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reference guide
IconArt v2.0
Welcome to the reference guide for IconArt. If you can't find what your looking for then please let us know - contact@conware.org
Click on the screen image below to find out about each tool...
We are currently updating this file - some details maybe from previous versions of IconArt.
This is the icon drawing area and where you will be creating and editing your icons.
Clears the grid and opens up the Projects window. This window allows you to quickly setup a new icon or cursor.IconArt will ask if you would like to save the current icon even if you have made no changes. If you do not save the icon then it will be lost. This can be canceled and the previous icon recovered by clicking cancel on the project window.
Allows you to open an icon for editing. IconArt will ask if you would like to save the current icon even if you have made no changes. If you do not save the icon then it will be lost. This cannot be undone.
This will save the current icon to the file you opened it from or the file you have previously saved it to. The first time you click the save button on a new icon it will as you where you want to save it and what to call it. After that, clicking save will update that file.
This performs the same function as the save icon button but it creates a cursor instead. Animated cursors are created by havng multipble images in the icon display. The images will be shown in sequence.
Note: The hotspot and intervbal tools are below the icon display.
The undo tool will undo almost all previous actions, although actions like opening a file are not included. Once you use the undo tool then you can use it a second time to redo the action. You cannot undo two mistakes in a row.
- New Project...
Opens up the new project window allowing you to select one of several pre-defined configurations.
- Icon Consistency Scan...
This opens up a window that scans all the icons or cursors contained in the current file and checks them for colour consistency.It makes sure that they do not hole more than the correct number of colours for the colour range selected. It allows you to know that the colours will be perserved exactly as they are. If the icon contains too many colours, IA will change some subtly differnt colours to the same shade in order to have the correct number of colours. This can have undesired effects for some designers, however it is not normally a problem.
- New Icon
Clears the icon grid for a fresh start.
- Open...
Displays the open window allowing you to open an icon (*.ico), a cursor (*.cur) or an animated cursor (*.ani).
- Save Icon...
Saves the current icon and the icons in the assimulator window to be saved to an *.ico file.
- Save Frame As Cursor...
This saves the selected image as a cursor. The hotspot position is shown just under the assminulator display. (Hotspot is point on the cursor that is used when the user clicks)
- Save Ani Cursor...
This saves the current images as an animated cursor. The hotspot position and interval counter are shown just under the assminulator display. (Hotspot is point on the cursor that is used when the user clicks, interval marks the pause between change each frame.)
- Save Frame as Bitmap...
Simply saves the current image as a standard bitmap which can be opened by other image editors including MS Paint, Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Fireworks.
- Import from File...
Opens a window that allows you to import an image and convert it to an icon.
- Import from Clipboard
Imports any image stored on the Clipboard and converts it to an icon.
- Extract Icon From EXE or DLL
This allows you to extract icons contained within *.dll or *.exe files. (Please note: Copyrights may apply to these icons.)
- Exit
Quits IconArt.
- Undo
Undoes the last thing that you did. (Note: this will only work once. Pressing undo again will redo the mistake.)
- Cut
Cut the selected icon pixels from the grid.
- Copy
Copy the selected icon pixels from the grid.
- Paste
Paste the icon pixels onto the grid.
- Copy to Clipboard
Copies the image to the clipboard as a Bitmap so that other programs can use the image.
Allows you to select the current mouse tool. These can also be selected using the buttons down the left of the grid.
- Invert Colours
Inverts all the colours in the icon apart from the mask colour. Can create some very nice x-ray effects!
- Insert Text
This opens up a sub window that allows you to insert words onto the icon. Note: the text is blurred onto the icon to allow it to be clearer. This sounds completely wrong but trust us, on icons it works.
 Text tool
- Insert Gradient
This allows you to add a gradient between two colours on any angle. The two colours are the colours at the bottom of the main window. To change the angle just click on the circle diagram. It alos allows you to put a background to an already drawn icon. Note: Always add text after creating a gradient as the gradient tool does not cope well with the blurred effect on the text.
- Change Size
Change the size of the icon. You have choices ranging from 16 by 16 to 64 by 64.
- Select Colour Depth
This allows you to select the depth of colours from your icon. Older versions of windows can't cope with high colour depths. It also provides several covert options.
- Nudge Up
Moves the selected area up one pixel. Pixels lost at the top of the selected area will reappear at the bottom of the area.
