Welcome to Microangelo 98

Over the years, the name Microangelo has grown to represent quality and dependability to computer users and software professionals all over the world.  No other software of its kind understands and supports Windows platforms as well.  Until now.  Our direct communication with the Microsoft programmers who make icons and desktops possible insures that Windows platforms and Microangelo 98 work together.  Add a well-seasoned insight into the nuances of icon and cursor support, and you can see why Microangelo 98 continues as the standard that all others are measured against.  This power-packed suite of utilities offers the most complete assortment of icon and cursor tools available.  The integrated design of Microangelo’s components provides a seamless environment to accomplish just about anything with icons and cursors in Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 or higher.

This information is part of Microangelo 98’s online Help system.  In addition to the standard description of program features and their use, the online Help system includes a wealth of detailed information on unique topics about icons and Windows.  All users are urged to review topics in the Using Microangelo 98 section of online help that are related to their use of the program.  A valuable collection of information and program tips is guaranteed to enhance everyone’s understanding and enjoyment of icons, Windows and Microangelo 98.

The Getting Started section provides an overview of Microangelo 98 features, information on what’s new in Microangelo 98, together with a brief description of program components and how they are launched.

Microangelo 98 is designed to minimize the need to refer to program help, but when descriptions of program tools and features may provide a clearer understanding, the Microangelo 98 Program Reference section includes descriptions of each window, menu, tool button together with an overview for every program.


What's New in Microangelo 98

One of the most exciting new features in Microangelo 98 is the support for True Color images.  Microangelo 98 allows you to display desktop icons and cursors in more colors than any other software has ever done before.  Increase the color depth of icons on your system from 16 colors to 65 thousand colors - even display icons in up to 16 million colors!

Both Windows end users and icon authors are strongly urged to review the information in Icon Colors and Windows for important tips and strategies related to icon color depths.

Here are just a few more of the latest features you can enjoy in Microangelo 98:

•	Detection and support for Windows 95, Windows 95 w/Active Desktop, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 or greater.

•	Microangelo 98 Explorer.  A brand new component with expanded browsing support, providing a single point of access to all of Microangelo’s features.

•	System icons can now be installed from Microangelo 98’s Explorer and Librarian, as well as from Engineer.

•	Three new viewing modes in Librarian allow all image formats to be viewed at once and show exactly how each icon will appear if installed to the current Windows installation.

•	Support added for new system icons in Windows 98 and the Active Desktop feature of Internet Explorer 4.0.

•	The Drawing Tool panel has been integrated into the left side of icon and cursor editors to save desktop space.

•	A Color Blend area has been added to the color Palette, allowing easy creation of color “ramps” between any two colors.

•	Studio and Animator now include a Text drawing tool to create text in the selected font, size and style of your choice.


Microangelo 98 Overview

Microangelo 98 offers a wide spectrum of tools and features.

•	Easily update Windows system icons and cursors.  Microangelo 98 can customize more desktop icons and cursors than any other software package.

•	Boost the performance of the desktop display beyond “hi-color”, all the way to True Color.

•	Create and edit icons with image formats in all standard sizes (16, 32, 48) and custom sizes, and in color depths of up to 16 million colors.

•	Create and edit standard and animated cursors in up to 16 million colors.

•	Search folders or complete disk drives for all icons in applications, application extensions, libraries and icon resources.

•	View, edit and extract all sizes and color depths of images embedded in icon resources.

•	Drag and drop files from Windows Explorer directly into Microangelo’s tools.  Drag and drop is also offered between icon libraries in Microangelo’s Librarian to assist organization among files.


Launching Microangelo 98

Microangelo 98 Explorer and all other Microangelo 98 tools can be launched from the Windows Start Menu.

To start Microangelo 98:

1	Click on the Windows Start menu.

2	Select Programs.

3	Select Microangelo 98.

4	Select the tool to start.  (Explorer, Engineer, Librarian, Studio or Animator)

TIP:  Microangelo 98 Explorer includes toolbar buttons to launch all of Microangelo 98’s components.


Microangelo 98 Components

Microangelo 98 consists of five integrated utilities:

Explorer:	Used like Windows Explorer.  Seeks out icon and cursor files.  Accesses all of Microangelo 98’s tools and features.
Engineer:	Configures Windows icon related settings.  Installs system icons and cursors.
Librarian:	Accesses icons embedded in applications and application extensions.  Organizes icons into libraries.  Scans entire folders and disk drives.
Studio:	Edits individual icon and static cursor files.  Used by Librarian to directly edit icons embedded in applications and libraries.
Animator:	Edits animated cursor files.


Maximum Icon Colors

A standard Windows installation displays icons in sixteen colors regardless of the color depth capabilities of the video display.  The Engineer component in Microangelo 98 can be used to boost the amount of colors that can be displayed to sixty-five thousand or sixteen million.  See Icon Colors and Windows for more details on tips and strategies related to icon color depths.

Choosing a Color Depth

The system color depth configured for icons and cursors depends on the current display settings as well as the system’s performance.  The video display must be configured to be able to support the icon color depth.  From a performance standpoint, increasing the color depth used for icons increases the amount of memory an icon requires.  Below is a visual representation of the relationship of image sizes.

16 Color Icon:	oooo

65K Colors:	oooooooooooooooo

True Color:	oooooooooooooooooooooooo

To Change the Color Depth of Icons Displayed in Windows:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Click the first button on the Engineer’s System tab, Maximum Icon Colors.

3	Select between sixteen, sixty-five thousand, or sixteen million possible colors.

NOTE:  The choices do not include a color depth of 256 colors.  Windows must use more than 256 colors to be able to display 256 color icons on the desktop.  A color depth that only allowed 256 colors would require all icons to use the same 256 colors.


Icon Colors and Windows

Prior to the release of Windows 95, icon images were always 32x32 pixels in size.  Color monitors always displayed these icons in 16 colors.  Windows 95 and subsequent Windows platforms greatly expanded the use of icon sizes and color depths.  This expansion added many new, and sometimes unique, facets to the use and management of icons by the operating system.

Windows and Microangelo 98

•	A standard Windows installation maintains and displays images of all icons that it uses in 16 colors.

•	Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95 add-ons allow users to increase the available color depth of these images to 65 thousand colors.  This allows Windows to display an assortment of 256 color icons on the desktop.

•	Microangelo 98 allows you to boost the available color depth for these images as high as 16 million colors, commonly referred to as True Color.

Icon Color Depth: the User Perspective

End users with systems capable of displaying more than 256 colors can choose to boost the color depth of their icons to 65 thousand colors or to True Color (16 million colors).  A color depth of 65 thousand colors should meet the needs of most users.  Why?

•	A system configured to manage icon images in True Color will use 50% more resources for this purpose than a system configured for 65 thousand colors.

•	Currently, True Color icon images are very rare.  With little exception, all high-color images produced up until now contain 256 colors.

•	As True Color icon images become available, Windows will automatically convert them from True Color to 65 thousand colors.  This color depth is extremely capable when it is considered in terms of icons themselves.  A 32x32 pixel icon only contains 1024 pixels.  It also depends greatly on image detail.  A spectrum of 65 thousand colors should provide excellent reproduction of icon images regardless of their original color depth.

Why does Microangelo 98 provide an option to configure Windows to manage icon images in 16 million colors?

•	It has been observed that Windows NT 4.0 may not faithfully reduce a True Color icon image to 65 thousand colors.  Windows NT users may need to configure their icon color depth to 16 million colors to avoid distortion of icon images that are converted from a True Color source image.

•	The rapid evolution of computer hardware and software is constantly moving forward.  Earlier versions of Microangelo played a significant role in expanding the use of 256 color icons in Windows 95 and Windows NT platforms.  Microangelo 98 is prepared to continue this expansion into True Color for these operating systems, as well as Windows 98, NT 5.0, and future platforms.

Icon Color Depth: the Icon Author Perspective

It is highly recommended that icon authors create all high-color icon images in True Color.  Why?

•	A True Color icon image will not use more resources on the end user’s system than a 256 color image.  Since Windows manages all icon images using the icon color depth it is configured for, every icon image requires the same amount of resources regardless of its original color depth.

