| Readme: | ICONOS - Pixel/Icon Editor
===========================
Version 1.0 (November 2025)
Author: Yannick BUCHY
Pixel/Icon Editor for MorphOS
1. DESCRIPTION
--------------
ICONOS is a professional-quality pixel/icon editor built specifically for
MorphOS. It provides comprehensive tools for creating and editing icons with
full transparency support, advanced graphics features, and seamless integration
with the MorphOS desktop environment.
2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
----------------------
- MorphOS 3.19+
3. INSTALLATION
---------------
Copy the "Iconos" drawer in any location.
4. FEATURES
-----------
DRAWING TOOLS
- Pen Tool - Freehand drawing with adjustable size (1-10 pixels)
- Eraser Tool - Remove pixels with adjustable size (1-10 pixels)
- Fill Tool - Flood fill enclosed areas with selected color
- Color Picker - Sample colors directly from the canvas
- Line Tool - Draw straight lines with preview
- Rectangle Tool - Draw outlined or filled rectangles
- Circle Tool - Draw outlined or filled circles
- Selection Tool - Select, copy, cut, and paste rectangular areas
- Brush Tool - Stamp custom brushes loaded from PNG or .info files
ADVANCED GRAPHICS
- Full Alpha Transparency - 32-bit RGBA color support
- Alpha Blending - Pre-computed cache for real-time transparency effects
- Antialiasing - Optional smooth edge rendering for professional results
- Tool Shapes - Square or round pen/eraser tips
- Smart Shape Handling - Circles always render symmetrically
- Viewport System - Efficient rendering at high zoom levels
- Render Cache - Optimized display performance
COLOR MANAGEMENT
- RGBA Color Editor - Independent control of Red, Green, Blue, and Opacity
- Color Sliders - Precise color adjustment (0-255 per channel)
- Opacity Slider - Full transparency control (0-100%)
- Color Calculation Modes:
* RGB + Opacity (default) - Modify both color and transparency
* RGB only - Modify only colors, preserve existing opacity
* Opacity only - Modify only transparency, preserve existing colors
- 32-Color Palette - Extract and organize colors from your icon
- Drag & Drop - Colors can be dragged between palette slots
- Palette Analysis - Automatic color extraction organized by hue
- Clear Palette - Remove all palette colors (accessible via menu)
CANVAS & ZOOM
- Dynamic Canvas Size - Support for 16x16 to 256x256 pixel icons
- Adaptive Zoom - Automatic zoom calculation based on icon size
- Zoom Range - 1x to 32x magnification
- Directional Mouse Wheel Zoom - Zoom towards cursor position
- Centered Menu/Slider Zoom - Centered zoom when using menu or slider
- Adaptive Zoom Slider - Automatically adjusts minimum based on icon size
- Grid Display - Optional pixel grid for precise editing
- Real-time Preview - 1:1 scale preview window with navigation
- Viewport Navigation - Pan and scroll at high zoom levels
- Middle Mouse Pan - Drag canvas with middle mouse button
FILE SUPPORT
- PNG Files - Load and save standard PNG images with full RGBA
- MorphOS .info Files - Load and save icons from/to .info files
- C Header Files (.h) - Import and export icons as C header arrays
* Load from .h - Parse C header files with ARGB32 pixel data
* Save as .h - Export icons as compilable C header files
* Drag & Drop - Drop .h files directly onto canvas to load
* Preserves filename when loading/saving .h files
- Embedded PNG - Support for .info files with embedded PNG icons
- Automatic Resize - Canvas automatically adjusts to loaded image size
UNDO/REDO SYSTEM
- Multi-level Undo - Up to 50 levels of undo history
- Redo Support - Restore undone changes
- Memory Efficient - Smart state management
- Menu Shortcuts - Amiga+Z (Undo), Amiga+Y (Redo)
METADATA EDITOR
- Icon Type - Set icon type (Tool, Project, Drawer, Disk, Garbage)
- Default Tool - Specify default tool for project icons
- Stack Size - Set stack size for tool execution
- Tooltypes - Add, edit, and remove tooltypes
- Icon Analysis - View detailed icon file information
BRUSH SYSTEM
- Load Brushes - Import PNG or .info files as custom brushes
- Stamp Mode - Click to stamp brush (no continuous painting)
- Scalable Brushes - Resize brushes to any dimension
- Lossless Scaling - Restore original brush size without quality loss
- Alpha Blending - Brushes respect transparency during stamping
- Cut/Copy/Paste - Create brushes from selections
- System Clipboard - Copy/paste images with other MorphOS applications
5. KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
---------------------
FILE MENU
Amiga+N New icon (clear canvas)
Amiga+O Open PNG/Icon file
Amiga+Q Quit application
EDIT MENU
Amiga+Z Undo last action
Amiga+Y Redo last undone action
TOOLS MENU
Amiga+P Pen tool
Amiga+E Eraser tool
Amiga+F Fill tool
Amiga+I Color picker (eyedropper)
Amiga+L Line tool
Amiga+R Rectangle tool
Amiga+C Circle tool
Amiga+M Selection tool
VIEW MENU
Amiga+G Toggle grid display
Amiga++ Zoom in
Amiga+- Zoom out
Amiga+0 Reset zoom to default level
ADDITIONAL SHORTCUTS
T Reset zoom to default level (alternative)
Arrow Keys Navigate viewport in preview window (when zoomed)
NOTE: All keyboard shortcuts use the Amiga key (Windows/Command key on
modern keyboards)
6. MOUSE CONTROLS
-----------------
LEFT MOUSE BUTTON
- Draw/paint with current tool
- Click and drag for continuous strokes
- Click to place single pixels/shapes
MIDDLE MOUSE BUTTON
- Click only (< 3 pixels movement): Switch between Pen and Eraser tools
- Click + drag (> 3 pixels movement): Pan/scroll the canvas at any zoom level
MOUSE WHEEL (when cursor is over canvas)
- Scroll up: Zoom in towards cursor (or scale up brush in paste mode)
- Scroll down: Zoom out from cursor (or scale down brush in paste mode)
RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON
- Context-sensitive operations (varies by tool)
7. C HEADER FILES (.h)
----------------------
ICONOS can import and export icons as C header files, making it easy to embed
icons directly into your C/C++ applications.
LOADING .h FILES
- Use "Project > Load from header (.h)..." menu
- Or drag & drop a .h file onto the canvas
- Supports ARGB32 format pixel arrays
- Automatically detects width and height from the array
- Preserves original filename for future saves
SAVING .h FILES
- Use "Project > Save as header (.h)..." menu
- Creates a compilable C header file with:
* Width and height constants
* ARGB32 pixel data array
* Proper C syntax with includes
- Filename is preserved from loaded .h file when available
EXAMPLE .h FILE FORMAT
The generated header file contains:
- #ifndef/#define header guards
- Width/height #define constants
- Static ULONG array with ARGB32 pixel data
- Each pixel is in 0xAARRGGBB format
8. USER INTERFACE
-----------------
MAIN WINDOW
- Main Canvas - Large zoomed editing area with grid
- Preview Window - Real-time 1:1 scale preview
- Navigation Rectangle - Shows visible area in preview
- Tool Palette - All drawing tools with icon buttons
- Size Controls - Separate pen and eraser size sliders
- Shape Options - Square/Round tool shapes
- Fill Checkbox - Toggle filled/outlined shapes
- Antialiasing - Enable/disable smooth edges
- Grid Toggle - Show/hide pixel grid
- Zoom Controls - Slider, +/-, and reset button
- Image Info Bar - Shows filename, dimensions, and file size
- Color Pickers - Configure background colors:
* Preview BG - Click to change preview background color
* Light Pattern - Click to change light checkerboard squares
* Dark Pattern - Click to change dark checkerboard squares
COLOR CONTROLS
- Color Display - Current color with RGBA values
- Color Sliders - Red, Green, Blue, Opacity controls
- Color Mode Buttons - RGB only / Opacity only mode toggles
- 32 Color Palette - Click to select, drag to rearrange
- Extract Palette - Analyze icon and extract colors
- Clear Palette - Remove all palette colors (via Edit menu)
- Drag & Drop - Reorganize palette colors
METADATA WINDOW
The metadata editor appears as a separate window when saving .info files.
It provides access to MorphOS icon properties:
- Icon Type - Cycle gadget for icon type selection
- Default Tool - Text field for tool path
- Stack Size - Numeric input for stack size
- Tooltypes List - View and manage tooltypes
- Add/Delete Buttons - Manage tooltype entries
- Load/Save Metadata - Manage .info file properties
- Analyze File - Display detailed file information
9. PREFERENCES SYSTEM
---------------------
ICONOS includes a preferences system that allows you to save your customized
settings. Preferences are NOT saved automatically - you must manually save
them using the menu option.
SAVING PREFERENCES
Use "Edit > Save Iconos prefs..." menu to save current settings to the file
PROGDIR:Iconos.prefs in the program directory.
LOADING PREFERENCES
Preferences are automatically loaded when ICONOS starts, if the Iconos.prefs
file exists in the program directory.
