Better icons and look needed YES it is

[neverthelesshello]

I have heard the argument before that its all fine as it is because you can change it to look better etc. Yeah but for a new user it's ugly, the icons on the toolbar are horrilbe and very early computer 80s. I have been using the program for a month and still dont find it easy or know how to change them. Therefore I think if you want this program to be used by as many people as possible it really needs an update so that a new user doesnt have to find out how to make it look better.

[MVV]

BTW I like default icons, they look in similar way and w/o any stupid stuff like in Vista after XP e.g.

But if you want to change set of icons, you may use INI parameter IconLib of [Configuration] section in wincmd.ini. Just specify path to ICL file and restart TC.

[Clo]

2neverthelesshello

Hello !

• You may replace any icon of any button with you own one, I mean an *.ICO file you can draw by yourself, that I do for a decade and more…

- There are good icon editors around, for instance GreenFish (gratis) which support also the *.ICL creation… and much more

 KR
Claude
Clo

[Lefteous]

2neverthelesshello
You are actually the first user who complains about TC's visual appearance. Everyone else enjoys TC's state of the art design

[petermad]

Everyone else enjoys TC's state of the art design

Well, some of us really do


Anyway - TC mostly uses standard Windows elements, so if your TC looks bad, so must your Windows look

[neverthelesshello]

2neverthelesshello
You are actually the first user who complains about TC's visual appearance. Everyone else enjoys TC's state of the art design

Like your sense of humour

as to the other replies, yes I know you can learn how to change stuff but some may find that difficult and my point is - shouldnt the look be updated as the default and then if experienced users want a retro look they can easily do what they want. I am sure there are so many people who have tried it and hated the look and moved on - To be honest i tend to use another program because of the look of TC.

[karlchen]

Hi, folks.

As has been stated earlier today,

beauty (or ugliness) is in the eye of the beholder only. So there is no arguing about beauty (or ugliness).

As a consequence, there will never be one set of icons and one set of fonts which will please everybody.

Therefore, it may be a good idea to deploy Total Commander with e.g. 3 sets of configuration:

• Default configuration for fresh installations: using current Windows fonts and icons taken from shell32.dll only.
  (Have not verified that all needed icons can be found there. I doubt that it will be that simple.)
• T.C. proprietary configuration: using the current default fonts and stickynomad's icons
• T.C. for N.C. purists: making T.C. look as much like the ancient Norton Commander as possible.

Although I disagree with neverthelesshello on the point that it were difficult to change fonts and iconsets used by T.C., I think that the procedure of doing so could be simplified even more by allowing the users to select pre-fabricated complete configuration sets. (see above)

Kind regards,
Karl

[neverthelesshello]

Thanks Karichen -

useful suggestions, it would be a big improvement

[MVV]

It it a bad idea to use shell32.dll since in different Windows versions icons in this file have different indexes, also in Vista there is new file with just 'cool' icons.

Anyway, if someone wants to improve TC appearance, he/she should try different existing ICL packs and maybe some own packs - if he/she doesn't like TC standard icons, he/she may dislike any custom icons pack, so he/she should try to find best for himself/herself. It is an easiest thing - to blame creator, but it is a best thing - to do something nice and to allow people to use it.

You want to see 'better' icons. What exactly? In which way better? There are infinity of possible views and how will we know which of them do you prefer?

And, please show me software of 80's which looks so nice as modern TC - its very interesting for me to see it.

[neverthelesshello]

my whole point really is that it should be made to look as nice as possible from the beginning so that new users wont have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to change it.
The reason I made this post is because I am a member of a few forums and Tc gets mentioned every time they discuss file managers. I have seen so many people comment that they tried TC but it looked horrible so they moved on. I havent heard anyone complain of how another file manager looks - Just TC!
I can live with it but my point is I think TC is loosing users because of how it looks.

[karlchen]

Hello, neverthelesshello. Hello, MVV.

my whole point really is that it should be made to look as nice as possible from the beginning so that new users wont have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to change it.

And my previous post was meant to support this idea, even though the overall concept may be a bit too rough and even though using icons from shell32.dll may be not a good idea. But this is a minor implementation detail. We should not start discussing the details of implementation bevor we have agreed on the basic idea.

Anyway:
What I have in mind is similar to what you can do e.g. in Firefox. You download and install a pre-fabricated configuration set which modifies the appearance of your Firefox: Firefox themes (side note: urgh, I dislike this personas stuff).

Basically, the following factors determine what your Total Commander looks like:

• (1) the basic Windows appearance: Classic Theme vs. Luna or Classic vs. Aero or Classic Theme vs. <whatever_the_new_theme_name_is>
  (It is really hard to make T.C. or any programme look good on a Classic Theme. - My perspective.)
• (2) directory brackets on or off
• (3) T.C. filepanel background colors and using alternating background colors for even and for odd lines
• (4) Fonts used for file panels and dialogue boxes
• (5) Iconsets used for the filepanels and for the buttonbars

I know that you can modify each of the listed configuration groups manually. Yet, why not offer 3 basic different configuration sets for Total Commander which in particular new T.C. users can choose from and which will take care of items (2) ... (5)? Offering 3 such pre-fabricated configurations would make it very easy for new or unexperienced or lazy users to find out that T.C. can "wear different clothes". Those who wish to fine tune the interface in more detail will not lose anything, because they will still be able to do so in the same way as today.

Why just 3 pre-fabricated configuration sets:

This is mostly a pragmatic decision. There is only one developer. There is only one stickynomad. So resources are limited. Moreover we do not really wish to force Christian to raise the license fees, do we.
Moreover, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder only. So even if T.C. came along with a dozen pre-fabricated configurations sets, there would still be people who would not like any of the offered interface designs.

Kind regards,
Karl

[Lefteous]

2karlchen

There is only one developer. There is only one stickynomad. So resources are limited. Moreover we do not really wish to force Christian to raise the license fees, do we.

The tears are tripping me. More people would buy and use the program if it wouldn't look as it does right now.
One great design would be just fine.

beauty lies in the eye of the beholder only

You have to admit that there are many eyes out there complaining about TC's aesthetics.

[karlchen]

Hi, Lefteous.

beauty lies in the eye of the beholder only

You have to admit that there are many eyes out there complaining about TC's aesthetics.

You may have noticed that my sentence has not been used to reject requests to polish the Total Commander interface. The opposite is true.

Cheers,
Karl

[StickyNomad]

More people would buy and use the program if it wouldn't look as it does right now.
One great design would be just fine.

Do you mean the buttonbar icons or TC's UI?

[Lefteous]

2StickyNomad
Icons and other aspects of the UI must be considered as a whole.