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[markf2748]

Lately there seems to be a lot of interest in Options Tree artwork (right side panel).  Attached is a new set I just finished for dark mode skins, largely based on the Segoe Fluent Icons font.  It has a consistent minimal line art look and feel.  Highly legible as tested on my old 1920 x 1200 monitor at MC size 100%.

If interested in trying it, save off the skin's OptionsTree.png file (may be named differently, depending on the skin, or in some cases located in the ...Data/Default Art/ directory), and replace it with attached file.   

[JimH]

Thanks, Mark!

[Awesome Donkey]

Oooooh, this looks really good and is a good fit! Thanks!

[markf2748]

Oooooh, this looks really good and is a good fit! Thanks!

Thanks.  Looking back to the dropdown menus at the top of MC's main window, I see they use a filled right chevron to open submenus.  That may be a more compatible, less intrusive symbol (but less cool?) than the 3-bar for the Options popup.  Also, the main window submenus open with a mouseover, while the Options popup submenus open with a LMB click (I smell an Options popup feature request here...).

In any case, I've attached a version which uses a similar filled right chevron, as well as a file with simple filled small circles for Tree Expand buttons.  The latter is called out in main.xml:
   <TREE> ... <Entry Name="ExpandButton" Bitmap="Tree_ExpandButton.png" NumberImages="3" /> ... </TREE>. 

[markf2748]

... I've attached a version which uses ... a file with simple filled small circles for Tree Expand buttons.  The latter is called out in main.xml:
   <TREE> ... <Entry Name="ExpandButton" Bitmap="Tree_ExpandButton.png" NumberImages="3" /> ... </TREE>. 

Clarification:  I expect you will find that most, if not all, skins use a 2-state button here (NumberImages="2").  Attached is a 2-state version of the file Tree_ExpandButton.png.

My 3-state version (posted above) is a hopeful leftover related to this feature request:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,139972.msg970692.html#msg970692

[marko]

I think, back in the day, I was first to introduce circles to indicate tree branch expand/collapse state. They caused a bit of division, but now, they're great for really quick visual indication of what's what.

I chose them because too often, with the triangles, they were made equilateral, so it was never clear from just looking at them whether or not they were collapsed or expanded.

[markf2748]

... too often, with the triangles, they were made equilateral, so it was never clear from just looking at them whether or not they were collapsed or expanded.

Interesting.  Similar to the "confusion" I experience with the single-state downward chevron "V" often found in MC Options submenus.  That's what launched me on this quest for an alternative.  I think the 3-bar menu symbol resolves it, very contemporary though some may consider it a little heavy-handed for this application.  The filled right chevron also works for me, probably because I am so conditioned to expect it to open a menu to the right.  At least JRiver makes it relatively easy to try both.   

One might expect that the filled downward chevron, usually found in a selected view tab, would be confusing for same reasons as the "V".  Except that the dropdown menu appears immediately with a mouseover, and there are no closely adjacent copies of the same static symbol, which together effectively resolve it for me.

Re circles for the top level tree branch expansion - never saw your old posts in this regard, but I agree with you - immediate fast visual information, no thinking about right v.s. down pointers is required!  Though like most symbology, it still takes a little learning.   And as you might guess by now, I am always on the lookout for minimalist solutions!  However, enhancement with a gentle 3-state response would be nice to try here.  I hope it could be made backward compatible with existing 2-state treatments as long as the NumberImages parameter agrees with the artwork.