SAVED SETTINGS
The following settings are saved in the Iconos.prefs file:
Image Dimensions
- CANVAS_WIDTH - Icon/image width in pixels (16-256)
- CANVAS_HEIGHT - Icon/image height in pixels (16-256)
These define the actual size of your icon/image being edited.
Canvas Display Size
- CANVAS_MAX_SIZE - Drawing area display size (480x480, 512x512, or 768x768)
This defines the size of the canvas display area in the interface, not
the icon size itself. Larger values provide more workspace.
Transparency Checkerboard Colors
- CHECKER_LIGHT - Light squares color (RGB hex: 0xRRGGBB)
- CHECKER_DARK - Dark squares color (RGB hex: 0xRRGGBB)
The checkerboard pattern appears behind transparent pixels to help
visualize transparency and semi-transparent areas.
Display Colors
- PREVIEW_BG - Preview window background color (RGB hex: 0xRRGGBB)
- GRID_COLOR - Pixel grid line color (RGB hex: 0xRRGGBB)
Display Options
- SHOW_GRID - Grid visibility state (0=hidden, 1=visible)
DEFAULT VALUES
If no preferences file exists, ICONOS uses these defaults:
- Image Size: 64x64 pixels
- Canvas Display: 512x512
- Checker Light: 0xBEBEBE (light gray)
- Checker Dark: 0x767676 (medium gray)
- Preview Background: 0xFFFFFF (white)
- Grid Color: 0x4F4F4F (dark gray)
- Grid Display: Visible
CUSTOMIZING COLORS
Colors can be customized through the color picker buttons in the interface:
- Preview BG button - Changes preview window background
- Light Pattern button - Changes light checkerboard squares
- Dark Pattern button - Changes dark checkerboard squares
- Grid color can be adjusted via the grid color picker
Remember to use "Edit > Save Iconos prefs..." to save your customizations!
10. TRANSLATIONS
----------------
ICONOS supports multiple languages through the MorphOS catalog system. The
application automatically detects and uses your system's language preferences.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES
- English (built-in)
- Français (French)
- Deutsch (German)
- Español (Spanish)
- Italiano (Italian)
ADDITIONAL TRANSLATIONS
Additional language translations can be provided upon request.
Please contact the author if you need ICONOS in another language.
REPORTING TRANSLATION ERRORS
If you find any translation errors or mistakes, please report them to the
author so they can be corrected in future releases.
11. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
----------------------------
SUPPORTED ICON SIZES
16x16, 24x24, 32x32, 48x48, 64x64, 128x128, 256x256 pixels (via cycle gadget)
Custom sizes supported via loading images
COLOR DEPTH
32-bit RGBA (8 bits per channel)
16.7 million colors + alpha levels
ZOOM LEVELS
Minimum: 1x (1:1 pixel ratio)
Maximum: 32x
Default: Adaptive based on icon size
FILE FORMATS
Input: PNG (.png), MorphOS Icon (.info), C Header (.h)
Output: PNG (.png), MorphOS Icon (.info), C Header (.h)
12. KNOWN LIMITATIONS
---------------------
- Maximum 32 colors in extracted palette
- Maximum 50 undo levels
- Maximum icon size 256x256 pixels
- Brush scaling uses nearest-neighbor interpolation
13. VERSION HISTORY
-------------------
Version 1.0 (November 2025)
- Initial release
- Full RGBA PNG support
- 11 drawing tools
- Advanced graphics engine with antialiasing
- Color calculation modes (RGB+Opacity, RGB only, Opacity only)
- Undo/redo system (50 levels)
- Palette management (32 colors with drag & drop)
- Metadata editor for .info files
- Brush system with scalable brushes
- Viewport rendering with smart pan/zoom
- Middle mouse button tool switching and panning
- System clipboard integration
- C header file support (.h)
- Tooltips on all UI elements
- Image information bar
- Menu reorganization (File, Edit, Tools, View, Prefs)
14. THANKS
----------
Special thanks to
- MorphOS Team for MorphOS
- BeWorld for the libpng
- Highlander for the colored buttons and for his numerous tests and propositions
of improvements
- Poly for his numerous tests and propositions of improvements
- recedent, cyfm, Geit, rzookol, Tcheko, bitRocky, roschmyr, Develin4k
and CptBlood for their propositions of improvements
15. CONTACT
-----------
Author: Yannick 'Papiosaur' Buchy
Support the project:
ko-fi.com/papio
Email:
papiosaur2@hotmail.fr
If you enjoy ICONOS and would like to support its development, please consider
making a donation on Ko-fi. For bug reports, feature requests, or questions,
feel free to contact me via email.
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