Icon-A-Day 2.0, Day 12, Links in a Blink.

from JoeUser Forums

Today I spent most of my Icon-A-Day time figuring out how to get some videos to integrate in future tutorials. Unfortunately this left me with very little time for tonight's icon, but luckily we have a quick one available; the Links folder.


Day 12 (Tuesday, August 19th, 2008) Line

IAD-12-LinksThe Links Folder
The Links folder is another of the new additions in Windows Vista. It is simply a User folder where the user can place shortcuts. All the shortcuts in this folder are then made available in all the Explorer Windows.

Tonight we will be able to save a ton of time, because all we have to do is take yesterdays icon and replace our Download arrow, with a Links arrow.

Step 1:
We start my making a copy of our Downloads folder from Day 11.

 
IAD-12-S1  

Step 2:  
Now we simply delete the download arrow, the shadows, and the gloss that we created for it. 

While we are poking around, we go ahead and change our background rectangle to blue.

IAD-12-S2

Step 3:
Now we we pick up pretty much exactly where we were in yesterdays step 4. 

We draw a new links arrow, and give it a contour -remember to break the contour group apart - and regroup our the two objects together again.

 IAD-12-S3

Step 4:  
We take our group and give it some perspective with  the Perspective tool.




IAD-12-S4

Step 5:
Now we give it our poor mans bevel (from yesterdays step 6).


IAD-12-S5

Step 6:
Now we give our new interior arrow the inner glow. This will be exactly the same as yesterdays step 7, the only thing different is that we are using blues instead of greens.
IAD-12-S6

Step 7: 
We finish up with the same steps as yesterday. Give it new gloss, then we polish it off with the classic shadow and reflection techniques. 

  IAD-12-S7

Finished Icon:   
Sadly we this was our only remaining super simple User folder icon, but here it is: the Links folder.  



IAD-12-S8

Wrap Up:
That is it for our Links folder, quick and dirty. Tomorrow, I will be at a meeting of the Michigan Independent Game Developers, so we will have to wait until Thursday for Day 13, when we will do one of the more interesting User Folder icons, maybe by then I will know which one it will be.

About Me:
You can find all my skins, tutorials, and articles, on my Wincustomize Homepage, at http:\\mormegil.Wincustomize.com. Questions on icon use and techniques, can be emailed to [email protected]. Twitter users can find me with the user name: Mormegil.

Download Links Folder Icon: 
Get today's icon from the Miscellaneous Icons Library.

Find all the Icon-A-Day tutorials, and links to the icons and more at the Icon-A-Day 2.0 Index.
All Icon-A-Day artwork, copy, and icons, are copyrighted by Paul Boyer © 2008, and may not be used with out express permission.

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