## Overview

SIC! is a simple and accessible image format converter. It lets you convert images between popular formats, optionally resize them, and process multiple images at once.

### Main window

The main window consists of the following areas:

Menu bar
  Four menus at the top of the window:
  - File — add images (from files, folders, or links), open Settings, or exit the application.
  - Edit — remove selected or all images from the queue. This menu is disabled when the queue is empty.
  - Convert — run conversion or create a multi-size ICO. This menu is disabled when the queue is empty.
  - Help — open this manual, check for software updates, donate, or view the About dialog.
Image list
  The left half of the window shows the batch queue as a table with columns: File Name, Format, Dimensions, Size, and Status.
Preview panel
  The right half of the window displays a preview of the currently selected image.
Controls area
  Below the image list and preview:
  - Target Format dropdown — choose the output format.
  - Resize checkbox — when checked, reveals the resize mode (Keep proportions or Crop) and Width/Height fields.
Conversion buttons
  Convert Selected converts only the highlighted image; Convert All processes every image in the queue.
Status bar
  At the bottom of the window, shows status messages such as conversion progress and results.

## Installation modes

SIC! is available as an installer and as a portable ZIP archive. Both can be downloaded from GitHub Releases or the SIC! website.

SIC! can run in two modes:

Installer (default)
  When installed normally, SIC! stores its configuration, converted files, and logs in `%APPDATA%\Oire\Sic\`. The default output folder is `%APPDATA%\Oire\Sic\Converted\`.
Portable
  If a `userdata` folder exists next to the executable, SIC! runs in portable mode. All data (configuration, converted files, logs) is stored in that `userdata` folder instead of `%APPDATA%`. This lets you run SIC! from a USB drive or any folder without leaving traces on the system.

## Adding images

There are several ways to add images to the queue:

Open files
  Use File > Add Image (`Ctrl+N`) to open a file picker. You can select multiple files at once.
Add a folder
  Use File > Add Folder (`Ctrl+Shift+N`) to add all images from a folder. You can choose which file types to include and whether to scan subfolders.
Add by link
  Use File > Add Image by Link (`Ctrl+L`) to download an image from a URL and add it to the queue.
Drag and drop
  Drag image files from File Explorer and drop them onto the image list.
Paste from clipboard
  Press `Ctrl+V` to paste. SIC! supports pasting files (e.g., copied from File Explorer or Outlook), raw bitmap data (e.g., from Print Screen), and URLs from the clipboard.

## Converting images

1. Add one or more images to the queue.
2. Select the desired target format from the Target Format dropdown.
3. Click Convert All (`Ctrl+Shift+F5`) to convert every image in the queue, or select specific images and click Convert Selected (`F5`).

By default, converted files are saved to a `Converted` folder inside the application data directory. You can change this in Settings.

If a file with the same name already exists, SIC! will ask you whether to overwrite, rename (by adding a `_1` suffix), or skip that file.

## Resizing

Check the Resize checkbox to enable resizing during conversion. Two modes are available:

Keep proportions (default)
  Enter a width, a height, or both. The image will be scaled to fit within the given dimensions while preserving its aspect ratio. If you enter only one dimension, the other is calculated automatically.
Crop
  Both width and height are required. The image is resized to cover the target dimensions, then cropped to the exact size.

When you select an image in the list with resize enabled, the width and height fields are pre-filled with the image's current dimensions.

## Creating multi-size ICO files

To create an ICO file that contains multiple sizes (useful for application icons):

1. Select an image in the list.
2. Choose Convert > Create Multi-size ICO (`Ctrl+Alt+F5`).
3. Pick a preset or configure custom sizes in the dialog that appears.

The following presets are available:

Favicon
  Generates sizes 16, 32, 48, and 64 pixels. A favicon is the small icon displayed in browser tabs, bookmarks, and address bars. This preset covers all the sizes commonly expected by web browsers.
Application icon
  Generates sizes 16, 20, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, and 256 pixels. This covers the full range of sizes Windows uses for application icons — from small taskbar icons to the large tiles shown in Explorer.
Custom
  Lets you build your own list of sizes. Starts with the previously selected preset as a base, then you can add or remove individual sizes.

## Settings

Open File > Settings (`Ctrl+,`) to configure:

Output folder
  Set a custom folder where all converted files will be saved. Click Reset to restore the default `Converted` folder inside the application data directory.
Language
  Choose the interface language. Select System to follow your Windows language setting.
Confirm on exit with non-empty queue
  When enabled (the default), SIC! asks for confirmation before closing if there are images remaining in the queue. Uncheck this option to exit without a prompt.

Settings are stored in `Sic.cfg` inside the application data directory (see Installation modes for the exact location).

## Software updates

SIC! can check for new versions automatically. An update check runs on startup and then every 24 hours while the application is running. You can also check manually via Help > Check for Updates.

When an update is available, SIC! shows a dialog with the new version number. You can choose to update, skip this version, or be reminded later. If you click Update, the new version is downloaded automatically. Once the download finishes, a confirmation dialog appears with Install and Cancel buttons. Clicking Install starts the installation.

## Command-line usage

SIC! can also be used from the command line without opening the graphical interface. This is useful for scripting or batch processing.

    sic -i input.png -o output.jpg
    sic --input photo.bmp --output photo.webp
    sic -i avatar.png -o avatar.ico --resize 128x128
    sic -i photo.jpg -f png --resize 800x

`--input`, `-i` (required)
  Path to the source image.
`--output`, `-o`
  Path to the output file. The target format is inferred from the file extension.
`--format`, `-f`
  Target format name (e.g., `png`, `jpg`). Use this instead of `--output` to auto-generate the output path.
`--resize`, `-r`
  Resize the image. Format: `WxH`, `Wx` (width only), or `xH` (height only).
`--crop`, `-c`
  Crop instead of scaling proportionally. Requires both width and height in `--resize`.

Either `--output` or `--format` must be provided (but not both).

## Keyboard shortcuts

Action | Shortcut
--- | ---
Add image | `Ctrl+N`
Add folder | `Ctrl+Shift+N`
Add image by link | `Ctrl+L`
Settings | `Ctrl+,`
Remove selected image | `Delete`
Remove all images | `Ctrl+Shift+Delete`
Paste from clipboard | `Ctrl+V`
Convert selected | `F5`
Convert all | `Ctrl+Shift+F5`
Create multi-size ICO | `Ctrl+Alt+F5`
User manual | `F1`
About SIC! | `Shift+F1`
Donate | `Ctrl+Shift+D`
Exit | `Escape` / `Alt+F4`

## Supported formats

Format | Extensions | Notes
--- | --- | ---
JPEG | .jpg, .jpeg | Widely supported, lossy compression
PNG | .png | Lossless, supports transparency
WebP | .webp | Modern format, good compression
ICO | .ico | Windows icon format
BMP | .bmp | Uncompressed bitmap
TIFF | .tiff, .tif | Lossless, used in print/scanning
GIF | .gif | Limited to 256 colors
AVIF | .avif | Modern format, excellent compression

## Troubleshooting

A cloud file cannot be loaded
  Files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint that haven't been downloaded locally appear as cloud placeholders. SIC! will detect this and ask if you want to download them first.
Conversion fails for a specific file
  Check that the file is a valid image and not corrupted. SIC! logs detailed errors to the `logs` folder inside the application data directory.
The output folder no longer exists
  If the custom output folder has been deleted or moved, SIC! will warn you and fall back to the default `Converted` folder.