                              EXPIC v0.5
               by Roger Burton-West <ubte30e@ucl.ac.uk>
                   copy freely and of your own will

        EXPIC  is  a  routine  to  search  Psion  files  for  bitmaps,
especially icons, and to allow their extraction.

        EXPIC is usable on both  S3  and  S3a;  the S3a version offers
more functionality, with the ability  to  save  grey planes.  EXPIC is
the S3a version; EXPIC3 is for the S3.

        To  install  EXPIC,  simply  copy   EXPIC.OPO  into  any  \OPO
directory.  No other files are needed to run the program.

        The initial file selector may  appear strange; this is because
it is pointing at the Psion's ROM  filing system.  Do not press TAB to
get a full-screen  view,  as  this  will  reset  the  directory to the
internal RAM disc.  Files  ending  with  .APP  are applications; those
ending with .ALS  are  aliases  (such  as  the  program editor); those
ending with .IMG may also contain bitmap resources.

        Naturally, EXPIC will also work  on  applications that are not
on ROM; simply point the file selector to them as normal.

        Once EXPIC has found a bitmap,  it  will display it on screen.
Use cursor left  and  right  to  cycle  through  the  bitmaps; the two
numbers indicate the current bitmap, the total number in the resource,
and the bitmap's size.  On the  S3a  version,  hitting B will save the
current bitmap to the black-plane buffer,  and  G  will save it to the
grey-plane buffer.  C will clear both  buffers,  and S will save them.
Escape quits the program.  The Help  key  brings up a reminder of this
information.  The S3 version does not have buffers; S simply saves the
current bitmap.

        Application icons are usually the first two bitmaps in a file,
48x48 pixels in size; save number 0 as black and number 1 as grey, and
you will have a usable icon file.  (S3: the first bitmap, 24x24.)

        To get the System icon, look in SYS$SHLL.IMG.  The Spreadsheet
icon is in SH3.APP.  SYS$WSRV.IMG contains several bitmaps; while they
are saved correctly, the resulting file  causes  a load error, and the
program terminates.

        During the bitmap display  process,  EXPIC creates a temporary
file in the  \OPD  directory  on  the  default  drive;  this is erased
automatically.

        As is usual, I have  to  issue  a  disclaimer of liability; if
anything you do with this program wrecks your love life, destroys your
S3a, gets you arrested, starts  World War III, or indeed does anything
else you consider an adverse outcome,  you have my sympathies but very
little else.
        On  the  other  hand,  comments  and  suggestions  are  always
welcome.

        29 December 1993
        Roger Burton-West
        ubte30e@ucl.ac.uk
