Creating Image Resources

Images resources are imported and managed in the Resource Manager.

You can also import an image directly (not for use as a resource). For example, you might import a sketch or a logo graphic into a drawing. See Importing an Image File for details.

To import an image for use as an image resource:

1. From the Resource Manager, click New Resource, select Image, and then click Create. Alternatively, select Images from the list of resource types on the tool bar, and click New Image.

2. If a resource with an image is already present in the file, the Choose Image dialog box opens.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Import an Image File	Imports a new image; click OK and proceed to Step 3.
Reuse an Image from Another Resource	Reuses a previously imported image; select the resource that contains the image. Click OK to create an image resource.

3. If importing an image file, the Import Image Document dialog box opens.

4. Select the image file to use as an image resource, and click Open.

The Image Import Options dialog box opens.

Information about the image file is displayed at the top of the dialog box, including the file name and type, compression, dimensions, and uncompressed size.

5. Click Edit Attributes to adjust the attributes of the imported image if needed.

The Image Attributes dialog box opens. The same dialog box can be accessed from the Resource Manager after the image resource has been created; right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) on the resource in the Resource Manager, and select Edit Image Attributes from the context menu.

A preview of the image displays on the left, with the image attributes on the right. As attributes change, the preview dynamically updates.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Raw Image Size	Initially, this displays the file size of the original image; if image attributes change, displays the new file size, with the original file size in parentheses. This helps evaluate the effect of image attribute changes on the file size.
Color Mode	Modifies the color of the image. Changing the color mode reduces the file size, but color information is lost. Available options depend on the selected Compression Method (PNG changes the color depth in bits per pixel, while JPEG changes the color mode without affecting the color depth) and whether the original image includes an alpha channel.
Compression Method	Select either JPEG or PNG, as described in step 6
Resampling Method	When resizing an image or changing its color mode, specify the resampling method to use; higher quality resampling provides better results, but increases the file size
Dimensions	Changes the dimensions of the image by pixels or by percentage. To maintain the image aspect ratio, keep the lock enabled; changes to one dimension also change the other. A smaller image decreases file size, but reduces image quality.
Resolution (at resource creation only)	Specifies the image resolution at import. Changing the resolution affects the image dimensions.

6. Click OK to return to the Image Import Options dialog box (or to the Resource Manager). Any image attribute changes take effect.

Two compression methods are available; depending on the graphic, one of the methods may be more suitable. The compression method which produces the smallest file size is selected by default. Select the desired balance between compression and detail display. The resulting file size for each type of compression is displayed to help with the selection. The compression method selected here overrides the selection made in the Image Attributes dialog box.

If the selected option results in a file size larger than the uncompressed size, the image is imported uncompressed.

Compression Method	Description
JPEG	Provides a high amount of compression, resulting in the smallest Vectorworks file size. However, fine detail may be obscured. JPEG compression is most suitable for photographic images.
PNG	Provides a moderate amount of compression, while preserving image details
Import as Black and White	For PNG, select to import as a 1-bit monochrome image (if selected, this overrides any other color mode selected in the Image Attributes dialog box)
Import Alpha Channel	For PNG and if the source file has an alpha channel, select to preserve the image’s transparency options; on Windows, the GDI+ imaging Vectorworks preference must be enabled
Referencing options (Design Series required)	Images can be referenced; see Referencing Resources

7. Click OK to import the image with the selected compression type. The image resource is saved, by default, with the name of the original image file.

Image resources imported into the file that are not in JPEG format can be compressed by JPEG with the Compress Images command. See Compressing Images.

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Applying Image Resources

Mapping Image Fills

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