Copyright: GoldIcon Help, made with GoldHelp registered to Goldshell Digital Media


Welcome to GoldIcon
Welcome to GoldIcon!

What can GoldIcon do for you?  GoldIcon is a nifty little freeware utility to easily create icons and cursors.  It is created as support and promotion for Goldshell's Hoolicon and Versiown utilities.

Tip:in order to easily select topics in this help manual, press the "Contents" button on top, of this window, or browse sequentially through the help pages with the ">>" button.


Installation

GoldIcon can be downloaded as an installer, and in that case installing will be done automatically.

You can also download GoldIcon as a ZIP file. In that case, copy all the files from the ZIP file to a new directory on your computer.

In GoldIcon, choose Options->Preferences, and you can make GoldIcon your default editor for icons and/or cursors.

GoldIcon was designed for Windows 95/98/NT/2000.  If you are running Windows 3.1, you will not be able to run GoldIcon unless you install the Win32s extensions.


The File Menu

New

The New option allows you to create a new icon.  You can specify its size and color depth.

Open

The Open option lets you to load an existing icon.  Icon files can sometimes contain more than one icon.  If this is the case, you will be able to choose which of these resources you want to load.

Save/Save As

If you are editing an icon that comes from multi-resource file, only the edited icon will be overwritten.  All other resources in the file remain untouched.

Import BMP

This will import a BMP picture.  It will get automatically converted to a 32x32 16 color icon.  The BMP picture's colors will be mapped onto the 16 standard icon colors.  If the size of the BMP is larger than 32x32 pixels, it will be cropped.  If the BMP size is 16x16 pixels or less, it will get converted into a 16x16 icon.


The Edit Menu

Copy

Copy will copy the whole current icon into the clipboard.  If an area is marked with the Mark tool, only this area will get copied.

Paste

Paste will insert the clipboard into the current icon.  This allows for easy transfer of an image from another paint program into GoldIcon.  If an area is marked with the Mark tool, the clipboard will be pasted at that position.


The Options Menu

Brush Size

Sets the brush size for the Brush tool.

Size

Allows you to change the canvas size of the current icon.  You can't change its size when editing a multi-resolution icon file.

Color Depth

Allows you to convert your current icon from 16 color to monochrome, and vice verse.  Again, the resolution can not be changed for multi-resolution icons.

Preferences: Shortcut in Start Menu

When checked, a shortcut to GoldIcon will be created in your Start Menu.

Preferences: Set As Default Icon/Cursor Editor

When checked, you are able to double-click on .ICO/.CUR files in the explorer.  By doing so, this icon or cursor will be opened in GoldIcon.


The Help Menu

Contents

Pops up this help manual.


Available Tools

On the top right side of the GoldIcon window you see 11 different tool buttons.  In case you are editing a cursor, there will be 12 tools.

When using the tools, you can choose to use the left or the right mouse button.  When doing so, the operations will be performed with the color selected for the left or the right mouse button.

The tools function the same as in any paint package, they do not need explaining, apart from the 12th tool, the Hotspot tool.

When editing a cursor, you need to set the hotspot of the cursor.  Select the Hotspot tool, and click on the area of the cursor that needs to become the hotspot.  GoldIcon will save your (new) hotspot in the cursor file.

When using the Box, Circle or Line tool, you can keep the Shift key pressed to make the shapes straight.

When using the Fill tool with the Shift key pressed, the area is filled with a pattern consisting of the colors selected for the left and right button.


The Color Pad

When a new icon is created, or an icon is loaded, the Color Pad will be available on the right hand side.  When working on a 16 color icon file, the standard 16 standard icon colors are visible.  When working on a monochrome icon, only a black and a white box will be visible.

Additionally, at the side right of the Color Pad there are 2 additional, colored rectangles visible.

The top rectangle is the transparent color.  When painting a part of your icon with this color, this part will become transparent in Windows.

The bottom rectangle is the inverse color.  Parts that have this color will inverse any background in Windows.  So they'll show up white on a black background, green on a red background, etc.  This color is seldom used in icons, but it is being used in cursors.

When clicking with the left or right mouse button on one of the colors on the Color Pad, this color will be assigned to operations (i.e drawing a line) with this mouse button.


