Getting Started

This chapter helps you install IconVectors and complete the first-run steps.

To browse a folder of SVG icons without closing the current document, choose File ‣ Open Folder…. The central The Icon Explorer shows filenames and generates thumbnails for the visible and nearby range.

System requirements

IconVectors is available for Windows and macOS.

Windows Version

  • Compatible with Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10, and 11

  • Available in 64-bit and 32-bit

  • Intel i5 class CPU — 2.3 GHz+

  • True color GPU and display 1920×1200

  • 8 GB RAM

  • Windows 7 or later

macOS Version

  • Will support 64-bit Intel and Apple silicon (ARM) Macs

  • Any 64-bit Intel-based Mac

  • macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later

Note

System requirements may change between releases. Refer to the product page or download page for the latest information.

Installing IconVectors

  1. Download the installer for your operating system.

  2. Run the installer.

  3. Follow the installation wizard (including accepting the license agreement).

30-Day Trial Period

IconVectors can be used freely for a 30-day trial period starting from the day of installation.

During this time, the application is fully functional — you can create, edit, save, export, and use all features without limitations.

After the 30 days, you can still launch and explore the application, but saving, exporting, and copy/paste operations will be disabled.

To restore full functionality after the trial ends, you need to activate the product using a valid license.

Activating IconVectors

You can activate IconVectors at any time — either during the 30-day trial period or once it has expired.

When you purchase the product online, a license key is associated with your Axialis ID account. This account is created during your first purchase (or linked to your existing one). To activate the application:

  1. Launch IconVectors.

  2. When prompted, sign in using the email and password associated with your Axialis account.

  3. If your account includes a valid license, the application is activated automatically.

An internet connection is required to complete the activation process.

Once activated, your user name appears in the top-right corner of the control bar, indicating that the software is registered and fully functional.

Hint

If you haven’t created an account yet but have a product key, click the Sign Up & Activate with your License Key button to register your key and create your account.

The Workspace

Launching IconVectors opens the main workspace, which includes all the tools you need to create and manage icons. The application starts with a new blank icon (if configured), or you can open an existing file.

The IconVectors workspace is divided into several functional areas:

  • Menu bar (top) — Provides access to all commands such as File, Edit, Icon, Element, Path, View, and Help.

  • Toolbox (left) — Contains drawing and editing tools, such as the selection tool, shape tools, pen, and path editor. Only one tool can be active at a time.

  • Undo/Redo (left) — In the left toolbar you can undo or redo commands. There is no limit in undo/redo operations.

  • Canvas (center) — This is where your icon is drawn and edited. It includes a checkerboard background to indicate transparency, along with visible grids and guides.

  • Control bar (top center) — Displays adjustable properties for the selected element: position, size, color, stroke, opacity, etc.

  • Preview panel (right) — Displays a live preview of the final icon on light or dark background. It updates as you draw and offers quick Pixel/Vector rendering, scale, background, and export options (see The Preview Panel).

  • Layers panel (right) — Lists all the layers and elements in your icon. You can show/hide, group, or rename them for better organization.

  • Status bar (bottom) — Displays the canvas size, an editable zoom level, and helpful hints or shortcuts.

Hint

If you prefer a dark interface, you can change the theme by going to Edit ‣ Preferences, then choosing a color theme under the General tab.

The Canvas and the Icon

The canvas is the space in which your icon is drawn. You can zoom in/out, type an exact zoom percentage in the status bar, drag a zoom area, show or hide the grid, and snap elements for alignment.

With the pointer over the canvas, use Ctrl + mouse wheel to zoom, Alt + mouse wheel to scroll horizontally, or the wheel alone to scroll vertically.

Your icon itself consists of one or more vector elements, such as shapes, paths, or compound elements. These elements are displayed on the canvas but organized in

Layers and Element Stacking

Layers help you organize icons into meaningful parts. You can show/hide them individually, rename them, and reorder them for visual hierarchy.

The Layers panel (right side of the workspace) shows all elements in your document, with icons indicating visibility and object type. Selected layers are highlighted and can be edited directly on the canvas. One or more elements can be selected, moved, duplicated, grouped/ungrouped.

Supported File Formats

Axialis IconVectors uses SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) as its native format, a widely adopted standard for vector-based drawings. The application is optimized for editing small vector assets such as icons, but it is capable of opening and displaying SVG documents of any size or complexity.

When you create or save a document in IconVectors, it is stored in SVG format. However, you can export/generate your icons in other formats such as XAML, WPF Geometry, VectorDrawable, SwiftUI, VueTS, ReactTS, C++, or bitmap images (PNG, ICO, BMP, etc.). The same code-generation and export pipeline is also available through MCP automation in version 2.10.