•	End users will always get the best image quality possible.  A True Color image can be used by Windows directly or reduced to 65 thousand colors, if required.

•	Editing images in True Color is much easier than editing in 256 colors.  The 256-color format is tied to a fixed color palette.  This limits the author’s ability to freely select colors and to import images that contain colors not included in the current palette.  Editing in True Color removes these limitations.

If you include True Color images, do NOT include 256-color images.  Why?  When a system is configured to display icons in more than 16 colors, Windows will choose the first image in an icon resource that includes 256 or more colors.  For more information, see How Windows Chooses an Image Format .


Shell Icon Sizes

The latest Windows platforms use two sizes of icons – large and small.  By default, the large size is 32x32 pixels and the small is 16x16.  The large size icon is used primarily in the “Large Icon” displays found in Explorer and open folders.  The small size icon is used in the system tray, and in the “Small Icon”, “List”, and “Details” display modes offered by Explorer and folders.

NOTE: The Windows shell uses the sizes described above.  Windows also uses a system large and system small icon size.  See Icon Sizes Used in Windows for more information.

Large Icons

Microangelo’s Engineer offers an option for increasing the display size of desktop icons, Use Large Icons .  This option was first introduced in the Windows 95 Plus! Package and later in Windows NT 4.0.  When this option is selected, Windows will use 48x48 pixel icons to display large icons.


Large Icons

Windows normally displays icons in 32x32 pixels on the desktop and when displaying lists in Large Icon mode.  This size can be increased to 48x48 through the use of the Use Large Icons feature of Engineer.

To Change the Large Icon Size in Windows:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Click on the Use Large Icons checkbox on the Engineer’s System tab to toggle between 32x32 or 48x48 images when displaying large icons.  Check this box to display large icons in 48x48 pixels.


Shortcut Arrows

The latest Windows platforms display a small arrow in the lower left corner of icons classified as shortcuts.  The files that these icons represent are not actual programs or data files.  They merely point to another file in a different location.

The small arrows on shortcuts serve a good purpose.  They can be used to easily identify an actual file from a shortcut.  Moving or deleting a shortcut has no affect on the file that it points to.  Moving or deleting an actual program or data file could have disastrous consequences.

For this reason, Windows will overlay the arrow image when it displays an icon for a shortcut.  The arrow image is also an icon that can be updated using Microangelo 98 Engineer.

Changing or Removing Shortcut Overlays


Changing or Removing Shortcut Overlays

Changing the Appearance of Shortcut Overlays

The Engineer component in Microangelo 98 can be used to select a different icon to identify shortcuts.  See Installing System Icons for more information.

Removing Shortcut Overlays

The Engineer component in Microangelo 98 can be used to instruct Windows not to display an overlay image on shortcuts.

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Use the “Display Shortcut Arrows” checkbox on the Engineer’s System tab to toggle the shortcut arrows on or off.  Uncheck this box to prevent arrows from being displayed on shortcuts.

3	Click Apply.


Icon Spacing

Windows uses horizontal and vertical spacing values between icons when they are displayed in Explorer and when a user selects to “Arrange” the icons in a folder’s display.  These values can be changed from the Appearance tab in Control Panel’s Display applet.  For convenience, Microangelo’s Engineer includes an option for adjusting these values on its System tab.

To Change the Spacing of Icons:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Use the Icon Horizontal Spacing and Icon Vertical Spacing controls on the System tab to adjust these values.

3	Click Apply.

NOTE:  Spacing of icons on the desktop or inside folders will not automatically change when these values are adjusted.  The icons must be arranged using one of the Arrange Icon functions performed by Windows.  In folders, these commands are accessed from the View menu.


Icon Font

Windows uses a specific font size and style to display the filename associated with icons when they are displayed on the desktop, in Explorer and in folders.  This font can be changed from the Appearance tab in Control Panel’s Display applet.  For convenience, Microangelo’s Engineer includes an option for selecting a font, size, and style when displaying filenames associated with icons.

To Change the Icon Font:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Use the Icon Title Font and Size controls, and the Bold and Italic pushbuttons to change the appearance of the font.

3	Click Apply.


Installing System Icons

Most of the icons displayed in Windows represent files on your computer.  They may be applications, data files, shortcuts, etc…  Windows provides the capability for a user to specify a different icon for these objects by right clicking on the icon, selecting Properties from the popup menu, and clicking a Change Icon pushbutton.

Windows displays additional icons that do not represent files on your computer.   A few examples are the icons that appear on the Windows Start menu, the desktop icon, the disk drive icons that appear in Explorer and My Computer, and even the Briefcase.  Windows does not provide a Change Icon capability for these icons.

Microangelo 98 can change these system, desktop and shell icons.  This capability is provided in several areas of Microangelo.  Click on any component listed below for more details:

•	Engineer provides the most comprehensive interface to installing these icons.

•	Explorer allows quick installation of any icon displayed in its viewing window.

•	Librarian allows quick installation of any icon displayed in its workspace.


Installing System Icons (Engineer)

Microangelo 98’s Engineer provides the ability to select and install icons used by desktop components and the Windows shell.

To Install System Icons with Engineer:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Select the Desktop, Start, Folder, Drives, or Misc. tab that contains the icon to be changed.

3	Select the icon on the tab and then click the Change… pushbutton.

4	A Change Icon dialog will appear.  Use the dialog controls browse for and select a new icon.  Click OK.

5	If you would like to change other icons, repeat steps 2 through 4 for each additional icon.

6	Click the Apply button on the lower right side of Engineer to process your changes.


Installing System Icons (Explorer)

Microangelo 98’s Engineer provides the ability to select and install icons used by desktop components and the Windows shell.

To Install System Icons with Explorer:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Explorer.

2	Use Explorer’s folder and view windows to locate the icon to install.  (Must be an icon file.  Use Engineer or Librarian to install icons from application or icon library files).

3	Right-click on the icon file and select Install to System…

4	Select the system icon to change using the tabs and list of icons in the Install Icon dialog.

5	Select Apply or OK to install the new icon.


Installing System Icons (Librarian)

Microangelo 98’s Librarian provides the ability to select and install icons used by desktop components and the Windows shell.

To Install System Icons with Librarian:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Librarian.

2	Open the file that contains the icon to install.

3	Right-click on the icon and select Install to System…

4	Select the system icon to change using the tabs and list of icons in the Install Icon dialog.

5	Select Apply or OK to install the new icon.


Installing System Cursors

The Engineer component in Microangelo 98 can be used to change the system cursors used by Windows and its applications.

To Change System Cursors:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Select the Cursor tab.

3	Select a cursor on the tab and then click the Change… pushbutton.

4	A Browse For Cursor dialog will appear, allowing a new cursor file to be selected.  Use the dialog to select a new cursor and click OK.

5	If you would like to change other cursors, repeat steps 2 through 4 for each additional cursor.

6	Click the Apply button on the lower right side of Engineer to process your changes.


Program Files and Icon Libraries

One or more icon resources can be embedded inside a larger file.  These files are formatted to the specifications used by Windows applications.

The Librarian component of Microangelo 98 is used to access icons inside these files.

Program Files

Windows refers to program files as Applications and Application Extensions.  These files have the file extensions EXE and DLL.  They contain icons as well as program code and other resources used by the application.  Librarian will allow these files to be viewed and allow icons inside of them to be edited.  It will not allow icons to be added or deleted.

Icon Libraries

Icon Libraries are constructed very similar to program files.  The only difference is that they contain only icons and nothing more.  Icon Libraries usually have a file extension of ICL.  Librarian allows all types of changes to these files.


Viewing Icons in Program Files and Libraries

The Librarian component in Microangelo 98 can be used to view icons embedded in program files and icon libraries .

To view icons in these file types:

1	Use Microangelo 98 Explorer to locate a file to view.

2	Double-click on the file to open it for viewing in Librarian.

-or-

1	Start Microangelo 98 Librarian.

2	Select Open from Librarian’s file menu.

3	Use the File Open dialog to select a file for viewing.

Librarian provides a choice of viewing modes selected using the view toolbar buttons or the View menu:

•	Specific mode displays images that match the format selected in the toolbar’s Image Format control.

•	Raw mode displays all image formats included in each icon.

