WASTED analyzes the images in iOS APP packages, smart convert or re-compresses them and can generate a protocol about the compressions results alongside the exported, optimized images. The result contains standard JPG or PNG files only. WASTED extracts IPA or XARCHIVE bundles temporarily and performs the following steps without changing your APP.

  • looking for completely opaque PNG files and converts them to 90% JPGs
  • PNG with (partial) transparency will be re-quantified using pngquant: the colors will be reduced and the data re-compressed, keeping the image quality between 90% or above
  • JPG files will be re-compressed to 90% image quality

Download WASTED V3.0

Technical background

Most APPs consume too much space and suffer from performance bottlenecks because of their poorly optimized PNG and JPG images. This space not only wastes valuable disc space on your device, it eats costly mobile data plan capacities while installing/updating.

XCode itself is not very supportive for maximum image compression, you have to look for other tools for that purpose: ImageAlpha and ImageOptim are excellent OS-X tools from @pornelski. For further discussions look at the notes about XCode integration. Cocoanetics.com has additional performance and size comparison charts.

The following files will be ignored:

  • files below 1KB in size
  • the standard icon and default load screen images
  • re-compressed files bigger than their source files

FAQ:

Aftermath

The protocol explains for every image, what is the next recommended step:

  • convert opaque PNG to JPG - currently the APP contains a completely opaque PNG where a JPG would be a much better choice
  • re-quantify PNG - a PNG could be re-compressed to a smaller PNG
  • re-compress JPG - a JPG image can be replaced by an at least 90% JPG

Because the APPs are code signed, it is not possible for WASTED to perform these steps itself, you have to manually check the optimized images first and then replace them accordingly.

XCode integration

As of V2.3 you can integrate WASTED into your XCode workflow:

  1. Edit your project scheme
  2. open the "Archive" scheme (or any other scheme you like)
  3. select "Post-actions"
  4. add a new "Run script action"
  5. enter open -a Wasted "${ARCHIVE_PATH}" into the script field

Now every time you archive your project, WASTED will automatically be opened and analyses your project.

Addtional tools

My fork of HockeyAPP contains the image analysis, grab it from github.

If you want to compare original and optimized images, Kaleidoscope is a wonderful tool for that.

A more graphical overview of the package content provides GrandPerspective.

Unused furthermore provides a report about unused resources in XCode projects.

Compatibility

The optimized image files are native PNG or JPG images and thus completely compatible with iOS and OS-X and the rest of the world.

WASTED itself was tested on OS-X 10.8 and is backward compatible with 10.7.

Version history

  • V3.0: extract and analyze Xcode assets (.car files), fixed sandbox/ATS
  • V2.5: moved to document-based approach, honor package file paths upon export, fixed report table output for optimized images size
  • V2.4: self-updating through Sparkle
  • V2.3: add xcarchive file format, added drag&drop support on icon
  • V2.2: fixed multi-selection calculation bug and on damaged images
  • V2.1: select multiple packages, export as CSV
  • V2.0: export optimized assets
  • V1.1: updated about dialog, new icon

License

WASTED is available under the MIT license:

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE..

Wasted uses following libraries: pngquant, Sparkle

© Oliver Michalak, 2014-