Where are the BMP's in 2004?

I know that in Acad2002 menus, the RC_DATA_16_UNION stuff in the partial
menu below is the callout for the BMP file that gets displayed on the
SOLIDS2 Toolbar / UNION Button. If someone wanted to alter the appearance
of a button in Acad2004 (to tweak a color for a color-blind user, perhaps),
where is the BMP info and can it be altered?

I did a search for RC_DATA_16_UNION on the C drive and couldn't find
anything, so I'm guessing the artwork magicically gets compiled from some
gibberish stored somewhere other than a BMP.

I guess that I can always screen capture a button, modify it, and replace
the menu callout with a new, altered BMP, but I'd like to know if I can call
up and somehow edit the 2004 button artwork "in the system".


**TB_SOLIDS2
ID_TbSolids2 [_Toolbar("Solids Editing", _Floating, _Hide, 100, 250, 1)]
ID_Union [_Button("Union", RCDATA_16_UNION, RCDATA_16_UNION)]^C^C_union
ID_Subtract [_Button("Subtract", RCDATA_16_SUBTRA,
RCDATA_16_SUBTRA)]^C^C_subtract
ID_Intersect [_Button("Intersect", RCDATA_16_INTERS,
RCDATA_16_INTERS)]^C^C_intersect

 

OK, I'm not at a computer with Acad2004 so I can't verify this information, but since no one else has responded, I'll give it a shot.

Somewhere in the toolbar customization menus, there's a function for editing toolbar button images, even the built in ones. Incidentally, the built-in images are compiled within either the MNC or the MNR file - can't remember which now since it's been so long since I've messed around with them.

As memory serves, once you edit an image, ACAD creates a randomly named and randomly placed bitmap image somewhere on the network.

Your next task is to find this file, rename it to something logical (RC_DATA_16_UNION.BMP, maybe?), save it someplace logical on your computer or network (if you plan on doing a lot of this, set up a standard directory just for your custom toolbars and bitmaps), open up the MNS file associated with the toolbar that contains that button and rename the image string (RC_DATA_16_UNION) to match the file name (RC_DATA_16_UNION.BMP).

Add the directory that contains your images and toolbars to the search paths in ACAD Options.

Close ACAD, go to Windows Explorer and find the directory containing the MNS, MNC, and MNR files that define the toolbar in question.

Backup all three files "just in case." Delete the MNC and MNR files, but NOT THE MNS FILE.

Reopen ACAD and the MNC and MNR files will be automatically recompiled, and your new button should be displayed.

The reason for jumping through all the hoops is, with ACAD randomly writing and placing files, you will inevitably wind up with two machines having written the same file name to two locations and "mixing" the information on restart, one machine overwriting another's file, a loss of the file due to someone deleting it inadvertently, etc., etc. That is the voice of experience speaking! These were issues I dealt with in my earliest days of customization back in ACAD14. I made a standard for creating toolbars and stuck with it - never had a problem since.

If you're way ambitious, you can in fact decompile the image file, edit it's contents, and recompile it. I played with it three or four years ago but never too seriously. It seemed more of a pain that it was worth but, if you're going to do some serious amounts of editing, it would probably be worth it to you. You're on your own with that one though - it's been way too long since I played with that.

Good luck,

Jason

 

I think they are stored in a .dll file..

See http://www.afralisp.com/vbaa/vba15.htm

 

But you can always edit the existing one and save it to a different file
name.

 

They're in acadbtn.dll, but they're rcdata, not bitmaps. You can
download an extracted set of icons under the developers tab at
www.cadwerx.net.

Martin

 

I have a drawing in the same directory as the menu.
Before customizing my toolbar-buttons, I open this drawing.
Then Autocad always places the BMP-files in the drawing/menu-directory.

JanC

information, but since no one else has responded, I'll give it a shot.

editing toolbar button images, even the built in ones. Incidentally, the
built-in images are compiled within either the MNC or the MNR file - can't
remember which now since it's been so long since I've messed around with
them.

and randomly placed bitmap image somewhere on the network.

(RC_DATA_16_UNION.BMP, maybe?), save it someplace logical on your computer
or network (if you plan on doing a lot of this, set up a standard directory
just for your custom toolbars and bitmaps), open up the MNS file associated
with the toolbar that contains that button and rename the image string
(RC_DATA_16_UNION) to match the file name (RC_DATA_16_UNION.BMP).

MNS, MNC, and MNR files that define the toolbar in question.

and your new button should be displayed.

writing and placing files, you will inevitably wind up with two machines
having written the same file name to two locations and "mixing" the
information on restart, one machine overwriting another's file, a loss of
the file due to someone deleting it inadvertently, etc., etc. That is the
voice of experience speaking! These were issues I dealt with in my earliest
days of customization back in ACAD14. I made a standard for creating
toolbars and stuck with it - never had a problem since.

it's contents, and recompile it. I played with it three or four years ago
but never too seriously. It seemed more of a pain that it was worth but, if
you're going to do some serious amounts of editing, it would probably be
worth it to you. You're on your own with that one though - it's been way
too long since I played with that.