Ivan Čukić

dr Ivan Čukić

Author of "Functional Programming in C++", KDE developer and Free/Libre software enthusiast

For inquiries about KDE projects (requesting features, submitting bugs, asking general questions etc.), you can use:

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Functional Programming in C++

If you like C++, you might be interested in my book. It contains quite a few gems of modern C++ programming.

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Lancelot icon

Published by Ivan Čukić in the KDE development: Plasma section, on 12 October 2007

_ Bridgekeeper: WHAT… is your name?

Lancelot: Sir Lancelot of Camelot.

Bridgekeeper: WHAT…is your quest?

Lancelot: To seek the Holy Grail.

Bridgekeeper: WHAT…is your favorite color?

Lancelot: Blue.

Bridgekeeper: Right, off you go.

Lancelot: Oh! Well, thank you. Thank you very much. _

I got bored while waiting for the green light for committing the NodeLayout (later about that) to libPlasma, so I decided to make a nice icon for Lancelot. I had a couple of ideas - shield, knight, helmet and a grail.

Shield was not a great solution since people would think that it has something to do with computer protection, and knight and helmet (IMHO) are suited more for a game like Wesnoth then for an application launcher. So i have made a grail.

Comments:

David
i like the gear detail at the base of the grail, very good!
Luis
OMG, it's beautiful, but it could be better in the small version.
Leo S
So realistic it makes me thirsty...
John Drinkwater
Such a nice looking icon. I have to agree with Luis, the smaller versions suffer - could the lighting be improved?
ben
The icons really are beautiful. But at least for me, its hard to associate a cup of wine with launching apps...
Thinking about medieval and launching, I think of spears, catapults etc.
admin
<div class="ivan"> Thank you all for comments.
I know that the smaller ones (32x32 and below) are "a bit" undefined, but [on the other side] good thing is that they are clearly visible on both light and dark coloured backgrounds which is a hard thing to do with icons most of the time. I'll try to think of something if I get bored again anytime soon. :)
@ben I see what you mean, but catapult is already taken (Katapult for KDE), and spears and swords are extremely thin things to be nicely presented on 64x64 pixels (and they too are game-like).
This is the logo, I would expect people (or the distros) to put the distro logo instead of it, like they did for kmenu in most cases (maybe lancelot will use the KDE logo like other launchers...).
Wow, this comment is even longer than the blog post. :) </div>
Alex
Amazing. And I didn't even notice that the pattern on the base was a gear (nice subtlety).
@ben - One doesn't think of an N or an E as a web browser, or a wolf for a music library either. Once the goblet/grail is ingrained in our minds, it won't seem unnatural any more. When I first started using the Oxygen icon for Kaffeine, it seemed weird. But now it's just natural.
Anonymous Troll
It looks real good. Though a spear might have been a good idea to since "lance" in French is both a spear and to launch.
Jean
Hey Ivan,
This looks amazing! I have to ask: how did you make it? Is it an SVG with fake shadows and lighting, or did you raytrace an actual 3D model?
Lancelot?! « RamieLinux world and beyond
[...] che ci siete si chiama così perché richiama le parole launch-a-lot e anche perché il suo creatore usava “Sir Lancelot” come [...]
Stefan Monov
Sweet. You're a multi talented guy, eh? :) Looking forward to seeing Lancelot, even if I'm still baffled as to how 0click will work out! one thing you must do, however, is give me a little more space to write in. I can't breathe in 100x100px :)
Nick
It's nice but not very intuitive. Sure I'll get used to it but that doesn't mean it makes sense. However this is a common "problem" with KDE applications, names and icons ... Nice job :)
admin
<div class="ivan"> @Jean No 3D - pure SVG. Inkscape is a very powerful tool, especially since addition of the blur effect.
@Ramielinux (Pingback) It's always easier to criticize than to actually do something.
@Stefan Thanks. You need to focus, to become one with the 100x100px and you will know that 100x100px is far larger than you need :) (see the whole world in a grain of sand :D)
@Nick (and other intuition related posts) The main purpose of application icons is not to be intuitive, but recognizable. It has not only to do with KDE, but all other platforms as well (for example Photoshop icon - an eye, now a feather). </div>
nuno pinheiro
Amazing simple amazing, wonderful work.
admin
<div class="ivan"> Thanks Nuno! </div>
Fabrizio 'Ramiel' Ruggeri
Hi Ivan! First of all,excuse me for the wrong information published on my blog (ramielinux.wordpress.com) I posted an Errata Corrige after your comment!I'm really impressed 'cause you know Italian and understand it very well considering your answers!You've to know,like you already understood,I'm a bit confused on what Lancelot is!Reading better your answers I understand it would be a new("new" like original) implementation of what kickoff is right now.I'm interested in this application considering that some new solution is knocking on KDE4 doors.Please explain me better what Lancelot is, if there's some code or whatever you want, if you want!
Send me an email if you prefer!
Fabrizio Ruggeri

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