Assign curated Colorized light/dark theme variants per workspace using VS Code's workspace/.vscode settings hierarchy. No more random colors or manual theme toggles, and no global settings pollution.
Prerequisite: Install the Colorized Theme pack. The Colorizer only applies themes that ship with that extension; without it the variant IDs referenced in the manifest cannot be resolved by VS Code.
The extension bundles the curated manifest produced by the Colorized theme pack release process. During activation it reads that manifest automatically—no manual downloads or configuration are required for normal use.
Features
🎯 Variant Picker – Browse the catalog of 24 curated light/dark pairs with live previews; highlighted entries apply temporarily without closing the picker and revert automatically if you cancel.
🌓 Auto Pairing – Applies the light or dark side of the selected variant depending on VS Code’s current theme kind, keeping preferredLightColorTheme / preferredDarkColorTheme synchronized.
🤖 Automatic Colorizer – Enabled by default to pick a curated variant the first time a workspace is opened; disable the setting to manage variants manually.
💾 Workspace-Aware Storage – Writes the variant ID and paired theme IDs into .code-workspace files first, falling back to .vscode/settings.json only if no workspace file exists.
🔁 One-Tap Reapply – Re-sync the stored variant after manual theme changes or manifest updates via the reapply command.
🧹 Deterministic Settings – Updates only workbench.colorTheme, workbench.preferredLightColorTheme, workbench.preferredDarkColorTheme, and colorizedManager.variantId at the workspace scope.
Commands
Colorized Manager: Select Variant – Choose a curated variant pair for the active workspace with inline previews that revert when you cancel the picker.
Colorized Manager: Show Stored Variant – Display the stored variant and its paired themes.
Colorized Manager: Reapply Stored Variant – Force the selected variant to reapply to the current theme kind.
Colorized Manager: Clear Device Assignments – Remove the workspace-level variant entry and any matching workbench theme preferences the extension applied; if those preferences were customized, the command leaves them intact and tells you why.
Settings
colorizedManager.automaticColorizer (default: true) – Automatically assigns a random curated variant when a compatible workspace is opened and no variant has been stored yet. Switch it off to opt into manual selection only.
colorizedManager.variantId (managed) – Stores the current workspace’s curated variant ID. The extension maintains this value automatically; editing it manually is not recommended.
How It Works
On activation the extension loads the curated variant manifest that ships inside the VSIX (sourced from the Colorized theme pack release artifacts). Remote hosting may return later; until then the baked-in stub remains the single validated source.
When you pick a variant, the extension stores the variant ID plus paired themes in workspace settings (.code-workspace first, .vscode/settings.json otherwise) so other collaborators get the same light/dark defaults.
Each time VS Code activates a light or dark theme, the matching side of the variant is applied by updating the workspace-level workbench settings; no user-level overrides are ever touched.
Dependency on the Colorized Theme Pack
Theme IDs – The manifest emits theme identifiers that are defined inside 6o8.colorized-theme. If that extension is missing or outdated, applying a variant will fail because VS Code cannot find the referenced theme IDs.
Manifest Source of Truth – The shipped VSIX already contains the latest manifest, so no additional configuration is required.
Release Cadence – Keep both the Colorized Theme pack and this extension updated so the curated variants and manifest stay in sync.
Requirements
VS Code version 1.74.0 or higher
At least one workspace folder must be open
Install and keep up to date the Colorized Theme pack so the referenced theme IDs exist.
Known Limitations
Variant catalog follows the manifest bundled with each published release.
Theme IDs must match those provided by the theme extension; applying a missing theme shows a VS Code notification.
Licensing
Current source (2025-10-28 and later): Licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with no automatic changeover date. Commercial licensing is available from Mario Ricalde (licensed by 6o8).
Additional Use Grant: Internal production use by individuals and companies is permitted, provided you do not resell or host the extension (or derivatives) for third parties.
Historical releases and pre-transition code: Continue to be available under the original MIT License authored by insv23.
