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- CREATING CUSTOMIZED BACKGROUNDS AND BUTTONS FOR THE CD AUTORUN PROGRAM
- ======================================================================
-
- You can customize the CD AutoRun program with your own background and
- buttons. To do this, create the bitmaps using a graphics program, such as
- Paint, and then specify their location in the wizard.
-
- In order for your customized background and buttons to work properly, make
- sure that both the background and the button files are optimized to the same
- 256-color identity palette. Instructions for how to do this are included at
- the end of this section. In addition, your custom buttons must be the same
- size and shape (square) as those specified in the Template.bmp file included
- in the "Custbtns\template" folder on this CD.
-
- You can use palette index 250 or 251 to add transparent (250) or transparent
- shadow (251) areas to your buttons. The CD Autorun application will
- automatically create these transparent areas at runtime.
-
- Note: The custom backgrounds and buttons will be displayed only on computers
- with 256-color (8-bit) display capabilities. On computers with 16-color
- (4-bit) display capabilities, a standard low-resolution background bitmap
- and button set will be displayed.
-
- To convert 24-bit images to a common 256-color identity palette:
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
- Note: These instructions assume that you are starting with 24-bit RGB bitmap
- files. If your file is not a 24-bit RGB bitmap, you must convert it.
-
- 1. In your graphics program, create a working file for your palette.
- To do this, paste both your background and your button file into
- a single file. Make sure to paste the files side by side, not
- overlapping.
- 2. Save the file as Palette.bmp.
- 3. In BitEdit, open the Palette.bmp file. When you open the file, BitEdit
- prompts you to reduce the colors to 236 colors. Keep this number in the
- edit field.
- 4. On the Options menu, click Palette. PalEdit starts, displaying the
- palette to which your file has been indexed.
- 5. On the Palette menu, click Make Identity Palette. PalEdit will add 20
- Windows colors to the first and last 10 indices of the palette.
- 6. Save the palette as Palette.pal.
- 7. Switch to BitEdit, and open your original background file.
- 8. Save the file with a different name, such as Bgnew.bmp.
- 9. Open the renamed background file. On the Options menu, click Color
- Reduction. Then click Palette File and select Palette.pal. BitEdit then
- dithers your background to the common palette.
- 10. Save this file.
- 11. Follow steps 7 through 11 for the button file.
-
- Both your background and your buttons will be indexed to the same palette.