•	Desktop mode displays a large icon, as it would appear on the current system.

•	Windows mode displays both large and small icons, as they would appear on the current system.


Search and Extract Icons (Librarian)

The Librarian component in Microangelo 98 can be used to scan files on your computer and open all of the icons that it finds into a new workspace.  Librarian can scan one or more folders, or an entire disk drive.

To scan drives or folders for icons:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Librarian.

2	Select Search Files from Librarian’s File menu.  Use the Search Drive or Folder dialog to navigate to the disk drive or folder that you would like to scan.

3	Use the Files of Type control to select which files should be scanned.  Select Icon Files to scan for icons in all file types.

4	Check the Include Subfolders checkbox if you would like to scan files in folders underneath the location selected in Step 2.

5	Click on Search.


Organizing Icons in Libraries

The Librarian component in Microangelo 98 can be used to organize groups of icons into libraries .  Icons can be dragged and dropped between Librarian windows.  Any file that contains icons can be dragged from Microangelo 98 Explorer, any open folder, or Windows Explorer and dropped into a Librarian window.

Arranging Icons inside a Library

Icons can be dragged and dropped within the same library window to manually rearrange the order in which they appear.  This can be done in all viewing modes except Raw.  One or more icons can be selected, dragged and dropped to another area of the viewing window.


Editing Icons in Program Files and Libraries

The Librarian and Studio components in Microangelo 98 work together to allow icons to be edited directly inside of program files and icon libraries.

To edit an icon inside of one of these files:

1	Open the file in Librarian as described in Viewing Icons in Program Files and Libraries .

2	Double-click on the icon in Librarian’s main window.

–or-

1	Right-click on the icon and select Edit Icon from the popup menu.

2	The icon is opened in Studio for editing.

See Editing an Icon or Cursor for more details on editing.


Icon Formats

The latest Windows platforms employ icons that contain multiple representations, or image formats, to achieve the best possible results when they are displayed in different Windows installations.  Each image format can be a different size and/or color depth.

While Windows imposes no restrictions on the sizes of icons, common sizes include 16, 32, and 48 pixels square. For this reason, developers are encouraged to include a minimum of the following sizes and color depths in their icon resources:

•	16 x 16 – 16 colors

•	32 x 32 – 16 colors

•	48 x 48 – 256 colors

The Studio component of Microangelo 98 supports all of these formats and more.  The more image formats that that you include in every icon you create, the better the icon will appear when displayed in different Windows installations.

TIP:  When creating icon or cursor images in 256 colors, consider creating them in True Color first, even if you do not intent on including a True Color image in the final result.  Editing in True Color mode is easier and more flexible, allowing colors to be drawn or pasted from the clipboard without mapping them into a fixed 256-color palette.  When editing is complete, create a 256-color image format from the True Color image using the New Image Format dialog.  Select the Begin New Image Using Current Image option.  Studio will analyze the colors in the image and create a 256-color image and color palette.  The True Color image format can then be removed from the icon, if desired, using the Remove Image Format tool button.

See Windows Use of Icons for more information on how image formats are selected by the operating system.


Cursor Formats

Windows cursors are 32 x 32 pixels in size.  Standard cursors contain multiple representations, or image formats.  Each image format provides a different color depth to achieve the best possible result when the cursor is displayed in different Windows installations.

The Studio component of Microangelo 98 can be used to create standard cursors in 16, 256 or 16 million colors.  The Animator component of Microangelo 98 creates and edits animated cursors in 16, 256 or 16 million colors.

Windows also provides support for animated cursors when certain video and memory requirements are met.


Creating a New Icon or Cursor

Microangelo 98’s Studio and Animator components are used to create and edit icons, standard cursors and animated cursors.

To create a new icon or standard cursor:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Studio.

2	To create a new cursor instead of an icon, select New from Studio’s File menu.  Choose Cursor in the New Resource dialog and select OK.

3	Construct the new graphic (see Editing an Icon or Cursor for more information).

4	When your work is complete, select Save or Save As from the File menu.

To create a new animated cursor:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Animator.

2	Construct the new graphic (see Editing an Icon or Cursor for more information).

3	When your work is complete, select Save or Save As from the File menu.


Editing an Icon or Cursor

Microangelo 98 includes two image editors, Studio and Animator, used to create and edit individual icon and cursor files (i.e., ICO, CUR, and ANI files).  Both provide consistent user interfaces.  The following topics provide in-depth information on their use:

Opening a File to Edit

Colors and Palettes

Drawing and Editing

Importing Bitmaps

Clipboard Functions

Adding and Removing Images

Setting a Cursor’s Hot Spot

TIP:  See Editing Icons in Program Files and Libraries for information on editing an icon inside of a program file or icon library.


Windows Use of Icons

The latest Windows platforms employ icons that contain multiple representations, or image formats, to achieve the best possible results when they are displayed in different Windows installations.  Each image format can be a different size and/or color depth.  Windows extracts the appropriate size/color depth image from the resource depending on the context of the icon’s use.

Icon Sizes Used in Windows

Where Windows Uses Different Sizes

How Windows Chooses an Image Format


Icon Sizes Used in Windows

Windows will display up to four different sizes of icons, as follows:

Size	Comments

System Large	Size is defined by the video driver.

System Small	Size is derived from the size of window captions. The caption size can be adjusted from the Appearance tab in the Display Properties dialog.

Shell Large	Size can be changed to 32x32 or 48x48 pixels using Microangelo 98’s Engineer.

Shell Small	Size is defined by Windows and cannot be changed.


Where Windows Uses Different Sizes

Size	Used In

System Large	<ALT><TAB> dialog (also known as “Cool Switch”).

System Small	Title bar (caption) of application windows.

Shell Large	Desktop.  “Large Icon” views in Explorer and open folders.

Shell Small	Start menu.  “Small Icon”, “List” and “Details” views in Explorer and open folders.


How Windows Chooses an Image Format

When multiple images are present in an icon or cursor, the following selection rules are applied:

1	The image closest in size to the requested size is chosen.

2	If two or more images of that size are present, the one that matches the current icon color depth (see Maximum Icon Colors ).

3	If none exactly match the icon color depth, Windows chooses the image with the greatest color depth without exceeding the icon color depth.

4	If all the size-matched images exceed the icon color depth, the one with the lowest color depth is chosen.

5	Windows treats all images of 256 or more colors as equal.  For example, it is pointless to have a 16x16 256 color image and a 16x16 True Color image in the same resource—Windows will simply choose the first one it encounters.

6	When the display mode is set to 256 colors, Windows will prefer a 16-color icon over a 256-color icon, and will display all icons using the system default palette.


Animated Cursor Requirements

There are two requirements for Animated Cursors running under Windows:

•	Protected-mode disk drivers when running under Windows 95

•	A Windows-compatible display driver that meets the specifications described below

Disk Drivers

To use animated cursors in Windows 95, you must use protected-mode disk drivers.

Use the following steps to determine if you are using protected-mode disk drivers:

1	Click the Start button, select Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2	Double-click the System icon.

3	Click Performance. If you are using protected-mode disk drivers the File System entry should read "32-bit."

4	If the File System entry reads "Some drives are using MS-DOS compatibility," click an item and then click Detail for more information about which drives are using MS-DOS compatibility mode.

Contact your computer or hard drive manufacturer if you are not using protected mode drivers and are unsure of where to obtain them.

Display Driver

To use animated cursors in Windows, you must also have a Windows- compatible display driver that uses the device-independent bitmap (DIB) engine and meets at least one of the following criteria:

The display driver must run at 8 bits per pixel (bpp) or higher and support color cursors.

(NOTE: 256 colors = 8 bpp)

-or-

The display driver must allow Windows to access its memory in a linear fashion (such as through a frame buffer).  This allows for smoother animation because Windows gains entrance to the driver during interrupt time.

The following are examples of display drivers that do not support animated cursors:

•	ATI Ultra (mach8) This driver does not support a frame buffer.

•	Diamond Viper This driver is based on the Windows 3.1 video standard.

•	Standard Display Adapter (VGA).  This driver is based on a standard established prior to the development of animated cursors.

•	Super VGA.  This driver is based on a standard established prior to the development of animated cursors.


