[Idea]: Proposal for Allowing Addition of Custom Ico Directory

[VistaQvQ]

Overview of the requested feature

It is suggested to add custom icon sets to make this open-source project more engaging and extensible.

Reason for the request

I tried simply replacing the icon set, but it seems an error occurred due to an issue with the number of files. However, I don't think this is a serious problem because I believe I can fix it. It just requires a bit of time to go through the entire project, which isn't too big of an issue. Still, I think allowing custom runners would be an interesting feature. By specifying the requirements for the icon set, users could choose different runners just like changing the "theme" of a computer.
This request might seem like a lazy option, but if the suggestion is adopted, wouldn’t it be great to give more people without programming experience a chance to try out this project?

Related Issues

No response

Check List

• The proposed feature is beneficial to a wide range of users and not just a personal preference.
• Checked that no similar requests already exist.

[Anandb71]

This is a great idea to make the project more extensible. The "number of files" error likely occurs because the animation frame arrays are currently hardcoded in the source.
I would like to help implement this feature. To ensure we maintain optimal performance and keep the logic lightweight, I propose the following approach:
Dynamic Loading: Read custom .ico files from a designated directory and dynamically allocate the array size based on the valid files found.
Memory Caching: Load the custom icons into memory only once (upon selection or startup) to prevent any disk I/O overhead during the animation loop.
Fallback: Safely revert to the default runner if the custom directory is empty, missing, or contains invalid files.

@Kyome22, if this approach aligns with the project's standards, I’d be happy to start working on a PR. Let me know your thoughts.

[Kyome22]

@Anandb71 This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but I’ve been putting it off because it’s a major feature. It’s a big challenge since it will likely require a window UI beyond just a context menu.

Have you ever used the macOS version?
The macOS version already has a feature for registering custom runners. Originally, this wasn't built for users; it was a temporary feature I created to test new runners, which I eventually opened up to the public. I think it would be really cool if we could provide an experience similar to the macOS version.

[Anandb71]

@Kyome22

I haven't used the macOS version personally, but I completely agree with matching that experience to keep things consistent across platforms.

Building a dedicated, lightweight window UI for registering and previewing the runners makes a lot more sense than just cramming it into a context menu.

If you have any screenshots or specific details on how the macOS UI handles this, feel free to share them! Otherwise, I can research how it looks on Mac and start putting together a simple UI prototype for Windows to make sure we're heading in the right direction.

[Kyome22]

The UI for the macOS version looks like this.

[Anandb71]

@Kyome22
This is incredibly helpful, thank you for sharing!

To adapt this seamlessly for the Windows version, here is what I propose:

1. Entry Point: Since Windows relies on the system tray context menu rather than a large dashboard, we can simply add a "Self-Made Runners..." option to the existing right-click menu.
2. The UI Window: Clicking that option will open a new, dedicated window (using WinForms/WPF) that closely mimics the layout in your screenshot:
   • A sidebar on the left for the list of custom runners.
   • A main area with the Runner Name, "Use original color" toggle, and a grid to manage the individual frames.
   • A live preview section with a speed slider at the bottom.

One quick question before I start mocking this up: I notice the macOS version specifies PNG format in the requirements. In my original proposal, I mentioned an .ico directory. Would you prefer we support PNGs on Windows as well to keep the runner files compatible across both operating systems, or should we stick to standard Windows .ico files?

Let me know your thoughts on the format, and I will start building the UI prototype!

[Kyome22]

It is not necessary to perfectly replicate the UI of the macOS version. For the Apple version, the layout is designed using standard components in accordance with the Human Interface Guidelines. Since Windows likely has equivalent guidelines, it is fine as long as you can create a Windows-like layout that basically follows them.

[Kyome22]

To begin with, the required aspect ratios and resolutions are different, so you don't need to worry about compatibility with the macOS version.
However, due to a recent improvement, we now load PNG files instead of ICO files to support both light and dark themes. Therefore, it's best to use PNG-based files. Whether we should allow users to use the original colors of the images or restrict them to silhouettes for the initial version is still open for discussion.

[Anandb71]

@Kyome22

Understood! Switching to PNG files makes perfect sense, especially for handling the light/dark theme transitions smoothly.

Since keeping the initial version lightweight and easy to review is the goal, I think it's best to restrict them to silhouettes only for now. We can always add support for original colors in a later update once the core custom runner loading is stable.

I will design a clean, native Windows layout using standard WPF/WinForms components that fits the OS guidelines rather than perfectly copying the Mac version. I'll get started on the prototype!

[Kyome22]

Since keeping the initial version lightweight and easy to review is the goal, I think it's best to restrict them to silhouettes only for now. We can always add support for original colors in a later update once the core custom runner loading is stable.

I agree with this as well. Let's take it one step at a time.

[VistaQvQ]

Since keeping the initial version lightweight and easy to review is the goal, I think it's best to restrict them to silhouettes only for now. We can always add support for original colors in a later update once the core custom runner loading is stable.

I agree with this as well. Let's take it one step at a time.

I'm glad the suggestion has the potential to become a feature.I've considered adding a motion blur feature to this, what makes the animation more intuitive in some cases.But in the end, I gave it up. it might become a future discussion.

[Anandb71]

@VistaQvQ

Thanks for opening the issue and suggesting this in the first place! It really is a great feature to add.

Your motion blur idea is actually really cool, it would definitely make the animations look much smoother and more dynamic at high CPU loads.

Like we said, let's get this core foundational version merged and stable first. Once that's done, we should absolutely open a new issue to discuss adding motion blur and original color support down the road.

Thanks again for sparking the idea!

[Kyome22]

It would be counterproductive if RunCat itself puts a heavy load on the CPU due to motion blur. Caution is needed in that regard.