A new feature in the HCL Notes 12.0.1 client allows you to create and display larger application icons on your Notes workspace. Unfortunately, this can create a situation where the workspace is a mix of large and small icons, which might be confusing to end users.
Enter The Icon Embiggenator sidebar app from panagenda! This free application can be installed in the sidebar of a standard (Eclipse-based) HCL Notes client, and it can automatically create larger icons for any database(s) you choose. It can make the workspace above look like this with the click of a button:
How To Install
To install the app, simply download the zip file and drag-and-drop it onto the "My Widgets" panel in your Notes client sidebar.
This will prompt you to install the app and restart your client. After you've restarted the client, you will see The Icon Embiggenator app in your sidebar, like this:
How To Use
There are three modes of functionality: Check, Export, and EMBIGGEN.
Checking Icons
You can use the "Check" button to list the databases that match the server and file path you enter, and to see what kind of icons those databases currently have.
For example, if I leave the Server entry blank (which means "check my local machine"), and use a File Path of "panagenda\*" (which means "all databases in the panagenda folder of my data directory"), I get output in the app that looks like this:
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For each database it shows:
- the database file path
- the ACL access to the database for the current user
- the type of icon currently used by the database: ICO 32px, PNG 32px, or PNG 64px
Exporting Icons
You can use the "Export" button to export the icons currently in the database(s) to a folder on your local file system.
In the example above, if I use the same Server and File Path entries and click "Export", I will see a dialog box that allows me to choose the folder I want to export the icons to.
After I choose the folder and click OK, I can open the folder and see all the icons as PNG files:
Each database will generate at least 2 icon files:
- an ICO_32.png file, which is the small, old bitmap icon
- a PNG_32.png file, if a 32x32 pixel icon exists
- a PNG_64.png file, if a 64x64 pixel icon exists
- a RESIZED_64.png file, auto-generated if a 64x64 pixel icon does not exist
The RESIZED_64.png file is created by The Icon Embiggenator based on the PNG_32 file if it exists; otherwise it will be based on the ICO_32 file.
EMBIGGEN THE ICONS
You can use the "EMBIGGEN THE ICONS" button to automatically create PNG_64 icon files and add them to the databases.
- you can only add new icons to databases that you have either DESIGNER or MANAGER access to in the ACL
- if a 64px icon already exists in the database, a new icon will not be created
We suggest that you use the "Check" and "Export" buttons first, to make sure you will modify the correct databases, and that you like the PNG_64 icon that will be created. The "Export" functionality gives you a backup of any PNG icons that are currently in the database, so running that before using the "EMBIGGEN" button allows you to easily restore the old icons if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What versions of the HCL Notes client are supported?
The Icon Embiggenator can be installed and used on any Windows or MacOS Notes client, version 11.0.1 or higher.
You will need a 12.0.1 or higher Notes client in order to see the larger icons.
It says the icons got embiggened and replaced, but I still see the old icons
The icons for databases on the Notes client workspace will not be refreshed (i.e. you will not see the new icons) until you do one of these things:
- open the database, or
- view the Application Properties for the database (menu option File - Application - Properties), or
- refresh unread count for all databases (menu option View - Refresh Unread Count), or
- remove the database from your workspace and re-add it
If that doesn't work, please make sure you are using a Notes client 12.0.1 or higher. Older Notes clients will always display smaller icons.
Can this work on templates as well as databases?
Yes, all you have to do is make sure your "File Path" entry points to template files. The file path can use wildcard characters, for example:
- templates\*
- *.ntf
- design\*.ntf
Use the "Check" button to test the file path, to see the list of databases that will be returned using that path.
Can I export all the icons, modify them, and add my own custom 64px icons to databases and templates?
Yes, but you will not be able to use The Icon Embiggenator to upload your custom icons. You will need to add them to the databases or templates one at a time.
However, even if you decide to create new 64px icons by hand, using the "Export" functionality of The Icon Embiggenator can save a lot of time by giving you an example of a 64px icon very quickly. In many cases you can simply modify the exported 64px icon instead of starting from scratch.
How were you able to make the resized 64px icons look so nice? When I use a graphics program to upscale from 32px to 64px it makes the image look jagged and super pixelated.
Pixel image upscaling is a well-researched problem in the realm of video game console emulation. There is a good Wikipedia article on pixel-art scaling algorithms you can read if you're interested.
The Icon Embiggenator uses a custom port of the Super-xBR algorithm to upscale the icons.
What does Embiggen mean?
If means "to make something bigger"! The word "embiggen" was invented by The Simpsons, where the town motto of Springfield is "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man". It was formally added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018, and to dictionary.com in 2021.