Microangelo 98 Explorer

This versatile utility works very much like Windows Explorer.  Use it to navigate through your system and network while it seeks out files that contain icons and cursors.  Microangelo 98 Explorer interfaces directly with all of Microangelo’s tools to provide the precise tool and feature set required for every job.

Select a topic for more information:

•	Navigating with Explorer

•	Displaying Different Types of Files

•	Customizing the View

•	Selecting Objects for Operations

•	Working with Objects


Navigating with Explorer

Microangelo 98 Explorer’s user interface was designed based upon Windows Explorer.  The folder pane on the left displays a tree view of all computers, drives and folders available from your system.  The viewing pane on the right displays the contents of the folder pane selection.

•	Click on the plus signs (+) in the folder pane to expand objects beneath.

•	Click on any network, computer, drive or folder in the folder pane to view its contents.

•	Double-click on any network, computer, drive or folder in the viewing pane to view its contents.

•	Click on the Parent Folder toolbar button on the toolbar to move up one level.


Displaying Different Types of Files

A drop down combo box on Microangelo 98 Explorer’s toolbar is used to select the types of files to seek out in the viewing pane.  Select Icon Files to locate all files that contain icons.  Select Cursor Files to view static or animated cursor files.  Other selections can be used to limit the display to only Icons (ICO), Icon libraries (ICL, DLL, and EXE), Static Cursors (CUR) or Animated Cursors (ANI).


Customizing the View

Microangelo 98 Explorer’s toolbar includes tool buttons to select between Large Icons, Small Icons, List and Detail views.  These options can also be selected from the View menu.  The Details viewing mode includes information about each file’s type and the number of icons it contains.  Cursor files (CUR and ANI) always contain a single cursor.

Use the View menu’s Folder Pane option or toolbar button to optimize the viewing area by toggling the left window panel on or off.  The View menu also includes options to toggle the display of the toolbar and status bar.  The Arrange Icons option sorts the contents by name, file type, or number of icons inside each file.

Detail view extends the sorting capabilities.  Click on a column heading to sort on that column.  Click once more on the column heading to reverse the sort.


Selecting Objects for Operations

The right viewing window of Explorer is used to select objects for various operations supported by Microangelo 98.  Some functions require a single file to be selected while others can operate on multiple files, folders or disk drives.

Explorer’s viewing window supports all standard mouse and keyboard procedures to manage the current selection.

Selecting with the Mouse

•	Click on any object in the right viewing window to select it.

•	Hold down the Ctrl key while clicking to add or remove objects from the current selection.

•	Hold down the Shift key while clicking on an object to add or remove all objects between it and the last selection.

•	Objects can also be ‘lassoed’ by depressing the mouse button outside of an object and then dragging to surround a group of objects.

Selecting with the Keyboard

•	Use the keyboard arrow keys to move between objects.

•	Hold down the Ctrl key while using the arrow keys to move without changing the current selection.

•	Press the spacebar to add the current object to the selection.

•	Hold down the Ctrl key and press the spacebar to remove object from the selection.

•	Hold down the Shift key to add all objects while moving with the arrow keys.


Working with Objects

Many operations can be initiated from Microangelo 98 Explorer.  All operations begin by selecting the object(s) to work with.  Some operations require a single object to be selected while others work with one or more objects.

•	Opening a File

•	Installing a System Icon

•	Drag and Drop Operations

•	Search and Extract Icons   (Scan Drives and Folders)


Opening a File from Explorer

Microangelo 98 Explorer can open any file in its viewing window using the appropriate tool for accessing its contents.  Open a file by:

Double clicking on it.

-or-

Selecting it with the keyboard and pressing Enter.

Icon files (ICO) and static cursors (CUR) open in Studio.  Animated Cursors (ANI) open in Animator.  All other file types (ICL, DLL, and EXE) are opened in Librarian.


Drag and Drop Operations

Explorer supports drag and drop operations between it and all other Microangelo 98 tools.

Librarian

Drag and drop one or more files containing icons into an open Librarian window.

-or-

Drag and drop one or more disk drives and/or folders to scan and open all icons.

TIP:  Drag with the right mouse button to choose between opening the files into a new workspace or add them to the current workspace.

Studio

Drag and drop an icon or static cursor into an open Studio window.

Animator

Drag and drop an animated cursor into an open Animator window.

Engineer

Drag and drop icon and cursor files directly into Engineer’s Desktop, Start Menu, Drives, Folders and Misc. tabs to stage updates for system installation.


Search and Extract Icons (Explorer and Librarian)

Microangelo 98 Explorer works together with Librarian to easily scan and open all icons on disk drives and in folders.  Simply drag and drop the drives or folders from Explorer’s viewing window into Librarian to initiate the scanning process.

To Scan and Open All Icons:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Explorer.

2	Using the left window panel of Explorer, navigate to and select the computer, drive, or folder that contains the objects to scan.

3	Click the Librarian toolbar button in Explorer to launch Librarian.

4	If necessary, position the Explorer and Librarian windows to allow the drag and drop.

5	Select one or more drives or folders in Explorer’s viewing windows, then drag and drop them into Librarian’s window.

TIP:  Use the right mouse button to drag and drop to allow the choice of beginning a new workspace in Librarian or adding icons to the current workspace.


Opening a File to Edit

Microangelo 98 Explorer can automatically launch a file for editing inside Studio or Animator.

To open an icon or standard cursor:

1	Use Microangelo 98 Explorer to locate the file to edit.

2	Double-click on the file to open it for editing.

-or-

1	Start Microangelo 98 Studio.

2	Select Open from Studio’s File menu.

3	Use the File Open dialog to select a file for editing.

To open an animated cursor:

1	Microangelo 98 Explorer to locate the file to edit.

2	Double-click on the file to open it for editing.

-or-

1	Start Microangelo 98 Animator.

2	Select Open from Animator’s File menu.

3	Use the File Open dialog to select a file for editing.


Colors and Palettes

The following information describes how colors and palettes are used in Microangelo 98 Studio and Animator.

A and B Colors

Microangelo’s editing tools make use of two colors, Color A and Color B.  The current A and B colors are displayed to the upper right of the edit area.  See Color A and B Usage for more information on how these selections are used for different operations.

Selecting Colors for Drawing and Editing

Studio and Animator both provide a Palette window to select colors used by the editing tools.  The Palette window contains inkwells filled with different colors of ink.  Select the colors used for Color A or Color B by clicking the left or right mouse button over the inkwell containing the desired color.

Transparent and Inverse Colors

In addition to regular colors, the Palette window also includes two special inkwells containing transparent and inverse ink.  These selections can be used to create transparent and inverse effects when the images are displayed.

Blending New Colors

A Color Blend area is included at the bottom of the Palette Window when editing 256-color or True Color images.

Changing Color Palettes

Color palettes can be saved to disk and re-opened from the Edit menu when editing 256-color or True Color images.


Palette Window

The Palette window contains inkwells filled with different colors of ink.

To select colored, transparent, or inverse inks:

•	Select the colors used for Color A or Color B by clicking the left or right mouse button over the inkwell containing the desired color.

•	Select transparent ink by clicking over the inkwell with a blue computer screen.

•	Select inverse ink by clicking over the inkwell with a pink computer screen.

The Palette window operates slightly different depending on the color depth of the image being edited, as described below.

16 Colors

The Windows standard color palette is used for 16-color images.  The colors cannot be changed.

256 Colors

The Palette window includes inkwells for all colors when editing 256-color images.  The palette is initialized with the color palette of the image being edited.  When a new image 256-color image is created, the palette is initialized with 256 colors from the default palette file (except when the Begin New Image Using Current Image option has been selected).

The colors in the inkwells can be edited by double clicking with the left or right mouse button over the inkwell containing the color to change.  If pixels in the current image contain the color being edited, they will also change to the new color.  If this will occur, you will be notified before the Edit Color dialog is displayed.

New colors can be mixed in the Color Blend area.  Colors must be dragged into the 256 inkwells above before they can be used.

True Color

The Palette window is initialized with 256 colors from the default palette file.

The colors in the inkwells can be edited by double clicking with the left or right mouse button over the inkwell containing the color to change.

