More > JRiver Media Center 30 for Windows
Skin Icons Discussion
markf2748:
--- Quote from: HPBEME on October 16, 2022, 07:51:51 am ---Perhaps it is straightforward, but with well over 100 icons that I would want to update, that strikes me as a very large task - something that would take me many days to do. Admittedly, I'm no image-editing wizard, and maybe you have some advice for how to batch process all this. I don't have Photoshop - I use a free/open source image editor that is reasonably powerful (paint.net). I guess I could make a copy of all the small icons, convert all the colors to black and white, and then presumably I could filter on black for a transparency mask? Not really sure, as most of the image-editing I do is very basic. Any guidance you could provide would be appreciated.
--- End quote ---
I've customized about 65 MC icons so far, which covers everything I currently use, and that was a large task. The initial time consuming part is learning the SFIF language and then evolving the designs to a simple form, plus deciphering MC's resource xml files. Icons are created in the vector drawing program Inkscape (*.svg files) in a 64x64 pixel document size for small icons and exported at 1x scale as png, then reassembled into png strips with Gimp (both free programs). At this point it would take me about 2 minutes per *.svg icon file to convert the color plates to transparency and re-export. Maybe 1-2 hours to reassemble into new strips.
I fooled around in Gimp with your idea for batch processing my png strips and got as far as converting most colors to a black background, then became a little concerned about affecting the anti-aliasing. As you suggest, it should be possible to use the black and white strip image as a transparency mask, and then change the line art color if necessary. If you start with some other icons that are already monochrome, then I expect the most time consuming part would be getting them into acceptable 64x64 image files (a program like IconView may help https://www.botproductions.com/iconview/iconview.html). Once you have those, doing the transparency individually should be quick, after the workflow is established.
--- Quote from: HPBEME on October 16, 2022, 07:51:51 am ---I find all the full-color tree icons to be distracting and somewhat gaudy. If JRiver would add the same option for tree icons that is available for toolbar icons (remain colorless/transparent until you hover over them, and then fill with color), that would solve the "problem". I think I will add this to the MC 30 feature requests thread, and then cross my fingers they choose to implement it.
--- End quote ---
Personal taste I suppose. I'm OK with tree icons always visible, as discussed in earlier posts of this thread, as is ET (Post #6).
I like bright colors, but I realize they can be distracting, even disturbing, in a menu tree for some people. Colors could be tamed down a bit, subject to maintaining decent contrast. For example, the top level Windows 11 22H2 Settings Menu mainly uses soft pastel blue and green filled icons with some brighter highlights sprinkled in. That's Microsoft addressing the least common denominator of millions (1.4 billion?) worldwide, trend-setting backed by their extensive (and respectable) UI research. (BTW reminder: it's important that normal color vision not be required to interpret an icon's meaning.)
It's very interesting to look at the icons in Inkscape 1.2. Their Multicolor theme icons are mainly white + gray on a dark skin, with judicious use of color fill and color line work. Remarkably, their Edit > Preferences > Interfaces > Theming dialog window (also see Toolbars dialog) allows user selection of many icon parameters, including four different icon themes, icon colors, monochrome icons, icon size, contrast, user-defined icon directory, etc. I believe this interface represents a paradigm shift, truly leading the state of the art.
For some people, there is a "coolness factor" associated with simple monochrome. Pure music players like foobar2000 and MusicBee have no icons other than album covers and the usual player controls, but MC's rich multi-media feature set benefits from icons.
Styles & fashion keep evolving, by definition. Some users may prefer the current "classic", while others, like myself, really prefer something newer. Perhaps MC could provide a choice of icon sets and options, following in the footsteps of Inkscape. Now and then JRiver could delight customers with an optional new icon set. :)
EnglishTiger:
Guys - The reason why markf2748's Icons do not appear with any of the Modern Cards Skins is because those Skins take a different approach.
Instead of placing the "Customised Icons" files ActionWindowNavigation.png, OptionsTree.png, SmallIcons.png & Images.xml in the Custom Art Folder they are in the same folder as the skin to prevent them affecting, or appearing in, any other skin.
The only problem with the putting the Smaller Icons in the Skin Folder approach is that the Skin Creator is stuck with having to use the Default Set of 256 x 256 Icons as there is no way of preventing customised versions of those Larger Icons affecting, appearing in, other Skins
JimH:
Thanks for your work, markf2748!
markf2748:
--- Quote from: EnglishTiger on October 19, 2022, 03:06:45 am ---Guys - The reason why markf2748's Icons do not appear with any of the Modern Cards Skins is because those Skins take a different approach.
Instead of placing the "Customised Icons" files ActionWindowNavigation.png, OptionsTree.png, SmallIcons.png & Images.xml in the Custom Art Folder they are in the same folder as the skin to prevent them affecting, or appearing in, any other skin.
The only problem with the putting the Smaller Icons in the Skin Folder approach is that the Skin Creator is stuck with having to use the Default Set of 256 x 256 Icons as there is no way of preventing customised versions of those Larger Icons affecting, appearing in, other Skins
--- End quote ---
Thanks a bunch ET. That would explain one of the lingering questions initially raised by @mvandyke back in Post #20 about Modern Cards Skins. I have not done it, but I suppose MCS users who want to try my new icons could replace the corresponding files in the MCS directory.
Thanks for your info about Larger Icons. I've attached small versions (64x64, for easy viewing here) of the three Larger Icons (512x512) which I use for missing thumbnails. They are straight enlargements of SFIF E91B Photo, E714 Video, and EC4F MusicNote with stroke size adjustments for slightly thicker lines. These replace the traditional large red camera and purple "legged" video camera icons.
Finally I bit the bullet and added a new <MediaTypeAudio> icon to SmallIcons.png and Options.png based on SFIF EC4F MusicNote for consistent style throughout. Loving it.
Update 10/22/2022: New icon for <AnalyzeAudio>, uses SFIF E9D9 Diagnostic.
marko:
--- Quote from: EnglishTiger on October 19, 2022, 03:06:45 am ---Guys - The reason why markf2748's Icons do not appear with any of the Modern Cards Skins is because those Skins take a different approach.
Instead of placing the "Customised Icons" files ActionWindowNavigation.png, OptionsTree.png, SmallIcons.png & Images.xml in the Custom Art Folder they are in the same folder as the skin to prevent them affecting, or appearing in, any other skin.
The only problem with the putting the Smaller Icons in the Skin Folder approach is that the Skin Creator is stuck with having to use the Default Set of 256 x 256 Icons as there is no way of preventing customised versions of those Larger Icons affecting, appearing in, other Skins
--- End quote ---
A while ago, I tried them all, and, these were the only ones I found, then, that were recognised by the skinning engine:
--- Code: ---<ART>
<Entry Name="ActionBarNavigation" Bitmap="Art_ActionWindowNavigation.png" />
<Entry Name="AutomaticPlaylistBackground" Bitmap="Art_AutomaticPlaylistBackground.png" />
<Entry Name="DropHere" Bitmap="Art_DropHere.png" />
<Entry Name="OptionsTree" Bitmap="Art_OptionsTree.png" />
<Entry Name="SmallIcons" Bitmap="Art_SmallIcons.png" />
<Entry Name="Transceiver" Bitmap="Art_Transceiver.png" />
<Entry Name="Options" Bitmap="Art_Options.png" />
<Entry Name="TaskbarButtons" Bitmap="Art_TaskbarButtons.png" />
</ART>
--- End code ---
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