AutoCAD 2010 drop-down menu icon size

[FWSchreck]

Hello:

I'm in the process of finalizing our .cuix file for AutoCAD Architecture 2010. I've added numerous drop down menus. For some of these menus, I have specified the small icon size (16x16) for each command, but when the drop-down is activated, AutoCAD displays the icons as 32x32 instead. It takes the 16x16 image and displays it at 2x size, which doesn't look good.

Is this a bug? If not, what can I do to resolve this problem?

[RobertB]

I don't know if it is a bug or not. I'm on AutoCAD MEP and I am not going to recreate the pulldown menus since they are not there (the same boat as ACA).

So I haven't noticed the issue.

[RobertB]

... when the drop-down is activated, AutoCAD displays the icons as 32x32 instead.BTW, I'm not seeing this behavior with OOTB AutoCAD. The pulldown menu icons are 16x16 in the AutoCAD profile.

[kevin.bell.72378]

Hello:

I'm in the process of finalizing our .cuix file for AutoCAD Architecture 2010. I've added numerous drop down menus. For some of these menus, I have specified the small icon size (16x16) for each command, but when the drop-down is activated, AutoCAD displays the icons as 32x32 instead. It takes the 16x16 image and displays it at 2x size, which doesn't look good.

Is this a bug? If not, what can I do to resolve this problem?

I think there is a bug with the images for drop down menus - I creates 16x16 and 32x32 images for DDMs, and when I set it to a large icon with text the image always looks 'fuzzy' as if its being scaled - even though it should be using the 32x32 image.

My reseller (who provides us with support) has raised this with AutoDesk to no avail...

[RobertB]

I think there is a bug with the images for drop down menus - I creates 16x16 and 32x32 images for DDMs, and when I set it to a large icon with text the image always looks 'fuzzy' as if its being scaled - even though it should be using the 32x32 image.

My reseller (who provides us with support) has raised this with AutoDesk to no avail...Just to be clear... you are talking about the Menus node, correct?

If so, why are you not specifying Both as the icon image size option? The user should have the option of deciding to show either small or large icons, since that decision also affects toolbars.

[kevin.bell.72378]

Just to be clear... you are talking about the Menus node, correct?

If so, why are you not specifying Both as the icon image size option? The user should have the option of deciding to show either small or large icons, since that decision also affects toolbars.

Ah, I was referring to the pull down in the pane which is part of the ribbon - not the pull down menus.

To recreate the problem I was referring to do this:

- Create a custom cuix file, and create a new ribbon tab and then ribbon pane.

- Select new drop down menu and assign a custom image to it large and small (don't use the AutoCAD icons).

- When the ribbon tab with the pane is displayed the 32x32 image is not displaced correctly - it looks like its been scales a little.

[Simon.Weel]

AutoCAD Architecture 2010. I've added numerous drop down menus. For some of these menus, I have specified the small icon size (16x16) for each command, but when the drop-down is activated, AutoCAD displays the icons as 32x32 instead.

Same for plain AutoCAD 2011. It doesn't seem to matter what 'Button Style' you specify for the list-elements - they allways show up 32x32 if you unfold the list.

No problem, unless you have some long lists like I do - then the bottom part falls off the screen... The only way to solve this is to remove the icon alltogether?

Simon

[kevin.petursson]

Experiencing the same problem. I have a list of 24 choices for a drop-down of Isometric angle valve. If I remove the "large icon" for each drop-down button, all I get is text. The description for angle valves in isometric it too complicated to consider, and an icon is so simple. I can seem to get the drop-down to used the "small icon" in the flyout. Current work-around is to split the list between two drop downs. Definitely Not ideal. I anyone knows of some switch I'm missing I would love to hear it.

[Simon.Weel]

I made a service equest about it - the answer is "it's by design"....

Simon

[irneb]

I made a service equest about it - the answer is "it's by design"....

Simon:lol: What! They mean: "Broken by design!" :shock: Only ADesk could possibly think that's a "good" answer!

[janderson664783]

Just want to chime in on this. I am having the same problem in AutoCAD Architecture 2013, its forcing my icons to be 32x32 even tho i have Button Style set to SmallWithText. And i see its been 2 years

[kevin.bell.72378]

Just want to chime in on this. I am having the same problem in AutoCAD Architecture 2013, its forcing my icons to be 32x32 even tho i have Button Style set to SmallWithText. And i see its been 2 years

Well you wont be pleased to know that I never found a solution to this or received a response from AutoDesk...

[irneb]

For me in Vanilla 2012 this only occurs in one instance: When you've got the ribbon set to "Minimize to Panel Buttons".

The issue is that when displaying the ribbon in this fashion each panel in a tab is shown as one single large button. And the image shown on that "button" is the same image as for the 1st "true" button on that panel. These panel-buttons are always shown as large 32x32 images, no matter what you do.

The same actually goes for all ribbon interfaces (not just AutoCAD). This particular ribbon display method will always use the 32x32 icon size, and if such is not found, then use the 16x16 and scale it up. It would have been nice if you could set a panel's image irrespective of its contained buttons - that way you could have forced a different image to display as the pannel-button in the "Minimize to Panel Buttons" display format. Unfortunately though the Panel doesn't have an image/icon property of its own.

You have 4 solutions to this problem:

Don't use the "Minimize to Panel Buttons" method ... probably not possible, since you can't force users not to set the ribbon to their liking.
Create 2 versions of each icon (32 & 16)
Just create the 32 version and let acad scale it down to 16 for you ... works rather well.
Grow the canvas around the 16 icon to 32, then save that as a 32 version. Follow these steps:

While in CUI editor, select the command macro with the icon
Click the Edit... button just underneath the displayed icon
Click the Export... button and save it to a BMP file.
Open that file in an image editor (you can even use Paint for this)
Select all & Copy (Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C)
Use the editors, create new image. Create one which is 32x32, or if not asked then resize it afterwards.
Zoom in a bit closer, so you can place it easier (Ctrl+Scroll Wheel)
Paste (Ctrl+V), then move it to be centralized.
Save as BMP file (you can overwrite the BMP you saved from acad, it was only temporary in any case).
Back in ACad's CUI, click inside the "Large image file" box at the bottom of the Command Macro's properties.
Click the [...] button to the right
Browse to the file you saved & OK


The last alternative would show the "small" image as usual. Basically it is the same image, just padded with blank space around to make it into a 32x32.

My favourite method is actually to use option 3 (i.e. only make the 32x32 version). It's the least problematic, least amount of work on my part, and allows for any possibility (including the user overriding the icon size to display as large). Actually I generally design my icons using Gimp/PhotoShop at something like 64x64 (or even larger), since I sometimes use them in other programs as well - and there you might find even larger icons. Scaling down tends to have very little side-effects (if any), but scaling up pixel-ates the icon and usually looks bad (to say the least).

My biggest gripe with ACad's icons is that there's no alpha transparency. This tends to make it difficult to get a "smooth" effect around the actual image and the blank space around it. Other programs can import PNG files, which do allow for alpha - which has a much better effect without too much hassles. I keep my PNG's then only convert them to BMP (first with white background), then flood-fill the surround with ACad's "transparent" colour (RGB: 192,192,192; or hex code C0C0C0) - it looks bad when you open the BMP in some other program, but when used in ACad it tends to be fine.