New colors can be mixed in the Color Blend area.  Colors can be used directly from the Color Blend area and can also be dragged into the 256 inkwells above.


Color Blend

The Palette window includes twelve inkwells in an area for blending new colors when editing 256-color or True Color images.  Two funnels are located over the left and right wells.

To blend new colors:

Click in either funnel with the left or right mouse button to pour Color A or Color B into the inkwell below.  Ten colors are blended using the contents of the outer inkwells.

256-Color Images

Any color in the blending area must be dragged into an inkwell of the actual palette above before it can be used.

True Color Images

Colors can be selected directly from the blend area and can also be dragged into the inkwells above.


Color Palette Files

Color palettes can be saved and re-opened as desired when editing images in 256 colors or True Color.

To save or open a palette file select Save Palette File or Open Palette File from the Edit menu.

256-Color Mode

Images in 256 colors use fixed color palettes.  Opening a new color palette causes all colors in the current image to be remapped using the new palette.  It is therefore recommended that the desired color palette be opened before beginning a 256-color image.

True Color Mode

True Color images are not tied to a color palette.  Opening a new color palette will not have any affect on the image being edited.  Color palettes can be saved and re-opened as desired.


Color A and B Usage

Studio and Animator display the current Color A and B choices to the upper right of the editing area.  Select the desired A and B colors by clicking the left or right mouse button in the Palette window over the inkwell containing the desired color.

The following table lists the usage of Color A and Color B when editing an image in Studio or Animator.

Operation	Color Usage
Draw/Paint	Left mouse button provides Color A, right button Color B.
Color Eraser	Left mouse button changes Color A to Color B, right button B to A.
Draw Text	Text is drawn using Color A on a background of Color B.  If configured, text can be drawn without a background over existing artwork. (see Color B in Selection).
Edit Cut	Color B fills the area exposed by cut.
Edit Paste	Color B can be used as a mask when pasting over existing artwork.  If configured, Color B pixels in the image being pasted act transparent until the paste is completed. (see Color B in Selection).
Drag Selection	If configured, Color B pixels in the Selection Frame act transparent when dragged. (see Color B in Selection).


Transparent and Inverse Effects

When an icon is displayed, pixels in an image filled with transparent ink will display the colors of the pixels underneath.  Pixels in inverse ink will appear in different colors than the pixels underneath them.  The color displayed is dependent on the color of the pixel underneath.  The edit tools can draw and paint with these inks the same as with any normal color.

•	Select transparent ink by clicking over the inkwell with a blue computer screen in the Palette window.

•	Select inverse ink by clicking over the inkwell with a pink computer screen.

Inverse Ink

Although this feature is referred to as inverse, the colors that it produces when an icon is displayed over a background are not necessarily opposites by any definition.  Windows is dependent on the video mode of the installation when it creates an inverse effect.  If the video mode uses a color palette (16 color or 256 color modes), the ‘inverse’ color that is displayed must exist in the current color palette.  In this case Windows chooses the color to display based on the location of the colors in the palette.  For example, in 256 color mode the ‘inverse’ of the color in the first position of the color palette is the color that appears in the last position of the color palette.  The inverse of the second color is the color located in the ‘last minus one’, and so on.


Drawing and Editing

Studio and Animator include a wide assortment of tools used to edit icon and cursor images.  These tools are accessed from the vertical and horizontal tool bars that appear to the left and above the editing area.

Tool Types:

Drawing and Painting

Selection Frame

Eyedropper (pick up color)

Color Locator

Nudge Tools (shift image)

Mirror Tools

Screen Capture


Drawing and Painting Tools

Drawing and painting tool buttons appear along the left side of the main window.  Click on any tool to select it for use.  Small black arrows in the upper right corners of the paint brush, color eraser, and rectangle/ellipse buttons indicate that options are available for these tools.  Press and hold these buttons down to access their options.

All drawing and painting tools operate on pixels according to the current paint mode .  Four tool buttons above the edit area allow the paint mode to be set to paint all pixels or paint every other pixel (dither effect).

	Pencil - Used to paint pixels.  Use the left mouse button to draw with Color A or the right button for Color B.  Press and hold SHIFT after pressing the mouse button to confine the painting to pixels in the same row or column.
	Straight Line - Used to draw straight lines.  Use the left mouse button to draw with Color A or the right button for Color B.  Press and hold SHIFT after pressing the mouse button to restrict lines to 45-degree increments.
	Paint Brush - Used to paint areas of pixels.  Select a brush shape by pressing and holding the paintbrush tool button to access the brush options.  Use the left mouse button to draw with Color A or the right button for Color B.  Press and hold SHIFT after pressing the mouse button to restrict painting to horizontal or vertical strokes.
	Flood - Used to fill areas of one color with another color.  Use the left mouse button to draw with Color A or the right button for Color B.  Flooding starts with the pixel clicked on and continues until other colors are encountered.
	Color Eraser - Used to erase a specific color, replacing it with another color.  Select an eraser size by pressing and holding the Color Eraser tool button to access different sizes.  Use the left mouse button to replace Color A with Color B or the right button to replace Color B with Color A.
	Rectangle/Ellipse - Used to draw rectangles and ellipses.  Press and hold the tool button to access drawing options.  Choose an outline, filled, or solid shape.  Outline shapes are drawn in Color A using the left mouse button or Color B using the right.  Filled shapes are drawn in Color A and filled with Color B using the left mouse button and reversed when using the right.  Solid shapes are drawn in Color A with the left mouse button and Color B with the right.  Press and hold SHIFT after pressing the mouse button to draw perfect squares or circles.
	Text - Used to draw text.  An Add Text input window is used to enter the text and select the font face, size and style.  Text is drawn in Color A.  The background of the text area is filled with Color B depending on the current setting for Color B in Selection .


Pixel Paint Controls

Four tool buttons above the edit area are used to control how the drawing tools apply color to pixels.

	All pixels - Color is applied to all areas a tool operates on.
	Every other pixel - Color is applied to every other pixel starting with the pixel that the mouse button was pressed over.
	Even pixels - Color is applied to every other pixel based on row and column.
	Odd pixels - Color is applied to every other pixel based on row and column.


Selection Frame

   The Selection Frame is used in conjunction with several editing operations including clipboard functions and text entry.  The contents of an active selection can be dragged with the left mouse button to any location in the image.

Click on the Selection Frame tool button to access it directly.  Press the left mouse button down over any pixel to define the first corner of a selection.  Drag the cursor to the opposite corner and release the mouse button.  The rectangular selection is now available for use with clipboard functions or can be moved to another area of the image.


Eyedropper (pick up color)

   The Eyedropper is used to pick up colors from the Palette window or directly from the editing area.  Press the left mouse button to load Color A or the right button to load Color B when the Eyedropper cursor is displayed.

To access the Eyedropper for use in the editing area:

Click on the Eyedropper tool button.  The Eyedropper will return to the previous tool after a color is selected.

-or-

Press SHIFT while the cursor is over the edit area.  The Eyedropper will return to the previous tool when SHIFT is released.


Color Locator

   The Color Locator is used to locate colors in the editing area and the Palette window.  Click on the Color Locator tool button and then click over any pixel in the editing area or any inkwell in the Palette window.  All pixels in the editing area that match the color will momentarily blink.  The edges of the inkwell containing the color will also blink except when editing a True Color image.  (To load the color when editing True Color images, simply press SHIFT and select the color directly from the pixel.)


Nudge Tools (shift image)

Four nudge tool buttons appear at the top left of the editing area.  These buttons are used to shift the entire image or a selected area off the image one pixel at a time.  The area exposed by the shift is filled with Color B.

The nudge buttons will operate on the entire image by default.  To nudge an area inside of the image, use the Selection Frame to select the area before performing the nudge.


Mirror Tools (flip image)

Two mirror image tool buttons appear at the top left of the editing area.  These buttons are used to flip the entire image or a selected area off the image.

The mirror image buttons will operate on the entire image by default.  To flip an area inside of the image, use the Selection Frame to select the area before performing using the mirror tools.


