FreeCAD Logo Design

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MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by MisterMaker »

So this topic is old but I hope people will get a mail when someone replies.
As most of regulars know by now i am working on an Icon theme.
Now working on made me realize that with this in Linkstage and hopefully in the main branch soon we have now the option to give every icon in every workbench the same visual appearance, without begging the dev to change it. Also it is possible to have different colors of icons for different style-sheets like dark an light.
You can also replace the workbench icons like I did here:
FreeCADLink_d9XeeJYOrn.png
FreeCADLink_d9XeeJYOrn.png (423.92 KiB) Viewed 2885 times
This combined with the Stylesheets we can basically give Freecad the appearance we want.

So my proposal to a new logo is to make theme's with a custom logo, and once we have a bunch of those we switch the most popular with the default theme and we have a new logo and a nice looking program to suit it.
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adrianinsaval
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by adrianinsaval »

MisterMaker wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 6:22 pm we have now the option to give every icon in every workbench the same visual appearance, without begging the dev to change it
well for workbench icons instead of begging you could just make a PR ;) (following FreeCAD's icon guidelines)
So my proposal to a new logo is to make theme's with a custom logo, and once we have a bunch of those we switch the most popular with the default theme and we have a new logo and a nice looking program to suit it.
I agree with this, the problem with many of the logo change proposal is the they were limited to the logo only which would then look out of place among the rest of the FreeCAD icons, if we do what you propose that problem is solved and of course a logo maker would have much more credibility if he's also done a bunch of icons for other stuff. There has to be some criteria to make them acceptable though, for example for your icons we would require the source files not just the pngs so it's possible to properly edit them, or people might want them to be svg or nothing. Also they have to have a certain minimum percentage of icons like 80% or something. If people like a specific icon theme they can collaborate to make it reach that threshold percentage.
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MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by MisterMaker »

I make them in Blender so source can be open. But I have seen a lot of pretty icons and logos on the forum so hopefully we will have more options.
Also since it's a ton of work, if people sell them I would understand. And I think it's a good thing since it won't affect usability of Freecad itself it's just visual. Like skins in a game.
MisterHW
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by MisterHW »

F in the shape of bridge support / arch, with a negative space gear feature. Just a rough sketch I though I'd share. The top surface also forms a "c".
FreeCAD open space logo4small.png
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FreeCAD open space logo4_64.png
FreeCAD open space logo4_64.png (3.8 KiB) Viewed 2451 times
FreeCAD open space logo4_32.png
FreeCAD open space logo4_32.png (1.61 KiB) Viewed 2451 times
Last edited by MisterHW on Mon Jul 18, 2022 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by MisterMaker »

@MisterHW
Your icon looks really professional. Although stuff looks a bit crooked is that caused by the line-style? Aaaaaand the Solidworks logo is a cube. :lol:

I am for a while now trying to come up some good looking workbench icons.
It would be nice if these icons would look like they belong too Freecad, not some random design like now.
If we can come up with a design where there is room to add stuff or too change so that it still looks like the logo but differently.
Then we can re-use that design in other icons. Just like Adobeevery big tech company does.
Example:
Freecad.png
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FreePDM.png
FreePDM.png (21.24 KiB) Viewed 2447 times
Example of adobe icons:
Image
or Autodesk:
Image
Or Microsoft office:
Image
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MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by MisterMaker »

Haides wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:19 pm Hello to everybody!
I have recently started using FreeCAD and i love the concept of free source software.
I am graphic designer and wanted to contribute to community and created new and modern logo suggestion for administrators to reconsider, maybe as a start of new and redesigned FreeCAD interface.
I would like to hear your opinion, do you like it?

Thanks!
Michael of Itsari Graphics

Image
Image
Image
Image
This could work, but I think the teeth of the cogwheel take up too much space. I btw know it's all super old stuff by now but it's handy to have an overview to do some inspiration.
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MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by MisterMaker »

explorer_Xj7PzohFY8.png
explorer_Xj7PzohFY8.png (90.55 KiB) Viewed 2316 times
I made a new design for my icon theme.
Maybe someone feels the need to improve on it :)
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TeslaCoil
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by TeslaCoil »

As has been identified: The FreeCAD UI needs serious work.

I have some suggestions on how to fix the most basic aspect of this; the app-name, icon and splash-screen:

1. Get rid of the "Free" in FreeCAD and change the name to F-CAD. Consumers subconsciously associate the word "free" with "cheap"; "disposable", "inferior". Right from the start, FreeCAD is (unconsciously) demeaning itself. Yes, I know it is 'free' (opensource).

2. Lose the horrific current splash-screen immediately. Nobody in a professional engineering environment (yes, I hate many of these people too) is going to look twice at CAD software with a splash screen like FreeCAD's. Again, this feels like self-sabotage. FreeCAD undermines its own credibility the moment you load the software.

3. Change the app logo immediately. The current logo looks like another act of self-sabotage. The consumer will subconsciously associate the awful typography in the logo with an inferior software product.

4. Simplify everything. Begin with the basic branding.

Here is a design idea for you all. In these designs, the 'F' in F-CAD alludes to measuring-calipers of the type that an engineer typically uses; or a workshop clamp. However, the reference is not overstated. Also, we lose all the cute drawings of some random CAD projects.

Nobody is interested in seeing some other engineer's work each time they open their CAD software. Yes, I know Blender makes this mistake too; and others; but there is no need to copy it.

Image

Image
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Zolko
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by Zolko »

TeslaCoil wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:35 am Here is a design idea for you all. In these designs, the 'F' in F-CAD alludes to measuring-calipers of the type that an engineer typically uses
why-not, but at bare minimum re-use the current color scheme.
try the Assembly4 workbench for FreCAD — tutorials here and here
chrisb
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design

Post by chrisb »

I like the caliper idea of the logo. Alas, the arguments you state look like another act of self-sabotage. They are the usual marketing stuff, not caring if it is wrong or right. Unprecise statements, which are only eye catching. Two examples may suffice to show what I mean:
TeslaCoil wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:35 am 1. Get rid of the "Free" in FreeCAD and change the name to F-CAD. Consumers subconsciously associate the word "free" with "cheap"; "disposable", "inferior". Right from the start, FreeCAD is (unconsciously) demeaning itself. Yes, I know it is 'free' (opensource).
Ever heard of freedom? And why should FreeCAD care about consumers. FreeCAD doesn't have to sell.
2. Lose the horrific current splash-screen immediately. Nobody in a professional engineering environment (yes, I hate many of these people too) is going to look twice at CAD software with a splash screen like FreeCAD's.
How many is "nobody" in your world? I always thought it was near zero, but here I know several professionals working with FreeCAD. I admit that they might have gone directly after the first start to the preferences to get rid of the horrific current splash-screen immediately.
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