Short:        free icon.library in optimized ASM code
Uploader:     pkeunecke@alice-dsl.net
Author:       Peter Keunecke
Type:         util/libs
Version:      46.4.256
Architecture: m68k-amigaos >= 3.0.0
Requires:     68020+

 Latest changes:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, the decoding of PNG icons can be done clearly faster
internally now without requiring any PNG datatype or library.

 Description:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~
The icon.library has been written completely in optimized ASM
code with IconBeFast 2 already built in. It works much faster
now and is also a lot smaller than the original icon.library.
It can be used with AmigaOS 3.0 already as shown in an example
based on ClassicWB http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=63342

This library can now display the 32 bit ARGB icons of OS4 on
any AGA screen with the normal 8 bit color mapping of OS 3.5+.
This new feature needs zlib-library 3.2 from Aminet to work.
WB:icon->info will convert these icons into the OS 3.5 format!
The old style planar images of the OS4 icons are replaced now
by the smaller internal default images since many were broken.

Added support for displaying Dual-PNG icons on any AGA screen.
The new internal PNG decoding also requires the zlib-library. 
When you're fixing the position of PNG-icons with snapshot you
will see a requester asking if you would like to convert the
icons into the OS 3.5 format. This format has the advantage of
getting small files and a much faster icon loading as for PNG.
There's hardly any quality loss visible in truecolor modes.
The viewmodes for PNG drawer icons are now always set to their
defaults: displaying only real icons and NO text-mode listings.

The library has a color reduction routine for PNG and OS4 ARGB
icons which is based on 15 bits for the first 100 colors now.
The comparison is done with less bits step by step when more
colors are required. The resulting quality is close to HiColor.
The cache for the screens colortable is built just once after
booting and will be updated only if the number of shared pens
has changed. The colormapping and the bitplanes for the second
image of any icon won't be done before the icons are selected.

A new space optimization routine for writing is included now.
It's always activated, regardless of the option settings, and
it rebuilds the colortables from scratch closing possible gaps
and avoiding multiple entries with the same RGB values. The
new and shorter data compression code should also be faster.
The icon images are now always compressed, but the RGB color
tables on the other side will not be compressed. It's faster.

This icon.library will automatically detect if the PowerIcons
patch has been installed on your system. You should make use of
the PowerIcons patch when your Workbench is in truecolor mode.
My modified PowerIcons 0.08 will display all icons perfectly.
I made a patched file of the PowerIcons program disabling its
PNG icon detection in order to pass on the PNG decoding to the
icon.library. The PowerIcons program is still very usefull for
drawing the images then directly in high quality to the screen.
With this little trick it's even possible to display Dual-PNG.
The original PowerIcons 1.06 is copyrighted by Elena Novaretti.

This icon.library can also be used without conflicts on AfA_OS
since release 4.7. But AfA_OS has its own Icon_Lib.exe and will
do most of the icon drawing itself if loaded from AfA_OS_LIBS:.

 Downloads:
 ~~~~~~~~~
http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/IconLib_46.4 for max speed
http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/zlib-library for OS4 + PNG
http://aminet.net/package/util/wb/PowerIcons     for truecolor

 Installation:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just copy both libraries into your LIBS: directory. That's all.

The PowerIcons program v0.08 is for gfx-cards only and should
not be used together with DOpus MagellanII. That will not work.
PowerIcons has to be run from the startup-sequence but it can
also be stopped and re-started again from a Workbench icon. It
seems that PowerIcons has a problem with some HiColor screens.

Always have a look into the supplied readme or guide files of
all additional packages and read the installation instructions.
The library will prefer to use FastMem when FBlit is detected.
There are 3 additional shell commands for WB 3.0/3.1 users in
this package: IconFramesON, IconFramesOFF and IconsToFastMem.

DEVS:datatypes/InfoPNG and ENVARC:IconLib46.prefs are obsolete.

 Still to do:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~
The next step should be to integrate a direct drawing routine
for Hi/TrueColor screens like in PowerIcons, AfA_OS or Scalos.
And then maybe, also z-compression and OS4-style ARGB writing.

 Distribution:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program is freeware. I don't give any warranties. You are
using this program on your own risk and you are responsible for
any damage it could cause to your system. This icon.library is
now completely independent and free of the AmigaOS copyright :)
My (PhxAss) source code is supplied and can be used by anybody.

Thanks to all users who've sent bugreports or made suggestions.

 Copyright 2007-2012:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Peter Keunecke