How to: Add an Image to an Action Pane Button

Article
05/18/2015

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Each Microsoft Dynamics AX action pane button displays an image. The image makes the button easier to identify and represents the action that the button performs. To specify the image for an action pane button, you use one of the following image sources:

Use an image from the embedded resources. Embedded resources are the images that are used with existing action pane buttons.
Use an image from the Resources node of the Application Object Tree (AOT). In addition, you can add custom images to the Resources in the AOT.
Use an image from a specified file. You can use images from .bmp, .emf, .exif, .gif, .ico, .jpg, .png, .tiff, or .wmf files.

The following procedures show you how to use the ImageLocation and NormalImage properties of the button control to associate an image with a button.

Using an Embedded Image Resource

Follow these steps to add an embedded image resource to an action pane button.

To specify an embedded image resource

In the AOT, expand Forms, and then click the form you want to update.
To view the action pane, expand the form node, expand Designs, and then expand the Design node.
Expand the action pane, expand the action pane tab, and then expand the button group that contains the button.
Right-click the button, and then click Properties. The button properties window opens.
In the ImageLocation property, click EmbeddedResource.
In the NormalImage property, click the ellipsis button. The Embedded resources window opens. Use the Embedded resources window to find the image that you want to appear on the button.

Warning

To guarantee consistency across forms, all the buttons that use the specified image should perform the same type of action.
Enter the Resource ID of the image in the NormalImage property. For example, enter 8010 to have the button display a green arrow icon.
Right-click the form, and then click Save. To find and view the button, right-click the form and then click Open.

Using an Image Resource from the AOT

The AOT includes a Resources node that includes images. To simplify the deployment of a custom action pane, you should add custom button images to Resources. When you add a custom image to Resources, the image is available from the Application Object Server (AOS) and does not require that you deploy the file that contains the image.

The following procedures show how to add an image to the AOT resources and how to use an image resource with an action pane button.

To add an image resource to the AOT

In the AOT, right-click Resources, and then click Create from File. The Select file window opens.
Navigate to the location of the image file that you want to use for a button. Click the file, and then click Open. The image file is imported as a resource.
By default, the resource name is set to the file name that you imported. You might want to change the name that appears in the Resources list. To change the name, click the resource, enter a value in the Name property, right-click the resource, and then click Save.

To specify an AOT resource

In the AOT, expand Forms, and then click the form you want to update.
To view the action pane, expand the form node, expand Designs, and then expand the Design node.
Expand the action pane, expand the action pane tab, and then expand the button group that contains the button.
Right-click the button, and then click Properties. The button properties window opens.
In the ImageLocation property, click AOTResource.
Enter the name of the resource into the NormalImage property of the button.
Right-click the form, and then click Save. To find and view the button, right-click the form and then click Open.

Using an Image File

Follow these steps to add an image from a file to an action pane button.

To specify an image file

In the AOT, expand Forms, and then click the form you want to update.
To view the action pane, expand the form node, expand Designs, and then expand the Design node.
Expand the action pane, expand the action pane tab, and then expand the button group that contains the button.
Right-click the button, and then click Properties. The button properties window opens.
In the ImageLocation property, click File.
In the NormalImage property, click the ellipsis button. Use the Open window to find the file that contains the image. Click the file that you want to use, and then click Open.

For example, you use the Open window to open a folder named C:\ListPageIcons\, click a file that is named warning.png, and then click Open.

Note

When you deploy your customization, you have to add the image file to the specified location in each new environment.
Right-click the form, and then click Save. To find and view the button, right-click the form and then click Open.