Importing Bitmaps

Bitmaps can be imported into an image using two different procedures that provide different results.  They can be opened directly using the “Open Bitmap as Image…” command, replacing the entire contents of the current image and also updating the colors in the Palette window with the palette of the bitmap.  Bitmaps can also be opened into a Selection Frame using the Paste Special command.  In this case the bitmap is scaled, if necessary, into the current selection.  If the image being edited is not True Color, the bitmap is translated as best as possible into the current color palette.

Open Bitmap as Image

Paste Special (clipboard function)


Open Bitmap as Image

Bitmaps can be imported directly into an image.  They are opened in actual size or will be reduced if they cannot fit into the current image.  The contents of the image will replace the current image.

To open a bitmap into an image:

1	Select Open Bitmap as Image from the Edit menu.

2	Use the Open Bitmap File dialog to choose the bitmap to open and select OK.

The bitmap image is opened in actual size, if possible, or it will be scaled to fit within the current image.  If the color depth of the bitmap is greater than that of the image being edited, it will be translated as best as possible to use the colors in the current palette.


Clipboard Functions (editing tools)

Images can be manipulated using the standard Cut, Copy, and Paste clipboard functions available on the Edit menu or toolbar buttons.  Studio and Animator provide enhanced support for transparency when moving images within or between either component.  Further flexibility is available using the Paste Special command, available only on the Edit menu.

Cut

The contents of the Selection Frame are posted to the clipboard and the area is filled with Color B.

Copy

The contents of the Selection Frame are posted to the clipboard.

Paste

The contents of the clipboard are pasted into a new Selection Frame.  The new selection can be dragged to the desired location.  Any pixels in the selection that match Color B may act transparent while the image is pasted depending on the current setting of Color B in Selection .  If the image being edited is not True Color or if the color depth of the image being pasted is greater than the color depth of the image being edited, the image being pasted is translated as best as possible using the current color palette.

Paste Special

Paste Special can be used to access images from the clipboard or external bitmaps.  It can place the result into the current selection or create a new selection, either of which can be dragged to the desired location.  Any pixels in the pasted selection that match Color B may act transparent while the image is pasted depending on the current setting of Color B in Selection .  If the image being edited is not True Color or if the color depth of the image being pasted is greater than the color depth of the image being edited, the image being pasted is translated as best as possible using the current color palette.


Adding and Removing Images

Located on the right side of Studio and Animator, directly above the list of images in the current file, are two tool buttons used to add and remove images.

	Image formats can be added or removed in icons or cursors.
	Frames can be added or removed in animated cursors.

Studio

When editing icons or standard cursors in Studio, the New Image Format tool button brings up a dialog to allow the new format to be defined.  The size of the image and its color depth are selected in this dialog.  The Begin New Image Using Current Image checkbox allows the new image to be initialized using the current image.  This option is especially convenient when used to create a new 256-color image from a True Color image.

Animator

When editing animated cursors in Animator, the Insert Frames tool button brings up a dialog to allow one or more frames to be added either before or after the current frame.  The Fill new frames using contents of current frame checkbox is used to copy the current frame to the new frame(s).


Screen Capture

   Studio includes a screen capture feature to acquire graphic images directly from the display.

To capture from the screen:

1	Click on the Screen Capture tool button.  The Screen Capture dialog appears.

2	Select one of the three standard capture sizes, or select B.

3	Select OK.  Studio will minimize its window and go into capture mode.

4	For standard capture sizes, move the square capture rectangle over the desired area and click with the left mouse button.  If Drag Custom Area was selected, press the left mouse button down over one corner of the desired area and drag to the opposite corner before releasing the mouse button.


Setting a Cursor's Hot Spot

   All cursors, standard and animated, use the concept of a hot spot.  The location that lies underneath the hot spot pixel in a cursor is passed to applications as the cursor is moved and as mouse buttons are pressed and released.  If undefined, Windows will assume a hot spot in the upper-left pixel of the cursor (0,0).

To set the hot spot in a cursor image:

1	Click on the Hot Spot tool button.  The current hot spot of the image will blink momentarily.

2	Click the left mouse button on any pixel in the image to move the hot spot to a new location.


Color B in Selection

Studio and Animator enhance operations that use the Selection Frame by allowing Color B to act opaque or transparent.  This feature is not related in any way to the ability of icons and cursors to include transparent areas.  It is provided to allow images or text to be floated over existing artwork in the image.  This setting can be toggled from the Tools menu by using the Color B in Selection choices.  Choose Color B is Opaque to paste solid areas or create text with a background color.  Choose Color B is Transparent to paste, relocate, or insert text over existing artwork.  Any areas inside the Selection Frame that match Color B will act transparently, allowing pixels below to show through until the operation is complete.


Icon Color Depth Setting

Windows manages the icon images that it displays internally.  All of the images are maintained in the same color depth, regardless of the number of colors each image contains.  For example, if a Windows installation is configured to display icons in a maximum of 65 thousand colors, Windows will create its own images for all icons in this color depth.  Images that contain 16 or 256 colors will be managed internally at a uniform color format of 65 thousand colors.

The icon color depth setting is independent of the system display settings.  Although the color depth that icons are displayed in is dependent on the color depth of the system display, each of these settings is managed separately.  As a result, the current setting of the system display must support a color depth equal to or greater than the color depth used for icons.

To Examine or Change System Display Color Depth:

1	From the Windows Start menu, select Settings>Control Panel.

2	Double-click the Display icon.

3	Click on the Settings tab.

4	Use the Color Palette control to view or change the color depth of the system display.

5	Select OK to confirm and apply any changes.

More Information:

Icon Colors and Windows

Maximum Icon Colors


Explorer Overview

Microangelo 98 Explorer looks and operates much like Windows Explorer.

On the left, the folder pane displays a tree view of all drives, folders, networks and computers accessible from your computer.  On the right, the viewing pane displays the contents of the current selection in the folder pane.

More information:

Folder Pane

Viewing Pane

Menu

Toolbar

Status Bar


Folder Pane

The folder pane is displayed on the left side of Microangelo 98 Explorer.  This window contains a tree view type list of objects and folders.  The contents of the currently selected item in the folder pane are displayed in the viewing pane on the right.

Navigating in the folder pane

•	Click on the plus signs (+) to expand objects beneath.

•	Click on any network, computer, drive or folder to view its contents.

•	Click on the Parent Folder toolbar button on the toolbar to move up one level.

•	Click on the Folder Pane toolbar button to hide or display the folder pane.


Viewing Pane

The viewing pane is displayed on the right side of Microangelo 98 Explorer.  This window displays the contents of the currently selected item in the folder pane.

Navigating in the viewing pane

•	Double-click on any network, computer, drive or folder in the viewing pane to view its contents.

•	Click on the Parent Folder toolbar button on the toolbar to move up one level.

Viewing Pane Topics:

Displaying Different Types of Files

Customizing the View

Selecting Objects for Operations

Working with Objects


Explorer Menu Selections

Microangelo 98 Explorer’s main menu includes the submenus listed below.  Click on any submenu to view a detailed list of selections that it contains.

File

View

Tools

Help


Explorer File Menu

Explorer File menu selections:

Open

This selection is only available when a single item is selected in the viewing pane.  Opens the object.  If the object is a container, such as a folder or a network, the contents are displayed in the viewing pane.  File items (icons, cursors and libraries) are opened in Librarian, Studio or Animator.

Install to System

This selection is only available when a single icon file is selected in the viewing pane.  It is used to install the selected icon to special areas of the Windows desktop.  See Installing System Icons .

Exit

Closes Microangelo 98 Explorer.


Explorer View Menu

Explorer View menu selections:

Toolbar

Toggles the toolbar display on or off.

Status Bar

Toggles the status bar display on or off.

Folder Pane

Toggles the folder pane display on or off.

Large Icons, Small Icons, List, Details

These selections correspond to the functions of the view type toolbar buttons.

Arrange

Contains sub-items used to arrange the order of items displayed in the viewing pane.  Arrange by Name sorts the items by their filenames.  By Type sorts the items by file type and by Objects sorts the items by the number of icons or cursors they contain.

Refresh

Used to re-initialize the contents of Explorer’s folder pane.


Explorer Tools Menu

The Tools menu contains selections used to launch other Microangelo 98 utilities.  These selections correspond to the functions of the Microangelo 98 Utilities toolbar buttons.