This approach keeps the editing workflow simple and standards-based, while still offering great flexibility for deployment across different platforms and environments.

Working with Documents

Creating a New Icon Document

To create a new SVG icon, select File ‣ New or press Ctrl+N.

In the dialog, you can define the icon’s width and height in pixels. Enable Keep Aspect Ratio to maintain proportions. You can also choose to set this size as the default for new documents.

Opening an Icon Document

To open an existing SVG icon, use the menu command. Once opened, the icon is fully editable.

File ‣ Open… – Ctrl+O

File ‣ Open in a New Window… – Ctrl+Alt+O

Hint

You can open several SVG icon documents simmultaneously. Each document will open in a new instance of the application.

Closing an Icon Document

To close the current document, select:

File ‣ Close – Ctrl+W

If the document has unsaved changes, you’ll be prompted to save them before closing. An icon opened or created from Explorer returns to that Explorer workspace; otherwise the Editor becomes empty. With the canvas idle, Escape uses the same close workflow. During drawing or a dialog, Escape cancels that interaction instead. To close the application window itself, use its close button. See Working With Documents for details.

Batch-processing saved icons

Select saved SVGs in Explorer and choose Batch Processing from the Explorer menu or context menu. The nine operations cover palette, resize, stroke, bitmap export, exact color replacement, SVG versions, color adjustments, optimization and conversion to currentColor. Review selected/hidden counts, per-file results, warnings and previews before applying. Bitmap export and SVG versions create separate outputs; the other operations modify source files without Editor Undo. Back up important sources first. See The Icon Explorer for each operation’s settings and supported inputs.

AI-assisted workflows with MCP

IconVectors includes a local Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration for developer automation. IconVectors.exe hosts the document, Explorer, Undo history, and local bridge. An MCP-capable coding client launches IconVectorsMcp.exe and can inspect, edit, render, export and run Explorer batch operations. The 2.10 catalog has 166 tools, including batch PNG/ICO export, Replace Colors, Make Icon Versions, Adjust Icon Colors, Optimize SVG Files, Convert to currentColor, Center and Fit, Rotate / Flip, Outline Strokes, Apply Auto Gradient and Add Badge Overlays. The 2.0 catalog has 155. Check the connected application and sidecar capabilities before using a newer tool.

The canonical public names use underscores and require no client-specific renaming in the eight supported guides. The distributed iconvectors-mcp skill provides the shared inspect, mutate, and verify workflow; copy the complete folder to the location documented for the client.

For the connection model, safety guidance, and links to all eight client setup pages, see MCP Integration.

Undo and Redo

Axialis VectorIcons features a full, unlimited Undo/Redo system that allows you to safely experiment and correct mistakes during your editing workflow.

Every action that modifies the document — including drawing, transforming, editing paths, changing properties, and deleting elements — is recorded and can be undone or redone at any time.

Undo and Redo Commands

  • Undo: Reverts the most recent action.

  • Redo: Reapplies an action that was previously undone.

These commands are available:

  • From the Edit menu

  • Using the toolbar buttons

  • Via standard keyboard shortcuts: - Ctrl+Z for Undo - Ctrl+Y for Redo

Scope of Undo/Redo

All modifications that affect the document are included in the undo history, such as:

  • Creating or deleting elements

  • Moving, scaling, or rotating objects

  • Editing shapes and paths

  • Changing fills, strokes, gradients, and effects

  • Grouping or ungrouping items

  • Converting shapes to paths

  • Pasting or importing objects

Note

Undo/Redo operates on the entire document, not just the currently selected elements.

There is no fixed limit to the number of undoable actions — you can freely step back through your editing history as far as needed.

User Preferences

You can access the Preferences window by pressing F2 or choosing Edit ‣ Preferences.

Here you can configure:

  • Startup behavior

  • Language

  • Interface theme (Light, Dark, or System default)

  • Auto-recovery interval

Additional preferences are available in tabs for:

  • Icon Editor behavior (grids, transparency, tooltips)

  • SVG code formatting and minification

  • Update settings

  • Proxy configuration

Quick Start Sample Icons

When you install IconVectors, a collection of sample icons is added your Documents\Axialis IconVectors folder. We recommend that you open them to learn how icons are built using geometric elements, paths and organized in layers. You can also use them as templates for your own projects

Here is the list of Axialis Vector Icons provided freely as sample:

Hint

If you installed the Axialis Shell Extension during setup, you’ll see live SVG thumbnails for these icons directly in File Explorer.