Graphics Editor (Windows CE 5.0)
The graphics editor has an extensive set of tools for drawing graphics, as well as functionality to support the creation of toolbar bitmaps. In addition to creating and editing graphics in bitmap format, you can edit graphics in GIF or JPEG formats. You can also convert graphics in GIF or JPEG formats to bitmap format.
You can use the graphics editor for the following tasks:
- Using graphics editor windows and docked toolbars.
- Customizing and adjust the graphics editor workspace.
- Editing a graphic resource and draw new graphics.
- Customizing colors, change palettes, and select colors.
Many graphics editor functions require a mouse or other pointing device. Alternatively, you can use a shortcut key, which you can find by choosing Keyboard from the Help menu.
While using the graphics editor, often you can click the right mouse button to display a shortcut menu of frequently used commands. The commands available depend on what the cursor is pointing to.
You edit graphics resources in a graphics editor window, using tools on the Graphics toolbar. Graphics resources are the graphics that you define for your application.
In addition to creating new graphics, you can import existing graphics and add them to your project, and you can open files that are not part of a project for stand-alone editing.
You can select areas of a graphic for editing, flipping or resizing, or you can create a custom brush from a selected area of a graphic and draw with that brush.
You can define graphic properties, save graphics in different formats, and convert graphics from one format to another.
A graphics editor window displays two graphic views. A split bar separates the two panes. You can drag the split bar horizontally to change the relative size of the panes. The active pane displays a selection border, which you can use to change the bitmap size.
The following screen shot shows a graphics editor window.
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The Graphics toolbar contains the following elements:
- Tools for drawing, painting, entering text, erasing, and manipulating views
- The option selector, which you click to select brush widths and other drawing options
To use the Graphics toolbar, Colors palette, and option selector, select the tool, color, or option that you want.
The Colors palette contains the following elements:
- The color indicator, which shows the foreground and background colors and selectors for screen and inverse color
- The Colors palette, which enables you to select the foreground and background colors
The status bar, at the bottom of the frame window, displays two panes when a graphics editor window is open. When the cursor is over a graphic, the left pane shows the cursor's current position, in pixels, relative to the upper-left corner of the graphic. During a dragging operation, such as selecting, moving, or drawing a rectangle, the right pane shows the size, in pixels, of the affected area.
The Image menu, which appears only when the graphics editor is active, has commands for editing graphics, managing color palettes, and setting graphics editor window options.
For more information about common resource edit procedures, such as creating new resources, opening existing resources, and deleting resources, see Resources.
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