Help Menu

Microangelo 98 applications include the following Help menu selections:

Help Topics

Used to access online Help information such as this.

About Microangelo 98

Displays current version and copyright information.


Explorer Status Bar

Explorer’s status bar is located at the very bottom of the main window.  The status bar displays various types of information according to the action being performed.

•	A description of each menu selection and tool bar function is displayed as the mouse is placed over it.

•	When a selection is made in the folder pane, the number of items in the viewing pane is displayed.

•	When a selection is made in the viewing pane, the number of items in the selection is displayed.

•	When a single file is selected, the file type is also displayed.  If the file is an icon library, the number of icons is displayed.


Explorer Toolbar

The Explorer’s toolbar includes controls used to adjust the display of the viewing pane and to provide direct access to other Microangelo 98 components.

File Type
Folder Controls
View Type
Microangelo 98 Utilities


File Type Control

The File Type control selects the types of files Explorer will seek out.

Click the down arrow on the drop down control and select one of the following choices:

Selection	Locates and displays:
Icons	Icon files.  (ico)
Icon Libraries	Files that contain embedded icons.  Seeks out files that contain one or more icons within libraries (icl), applications (exe), and application extensions (dll).
Icon Files	Icons and Icon Libraries.
Static Cursors	Static cursor files.  (cur)
Animated Cursors	Animated cursor files.  (ani)
Cursor Files	Static and Animated Cursors.


Folder Controls

	The Parent Folder tool button is used to move up one level from the current viewing pane location.
	The Folder Pane tool button is used to display or hide the folder pane window to the left of the viewing pane.


View Type

The following toolbar buttons are used to select the characteristics of the Explorer’s viewing pane:

	Large Icons
	Small Icons
	List View
	Detail View – Includes file type and the number of icons or cursors contained in each item.


Microangelo 98 Utilities

Microangelo 98’s Explorer includes tool bar buttons to launch all other Microangelo 98 components.

	Engineer – Configures Windows icon related settings.  Installs system icons and cursors.
	Librarian – Accesses icons embedded in applications and application extensions.  Organizes icons into libraries.  Scans entire folders and disk drives.
	Studio – Edits individual icon and static cursor files.  Used by Librarian to directly edit icons embedded in applications and libraries.
	Animator – Edits animated cursor files.


Librarian Overview

Microangelo 98 Librarian provides access to icons embedded within other files.  Its menu, toolbar and status bars support the main viewing window, displaying images of all icons inside the current workspace.

Librarian can open and access icons within icon libraries, program files, and program libraries.  A small traffic light at the left side of its status bar will display yellow when a program file or library is open, indicating that icons may not be removed or added to the file.  The traffic light displays green for a new workspace or existing icon library where all editing operations are available.

The tool bar and View menu provide a choice from among four different view modes.  The different modes display raw images inside each icon as well as views that show how each icon would support the current Windows installation.

Icons can be selected and operated upon.

Selecting Icons

•	Left click on any icon.

•	“Lasso” one or more icons by depressing the left button down outside of an icon and then dragging to select a rectangular area within the workspace.

•	Hold down the CTRL key while left clicking on an icon to add it or remove it from the current selection.

Arranging and Organizing Icons

•	Use the Arrange sub-menu on Librarian’s View menu to sort the workspace.

•	Drag and drop selections within the Librarian workspace (in all view modes except Raw).

•	Drag and drop selections between Librarian windows.  Use the right mouse button to choose between adding icons to an existing or a new workspace.

•	Drag and drop selections of icon files from Microangelo 98 Explorer.  Use the right mouse button to choose between adding icons to an existing or a new workspace.

•	Begin a new icon library using the New Window command on the File menu.

Searching for Icons

•	Use the Open All command from the File menu.

•	Drag and drop selections of drives or folders from Microangelo 98 Explorer’s viewing pane to search and extract all icons into a new or existing workspace.

Operating on Icons

•	Double click on any icon to open it in Microangelo 98’s Studio editor.

•	Right click on any single icon selection to access a popup context sensitive menu of options that allow the icon to be edited, renamed, removed, installed to the system, etc…


Librarian Menu Selections

Librarian’s main menu includes the submenus listed below.  Click on any submenu to view a detailed list of selections that it contains.

File

Edit

View

Help


Librarian File Menu

Librarian File menu selections:

New

Begins a new icon library workspace.

Open

Opens a variety of file types containing icons into the workspace.  Open icons, icon libraries, programs, and program libraries.

Search Files

Search a disk drive or folder for icons, extracting copies into a new workspace.  Optionally searches all sub-folders.

Save

Saves updates to the current workspace.

Save As…

Saves the current workspace to an icon library with a different filename.

New Window

Opens a new Librarian window.

Explorer

Opens a Microangelo 98 Explorer window.

Exit

Closes the Librarian window.


Librarian Edit Menu

Librarian Edit menu selections:

Create Copy

Creates a copy of the selected icon in the current workspace.

Delete

Removes the selected icon(s) from the workspace.

Select All

Selects all icons in the workspace.

New Icon

Used to add a new icon to the workspace.  Opens an edit session in Microangelo 98 Studio.

Edit

Edits the selected icon using Microangelo 98 Studio.

Rename

Used to rename the selected icon.

Install to System

Installs the selected icon to any of several dozen special icons used by Windows.

Properties

Displays information on the selected icon.  Displays information on the current workspace if no icons are selected.  Not available if multiple icons are selected.


Librarian View Menu

Librarian View menu selections:

Toolbar

Toggles the toolbar display on or off.

Status bar

Toggles the status bar display on or off.

Arrange Icons

Contains sub-items used to arrange the order of icons in the workspace.  Arrange by Name sorts the icons by their assigned names.  By Image Count sorts the icons from most to least number of image formats within each icon.  By Specific Format is only available in the Raw viewing mode, and advances those icons that contain the current image format to the front of the workspace.


Librarian Toolbar

Librarian’s toolbar includes controls used to open and save files and to adjust the viewing mode of the current workspace.

	New – Begins a new library workspace.
	Open – Opens an icon, icon library, or program file into the current workspace.
	Save – Saves the current workspace to disk.

Specific View

The two controls shown below are used together.  The Specific view tool button, on the right, activates the Image Format control, on the left.  The Image Format control includes entries for all image formats contained in the current workspace.

The specific view seeks out and displays the selected image format for each icon.  If an icon does not include the selected format, a pale blue square will be displayed.

TIP: The Arrange sub-menu on Librarian’s View menu includes the choice by Specific Format.  This option can be helpful when viewing a large workspace by advancing all icons that contain the selected image format to the front of the workspace.

Other Views:

	Raw View – Displays all images included in each icon.
	Desktop View – Displays images of large icons, as they would appear on the current system.
	Windows View – Displays images of large and small icons, as they would appear on the current system.


Librarian Status Bar

Librarian’s status bar is located at the very bottom of the main window.  The status bar displays different types of information according to the action being performed.

The status bar displays a traffic light on the left.  Yellow is displayed when editing a program file or program library, indicating that icons cannot be deleted or added.  The traffic light displays green when all editing operations are allowed.

The status bar also displays:

•	The total number of icons and the number of icons currently selected.

•	A description of each menu selection and tool bar function is displayed as the mouse is placed over it.


Engineer Overview

Microangelo 98 Engineer is used to configure the images and related settings of special icons and cursors used by the Windows desktop.  Microangelo 98 can install over 50 system icons and cursors used on the Windows desktop, folders and the Start menu.

Engineer’s main window contains tabs that provide access to related groups of settings.  The following table describes the settings that can be configured on each tab:

System	Icon settings used by Windows.  Change color depth , size , shortcut arrows , spacing , and font .
Desktop	Icons for My Computer, Network Neighborhood, Recycle Bin and other desktop objects.
Start	Icons displayed on the Windows Start menu.
Folder	Icons Windows uses for open, closed and special folders.
Drive	Icons Windows uses to display drives (floppy, hard, CD, network, etc…)
Misc.	Miscellaneous icons – shortcut, share, desktop, and more.
Cursor	System cursors used by Windows.


