AutoCAD 2015 CUI Image Manager doesn't import PNG files

[BrianSchuldt]

Using AutoCAD 2015

1. Open the Customer User Interface (CUI) window in AutoCAD
2. Click the Image Manager button
3. Import a .PNG file.  

The file does not import into image manager, but when i import a .BMP it imports.  I thought AutoCAD 2015 allowed .PNG files.

[Volker_C]

You can imprt PNG files; however, you will need to bring them into the CUIX using the CUI Editor's "Properties" pane. For example, once you have selected the custom command in the "Command List:", then select either Small image or Large image in the Properties -> Images pane, browse the the desired PNG file and select it. 

I would encourage you to leave inquires and comments about this on our Product Feedback page at our website which gathers customer suggestions and concerns and delivers them directly to the product managers, who work directly with the developers. The more feedback we receive about certain features, lack of functionality, or wish list items, the more they will be looked at for consideration in future product releases and updates.

Hope this helps.

Volker

[BrianSchuldt]

I'm sorry, but i don't want to point to a directory where these images are located.  I want to IMPORT the .PNGs, so they are bundled into one file.   I don't want to deal with managing a folder with images in it, and making sure other users have it in the correct location.  My current CUIX file has .bmp images imported into it (by using the same steps above), and it looks awful in autocad 2015 with white background squares.  I would love to use .png files where the background would be transparent and smoothly integrate with the all of autocad's color schemes.

Thank you for your response

[pendean]

CUI command does not "bundle" image files, PNG or BMP. never has, still doesn't. For that option you need to use a 3rd party tool to create the proper DLL container/resource file, just enrure the final file name is the same as the CUIx file.

This classic can get you started: http://www.afralisp.net/archive/zip/vbadll.zip

[BrianSchuldt]

@pendean I created a .CUIX file to show that you can import images into a .cuix file.  I imported your expert elite badge .bmp and one of my .bmp images that i use that has the white background.  It has ribbon tab called 'TEST' with two dumb buttons with the images on them.  

Here are the steps to import an image from AutoCAD user documentation 

http://docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2010/ENU/AutoCAD%202010%20User%20Documentation/index.html?url=WS1a91938...

To import an image into a loaded customization file using the Image Manager

1. Click Manage tab  Customization panel  User Interface. 
2. In the Customize User Interface Editor, Customize tab, in the Customizations In <file name > pane, click Launches the Image Manager Dialog.
3. In the Image Manager, Loaded Customization Files drop-down list, select the loaded customization file into which you want to import a custom image.

   

4. In the Import Images dialog box, browse to and select the images you want to import. Click Open.

   If the CUI Editor - Image Already Exists dialog box is displayed, click Import Image as Copy to create a copy of the image being imported or Overwrite Existing Image to replace the image with the one being imported.

5. Click OK.

[pendean]

I'll need to update my menus then: I dragged by images DLL file out of the search path and got clouds everywhere when I restarted AutoCAD. Hmmm!

[tyronebk]

Brian, the original PNG you point to is not being used as a reference, it is actually being copied into the CUIX file and the copied PNG is being referenced within the CUIX. Apparently it has worked this way for quite a while, but I was only able to figure this out after reading Volker's post and playing around with the CUI editor.

The only major problem with the current setup is that if you want to remove PNG files from the CUIX you apparently need to edit the CUIX file manually (except for the first CUI session when the PNG file was imported).

[StevenMar · Accepted solution]

Within the CUIX file the [Content_Types].XML file exists (CUIX is just a zip file)... Make sure it understands that a PNG file is an image file by adding the line:

<Default Extension="png" ContentType="image/png" /> using a text editor.

Copy the PNG files so they are inside the CUIX.

Rename everything back to the way it was and restart AutoCAD*

This seemed to work for me.  The PNG files cannot be seen in the Image Manager, but the ribbon buttons seem to work now...  My CUIX is a partial CUIX being added using the Autoloader.  I like that the images are embedded in the CUIX... very clean.

[BrianSchuldt]

Thank you!   

I also had to change a few more files in that zipped cuix:  

• \_rels\.rels.xml
• Menu_Package_Info.xml
• MenuGroup.cui
• RibbonRoot.cui (using split button)

[StevenMar]

What components were missing images that required you to adjust all the other XML files?  I was missing Ribbon command images... Were you missing images on other components?  I'm more curious than anything else...

[BrianSchuldt]

It actually wouldn't load the ribbon at all when i did the changes you mentioned, so i looked through every file for a .bmp and changed them all to .png at the same time.

[d_prontnicki]

I have tried this fix and i still cant get a png to load as a ribbon button. I have tried everything... any other ideas. I can use bmp but not png.