Appearance Settings How-To

Intro

Appearance Settings are available in the Appearance Settings pane which is linked to from the Dashboard pane of Foo IRC. The settings focus on various interface customizations available in Foo IRC.

FAQs

How to change Foo IRC to use a light theme?

Theme Style provides a couple of light theme options. Leveled Light is a mix of white and light gray backgrounds while Minimal Light is mostly while.

What type of suggestions can be shown in the auto suggest box?

Depending the the view opened, suggestions can be for IRC commands, text formats, nicknames, or channels.

IRC Commands/Aliases: If you type / in the send message textbox, the auto suggest box will begin to show IRC commands or aliases that begin with the text immediately following the /. Any new commands added via Aliases or Auto Actions with be shown in this list if applicable.

Text Formats: If you type \ in the send message textbox, the auto suggest box will begin to show options for inputting mIRC style text formatting codes (bold, italics, colors). Once one is selected, the invisible character will be inputted in the textbox. If you are unfamiliar with how to use the format characters, we recommend you enable Show Text Format Button and use the controls it provides instead.

Nicknames: If you type @ in the send message textbox of a channel view, the auto suggest box will begin to show nicknames of users in the channel that begin with the text immediately following the @.

Channels: If you type # in the send message textbox, the auto suggest box will begin to show names of channels that you are currently joined to on the server or that you have set as saved channels in the server settings.

How to always keep the channel list and user list visible in the IRC View?

The channel list, messages, and user are considered sections of a channel view. To show all three sections when all three would fit, set [Max Number of Sections (Landscape Mode)](../../howto/appearancesettingshowto#Max_Number_of_Sections_(Landscape_Mode) to 3.

The text colors used for some types of messages are hard to see. How can they be changed?

All message text colors are configurable in the Message Colors section.

How to change the way messages are displayed (e.g. <nickname> vs. nickname:)?

Channel message templates control how messages are displayed in the chat view. You can change everything from the characters surrounding nicknames and timestamps to the full CSS styling of the chat view.

Full Overview

All Appearance Settings

Interface

Use TV Safe Window Size: On devices that only support full screen for apps, this ensure that the full window is completely visible on the screen. For most TV configuration, this should not be needed and will add a black area surrounding the app window if turned enabled. For most phones, this should remain enabled, otherwise the OS's navigation bar and status bar might hide portions of the app window. Xbox Default: Off, Other Default: On

Use Display Layout Scaling: The app will have elements scaled larger to best match certain display sizes and expected viewing distance. On most display, this setting will not have an effect. Default: On

Show Side Pane on the Right: The menu button and the side overlay it opens will be shown on the right of the app rather than on the left. Default: Off

Show Server Activity Marker: If a server is not in view and any new message is displayed in a server console, channel, or private message, a blue dot will be displayed next to the server name in the server list until the server is in view. Default: On

Show Console Activity Marker: If a server console is not in view and any new message is displayed in the console, a blue dot will be displayed next to the console item in the server list until the server is in view. Default: Off

Show Channel Activity Marker: If a channel is not in view and any new message is displayed in the channel, a blue dot will be displayed next to the channel name in the channel list until the channel is in view. Default: On

Only Show Activity Markers For User Messages: Activity markers will be shown only if the message is sent from a user. Default: Off

Show Auto Suggestions: When typing words that begin with certain special characters (i.e. /, \, @, #), suggestions will be shown below the textbox on a IRC view with a list of words (i.e. IRC command, formatting option, nickname, channel name) that best complete what is being typed. Default: On

Show Text Format Button: Adds a button next to the text box in chat views which provides access to mIRC style text formatting options. Default: Off

Show Section Switcher: Enables the section switcher which provides clickable items that brings the corresponding section (i.e. channel list, messages, user list) into view if they are not already. Default: On

Show Channel List at Top: Rather than showing the channel list vertically in the body of the IRC View, the channel list will be shown horizontally below the server list. Default: Off

Max Number of Sections (Landscape Mode): When the app window is detected as being of dimensions that are large enough to be considered as landscape mode, this setting controls how many sections (i.e. channel list, messages, user list) will be shown side-by-side at once if applicable. Default: 3

Max Number of Sections (Portrait Mode): When the app window is detected as being of dimensions that are large enough and have a ratio that matches what can be considered as portrait mode, this setting controls how many sections (i.e. channel list, messages, user list) will be shown side-by-side at once if applicable. Default: 2

Theme

Theme Style: Styling options for the background and foreground colors used throughout the app. Leveled themes cannot be used with a background image. Minimal themes provide proper transparencies for background images to display properly. Default: Leveled Dark

Message Font

Font Weight: Change the font weight (e.g. narrow, bold) of chat view messages. Default: Off

Font Size: Change the font size of chat view messages. Default: 14

Font Family: Change the text of the chat view to a different typeface. Default: Segoe UI

Nickname Colors

Color Code Nicknames: Nicknames displayed in channels or private messages are shown with different text colors to differientiate between nicknames. When the Theme Style is light, colors set in Light Theme Nickname Colors are used, otherwise, the colors set in Dark Theme Nickname Colors are used. Default: On

Light Theme Nickname Colors: The set of colors used when Foo IRC is set to use a light theme and Color Code Nicknames is turned on.

Dark Theme Nickname Colors: The set of colors used when Foo IRC is set to use a dark theme and Color Code Nicknames is turned on.

Message Colors

Use Default User Message Colors: User and uncategorized server messages will use the foreground color that is default for the chosen dark or light theme. Default: On

User Messages: The foreground color of user messages. If User Messages is on, this value is ignored. Default: #FF000000

Action Messages: The foreground color of action (/me) messages. Default: #FF950085

CTCP Messages: The foreground color of CTCP messages. Default: #FFE50050

Notices: The foreground color of NOTICE messages. Default: #FFFF6A00

Channel Joins: The foreground color of JOIN messages. Default: #FF7F7F7F

Channel Parts: The foreground color of PART messages. Default: #FF7F7F7F

Channel Kicks: The foreground color of KICK messages. Default: #FFFF0000

Quits: The foreground color of QUIT messages. Default: #FF7F7F7F

Nickname Changes: The foreground color of nickname changed messages. Default: #FF1E31E4

Channel Mode Changes: The foreground color of channel modes changed messages. Default: #FF7F7F7F

User Mode Changes: The foreground color of user modes changed messages. Default: #FF7F7F7F

Topic Changes: The foreground color of topic changed messages. Default: #FF7F7F7F

WHO Responses: The foreground color of WHO, WHOIS, and WHOWAS messages. Default: #FF7F7F7F

Other Messages: The foreground color of server messages and other messages that are not categorized. If User Messages is on, this value is ignored. Default: #FF000000

Notification Messages: The foreground color of inline notification messages. Default: #FFFF6A00

Timestamps: The foreground color of the timestamp shown as a prefix to messages when Show Message Timestamp is on. Default: #FF7F7F7F

Links: The foreground color of hyperlinks in messages. Default: #FF9C72FF

Message Highlights: The foreground color of messages that are highlighted. Default: #FFFF6A00

Chat Templates

Template Name: Drop down to select the chat message template to change. The value will show Template Text.

Template Text: The template used to define how messages are displayed in the chat view. HTML is accepted. Some template variables correspond to template names.

Reset to Default: Change the template text back to the client's default value.