[PeterK]

Always download the latest full version from Aminet before you update:

Aminet - util/libs/IconLib_46.4.lha ... #587 is out now. No updates for the HAM versions.


OS 3.2: In case that somebody still wants to use my library with OS 3.2, you will need at least a v47 version like TC020 now, which already supports the new DefIcons, too. However, you can still downgrade TC020 with my option "ConvertTrueColor" if you prefer to create OS 3.5 ColorIcons only. My old v46 versions are not accepted anymore by OS 3.2 and they also have no support for the new file type identification features of the DefIcons tool.

The difference between icon.library_68020 and icon.library_TC020 (no, this is not a special CPU design):

The 68020 version always displays OS4 and PNG icons after a color reduction in the OS 3.5 format with maximal 255 colors and simple transparency, even on Hi/TrueColor screens. But if you save these converted icons in the OS 3.5 format, they will become smaller and can be loaded much faster than TrueColor icons. The 68020 version needs less memory for OS4 and PNG icons but has a little lower quality than TC020 on TrueColor screens, although it already uses direct drawing to the graphics card unlike the 68000 version which supports palette based color mapping only.

The TC020 version can display OS4 and PNG icons in best TrueColor quality and with alpha channel blending on graphic cards. This can happen very fast without the time consuming color reduction, but it needs more memory to hold the compressed ARGB images. The icons are also copied and saved in their original OS4 or PNG format. If, for some reason, you would like to save these icons in the OS 3.5 format, you could still use the command "ConvertTrueColor" before displaying them. This instruction works like a downgrade to the 68020 mode. "PreserveTrueColor" switches back to the TC020 mode. Furthermore, the TC020 version supports all other 8-bit and planar screenmodes in the same way as the 68020 version.

Btw, the FastWB, Aros, HAM6 (hm020), HAM8 (HM020) and LD020 versions have the same support for TrueColor screens as TC020.


IconDemoHAM6 and IconDemoHAM8 ADF images. (513)

All IconDemos need Kickstart 3.0 or better 3.1, but are not made for 3.1.4 or 3.x, because the workbench.library is missing and the WB 3.1.4+ also requires a different FBlit.cfg and DefIcons. Nevertheless, HAM screenmodes are possible with 3.1.4, 3.5 and 3.9, too, but I can not offer demo disks. A very fast CPU and the AGA chipset are recommended. HAM6 on OCS/ECS in LowRes makes no fun at all, and the default configuration for HAM6 is to use a HiRes (AGA) screen.


IconDemoA500 and IconDemoA1200 ADF files (486):

To make it easier to use my icon.library under OS 3.0/3.1, I've built two demo floppy images that should show you how to get things to work. Just copy one of these ADF files onto a floppy disk and then boot from it. These images are NO speed demos! If you have enough RAM you could also use the much faster RAD: disk. (Please, always install the latest icon.library on your harddisk)

These demos can display all types of icons: old icons, MWB-icons, NewIcons, GlowIcons, OS4-icons and PNG-icons. This does not need a workbench.library v44+. Only the old icon.library is removed from the resident list with Thomas Rapp's very nice RemLib tool and then the new icon.library is loaded from Libs: into the memory instead, without a reboot.

IconDemoA500.ADF is for low end systems with 68000+ CPUs, OCS/ECS with a fixed 16 color palette, minimal 512 kB ChipMem and 1 MB FastMem. I would recommend at least 40 MHz and more memory to enjoy it (e.g. a MiniMig). 68020+ systems are detected and supported by loading the 68020 version automatically.

IconDemoA1200.ADF is for better systems with 68020+ CPUs, AGA, minimal 1 MB ChipMem and 2 MB FastMem and uses FBlit. It needs no ChipMem for the icons and the NewIcons patch makes even transparent backgrounds possible.

In both configurations DefIcons, AutoUpdateWB and SwazInfo are also installed. These ADFs are working with Kick 3.0 already and are supporting PAL and NTSC screenmodes.

The excellent CopyIcon tool from Stephan Rupprecht makes it possible to replace the images on your existing icons with a simple drag&drop from all available icon sets, no matter which format the source icons have.

Of course, the icon loading from a floppy disk will always be very slow. Furthermore, OS4 and PNG icons can also be rendered much faster after converting them once into the OS 3.5 format, but on these ADFs they are still in their original file format in order to demonstrate the ability to decode them on any Amiga.