- Nudge Down
Moves the selected area down one pixel. Pixels lost at the bottom of the selected area will reappear at the top of the area.
- Nudge Left
Moves the selected area left one pixel. Pixels lost at the left of the selected area will reappear at the right of the area.
- Nudge Right
Moves the selected area right one pixel. Pixels lost at the right of the selected area will reappear at the left of the area.
- Flip Virtically
This option will flip the selected area along the Y axes (or the virtical plane)
- Flip Horazontally
This option will flip the selected area along the X axes (or the horizontal plane)
- Rotate 90 Clockwise
Rotates the selected area 90 degrees. If the selected area is not square, some pixels maybe lost.
- Rotate 90 Counter-Clockwise
Rotates the selected area 90 degrees. If the selected area is not square, some pixels maybe lost.
- Insert Frame Before Current
Inserts a new icon frame before the selected frame. All the frames are shown on the 'assimulator' style display directly below the menus.
- Insert Frame After Current
Inserts a new icon frame after the selected frame.
- Remove Current Frame
Deletes the selected frame.
- Preview Animation...
Displays a small window which displays all the icons in sequence as an animation. Vital when creating animated cursors.
- Show Grid
Toggles the grid lines on or off.
- Auto Colour Count
Displays the number of colours used in the icon at the bottom of the screen. Useful when creating web icon but can cause high CPU useage with icons featuring hundreds of colours.
- Theme
Allows you to select a colour theme for IconArt. New colour themes will be on IconArt Extra+ (Called IconArt Extras and Updates on the Help menu). You will need to restart IconArt when you download a new theme.
- Preview Options
- Preview all file types - when any of the three file types (*.ico, *.cur or *.ani) is opened (by doubclicking on the file so that windows tells IA to open the file and passes a command line) its content is shown in a small windows that loads quickly. If there is more than one file in an icon, a scrolling list is shown. If it is an ani file, then the file is shown animated. From this window you can either click "Open" to open the icon in the editor or "Close" to end IA.
- Preview only animated cursors - this only uses the preview window on *.ani files to show the animation. All other files are opened directly into IA.
- Do not preview files - the preview window is not used.
- Asign Icon To Folder
This allows you to assign your own icon to any windows folder.
Note: This will only work for windows 2000, ME or XP. For Windows 2000 and ME you will need to save the icon as 256 colours. See the Save menu for details. XP allows you to select your own icons for folders anyway. Right click a folder and select properties.
- Show Colour Window
Resets all the colours in the palette to the default layout. This cannot be undone.
- Show Hex numbers
Displays the Hex colour value at the top of the colours chart on the right of the screen. Defaultly the colours are shown in the RGB format.
- Use HSB instead of RGB
Uses the popular HSB colour selection method. Try and see!
- Mixer has priority
When enabled, the colour refine window is not shown on double clicking the palette. In effect the normal mixer functions have priority.
- Load Palette
Load any standard palette file to use with your icon.
- Save Palette
Save your custom palette to a standard file so you can use it again in another icon.
- Set palette - Full colour
This fuction will change all the colours in your icon to match with the full colour palette.
- Set palette - 16 colours
This fuction will change all the colours in your icon to match with the 16 colour palette required by some early versions of windows.
- Set palette - 256 colours
This fuction will change all the colours in your icon to match with the 256 colour palette.
- Return palette to start up
Resets all palette colours to how they were on start up. Usefull when you make several mistakes.
- Reset selected palette colour
Resets the selected colour back to the default palette colour without effecting the rest of the palette.
- Autobuild palette
Builds the paltte for the icon as you create it.
- Create palette from icon
Removes all the unused colours from the palette and sorts them out.
- IconArt Guide
Opens a window that links to this reference file.
- Release Notes...
Displays the release notes file containing last minute information direct from the programmer.
- Apply for refund ONLY IN IA PRO
Allows IconArt Professional users to apply for a refund for any reason.
- IconArt Extras and Updates
Opens IconArt Extra+. This program allows you to download updates and extras for IconArt. It also allows IA Pro users to download extra programs.
- IconArt Mailing List
Opens the mailing list window. Joining up to the mailing list means you will be sent periodic email notices on releases and important information. You can remove yourself at any time at remove.conware-pro.com
- ConWare Home
Lauches your internet browser to our homepage.
- ConWare Community
Lauches your internet browser to our community.
