picture format

[Henry]

hi,

I need to add in image as button in my program, just want to ask which type of format is more suitable, no need to print out. Because i try to create some picture and add in, the picture will change to no so clear(pixelate) .I found that the image in filemaker template is very nice, even zoom in also look clear, what is the picture type. Also want to ask where can i find(or buy) the picture/icon/button just look like Mac icon or the image in fm template?

henry

[cjaeger]

use vector drawings - Mac PICT is best, WMF does the job. I create my FM graphics in AppleWorks (draw module) or ancient MacDraw II/Claris Impact. Masking (highlighting) of buttons is done using the FileMaker draw primitives (circle, line, rect, roundrect.)

Bitmap images are fine, but take some time to redraw, especially on windows machines. You can make bitmaps transparent by rotating them 90

[danjacoby]

Um, cj ... PICT is a bitmap format, not a vector.

Henry -- if you want to copy the Mac icon, then take a screenshot of it or download it from any webpage on which it resides. Remember, however, that if you use it commercially, it's almost certainly copyrighted, so there would be royalties involved.

[BobWeaver]

Nope, PICT is an object based format that includes bitmapped objects as well as lines circles rectangles etc. If the graphic consists of only simple objects like lines circles and rectangles, the PICT format will be very compact.

On the other hand, if the graphic was created originally as a bitmap, then converting it to PICT format will only result in a PICT containing one bitmap object which won't be any more efficient than the original.

[cjaeger]

actually, any graphic imported into filemaker will be converted into a PICT. In case of bittmaps, it simply encloses the bitmap info in a pict wrapper, similar to code like

<bitmap size=xx" color="black& white">jjkfjkajksjkhjkhjkash</bitmap>, just not as human readable ....

This can be easily shown by exporting a container image into a PICT file via applescript (unless it's stored via reference):

simply write a header 512 bytes long(can be empty (512 x char 00), normally stores info about creating app and such), give it a filetype of "PICT" and it opens in any PICT compatible graphics program....