Assigning .icns after build

Targets macOS
1

Hi. I’ve noticed that no matter what quality images you include in the icons sections of the IDE the produced .icns file found in the resources folder post build does not match the ideal format sizes and quality recommended by Apple, especially to be retina compatible.

So what is the best way to replace them after the build other than always manually copying them over to the resources folder?

Will a Build Step > CopyFiles action work or do I have to use some kind of XojoScript…which I have no idea how to do?

Thanks.

2

Really ?
Which ones dont match this https://developer.apple.com/macos/human-interface-guidelines/icons-and-images/app-icon/ ?

3

Oh and yes you can use a copy file step AFTER build to rewrite the ICNS file if you wanted
If you dont rename the app icns file then you can just copy a new one in

but I’m more curious which ones dont match apple’s specs as they all should

4

That is what I do with CheckWriter with a simple copyfile step.

Note that if you sell on the MAS and use App Wrapper, it lets you replace the original icon as well when you sign the app.

5

My app icns file only has 5 icons in it not 10 with only the first (largest 1024x1024) at 144dpi and my app doc icns file has 6 not 10 with only the first (largest 1024x1024) at 144dpi. I use the Preview inspector to view the icns file information. To put the files in the project I pasted the same 1024x1024 png into each spot…using 2017 R1.1.

6

Thanks, Michel.

7

This might explain it… since Xojo has to scaled down that 1024x1024 into each of the required smaller sizes. The only way to get “the best quality” is to insert pictures of the required size that have already been optimized for best visual results

8

NONE of them should be 144 DPI
They should all be 72 PPI
So the 512x 512 @2x is 1024 x 1024 @72 DPI

9

Have-you checked an icon in the Finder (say: cmd-i, copy the Downloads folder Icon from the Information window), as pasted in Preview ?

10

You can also check the icons in Iconographer, an icon creator made with Xojo.

ohanaware.com/iconographer/

11

I have to confess that I frankly do not understand why this double guessing of the build-in icon editor in the IDE takes place.

In the case of CheckWriter, the same source generates either CheckPrinter with one icon, or CheckWriter, and I move the icon into place afterbuild.

For a single application build, the IDE icon editor works just perfectly.

12

Read the Apple spec I posted - they tell you very clearly what the sizes are

13

I’ve done it.

14 
Icon size (@1x)                     Icon size (@2x)
512px  512px (512pt  512pt @1x)   1024px  1024px (512pt  512pt @2x)
256px  256px (256pt  256pt @1x)   512px  512px (256pt  256pt @2x)
128px  128px (128pt  128pt @1x)   256px  256px (128pt  128pt @2x)
32px  32px (32pt  32pt @1x)       64px  64px (32pt  32pt @2x)
16px  16px (16pt  16pt @1x)       32px  32px (16pt  16pt @2x)

This is what the IDE creates if you fill in all the spots for the app icon