Engineer Menu Selections

Most of the functionality of Engineer is provided by controls on the main window.  Engineer’s menu bar includes File, Config, and Help selections that provide access to less frequently used commands.

File Menu

Open – Used to open a Motif file created by Engineer.  Motif files provide the ability for groups of icons and cursors to be installed at once.

New, Save, Save As – These selections are only used to create and edit files in Engineer’s Motif mode (see Config menu, below).

Rebuild Icon Cache – Directs Windows to rebuild its internal list of icon images.  Should only be required in unusual situations if Windows does not display icons installed by Microangelo 98.

Explorer – Opens a Microangelo 98 Explorer window.  Any icon file (ICO) displayed in Explorer can be selected and dragged into any of Engineer’s icon tabs.

Exit – Closes Engineer.

Config Menu

Local System Update – This is the standard of Engineer’s two operating modes.  Engineer opens in this mode, ready to select and apply changes to Windows.

Motif File Maintenance – Motif File Maintenance mode is only used to create and edit Motif files used by Engineer.  It does not apply changes to Windows, but rather creates a set of files that can later be used in the Local System Update mode to apply groups of updates at once.

Help Menu

Help Topics – Provides access to this online Help file.

Shell Version – Displays the version and build number of the current Windows shell.  Microangelo 98 must be aware of the Windows system and shell versions to provide the appropriate support required by each.

About – Displays program and copyright information for Microangelo 98.


Engineer Status Bar

At the right side of the status bar is where Engineer displays the current operating mode.  Local is the standard operating mode, displayed in Local System Update mode where Windows settings and icons can be updated.  Motif is displayed when Engineer is currently in Motif File Maintenance mode.

When any icon or cursor tab is selected, Engineer will display the source of the currently selected icon or cursor in the status bar area.


Motif Files

Microangelo 98’s Engineer provides a mechanism to define groups of icons and/or cursors that can be installed without having to select each change individually.  Engineer creates individual files for each icon and cursor in the update group, as well as a motif file used to associate each file with the icon or cursor it will replace.

To create or edit a motif file set:

1	Start Microangelo 98 Engineer.

2	Select Motif File Maintenance from the Config menu.  The right side of Engineer’s status bar should display ‘Motif’.

3	Begin a new motif file by selecting the New pushbutton,

-or-

Select Open from the File menu to open a motif file that was created earlier.

4	Define the changes that the motif file will support by selecting changes to icons and/or cursors as usual.

5	When all changes have been defined, select the Save or Save As pushbutton to save the motif file and its supporting icon and cursor files.  No changes are applied to the current Windows installation when Engineer is running in Motif mode.


Studio Overview

Microangelo 98 Studio is used to create and edit icon and standard (static) cursor resources.  It’s tools and features are very similar to the animated cursor editor, Microangelo 98 Animator.

The icon and cursor resources that Studio edits are specialized containers used to store graphic images.  Each resource can contain more than one image. This allows the author to include as many sizes and color depths as desired.  The appearance of each image can be optimized for its particular size and color format.

The following topics include important information for icon and cursor authors:

Icon Formats

Cursor Formats

Windows Use of Icons

Icon Colors and Windows

Studio provides tools and features to modify all aspects of these resources.  All image formats contained in the icon or cursor being edited are displayed in a list to the right of Studio’s main window.  Click on any format in the list to select it for editing.  See Editing an Icon or Cursor for detailed information on Studio’s editing features and capabilities.


Studio and Animator Menu Selections

Microangelo 98 Studio and Animator menus include the submenus listed below.  Click on any submenu to view a detailed list of selections that it contains.

File

Edit

View

Tools

Help


Studio and Animator File Menu

File menu selections in Studio and Animator:

New

Begins a new icon or cursor resource.

Open

Opens an existing icon (ICO) or cursor (CUR) resource file.

Save

Saves any changes to the file being edited.

Save As

Saves the icon or cursor to a different file name.

New Window

Opens a new Studio window.  Helpful when copying and pasting between two edit sessions.

Explorer

Opens a Microangelo 98 Explorer window.

Exit

Closes the Studio window.


Studio and Animator Edit Menu

Edit menu selections in Microangelo 98 Studio and Animator:

Undo, Redo

These two commands are used to step through changes made with editing drawing tools.  Separate Undo buffers are maintained for each image, allowing multiple levels of edits to be undone or reapplied.

Cut

Removes a selection in the edit area and places it on the Windows clipboard.  The selected area is filled with Color B.

Copy

Copies a selection and places it on the Windows clipboard.

Paste

Pastes an image from the Windows clipboard into the current image.  The image is placed in a selection that can be moved within the edit area.  The current Color B setting can be used to mask areas of the image being pasted.  Use the Color B In Selection option of the Tool menu to select either Color B is Opaque or Color B is Transparent.

Paste Special

Used like Paste with more options.  Paste Special acquires an image from the clipboard or a bitmap file, and allows the image to be scaled into an existing selection.

Clear

The selected area is filled with Color B.

Select All

Used to select the entire editing area.

Open Bitmap as Image   (Studio)

Open Bitmap as Frame   (Animator)

Opens a bitmap file into the current image or frame.  If necessary, the image is scaled down to fit in the current editing area.  Bitmaps with color palettes (16 and 256 color bitmaps) will update the Palette window with its contents.


Studio and Animator View Menu

View menu selections in Studio and Animator:

Tool Bar

Shows or hides the toolbar directly underneath the main window’s menu.

Status Bar

Shows or hides the status bar at the bottom of the main window.

Color Palette

Shows or hides the Palette window where colors can be blended and selected.

Preview Window

Shows or hides the Preview window that always displays the graphic being edited in its actual size.

Editing Grid

Shows or hides the horizontal and vertical gridlines in the editing area.

Properties   (Studio)

Displays information about the image format being edited.


Studio and Animator Tools Menu

The Tools menu provides keyboard access to tools that are usually selected by clicking the mouse on the drawing and editing tools in the main window.

One exception is the Color B in Selection option, which can only be accessed from the Tools menu.


Studio and Animator Tool Bar

Studio and Animator’s toolbar buttons provide access to the following commands:

	New – Clears the current workspace and begins a new icon.
	Open – Opens an icon (ICO) file into the current workspace.
	Save – Saves any changes to the current workspace to disk.
	Undo – Reverses changes made to the edit area.  An internal edit buffer allows multiple levels of undo operations.  It can hold changes up to approximately three times the number of pixels in the image.
	Redo – Used to reapply changes that have been reversed using Undo.
	Cut – Places the contents of the currently selected area on the Windows clipboard and fills the area with Color B.
	Copy – Places the contents of the currently selected area on the Windows clipboard.
	Paste – Inserts the contents of the Windows clipboard into a selection.  The incoming graphic is scaled, if necessary, to fit in the edit area.  The selection can be dragged with the mouse to its desired location.
	Screen Capture – (Studio) Used to capture graphic information from the display.  Provides options to capture standard 16, 32 and 48 pixel areas or custom sizes.
	Hot Spot – Used only when editing cursors, this tool displays the current hot spot location and allows it to be changed by clicking in a new location of the editing area.


Studio and Animator Status Bar

The status bar is located at the very bottom of the main window.

When the mouse is held over a menu selection or tool button, additional information on the operation that it performs is displayed in the status bar.

During drawing and painting operations, the status bar displays information about the location and size of the operation:

	Indicates the (x,y) coordinate the tool is currently over or, during a drawing operation, displays coordinate that the drawing operation began.
	When drawing lines, rectangles or ellipses, displays the width and height of the area that the object covers.


Animator Overview

Microangelo 98 Animator is used to create and edit animated cursor resources.  It’s tools and features are very similar to the icon and fixed cursor editor, Microangelo 98 Studio.

The animated cursor resources that Studio edits are specialized containers used to store a set of images and a play list.  The play list contains a list of images and display times used to compose the animation.  Animator automatically scans and eliminates duplicate frames to optimize the file size and resources required for the animation.

Animator provides tools and features to modify all aspects of animated cursors.  The animation frames are displayed in a list to the right of Animator’s main window.  Click on any frame in the list to select it for editing.  See Editing an Icon or Cursor for detailed information on Animator’s editing features and capabilities.

Animated cursor requirements must be met before Windows can support cursor animation.