                       iConStruct
                   
           (c) Copyright 2005-2009 Roger Meier
                 All rights reserved
                 
                 roger.meier@pobox.com
           http://freeware.the-meiers.org
           
           
           
           
WHAT IS IT?
===========

iConStruct is a utility for programmers (REALBasic and others) that offers a simple way to create icons of various sizes from a given picture file.

iConStruct automatically scales pictures to standard icon sizes and autmatically generates masks based on a specified brightness threshold. For best results, the images that are to be converted to icons should be in front of a white (or very light) background.
For 32-bit icon sets, the masks are generated as 8-bit grayscale images, and mask edges (1 to 15 pixels wide) values are either set to the brightness of the corresponding pixels in the icon, a fixed value chosen by the user, or a black-to-white gradient.
8-Bit icons are generated as dithered versions of the 32-icons using web-safe colors. The corresponding masks are generated as 1-bit B/W images.
The icons and masks can be individually copied and pasted as well as dragged into other applications, or the entire set of icons can be saved as BMP or transparent PNG files.


INSTALLATION
============
iConStruct comes without an installer and can be placed anywhere on the harddrive as long as the correct folder structure is maintained. I.e. for the Windows version the "iConStruct Libs" folder must reside in the same location as the "iConStruct.exe" executable.


HOW TO USE IT
=============

Please refer to the built-in Help.


Version History
===============

1.2.0: 7/18/2009
-----------------
- Fixed a bug that caused filenames to be truncated to 31 characters on Macs.
- Added capability to drag icons and masks out of iConStruct to other applications that support picture or file drops.
- Added a Preferences dialog for certain settings such as the type of items dragged from iConStruct (picture object or picture file)
- iConStruct now remembers the color settings in the preview pane between application launches.
- Improved nearest-neighbor scaling for original images with transparency.


1.1.0: 3/10/2009
----------------
- Added support for saving transparent PNG images.
- Added support for wider mask edges.
- Added option to use a gradient for mask edges
- Improved nearest-neighbor scaling algorithm.
- Added a help button.


1.0.0: 11/10/2008
-----------------
- First Official Release





LICENSE

=======



THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR HOLDERS INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, OR ANY SPECIAL INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
