2023.5 - BUG/ Feature or I do something wrong?

[RobiWan]

Hi,

long time ago I defined 2 favorites (over start menu) - C1 and DxO PL. It was all fine screenshot 1

But after update to 2023.5 after restart IMatch both apps are in favorites but they are in Toolbar no more visible. 

First after I change setting for one of them from "primary action"  to "not display" and then back to "primary action"

Robert

[Mario]

Try to enable Experimental Features and check if the icons show in the ribbon.
The toolbars are on their way out and will be replaced by ribbons soon.

I've just checked and in my database, the File Window toolbar shows favorites and also when the ribbon is enabled.



Any warnings or log entries mentioning Favorites in the log file?

[RobiWan]

Hi Mario,

thank you for your answer. Yes with enabled Experimental features it's all OK again.... But sorry that looks terrible to me

[Mario]

But sorry that looks terrible to me

What looks terrible?
IMatch asks Windows for the icons of the applications and then renders them in the ribbon.

[RobiWan]

What looks terrible?

The program icons are OK, but the others look bad in my eyes. Like a program from the 1990s, no longer modern. And the bars are much too big after the change

[Mario]

Like a program from the 1990s, no longer modern. And the bars are much too big after the change

We're running the ribbon experimental feature now for several months here in the community.
Search in General Discussion for EXP to find all related topics and discussions.

The goal is to modernize IMatch (face lift) and make it look slicker and more in-line with other popular applications like Adobe or Affinity products.

The genera feedback for the ribbons and the new icons I'm designing is that they look much better and more modern.
I plan to switch IMatch to the modern ribbons and menus early next year.

So far you're the only user telling me that the new icons look like icons from the 90's
Which other applications do you use?

And the bars are much too big after the change

You can control the size of ribbons between (usually 26 pixel) and 128 pixels via the Application preferences.
If you think the default size (32px) is too large for your screen, make the ribbon icons smaller. Or just make the Favorites Panel a bit wider to all icons can fit?  The search box is new and  thus the ribbon requires a bit more width than the old toolbar.

[RobiWan]

You can control the size of ribbons between (usually 26 pixel) and 128 pixels via the Application preferences.

And where exactly? I can't find it in the application settings with a value of 26 or 128. Also nothing that indicates icon size

The only Thread I found about face lift was here

[Mario]

Edit menu > Preferences > Application. Search for ribbon.

[RobiWan]

OK, I found it yet. I use german Interface.
But I can't set it smaller than 36

[Mario]

The minimum height of the ribbon is controlled by the minimum height of Windows control elements like edit boxes and combo boxes which must fit into the ribbon.

The minimum control size is determined by things like DPI settings, text scaling settings etc and controlled by Windows. IMatch retrieves the minimum heights of these controls during startup and sets this as the minimal height for the ribbon (with 2 or 4 pixel top/bottom margin for aesthetics).

On my 4K monitor and my laptop with 2560 pixel (both at the recommended 150% DPI scaling) the minimal height is 26 pixels.

[RobiWan]

On my 4K monitor and my laptop with 2560 pixel (both at the recommended 150% DPI scaling) the minimal height is 26 pixels.

My Windows 11 means on my Gigabyte Aero 16" - recommended scaling is 250% - I have 200% and here I see "only" 36px.

On my Desktop PC with Display 2560px I can set 16px. 
I find it a bit exhausting when the user has to take care of such things. I am not aware of such problems and settings with Adobe, DxO or C1. But maybe it will all be fine after the final change

[Mario]

I find it a bit exhausting when the user has to take care of such things.

You have to take care for what? Dialing in your preferred ribbon icon height once if you don't like the default?

I'm sure you understand that different users use different DPI settings, different resolutions, have different levels of eyesight and preferences.

I have set this once to 32 pixels on my desktop and laptop and never thought about it again. Except for testing.

I have 200% and here I see "only" 36px.

Then this is the minimal height of an edit control / combo box on this system. IMatch cannot go below that, else the controls don't fit in the ribbon.

Sorry that you don't like the icons I've designed for future IMatch versions. The general feedback is positive, though. And they are no longer bitmaps, but vectors. Which allows IMatch to be a lot more responsive towards different screen resolutions, DPI and text scaling settings.

[RobiWan]

I'm sure you understand that different users use different DPI settings, different resolutions, have different levels of eyesight and preferences.

I hope this.
So far, I have not come across any other software where I have to take care of scaling the symbols
Regardless of which scaling I have used on the screen.

Sorry that you don't like the icons I've designed for future IMatch versions

That's not such a big problem. The symbols look much better in smaller sizes.
I don't like the colors at all - that's why it's not a pro/con decision for software. For me, software has to deliver what I'm looking for/need and not just look nice. If it were anything else, I wouldn't give PhotoLine 10 minutes of my time.

Robert

[Mario]

So far, I have not come across any other software where I have to take care of scaling the symbols
 Regardless of which scaling I have used on the screen.

I think using a sensible default and given the user an option to make the ribbon bigger or smaller is a better approach.

Affinity products allow you to choose normal or large icon size (no font size on Windows, many discussions in their boards about this), Photoshop offers 4 different icon sizes I recall, etc. I think having some adaptability is a good thing.

Currently we have only 16px and 32px icons for toolbars - that's because the toolbars use bitmaps.
Ribbons use vectors, which produces crisp icons at any size and gives us more options.

IMatch uses 32px icons by default for screen resolutions >= 1920 pixels.
Ribbons also use 32px icon height, so there should be not much of a difference.

[pmcabinet]

I think I have to agree with RobiWan. It's good to be able to reduce the ribbon size, but the icons do rather recall early Android.

Remember Windows Phone? A very elegant layout of crisp tiles now, sad to say, disappeared. What passes for modern today is in fact post-modern - always a dubious reflection of uncommitted relativism.

Replacing Bauhaus Internationalism with California Playschool is not an advance!

Nonetheless, I understand the thoughtfulness toward users in making the change.

[Mario]

I'm showcasing the new ribbon and icons design for several months now in the corresponding [EXP] thread.
So far the resonance was positive, as far as I can tell from the users who participated.
Looking at the current applications most frequently used in photographic workflows shows a trend to simple icons with reduced colors like the ones I've designed for the ribbons.

I have to keep them similar enough so existing users immediately recognize their meaning. And I have to modernize them somewhat. And I have to do them all as vectors so I can use them in ribbons and in apps I'll write in the future. I'm no designer and I cannot hire one to design icons for 100$ a piece.

Users can always make suggestions and maybe do a simple drawing and upload it when they don't like an icon or have a better idea. I will consider such suggestions.

Remember Windows Phone?

I wasn't born then.