PhotoLine UI Icons Customization Project

[shijan]

I decide to start this customization project because not too happy with current PhotoLine UI (see my earlier feedback here: https://www.pl32.com/forum3/viewtopic.p ... 297#p46729 and here: https://www.pl32.com/forum3/viewtopic.p ... 297#p46744

UI icons design is very hard and time consuming work, and because i don't have enough qualification and time to redraw all icons in vector from scratch, i decide just extract UI icons from Photoshop CC2018 (see this guide http://mteam7.com/blog/cc-splash ) and put them to PhotoLine for quick test purposes.

This is very very first beta version i done during 2-3 days, it is very far from perfect and there are a lot of things should be done in future.

Download current version from my DeviantArt gallery here https://www.deviantart.com/shijan/art/825902404

Hope this customization pack will help new users to migrate more easily from other apps to PhotoLine and also maybe will help developers to rethink and redesign icons logic and style in future. Feel free to participate and improve.

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beta 1.0
Toolbox:
- Icons are temporary imported from other apps and some manually redrawn.
- Icons are arranged to match Photoshop tools logic.
- Brighter and darker brush tools are only slightly redrawn. I decide don't change those icons to Photoshop's Dodge and Burn Tools, because brighter and darker feels more user friendly.
- Removed gradients from Batman Mask icons.


Tool Settings and General Toolbar:
- To avoid multiple variations of gear icon, it was replaced to better defined "command" vector icon.
- Some other icons are simplified, and some imported from Photoshop.


Layers:
- bottom toolbar icons are redrawn, and some imported from Photoshop.
- More simplified larger sized icons.
- To avoid multiple variations of gear icon, it was replaced to better defined "command" icon
- To avoid multiple variations of gear icon, Adjustment layer effects icon was replaced to better defined Photoshop icon.
- Eye icon imported from Photoshop PDF file.


Adjustment layer:
- White background for tools for better visibility (but those buttons still looks far from perfect and not well aligned).
- Some other icons are simplified, and some imported from Photoshop
- [Request to Developer] Those ultra tiny docked adjustment layer toolbars should be really somehow unified in size with other toolbars. It is a real pain to use those microscopic scaled icons.
- [Request to Developer] Option to customize RGB switches icons and other similar color labels also visible in Channel Mixer, Gray Mixer and other similar tools.


Actions:
- bottom toolbar icons are redrawn, and some imported from Photoshop.


Layer:
- Chain Lock icon imported from Photoshop.
- For better visual usability if values are unlocked - Chain Lock icon is invisible (behave similar to Photoshop).


Gradient types preview icons are improved:

[bruce1951]

Lots of work there shijan.

Just a comment that may not be welcome!!
While I think some will appreciate the Photoshop similarities many of us have never used Photoshop and thus don't miss the icons. While others have come from Photoshop and have become familiar with the PL icons and don't miss the Photoshop icons.

Having now discouraged you I do believe that the icons in PL need some upgrading. Maybe not a priority for the developers but many users see the PL UI and move on never bothering to see what is under the icon. Looks do matter for many users and potential users.

I would encourage you to keep going with your project. Many may ignore your work but others may love it. Maybe the developers will take onboard some of your suggestions and consider a makeover for PL.

good luck.

[Juan]

It is nice, although yeah taking them from another application is a little bit risky because copyright, but as a personal test is very fine.
Here you can see my icon set proposal, I did them by modifying the base PL icons. If you keep checking that topic you will find some ideas about cleaning up the UI noise.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5974&hilit=Icons

Cheers,
Juan

[Hoogo]

...yeah taking them from another application is a little but risky because copyright, but as a personal test is very fine...

Just that.
Nobody cares what you do for your own purpose, but you can't rip graphics from other apps and publish that!

[Herbert123]

...yeah taking them from another application is a little but risky because copyright, but as a personal test is very fine...

Just that.
Nobody cares what you do for your own purpose, but you can't rip graphics from other apps and publish that!

I agree with Hoogo: by publishing Adobe's icons in this thread, you (Shijan) are breaking copyright law. While I like what you are doing as a personal project, I think you should remove the link to that icon file from these forums.

Perhaps it is an idea to use the icons from open source projects (like Krita, Scribus and Gimp) instead. But by publishing the PS icons you risk legal action - and against this forum (and the PhotoLine developers).

Please remove the link asap.

[shijan]

...yeah taking them from another application is a little but risky because copyright, but as a personal test is very fine...

Just that.
Nobody cares what you do for your own purpose, but you can't rip graphics from other apps and publish that!

OK. I removed direct download link from this thread. See my DeviantArt gallery for details https://www.deviantart.com/shijan/gallery/

[Juan]

@shijan, if you want you can grab the icons that I made and modify them as you please, no copyright problems there.

Cheers,
Juan

[shijan]

@shijan, if you want you can grab the icons that I made and modify them as you please, no copyright problems there.

My main idea here was to preserve Photoshop icons here. I still forced to use Photoshop at work, but i already order PhotoLine for home usage and for very specific film negative scans processing workflow. The tools are 99% the same and less difference between tool icons makes my work way simpler. So redrawing another random icons set feels like useless idea for me.
PhotoLine use rather huge icons set because almost every tool may be placed to custom toolbar as icon. This is good for users but bad for icon designers Probably i will limit project to only additional icons that i use in toolbar.
Vector icons drawn in PLD file actually works very well. This feels like SVG vector based interface, so respect to coders. Works well when settings set to large and medium size. I don't tested it, but probably it should work well on high DPI displays. But here are problems as well:
- Seems original icons where designed to support drop shadow effect so they all de-centred. A lot of icons just have randomly shifted center. Not too accurate.
- For tiny 15x15 and 17x17 pixels sizes icons should be drawn with snapping to pixel grid to preserve crisp appearance. But unfortunately original icons set just drawn in vector and placed as is without preserving to pixels.
- Shape of most original vector drawings is very random and freehand-like. This also makes some visual problems and less clean pixel look.

[shijan]

beta 2.
- Customized CursorsUser.pld to match more common vector drawing tools logic.
- "Mark extreme values" icon replaced to more commonly used exclamation mark sign.
- Some additional icons improvements.

[shijan]

beta 3 released. Few changes in icons and cursors...

[shijan]

beta 4.1 and 4.2 released. Some attempt to make Levels Auto Correction icons easier to read.

[shijan]

beta5 BIG RELEASE!
Icons reassembled based on more resent PicturesSimpleUser.pld. Make sure to select it in PhotoLine settings to use beta5.
A lot of new icons replaced.
Some attempts to move to universal icons pack provided by Apple for app developers.

[shijan]

BETA 6
I made some further attempt to add Apple Symbols (SF Pro Display Light) in 15 px height to .pld icons file. Also a lot of another vector icons where manually redrawn.

[shijan]

First it was some mystery with custom icons auto invert in dark UI:


But later seems i found the source of problem. I need click to Color, select Document tab, and select black color to defive "Foreground" color. Seems this sort of tag that explains UI to render inverted in dark mode. Sort of tech stuff... Now i need to redo color for every icon

[shijan]

Beta 7
- Fixed vector icons color to correctly invert in dark UI mode. Raster icons still don't invert in dark UI mode.
- Text format tool icons
- Align arrows icons
- Other changes and improvements...