Input Formats
WinComposer accepts as input following formats:

• Bitmap Files (*.BMP extension) - For more information
• JPEG Files (*.JPG or *.JPEG extensions) - For more information
• Windows Icon Files (*.ICO extension) - For more information
• Macintosh Icon Containers (*.icns extension) - For more information
• Macintosh Icon Resources - For more information
• Apple Single Files - For more information
• Apple Double Files - For more information
• Binhexed Files - For more information
• MacBinary Files - For more information
• Other Windows Ressources - For more information

Image Size
When scanning the contents of the imported files, WinComposer looks for following formats:

• 12*16 pixels (so-called Macintosh mini icons)
• 16*16 pixels (normal icons)
• 32*32 pixels (big icons)
• 48*48 pixels (huge icons)
• 128*128 pixels (thumbnail icons).

It doesn't display other images sizes. If you want to exploit such sizes, use the cut-and-paste mechanism.

Color Depth
When scanning the contents of the imported files, WinComposer displays in the icon slots of the Icon Composer tab the best color depth available in the file for each of the icon sizes.
That means that a 4 bit/pixel picture will not replace a better one.
On the other hand, all color depths are displayed on the Pasteboard tab.

Cut-and-Paste
WinComposer can also import graphic data using the cut-and-paste mechanism. Just select the target icon by clicking on its surface and type CTRL V to paste the contents of the clipboard.
Caution, WinComposer is not a graphic editor. The graphic data get pasted in the upper left corner and can't be resized or moved.
You should therefore prepare correct graphic data in your favorite graphic editor.

Bitmap Files (*.BMP extension)
WinComposer accepts all bitmap formats, in all color depths (1, 4, 8, 24 and 32 bit/pixel).
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JPEG Files (*.JPG or *.JPEG extensions)
WinComposer accepts all JPEG formats as input. Since this standard leaves many freedom degrees, one can't however be sure that all files will correctly open. It may sometimes be necessary to go through the cut-and-paste mechanism from a graphic application which knows how to open this file.
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Windows Icon Files (*.ICO extension)
WinComposer accepts all icon formats, that is files containg a single icon or several icons (multiformat icon files) in all color depths, up to 128*128 pixels.
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Macintosh Icon Containers (*.icns extension)
The 'icns' icon format was launched with Mac OS 8 and, against other classical icon resources (see below), is not a single icon object, but a container grouping together several sizes and color depths, with their masks.
See our page on Macintosh Icon Resources for more information.
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Macintosh Icon Resources (varying or no extensions)
Classical Macintosh icon resources are stored in the resource fork, as individual icon items.
It is possible to find in the resource fork all kinds of icons, but most of the time the modern icon resources are stored in 'icns' containers (see above). Those containers can be stored themselves in the resource fork or in stand-alone files (Mac OS X).
See our page on Macintosh Icon Resources for more information.
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Apple Single Files
The Apple Single format is a method normalized by Apple to keep together (to containerize) both file forks. Both forks are present in the file. The very nature of the containerized file (payload) can vary.
See our pages on Forks and on Macintosh Files on the Internet for more information.
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Apple Double Files
The Apple Double format is a method normalized by Apple to manage file forks. Only the resource fork is present in the file with the Finder info. The data fork is in another file. The very nature of the containerized file (payload) can vary.
See our pages on Forks and on Macintosh Files on the Internet for more information.
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BinHexed Files
The BinHex standard was created to allow the containerization of file forks, some compression of the stream and the conversion to 7-bit characters. Both forks are present in the file. The very nature of the containerized file (payload) can vary.
See our pages on Forks and on Binhexed Files for more information.
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MacBinary Files (*.BIN extension, but not always)
The MacBinary standard was created to keep together (containerize) both file forks. Both forks are present in the file. The very nature of the containerized file (payload) can vary.
See our pages on Forks and on MacBinary Files for more information.
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Other Windows Resources (*.EXE, *.DLL and *.IDL extensions, and more)
WinComposer can also open Windows resources to extract bitmaps and icons from those files. WinComposer manages program files (*.EXE), DLLs (*.DLL) and icon libraries (*.ICL, but also *.IL and *.NIL).
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