The 16 Color Icon Palette

In case you wish to use create BMPs in a graphic package to design your icons, the color table for a 16 color icon is as follows:

0,	0,	0,

128,	128,	128,

128,	0,	0,

255,	0,	0,

128,	128,	0,

255,	255,	0,

0,	128,	0,

0,	255,	0,

0,	128,	128,

0,	255,	255,

0,	0,	128,

0,	0,	255,

128,	0,	128,

255,	0,	255,

192,	192,	192,

255,	255,	255,


Freeware

Once GoldIcon gets support for 256 color icons and animated cursors, it'll become a shareware product.  Until that time, GoldIcon remains in the freeware domain.


Copyright

GoldIcon is Copyright © 2000 by Goldshell Digital Media.

FlashForge, DirSaver, Hoolicon, Versiown, GoldIcon, GoldBull, GoldOrds and Golden Dragon are trademarks owned by Goldshell Digital Media.

Web Screensaver Maker is a trademark owned by Goldshell Digital Media and Akimbo Design.


Distribution

You are free to make copies of the distribution archive and pass it along to others for their evaluation provided that no modifications or additions are made to the software, its documentation, or any associated files, and it is not bundled in a distribution of any other software without permission.


Contacting GoldIcon

For comments or technical questions, please E-mail to support@goldshell.com


Disclaimer

This Program is provided "as is".  We warrant that the Program will substantially comply with the specifications set out in the documentation.  Except as stated herein this Program is provided, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, statutory or otherwise, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the Program is with you.  Should the Program prove defective, you assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair or correction.  We do not warrant that the functions contained in the Program will meet your requirements or that the operation of the Program will be uninterrupted or error-free.

OUR SOLE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM, DEMAND OR CAUSE OR ACTION WHATSOEVER, AND REGARDLESS OF FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, SHALL BE LIMITED, AT OUR SOLE OPTION, TO REPLACEMENT OF THE PROGRAM OR REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE.  IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR OR YOU HAVE A REMEDY FOR RECOVERY OF ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, LOST REVENUES OR ECONOMIC LOSS OF ANY KIND, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY THIRD PARTY.

All trademarks are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.

If you have any problems with this program, please direct your comments to the company at info@goldshell.com.  Please grant us the opportunity of defending the program's design and functionality before decrying its use in any forum, public or private.  The success of future shareware depends on your encouragement.


New Versions

GoldIcon is updated on a regular base, to add features requested by users, or just to make the product (even) better.

Because of this, it might be a good idea to stay informed about the latest program version available.

Send an E-mail to "list@goldshell.com" with as subject "Subscribe GoldIcon", and you'll be automatically informed about new versions.  This list will be solely used for update announcements, and maybe once in a while a newsletter.  So, don't worry about unsolicited E-mails.

"Subscribe all" will keep you also informed about new programs when they are added to the Goldshell catalogue.

To get off the list, send an E-mail with subject "UnSubscribe GoldIcon".


Other Goodies

FlashForge	Creates screensavers out of Macromedia Flash files.

DirSaver	Creates screensavers out of Macromedia Director projectors.

WSM	Web Screensaver Maker: lets web site visitors create their own screensavers on-line!

Hoolicon	Replaces the standard Flash or Director icon with your own.

Versiown	Replaces the standard Flash or Director icon with your own, and alters the version information of these executables, as seen under "File Properties".

GoldIcon	Create and edit icons and cursors.

GoldBull	Gives U.S. stock quotes.

GoldOrds	Gives Australian stock quotes.

Golden Dragon 	Gives Hong Kong stock quotes.

They all can be found on the Goldshell home page http://www.goldshell.com


Revision History

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- Version 1.12  - 24 May 2000

Packaged GoldIcon in an installer.

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- Version 1.11  - 1 May 2000

Added communication with Hoolicon & Versiown.

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- Version 1.10  - 25 Apr 2000

Easy selection of other icons in a multi-res icon file.  Added shift key support for several tool functions.  Cursor key support to move selected areas.

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- Version 1.02  - 15 Apr 2000

When saving a file, its name will now automatically get a proper extension if it is omitted.

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- Version 1.01  - 9 Feb 2000

Solved copy & paste problem that lost the transparency when an icon was copied back and forth from a graphic package.

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- Version 1.00  - 14 Jan 2000

Initial release.