Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/windows/pbi_edit.zip/PBICON.TXT

Text File | 1990-06-21 | 9KB | 173 lines

NOTE:  If you just want to start right away and read my speech later, skip to
Section 1 and AT LEAST READ IT before starting PBIcon.



                                 PBIcon
                               Version 1.0
                                 6/19/90


PBIcon serves as an extension to the file format cabilities of Microsoft
Windows Paintbrush to allow icons to be created or modified within
Paintbrush.  PBIcon will open and save files in a format suitable for use
by Program Manager.  The clipboard is used to transfer images between
PBIcon and Paintbrush.

This is a different approach than writing a complete Icon creator program.
The following list summarizes some advantages and disadvantages that I
currently recognize:

    ADVANTAGES:

      - Microsoft Windows Paintbrush is already an extremly powerful
        paint program which provides access to a rich choice of drawing
        tools and options.

      - You don't have to remember how to use two paint programs.

      - Using Paintbrush to supply the painting facilities will allow
        this program to concentrate on serving your Icon program desires
        (as you provide feedback), instead of duplicating effort on the
        drawing development.  This is my understanding of part of
        Microsoft's current message to developers; integrating software
        should complement existing applications, not replicate them.


    DISADVANTAGES:

      - You lose the ability to use the drawing 'tools' when you Zoom In
        to make your editing image bigger-than-life size.  Only pixel-by-
        pixel editing can be done in PaintBrush while in this mode.

      - You are required to perform a 32 pixel by 32 pixel clip.  This is
        really an easy task once you've done it once or twice.  A 32x32
        pixel bitmap is included to assist you in making the perfect clip.


IMPORTANT: Please Read!

This is a test release of PBIcon for Windows.  It is my 'prototype' test
of both a design strategy and a market test for a shareware product (cheap,
say $10, hopefully with many added features).  I really am looking for
feedback from you if you think this a good idea and would like to support a
fully developed product.  I will be looking at both your replies and the
number of downloads versus other icon utilities to decide where to go from
here.   Thank you for your time and replies!


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SECTION 1: Using PBIcon

The following are two very quick exercises that teach you all you need
about PBIcon.

Number 1:

First, start PBIcon.  You will see a small window appear in the top left
corner of your screen.  Two menu selections are on the main menu.  The
File menu controls opening and closing icon files.  The Edit menu allows
copying and pasting to the clipboard to communicate with Paintbrush.

Now start Paintbrush.  Select 'Edit' and then select 'Paste From...'.
There are two 32 by 32 pixel bitmaps included with Windows 3.0, boxes.bmp
and pyramid.bmp.  Double click on either one of these bitmaps to paste it
into Paintbrush.  While the new bitmap is still in the clipping rectangle,
select 'Edit' once more and then select 'Copy'.  This will copy the bitmap
to the clipboard.

Now switch over to the PBIcon window.  Select 'Edit from the main menu and
then select 'Paste'.  This copies the bitmap from the clipboard and will
display it in PBIcon's viewing frame.  Now select 'File' and then 'Save' to
activate the save dialog.  For reasons that are explained later in this
document, I have chosen to use a default extension of 'ICN' for icon files
in Program Manager format.  After saving your new icon, you can verify it
is ready for use by highlighting any icon in one of your program groups
and selecting 'Properties' from the Program Manager 'File' menu.  Select
'Change Icon...' and then replace the file name in the existing edit box
with your new icon's name, for example, 'PYRAMID.ICN'.  Now select 'View
Next' and you should see your new icon appear.  You can select 'Cancel'
to exit from the dialog boxes.  If you select 'OK', Program Manager will
replace the current icon with your new icon.



Number 2:

This exercise adds clipping a new or modified icon (the usual case) to
allow copying it to the clipboard from Paintbrush.  After making sure that
the included 32x32.BMP file is in your Windows (or other Paintbrush
directory), select 'Edit' and 'Paste From...' once more.  This time choose
the 32x32.bmp file to paste in.  When it appears in PaintBrush, place the
cursor in the center of the clip and drag it ti the center of your screen.
The bitmap is actually 34 x 34 pixels.  The dotted red line is the outline,
the part you DON'T want to clip.  The inner black line is the edge of your
32 x 32 pixel area.  The area occupied by this black line lies within the
area you do want to clip.  AT this point you can either begin drawing a new
icon within the assist template, or you can paste another bitmap using
Paintbrush (you could load a *.ICN file into PBIcon, 'Copy' it from its
'Edit' menu, and then paste it into Paintbrush, also).  If you paste in
a bitmap for modification, simply drag it until you get it on top of the
assist template with the red dotted line showing on all sides.

In either case, you can now create or edit the icon.  When complete, select
the square scissors tool (upper right tool) to clip the icon for the
clipboard.  The Paintbrush clip has an idiosynchracy to it, at least on my
VGA display.  The left and top sides of the image you clip INCLUDE the
pixels underneath them.  The right and bottom clipping lines DO NOT include
the pixels underneath them.  Therefore, if you clip from top right to bottom
left, start by placing the cursor crosshairs to right and bottom of the
dotted red line (so that you can still see the true red dash).  Now push
the right mouse button and drag the cursor to the bottom left and position
it so that the crosshairs are directly on top of the right and bottom red
dashed lines.  Release the mouse button.  To check how clean your clip is,
place the cursor over your clip and move it to one side.  The red dashed
line should remain and all of your icon should move.  If this is not the
case, select 'Undo' from the 'Edit' menu and you get another chance!  This
will become easier after you do it once or twice.

Now select 'Edit' and then 'Copy' just as in exercise one.  Switch to PBICon
and select 'Paste' from the 'Edit' menu, and 'Save' etc...


SECTION 2:  Different File Formats

The following information may be incomplete (and probably is) since I still
have to wait for the Windows 3.0 Software Development Kit which should be
released to the public any day now.

Icons and bitmaps both have two types of formats (at least).  Bitmaps have a
'file' format, as well as an internal format when you use a bitmap in a
Windows program.  The file format is what you call up in PaintBrush, and has
a file extension of BMP.  This file not only contains pixel information for
the bitmap, but also a color 'palette'.  The internal form of a bitmap (so
far as the 2.0 SDK), does not contain a palette.  Instead, the pixel infor-
mation is divided into four color 'planes'.  Different combinations of on/off
bits in these four planes provides for sixteen unique colors.  I noticed when
I examined the clipboard after clipping a bitmap from PaintBrush that in
addition to a BITMAP being available, there was another (yet unknown to me)
type of info available.  Perhaps this is a '3.0' style with extended color
capabilities.  If I decide to pursue PBIcon further, I will be certainly
investigating color related information much more.

Icons also have at least two formats from what I have found.  The Windows SDK
contains an Icon creating utility which creates an input file for the 'resource'
compiler which comes with the SDK.  I have an old copy of a neat program called
EXEDMP which extracts resources from Windows programs.  It successfully
extracted all 98 icons from the ICON2.DLL (not sure if that name is correct)
file uploaded here last week.  This format, used for programming, has a little
more header information than the icon file used by Program Manager (which I
think is actually a compiler resource file).  For this reason, until I learn
otherwise, I have chosen to use the extension of 'ICN' for Program Manager files
to avoid confusion with *.ICO files used in programming.  I may be partially
or completely wrong on this, but I'll soon learn when the SDK is released.


Thank you for your time, interest, and feedback!

Best regards,
Len Gray