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Replacing activity icons? - Printable Version

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+----- Thread: Replacing activity icons? (/showthread.php?tid=89696)
Replacing activity icons? by DJ_The_SP on 03-16-2009 at 10:28 AM

Hey there,

I recently switched to WLM 9 Beta and was a bit dazzled to see MS had just blatantly replaced all the contact status icons in my list with simple square icons.
Sure its not hard to guess that a red icon means someone is not available and orange means they are probably not going to respond.

Still... i actually liked the old fashioned icons where you could immediatly see if someone was away, on the phone, busy etc. etc.

Is there any way to just replace these sort of icons alone?

I came across some WLM 9 polished ones but they came with an installer for Miranda IM only (which they were designed for).

Any suggestions would be great! :)

RE: Replacing activity icons? by Moh on 03-16-2009 at 10:48 AM

Windows Live Messenger is final and not beta anymore. In this version they removed "BRB",  "On the phone" and "Out to Lunch" statuses. The red colour is for busy, orange for away, green for available and grey for offline. I totally dislike that colouring way as well, the old method was much better. The only way to get around it is via skinning I think. Have a look at LTD by Willz. It's not exactly what you are asking for, but it has a different way of showing the status rather than the colouring method.

RE: Replacing activity icons? by DJ_The_SP on 03-16-2009 at 03:33 PM

Hey,

Thanks for the information.
Looks like an alternative indeed, though i would really like to stick to small icons rather then those large avatars in my contact list.
Those huge avatars are a little too much i think. :)

RE: RE: Replacing activity icons? by Moh on 03-16-2009 at 06:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DJ_The_SP
Hey,

Thanks for the information.
Looks like an alternative indeed, though i would really like to stick to small icons rather then those large avatars in my contact list.
Those huge avatars are a little too much i think. :)
Yes, I noticed that when changing the layout so as not to show display pictures in the main contact list, it goes back to the colouring way and that skin doesnt provide changing the layout to what you exactly need, sorry.
RE: Replacing activity icons? by robert_dll on 03-16-2009 at 08:03 PM

What about this? http://shoutbox.menthix.net/showthread.php?tid=88621 :)

RE: RE: Replacing activity icons? by Moh on 03-16-2009 at 08:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by robert_dll
What about this? http://shoutbox.menthix.net/showthread.php?tid=88621 :)
How does it exactly work? When I enable it, it gives me "The skin you selected does not appear to be compatible with the version of Messenger you are currently using. Try to enable it anyway? Even if I click "Yes" and restart Messenger I dont notice any changes. Am I missing something?
RE: Replacing activity icons? by robert_dll on 03-16-2009 at 08:57 PM

I think it still has the version restriction, you can open the skininfo.xml file and remove it, I will update it now.

Edit: Updated. Look at the same thread

RE: Replacing activity icons? by DJ_The_SP on 03-23-2009 at 12:07 PM

That looks like what i am after though i am on Vista and can not find the proper download link for the script either?

RE: Replacing activity icons? by robert_dll on 03-23-2009 at 11:24 PM

Click on the link next to "Attachment", this one: http://shoutbox.menthix.net/attachment.php?pid=947710

P.S. it is a skin, not a script

RE: Replacing activity icons? by DJ_The_SP on 03-26-2009 at 11:01 PM

This is awesome! Exactly what i was after.
Thanks a lot. :)

RE: RE: Replacing activity icons? by CookieRevised on 03-27-2009 at 02:19 AM

quote:
Originally posted by DJ_The_SP
Hey,

Thanks for the information.
Looks like an alternative indeed, though i would really like to stick to small icons rather then those large avatars in my contact list.
Those huge avatars are a little too much i think. :)
in regards to those avatars: In Messenger's option panel you can select what you want to show in your contactlist: those (damned) colored status icons, very small avatars, slightly larger avatars, large avatars.

Main contactlist > Tools > Options > Layout

PS: downside of 'old style' icons (at least for that particular skin): you have the same icon for blocked contacts, no matter what status they have. With the new colored dots you still could see their status, even if they are blocked.