Configuration

Configuration Overview

The Atom Material Icons plugin offers extensive configuration options to customize your IDE’s appearance. All settings are accessible through:

Settings Path: Settings/Preferences → Appearance & Behavior → Atom Material Icons

Basic Configuration

Icon Categories

Control which types of icons are replaced:

Setting	Description	Default
Enable File Icons	Replace file icons with material design alternatives	✅ Enabled
Enable Folder Icons	Replace folder icons with contextual designs	✅ Enabled
Enable UI Icons	Replace toolbar and interface icons	✅ Enabled
Enable PSI Icons	Replace code structure icons (classes, methods, etc.)	✅ Enabled

Visual Customization

Icon Size

• Range: 12px - 24px
• Default: 16px
• Recommended: 14px for performance, 18px for better visibility

Monochrome Filter

Apply a single color to all icons:

• Color Picker: Choose any hex color
• Popular choices:
  • #FFFFFF (white) for dark themes
  • #333333 (dark gray) for light themes
  • #546E7A (blue-gray) for neutral themes

Accent Color

Customize highlights and interactive elements:

• Affects: Close buttons, arrows, progress indicators
• Default: #2196F3 (Material Blue)

Advanced Settings

Arrow Styles

Customize tree view expand/collapse arrows:

Material

Chevron-style arrows (default)

• Modern, consistent with material design
• Smooth, rounded appearance
• Best for material themes

Darcula

Traditional triangle arrows

• Classic IDE appearance
• Sharp, angular design
• Good for dark themes

Plus-Minus

Plus and minus signs

• Clear expand/collapse indication
• Minimal, functional design
• Good for accessibility

Simple Arrows

Basic arrow shapes

• Minimalist appearance
• Low visual noise
• Clean, professional look

None

No arrows displayed

• Maximum simplicity
• Relies on indentation only
• Ultra-minimalist approach

Hollow Folders

Special decoration for folders containing open files:

• Purpose: Visual indication of active/opened folders
• Appearance: Outlined folder icons instead of filled
• Use case: Helpful for large projects with deep folder structures
• Performance: Minimal impact, but can be disabled if not needed

Custom File Associations

Create your own file icon mappings using patterns and regular expressions.

Visual Reference

See the wide variety of file icons available for your custom associations:

Adding Custom Associations

1. Open plugin settings
2. Navigate to “File Associations” tab
3. Click “Add” or ”+” button
4. Define pattern and select icon

Pattern Examples

Pattern	Matches	Use Case
*.test.js	All JavaScript test files	Test files
*.config.*	Any configuration file	Config files
.*\.env.*	Environment files	Environment configs
package\.json$	Exact filename match	Specific files
.*\.(spec|test)\.ts$	TypeScript test files	TypeScript tests

Tip

Use regex patterns for more flexible matching. The .* matches any characters, \. escapes dots, and $ ensures end-of-string matching.

Priority System

When multiple patterns match a file:

• Higher priority wins (0 is lowest)
• Later rules override earlier ones (if same priority)
• Built-in associations have priority 0

Custom Folder Associations

Associate specific icons with folder names:

Visual Reference

Explore the different folder icons available for your custom associations:

Common Patterns

Folder Name	Icon	Description
src, source	Source icon	Source code folders
docs, documentation	Documentation icon	Documentation folders
test, tests, __tests__	Test icon	Test folders
components	Component icon	React/Vue components
utils, utilities	Tools icon	Utility functions
assets, static	Asset icon	Static assets
config, configuration	Config icon	Configuration folders

Case Sensitivity

• Case Sensitive: Exact name matching (default: off)
• Case Insensitive: SRC matches src (recommended)

Performance Optimization

Memory Usage

To reduce memory consumption:

Recommended Settings:
- Icon Size: 12px or 14px
- Monochrome Filter: Disabled (or enabled with single color)
- Custom Associations: < 50 patterns
- Hollow Folders: Disabled if not used

CPU Usage

For better performance:

• Disable unused categories (PSI icons if not needed)
• Simplify regex patterns (avoid complex expressions)
• Limit file watching (fewer custom associations)

Large Projects

For projects with 1000+ files:

• Reduce icon size to 12px
• Enable monochrome filter (single color processing)
• Disable hollow folders
• Use specific patterns instead of broad regex

Configuration File

The plugin stores settings in your IDE’s configuration directory:

Windows

%APPDATA%/JetBrains/[IDE_NAME]/options/atom-material-icons.xml

macOS

~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/[IDE_NAME]/options/atom-material-icons.xml

Linux

~/.config/JetBrains/[IDE_NAME]/options/atom-material-icons.xml

Backup and Restore

To backup your configuration:

1. Copy the atom-material-icons.xml file
2. Store it safely
3. To restore: Replace the file and restart IDE

Export/Import Settings

Use IDE’s built-in export/import:

1. File → Manage IDE Settings → Export Settings
2. Select “Atom Material Icons” plugin
3. Choose export location
4. To import: File → Manage IDE Settings → Import Settings

Troubleshooting Configuration

Settings Not Applying

If changes don’t take effect:

1. Click “Apply” or “OK” in settings
2. Restart the IDE completely
3. Clear caches: File → Invalidate Caches and Restart

Performance Issues

If IDE becomes slow:

1. Reduce icon size to 12px
2. Disable features you don’t use
3. Limit custom associations to essentials
4. Check memory usage in IDE’s performance monitor

Icon Conflicts

If icons look wrong or inconsistent:

1. Check for conflicting plugins (other icon plugins)
2. Reset to defaults and reconfigure
3. Verify file associations aren’t overlapping

Caution

Some theme plugins may override icon settings. Try disabling other visual plugins to identify conflicts.

Best Practices

Organization

• Group similar patterns together
• Use descriptive names for custom associations
• Document complex regex patterns with comments

Maintenance

• Review associations periodically
• Remove unused patterns to improve performance
• Update patterns when project structure changes

Team Settings

• Share configuration via IDE settings export
• Document custom patterns for team members
• Use consistent naming across team projects

What’s Next?

Explore advanced customization options:

• Customization - Create advanced icon mappings
• File Icons - Explore all supported file types
• API Reference - For plugin developers