Where are the BMP's in 2004?

Discussion in 'AutoCAD' started by Steve Wojtynek, Feb 18, 2004.

  1. 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
     
    Steve Wojtynek, Feb 18, 2004
    #1
  2. Steve Wojtynek

    jhonea1 Guest

    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
     
    jhonea1, Feb 19, 2004
    #2
  3. Allen Johnson, Feb 19, 2004
    #3
  4. But you can always edit the existing one and save it to a different file
    name.
     
    Allen Johnson, Feb 19, 2004
    #4
  5. 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
     
    Martin Shoemaker, Feb 19, 2004
    #5
  6. Steve Wojtynek

    Jan C Guest

    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.
     
    Jan C, Feb 21, 2004
    #6
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