HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation |
Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide 13 Using Icon EditorContents of Chapter:
Icon Editor enables you to create and edit images in two formats:
Table 13-1 Icon Formats You create images by selecting drawing tools and colors, and using them in the work area. As you draw, Icon Editor displays an actual-size copy of your icon in both formats. You need to consider the two-color version of the icon even if you are drawing an image for use on color systems, because icons may revert to two colors if there are not enough free colors available on the workspace. Figure 13-1 Icon Editor main window
For information on designing icons, read the Visual Design chapter in the "CDE Style Guide and Certification Checklist." To Start Icon EditorOpen the Personal Applications subpanel and click the Icon Editor control.
Icon Editor starts with an empty drawing work area.
Other Ways to Start Icon EditorYou can also start Icon Editor and have it load an icon into the work area in one of the following ways:
Basic Drawing TasksThis section describes how to create and edit an icon and how to use the Icon Editor drawing tools.To Open an Existing Icon
Note: When you load a file, the Output Format (in the Options menu) is automatically set to the format of the file you load. You can also open an existing icon by double-clicking the icon file in File Manager. To Start a New IconChoose New from the File menu.
If you have an icon already loaded, you can choose Clear Icon from the Edit menu to start a new icon with the same size and name as the previously loaded icon. To Clear an Icon
To Draw an Image
Drawing ToolsThe drawing tools area of Icon Editor is shown in Figure 13-2.Figure 13-2 Icon Editor drawing tools
Table 13-2 Using the Drawing Tools To Undo a Drawing OperationChoose Undo from the Edit menu.
Saving Icon FilesWhen saving icon files, you must use the appropriate file-name suffix. There are two suffixes appended to the base name of the icon, one for size and one for format. Many icon names are in these general forms:
The basename is the image name used to reference the image.size is a single letter indicating the standard size of the icon: l for large (48x48 pixels), m for medium (32x32), s for small (24x24), or t for tiny (16x16). (See "Icon Size Conventions".) If your icon is not a standard size, you can omit this letter. format is pm for X pixmaps (the color icon format) or bm for X bitmaps (the monochrome icon format). If you save an icon in XBM format that has transparent color in it, an icon mask file is also saved. The icon mask file is named basename.size_m.format. If you move the icon you saved to another folder, you must also move the mask file. For example, suppose you specify an icon named mail for a file type you've written. If you have a color display and have set the File Manager preferences to use tiny icons, the assumed icon name is mail.t.pm. If it had transparent color and you saved it in XBM format, two files would be created: mail.t.bm and mail.t_m.bm. Icon Size ConventionsTable 13-3 lists the recommended sizes--in pixels, width x height--for creating new icons for use in CDE. Icons can be up to 256x256.
Table 13-3 Icon Size Recommendations To Save the Icon
Note: If you save an icon in XBM format that has transparent color in it, an icon mask file is also saved. The icon mask file is named basename.size_m.format. If you move the icon you saved to another folder, you must also move the mask file. To Save the Icon with a New Name
Color UsageIcons in the desktop use a palette of 22 colors:
The dynamic colors represent the colors used to display the application on which your icon will appear. If your icon appears in File Manager, File Manager determines what the background color is. Dynamic colors are useful for icons that you want to change color as different color palettes are selected in Style Manager. Dynamic colors are also useful if the icon will be used in more than one place and you want it to use the colors of the application where it appears. TopShadow and BottomShadow can be used for drawing a shadow under your icon. You can use these colors to make the icon appear to be etched into the surface. This is only recommended for Front Panel style icons. The transparent color is useful for creating icons that have the illusion of being nonrectangular, since it allows the color behind the icon to show through. If your icon does not fill the entire bounding box, you should fill the unused area with the transparent color. Advanced Drawing TasksAfter you become familiar with the basic drawing facilities in Icon Editor, you may want to try some more advanced operations. Many of these operations require you to first select an area of the icon. This is done using the Selection tool (next to the eraser).When an area of the icon is selected, you can:
To Select an Area of the Icon
To Cut a Region of the Icon
Note that after cutting a region, you can paste it back into the icon by choosing Paste from the Edit menu. To Copy a Region of the Icon
To Move a Region of the Icon
To Rotate Part of the Icon
To Flip (Mirror) Part of the IconFlipping an area creates a pixel-for-pixel mirror image of the selected area.
Resizing IconsYou can resize the entire icon or a region of the icon.To Resize the Current Icon
Note: If you make the icon smaller, the right and bottom edges are clipped off. If you make the icon larger, the existing image remains in the upper left of the icon. To Resize (Scale) a Region of the Icon
HotspotsBitmap images (XBM format) can be used as special mouse pointer shapes. A hotspot marks a single pixel within the image that is the true point of the mouse pointer.To Add a HotspotYou can only have one hotspot in an icon.
To Delete a HotspotChoose Delete Hotspot from the Edit menu.Screen CapturesYou can copy any area from any part of the screen into the Icon Editor. You can copy ("grab") a text or graphic that is displayed and load it into the Icon Editor work area.To Capture (Grab) a Region of the Display
Note: Capturing a region of the display could cause the icon to use up some of the available colors on the desktop. Modifying the View of an IconYou can change the view of an icon in the Icon Editor work area by changing the magnification or using a grid.To Hide the GridChoose Visible Grid from the Options menu.
To Change the Magnification of an Icon
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