Subscriber Discussion

Where To Find Free Video Surveillance Ico Files?

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Jim Kirk
Jan 16, 2017

I have several Windows desktop links for my surveillance cameras and my nvr on my desktop.  Most of these were created by dragging the url from my browser to the desktop.  End result of this is the icons on the desktop look generic and, well, lousy.

Can anybody help point me to a site where I can download free surveillance icons so I can more readily identify my desktop links. 

Plan is put these ico's in a folder on my C drive (C:\SurvIcons) and then R click on the generic desktop icon, choose the Web Document tab, choose change Icon, Browse to C:\SurvIcons, and choose one.  The click apply and its on the desktop. 

For example I found a dome camera icon (in png which I converted to ico). What I'd like is surveillance icons in ico format  with more resolution and color so I can use them directly.  Second best is icons in png format but then I have to convert them.  Free is best

Alternative that maybe someone has done is to take a digital picture of your actual device in jpg and then convert the jpg to an ico format.  I could do this but I'm just looking for something free and easy to get.

Thanks.

Sample icon

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Undisclosed #1
Jan 16, 2017
(1)
JH
John Honovich
Jan 16, 2017
IPVM

#1, thanks for sharing. There are a few options there worth considering. I screencapped the first page results to overview the options there:

JH
John Honovich
Jan 16, 2017
IPVM

Jim, good question!

I am not sure what is free and licensed for commercial use.

However, we have a graphics person and we can create some for members to use freely.

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Jim Kirk
Jan 16, 2017

John,

Seems like having IPVM creating some icons and making available to members would be a great perk.  Possible advertising for IPVM LOL.

How would the mechanics of this work and can you proceed on this?  I'm thinking of desktop icons for devices.

  1. NVR
  2. Dome camera
  3. Bullet camera
  4. PTZ camera
  5. etc.

Since I use Hikvision products I was thinking of going to the Hikvision USA website, finding my type of cameras, using a selective screen capture like Techsmith SnagIt (nice program, https://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html), and then using an online converter to get ico's.  But, If IPVM did icons that would be great save me and others some work.  You could try my snagit idea and see how the icons look also.

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Jim Kirk
Jan 16, 2017

So, I did an experiment.

  1. Went to Hikvision USA website and looked one of my PTZ cameras
    http://www.hikvision.com/us/Products_1_10568_i30374.html#prettyPhoto
  2. Clicked on the photo of the camera and then used snagit to box the area of interest and capture it as a jpg.
    Hikvision PTZ
  3. Convert to ico using this online program: http://image.online-convert.com/convert-to-ico
    Save ico to folder
  4. Use ico for desktop ico url.
  5. Comments:  ico was squished when I did this because you have to choose the pixels better for the jpg>ico conversion or choose your snagit capture box for the jpg better.  Nevertheless this worked pretty good and boy does it make the desktop URL look a lot better.
  6. All in all this is a nice specific solution for my cameras since it shows a high resolution ico picture of my specific camera and the URL and the name of the URL I choose PTZ-Driveway, combined with the ico looks great. 
  7. Really like using snagit capture and members might like this option also.
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Jim Kirk
Jan 16, 2017

OK, I have a refinement which solves the ico distortion problem.

When you use snagit to box your image you can see the pixel size of the box right in the snagit capture screen.  So I boxed the image with a square pixel box, 479x479 pixels, saved it, and then did the conversion.  Resultant ico was square and no distortion.  Done.

Just keep the snagit box square (can be any size but square), save to jpg, convert to ico and you should be good to go.

JH
John Honovich
Jan 16, 2017
IPVM

Jim, can you post what the resulting ICO looks like?

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Jim Kirk
Jan 16, 2017

Here is the ico which resulted when I converted the 479x479 jpg to ico. 

Converted JPG to ICO

(1)
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Jim Kirk
Jan 16, 2017

FYI I looked at the details of the ico file (this is just as the ico came out of the conversion program and is saved to my folder) and used snagit to capture these details so I could post it here.  As expected if you start with a square pixel image you get a square pixel ico.  The jpg>ico online conversion used all the default settings to generate the ico.  Hmmm.  Worked pretty good.

ICO details

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Jim Kirk
Jan 16, 2017

To wrap up what can be accomplished here is the result.

My desktop monitor is a 32" NEC PA322UHD using a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.

I applied used my procedure on my desktop surveillance URL's and this is the monitor display (size of this area in photo on desktop is 458x616):

Kirk partial desktop

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