Category : Windows 3.X Files
Archive   : DUMPICON.ZIP
Filename : DUMPICON.DOC

DUMPICON

A Utility to print Windows 3.0 icon files on HP LaserJet printers

vers 1.0 by Monte Ferguson
14-Aug-90

You've probably downloaded a major quantity of icon files (*.ICO) for
Windows 3.0, but how can you keep track of what they look like? Here yah
go - dump the whole mess of'em out to your LaserJet.

Usage is simple enough:

DUMPICON [path] [/V [/43] [/50]]

The [path] tells the program where to look for *.ICO files. It's
optional, if you don't specify a path it'll look in the default drive and
directory.

/V engages "Visual Mode" - it previews the icon on the screen in all 16
glorious colors. Along with the /V switch you may want to include the /43
(43 line for EGA) or /50 (50 line for VGA) options - icons are 40 rows
tall, using one of these extended text modes will fit the entire icon on
the screen.

The output goes to LPT1:

NOTE: This program was tested using an HP LaserJet III with 4Meg of RAM
and seems to work OK for me. Which is ALL the guarantee you get. If it
works for you too, I'm tickled... if not, well, it's not like you PAID for
this or anything, so quitcherwhining! 🙂

It may work on other HP LaserJets (or compatibles...?) if they have
enough RAM to print full-page 300dpi graphics. Maybe. I dunno.

EXCUSES: I'm not a Windows programmer, I figured out the *.ICO file
format by "brute force" - I just stared at it until it made sense. So I'm
probably reading it wrong (it looks like some icons might be a little
taller than they should be...?). If anyone has info on the actual file
layout I'd be glad to make the necessary changes in the next version of
DUMPICON.

RE: Dithering... this is the first time I've ever tried something like
printing color images on a B&W printer, so I made it up as I went along.
The dithering routines are completely seat-of-the-pants hacking... it
seemed to make sense at the time, and *I* like the results.

Written in QuickBASIC 4.5.

Comments can be sent to:

Monte Ferguson
PFG Consulting
("A Growing Excited Company!")
1250 Anita Drive suite 304
Kent, OH 44240

Hope you enjoy the program. It's free, no guilt/cripple/share/nagware
here.