Icon quality deteriorates as size increases

[moninah]

If I set the size of the top bar and the middle bar to 80, the quality of the icons becomes worse (blurry and step-like):

Image: https://imgur.com/a/Jwm3WMf

Is there any way I can increase the size of the icons without losing quality, or what is the maximum acceptable size without losing the quality of the icons?

Thanks

[Sir_SiLvA]

Is there any way I can increase the size of the icons without losing quality

No ofc not as making small images bigger will always leed to quality loss.
Just get bigger Icons.

[moninah]

No ofc not as making small images bigger will always leed to quality loss.
Just get bigger Icons.

Where I can get them? And how do know what maximum size can be used without losing quality?

[Dalai]

You should set the size to a multiple of 16. That could make it a little bit better. Still, the icons shipped with TC are 48px at the maximum, so any size above that will be scaled. And since scaling is bad, you really should stick with 48px. Or use a custom icon library that contains larger icons. No idea where to get such a lib though; maybe try totalcmd.net.

Regards
Dalai

[moninah]

You should set the size to a multiple of 16. That could make it a little bit better. Still, the icons shipped with TC are 48px at the maximum, so any size above that will be scaled. And since scaling is bad, you really should stick with 48px. Or use a custom icon library that contains larger icons. No idea where to get such a lib though; maybe try totalcmd.net.

If I understand you correctly, then I can enter values up to 48 in the “Button Bar” and “Button Bar 2 (Vertical)” settings, and the maximum size will be set to 48x48 without loss of quality, right?

Screenshot:

Image: https://imgur.com/kuSJmco

[beb]

2moninah

Notepad in your screenshot is not an ideal example here.
Total Commander is getting Notepad icons right from the Notepad.exe itself where they were put by Microsoft and sized as follows:
16x16, 24x24, 32x32; 48x48, 256x256.
Image: https://i.imgur.com/LrZHddD.png

Internal Total Commander dedicated icon resources (WCMICON2.DLL, WCMICONS.DLL, etc) are mostly limited to the 16x16, 24x24, 32x32; 48x48 range. Though, the Total Commander exes include 256x256 app icon as well.

So if you need larger perfectly rendered icons there's no other way than to make your custom icon library with the preferable icon sizes.

NB You can use ICLvew plugin to better assess what icons in question you are dealing with.
https://totalcmd.net/plugring/iclview.html

[beb]

Where I can get them?...

I wouldn't dare recommend anything, but I can still share my experience.

Here's my approach:
Since there ain't no ready-to-use icon set available that satisfies my taste, I make my own icon collection from scratch.
As a first step, I take a native Total Commander 'WCMICON2.DLL' icon library and make its copy named as 'wciconex.dll'.
Then I can draw a new individual icon from scratch, or search for one on the Internet to see if there's one available for free and fits my needs at the same time.
Considering the latter, since around 2020 it's the icons8.com (license: icons8.com/license) that gives me individual icons that fit my taste.
So I go there, take an icon there, that is available as .png, and download a set of .png images of all the required sizes (typical range includes 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, 40x40, 80x80, etc).
Then I use a dedicated icon software and make an individual .ico icon file (with an appropriate typical range that includes 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, 40x40, 80x80, etc) from the said set of .png images.
Then I add the newly made icon to the 'wciconex.dll' library.
Then I repeat the above steps as much as needed.

As I can count, my toolbar includes 31 icons by now, and all of them are custom (not a single one is the original Total Commander icon), and fully satisfy my taste at the moment.

That's how it works in my case.

[moninah]

2moninah

Notepad in your screenshot is not an ideal example here.
Total Commander is getting Notepad icons right from the Notepad.exe itself where they were put by Microsoft and sized as follows:
16x16, 24x24, 32x32; 48x48, 256x256.
Image: https://i.imgur.com/LrZHddD.png

Internal Total Commander dedicated icon resources (WCMICON2.DLL, WCMICONS.DLL, etc) are mostly limited to the 16x16, 24x24, 32x32; 48x48 range. Though, the Total Commander exes include 256x256 app icon as well.

