in this address :http://www.zdnet.com.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok... I just spent the last 2 hours getting a Mac emulator up and running... only to find that 'Iconographer' is a PowerPC only application, and I can't emulate it... yet.

Ahhh well, back to the drawing board.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK, if I remember correctly what my Mac user friend showed me, isn't it really easy on a Mac to make ANY image an icon? I seem to remember him showing me something where he took any image he had and just droped it into the property window or something?

And yes, I didn't get the arrow the right way. Most nice icons are available on the Mac plateform, and most people I met wanted to grab the nice Mac icons, not the other way around. Sorry for the confusion.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hell Dragon,
what Macintosh model you are using?
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
adni18; I'm not actually using a Mac at all, I'm emulating one on the PC, but it can't do PowerPC applications unfortunately, and it's limited to a system 7.0.1 OS as well, which isn't great.

Basically, the whole reason I'm doing this is because I have just finished a nice collection of icons I've been working on for the past month or so.. and I want to release them on my site in both PC and Mac formats (since mac icons seem to be so popular).

Thanks for the link plastic - I'll check that out...
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You can use System 8.1 in BasiliskII, if this is your emulator, but still this is not going to solve your "PowerPC only application" problem, cause all the emulators are 68k compatible.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
sorry, but there seems to be no app to convert pc--> mac on a pc

the easiest way? get a friend with a mac to convert them !

there are also helpful tips on www.iconparade.com (the direct url is http://w1.461.telia.com/~u46105872/faq/faq.html , go to the "advanced" section for more info on emulators)
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
www.macofalltrades.com

The have some nice cheap 7200s there. The "internet startup kits will do you well, particularly the 7200/120 (120MHz, 32MB RAM, 1GB HD, CDROM) which includes both the Mac and an Apple Multisync 17" monitor for $199 total.

It'll be slow, and I don't know if it can use OS9, but it'll get the job done. Altenatively, if you want to be able to give OSX a whirl, and feel up to shelling out a bit more, they have good deals on Blue&Whites (the G3 PowerMac in the "blue" tower case).

If you want me to break in to your house in the dead of night, buy one of the Pismos :>
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
thanks for the help everyone...

After a couple of days messing around with the emulator, and the software that Plastic recommended I managed to get 'some' icon stuff working , but it's pretty much a losing battle unfortunately...

I'm just gonna have to have a look around some icons sites and see if some kind Mac user would be willing to help me out

ess-vid: thanks for the Mac info - but I haven't got the money to buy a Mac for just converting icons, hehe... maybe if I become a little more addicted to them I would consider it, it would be cool to own a Mac and a PC and get the best of both worlds