Using your own transfer animation

Configurable animation

The transfer animation in AWeb's main window is fully user-configurable. It is read from the file Images/def_transferanim. This must be a picture file, but the exact format isn't relevant as long as you have a datatype installed that can read the file.

The icon that goes with the file is important. The tooltypes in the icon contain vital information, without this information AWeb cannot use the file.

The animation is shown in the background status gadget. this gadget will be sized according to the size of the animation. For the best look, you should use an animation that is about twice as high as your button images.

Installing your own animation

The Storage/Animations drawer contains a few alternate animations, and it is a good place to store new animations.

To install a new animation, open AWeb's drawer on your Workbench. Now you can double-click the Install_Animation icon. It will open a file requester from which you can pick your animation. The install procedure will then copy the selected file to your Images drawer.

Alternatively, you can click the Install_Animation icon once, hold the shift key and double-click on the icon of the animation you want to install.

NOTE: You cannot install a new animation while AWeb is running.

Creating your own animation file

Use an ordinary paint program to design your animation. Create one picture that contains all animation frames. Make sure all button images are equal in size. Also every next frame must be at the same horizontal and/or vertical distance from the previous. Save the picture in the Storage/Animations drawer. Save it with icon, or add an icon later.

It is a good idea to keep the picture file as small as possible. The larger the file is, the longer it will take to load at startup time of AWeb.

Then add some tooltypes to the icon. The tooltypes tell AWeb where in your picture to look for the animation frames. Use the following tooltypes:

SIZE=width,height This defines the width and height of each animation frame, in pixels.
FIRST=left,top Defines the top left corner of the first animation frame.
FRAMES=number This is the total number of frames in the animation. After the last frame the first one is used again.
DELTA=delta_x,delta_y This is the amount to add to the current x and y coordinates to get to the next frame.
REST=left,top Defines the top left corner of the rest image, that is displayed if no transfer is going on.
This tooltype is optional. If you don't specify it, the animation gadget will be empty at rest.

SIZE=width,height	This defines the width and height of each animation frame, in pixels.
FIRST=left,top	Defines the top left corner of the first animation frame.
FRAMES=number	This is the total number of frames in the animation. After the last frame the first one is used again.
DELTA=delta_x,delta_y	This is the amount to add to the current x and y coordinates to get to the next frame.
REST=left,top	Defines the top left corner of the rest image, that is displayed if no transfer is going on. This tooltype is optional. If you don't specify it, the animation gadget will be empty at rest.

Back to index.