The Notepad icon in the screenshot is selected automatically when you open the "Button Bar" settings. I understood how to enlarge the icons, but I still did not understand what the maximum possible value is without losing the quality of all standard icons in the “Button Panel” and “Button Panel 2 (Vertical)” settings.

What is the maximum value I can set for all the default icons without losing quality in this field as shown in the screenshot?

Screenshot:

Image: https://imgur.com/kuSJmco

[beb]

What is the maximum value I can set for all the default icons without losing quality in this field as shown in the screenshot

The 'default' icons in your toolbar are taken from 'WCMICON2.DLL' icon library.
Each icon in the 'WCMICON2.DLL' currently goes in size 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, and 48x48 (max).
The maximum value in the 'Appearance - Size' field currently is 160.

Considering the above as long as the meaning and impact of the relevant settings
( as described here: https://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=80698&p=446946#p446946),
you have two ways:
1. If to use the Size: [field] option only (while the Small icons [ ] option remains unchecked) you have to specify 48 there (max): Size: [48] (in this case you are getting compact 48x48 buttons and the ideally rendered icons of the same 48x48 size within).
2. If to use both the Size: [field] and Small icons [✓] [field] (if checked) you can specify anything from 48 to 160 there (max) (Size: [48] ... Size: [160]), but then you have to specify 48 here (max): Small icons [✓] [48] (in this case you are getting larger 48x48...160x160 buttons and the ideally rendered 48x48 icons within).

That is the answer to your question.

[petermad]

2moninah

You should not tet the Sixe field to 48 - that is the size for the button not for the icon.

Use for example Size: 52 and then use: Small icons : 48

[beb]

2petermad
Thank you for the important note.

...that is the size for the button not for the icon.

Still, it could be both.

Thus, for a user who wants their icon to be maximized as possible, and to be rendered in ideal quality at the same time, the resulting recommendations are as follows.

The relevant button bar 'Appearance' settings:
Size: [field]
Small icons [checkbox] (if the checkbox is unchecked)
Small icons [✓] [field] (if the checkbox is checked)

The Size: [field] is a setting where a user can choose a size for the buttons in the button bar.
The Small icons [ ] is a setting that gives a user an easy way if they want the icons to be the same size as the buttons.
The Small icons [✓] [field] is a setting where a user can choose the icons to be resized to a different size (within the size of the buttons).

For instance, in the case of the default Total Commander WCMICON2.DLL library with the icons 48x48 max:

Size: [48] and Small icons [ ] (unchecked):
- the Size: [48] option defines the size of both the buttons and the icons;
- a user gets buttons of 48x48 size and icons of the size of the buttons (48x48);
- the icons are rendered ideally (in their native max 48x48 size);
- the button bar ribbon is tight/compact.
visual sample: Image: https://i.imgur.com/csjnXhW.png

Size: [52] and Small icons [✓] [48]:
- the Size: [52] option defines the size of the buttons;
- the Small icons [✓] [48] option defines the size of the icons;
- a user gets buttons of 52x52 size and icons of 48x48 size;
- the icons are rendered ideally (in their native max 48x48 size);
- the button bar ribbon is expanded/larger.
visual sample: Image: https://i.imgur.com/zXMkeCn.png

NB As I can see, Size: [field] option value by now is limited to '160' max
(bigger values there are being reset by Total Commander to the 160 size).

[petermad]

In my oppinion, if you do NOT use "Flat icons" (as I don't), unchecking the "Small Icons" checkbox does not look good - if the icons are not flat it generally looks better to set the "Small icons" to a value a little smaller than the "Size" - and then it is important that it is the value for "Small icons" that is set to one of the icon sizes in the library, for example 48

[beb]

2petermad

Oh, that's yet another question. I do prefer "Flat icons"

And thank you again for another important note.

PS You know, for a user who has been dealing with TotalCommander for years (let alone decades), some settings meanings once set, may become a kind of soapy or foggy with time.

[Sir_SiLvA]

PS You know, for a user who has been dealing with TotalCommander for years (let alone decades), some settings meanings once set, may become a kind of soapy or foggy with time.

And thats what the help file is for