- Donate to ConWare
Lauches your internet browser to a page listing dontation information.
- Email ConWare
Allows you to send emails directly to us.
- About IconArt
Opens the about window containing the EULA and copyright information.
This tool allows you to save multiple icons into the same standard ico file. If a reader doesn't allow multiply icon selection it will simply display the first icon in the list.
- New
Clears all the images listed in the assimulator. This cannot be undone.
- Open
Select another ico file to add to the Assimilator file. You cannot add ico files which contain several icons.
- Save
Save the collection of images into a icon library file.
- Add
Simply adds the icon currently in the main editing program to the list. You can select different colour grades by clicking the small arrow under the add button.
Please note: The colour settings selected when you add the image will only take effect when it is saved.
- Remove
Removes the selected icon from the list.
This tool allows you to place text over your icon.
Note: The screen may take several seconds to load all your fonts.
On the left side is a thumbnail image of how the icon will look with the text.
Select your font and size on the right and type in your text just below that.
Use the arrow tools to move the text around your icon. You also have the options to have bold, italic and underlined text.
Note: Add the text at the start or end of creating your image as IconArt will blend the text into the image to make the final icon look smoother.
Choose the size of the icon - 16 to 64. The current size is displayed to the right of the size button.
The scale option enables IconArt to keep the icon filling the icon area when changing sizes.
Note: The scale option may give undesired results. We recommend that you save your icon before changing size.
This is an instant display as to how your icon will look when in use. Icons rarely look the same when enlarged in for editing. This allows you to get the look right without exporting the icon every time.
Note: This preview does not show Transparency. You will need to use the mask thumbnail to view the transparent areas.
This thumbnail (shown on the right of the icon preview thumbnail) shows where there are transparent areas. Transparency is shown at black, colours as white.
The three scrollbars allow you to set how much of each primary colour is there. The three separate colours are shown at the top.
You can entire BRG colour numbers by just setting the scrollbars in the correct places so that the numbers shown under the colour blocks match with the RGB number.
The resulting colour is shown in the box under the scrollbars.
- To add it to the palette simply press the left & down arrow. This will insert it into the selected square.
- You can add a colour into the scrollbars for editing by selecting it on the palette and clicking the right & up arrow.
Note: If animation is enabled, please wait for the scrollbars to finish moving before selecting another colour or editing the colour.
This is the palette of colours used in the icon. There are 8 colums of colours - 7 standard of them default to standard colour ranges and the last one if for you to add your one custom colours.
Note: You can change any of the colours used in any of the colums.
This box shows the colour that, when saved, will be turned transparent. To set it simply select the colour so it appears in the current colour box and then click the arrow to the right of mask box (shown in the image on the right).
Note: All pixels that are the exact same colour as the mask box will be made transparent. Use the mask thumbnail to check your icon will be exactly how you want it.
This simply shows your current colour. Everything you draw will be in this colour. To change it simply click the colour on the palette or right click the colour on your icon.
This displays how many colours are currently used in the icon. The more colours that are used, generally speaking, the larger the file. However, since icon files are so small there is little difference. We give you the option to disable it because IconArt can slow down a lot once there are more than 100 colours. You will notice this if you open a large XP style icon.
The X and Y values show were the pointer is on the icon grid. The W and H vales only apply when your drawing a shape.
This button shows and hides the cursor animation panel. This array of options allows you to create animated cursor files. Simply right click the blank frame to insert the icon from the main grid. You will need to create a new frame before adding a second or a third icon. To add a new frame just right click the first frame again.
You can set the interval between the images, and preview the animated cursor before you export it. There is also an option to clear all the images.
Note: Opened animated cursors will default to the standard timed interval. You will have to change this IF required before resaving.
This tool will change all the pixels of one colour into another colour with one click. Select the new colour. Click the tool and then click any colour on the icon that you wish to replace with the new colour.
This select tool allows you to pick an area of the icon that you want to move, flip or rotate.
Note: The rotate tool may have strange effects when the selected area is not square.
This tool randomly fills in pixels in a 14px diameter.
This classic tool changes a block of colour to your selected colour.
Click and drag to draw a filled circle.
Click and drag to draw an outline of a circle.
Click and drag to draw a filled box.
Click and drag to draw an outline of a box.
Click and drag to draw a simple, thin line.
Simply click or click and drag to colour single pixels.
As always if you have any questions just email: ia@conware.org
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