Organize Custom Icons

[ManFromNapa]

I added some custom icons to Logic and got to wondering... is there a way to organize them?  Is there a way to create folders for different custom icon types?

[Attracks pilot]

Hi ManFromNappa,

This link will provide you with what you need to know to organize track icons in general.

I'm not aware of the possibility to create folders, but this way you probably don't need that. Let me know if you need more info.

 

 

[ManFromNapa]

10 hours ago, Attracks pilot said:

Hi ManFromNappa,

This link will provide you with what you need to know to organize track icons in general.

I'm not aware of the possibility to create folders, but this way you probably don't need that. Let me know if you need more info.

This is great.  It got me started.  

As you said, IconPickerConfiguration.plist appears to be how the icons are sorted, and InstrumentIcons.plist appears to be how they are registered (?).  I was able to start to identify how the files are laid out, but can't find anything related to the custom icons area.  All the entries seem to be for the stock icons.  Is there a different file?

[Attracks pilot]

4 hours ago, ManFromNapa said:

This is great.  It got me started.  

As you said, IconPickerConfiguration.plist appears to be how the icons are sorted, and InstrumentIcons.plist appears to be how they are registered (?).  I was able to start to identify how the files are laid out, but can't find anything related to the custom icons area.  All the entries seem to be for the stock icons.  Is there a different file?

You're welcome! Great that you got started. 😉

Indeed InstrumentIcons.plist registers all icons.

Concerning the custom icons, I don't know yet how they are registered. I will check that one of these days and get back to you.

[Attracks pilot]

I tried to find out how Logic organises the custom icons.

Tbh: I only found the categories, but no structure at all.

I will try again at a later stage.

[Attracks pilot]

Sorry, but I didn't find out how LPX organizes its custom icons. Apparently, ID_0999 is referred to for that purpose, but it's only that big "+"-sign. So far, I was not able to track down the reference to the added custom icons itself... but LPX should keep track of them.

Anyway, it is not possible to organize custom icons by folder or alike. You have to do it "by hand".

Maybe... one day... you never know... 🤓

[ManFromNapa]

5 hours ago, Attracks pilot said:

Sorry, but I didn't find out how LPX organizes its custom icons. Apparently, ID_0999 is referred to for that purpose, but it's only that big "+"-sign. So far, I was not able to track down the reference to the added custom icons itself... but LPX should keep track of them.

Anyway, it is not possible to organize custom icons by folder or alike. You have to do it "by hand".

Maybe... one day... you never know... 🤓

Yeah... I haven't spend more time on this either.  I was gonna try digging around a little this weekend and see if I can find anything.  If I do I'll update this.

[Phil Bauch]

On 5/6/2023 at 8:11 PM, ManFromNapa said:

This is great.  It got me started.  

As you said, IconPickerConfiguration.plist appears to be how the icons are sorted, and InstrumentIcons.plist appears to be how they are registered (?).  I was able to start to identify how the files are laid out, but can't find anything related to the custom icons area.  All the entries seem to be for the stock icons.  Is there a different file?

Hi, while searching myself something about this, I found your question, which I can clear up a bit (although lot remains to be unlcear, too) 🙂

We have to plist files, as you already have noticed. In the InstrumentIcons icons are registered and they have their attributes their, too.

<key>ID_1234</key>
<dict>
  <key>category</key>
  <string>Percussion|Shaker</string>
  <key>description</key>
  <string>maracas</string>
  <key>imageName</key>
  <string>maracas</string>
  <key>supportsTinting</key>
  <false/>
</dict>

A brief explain:

1. First comes the ID. Every integer not already used seems to be possible. In lates LPX, the last entry is ID_0999, the "Add Icon" Symbol (which is actually the only icon that can't be used as an icon hahaha)

So, which ID can you use?
ID_1000 (somehow logical)
but also ID_2000, or even ID_4000.

However, ID_4999 fails. Higher numbers, too. There's not a logic for me, it's weird also to put the String "ID_" as prefix. I wondered if I could use another namespace, e.g. PB_2000 (my initials), to avoid conflicts, but it must be ID. This is somehow weird, but might be bad heritage/legacy stuff..

Lets go on:
2. Category might be any string, to be honest, I don't know where it's used. Maybe screenreader?
3. Description is actually the same, maybe some Help, too. It's not written anywhere...

4. imageName is finally the file-name (without suffix). The image must be in the folder "Ressources, inside the app package (see screenshot if path attached). It seems you can uses png, tiff and even svg /which I prefer for being lossless scalable). Again, no suffix needed.

Last and 5., supportsTinting (Boolean). Use true or false to use orginal icons color or overlay it with TrackColor (works of course best with greyscale images)

 

Now let's have a look at the second plist, the IconPickerConfiguration. Here we have two sections, which have to be edited. Lets start with the second, and build some groups, that will be displayed in the left pane of the picker as category. Scroll down toIconPicker Configuration. In this dictionary the second array is named "SortedIconCategories". You can register a new category here. Firs entry is the key (in my case pbm_icon_master), second the name as shown in the Picker (here "My Icons").  

When your done with that, scroll up to InstrumentIconGroups. This is the place, where you "fill" your new category with the Items our registered before. Note, that you can use here additional array entries, which will be treated like "sections". So you can make some subsorting there (and of course, extend the given LPX categories by new sub-sections, if you prefer this. 

One last thing: Since latest LPX my XCode doesn't allow me any more changes in the plists. Maybe some settings stuff, anyway I prefer Visual Studio Code. XCode is nice by interface to understand better the structure, but VC Code is more versatile (and of course with lots of extensions)

I hope that gave you some new ideas? I'm actually working on some Track Icons Set, and thinking about setting up a web app. It's very basic by design, as this is what I like when composing with 100 tracks, effects, sub groups etc. I don't need no lovely golden trumpets and brown violins, I prefer it to have it simple. Started with that when I gave my LPX a nice new makeup with LPX Colorizer. Attached aome screenshot of the mixer section 

Cheers and have fun with you icons, I'll go on here too

Phil