How to: Add Custom Icons to Toolbar and Menu Items

Article
02/04/2013

This example adds an icon to a command bar button on a custom menu in Microsoft Office Outlook. The icon is included in the project resources. For more information about project resources, see Creating and Using Resources (Visual C#) and How to: Add or Remove Resources.

Applies to: The information in this topic applies to application-level projects for the following applications: InfoPath 2007, Outlook 2007, Project 2007, and Visio 2007. For more information, see Features Available by Office Application and Project Type.

Although this example is specific to Outlook, the portion of this code that adds an icon to a command bar button can be used to add icons to a command bar button in any of the applications listed above.

To add custom icons

Add code to the Outlook project's ThisAddIn.vb or ThisAddIn.cs file to create CommandBarPopup and CommandBarButton controls that represent the custom menu and menu command. This code adds the new menu.

    Private MenuBar As Office.CommandBar
    Private newMenuBar As Office.CommandBarPopup
    Private ButtonOne As Office.CommandBarButton
    Private menuTag As String = "AUniqueName"


    Private Sub ThisAddIn_Startup(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Startup
        AddMenuBar()
    End Sub

    Private Sub AddMenuBar()
        Try
            MenuBar = Me.Application.ActiveExplorer().CommandBars.ActiveMenuBar
            newMenuBar = MenuBar.Controls.Add( _
                Office.MsoControlType.msoControlPopup, _
                Temporary:=True)
            If newMenuBar IsNot Nothing Then
                newMenuBar.Caption = "See New Icon"
                newMenuBar.Tag = menuTag
                ButtonOne = newMenuBar.Controls.Add( _
                    Office.MsoControlType.msoControlButton, _
                    Before:=1, Temporary:=False)
                With ButtonOne
                    .Style = Office.MsoButtonStyle _
                    .msoButtonIconAndCaption
                    .Caption = "New Icon"
                    .FaceId = 65
                    .Tag = "c123"
                    .Picture = getImage()
                End With
                newMenuBar.Visible = True
            End If
        Catch Ex As Exception
            MsgBox(Ex.Message)
        End Try
    End Sub


        private Office.CommandBar menuBar;
        private Office.CommandBarPopup newMenuBar;
        private Office.CommandBarButton buttonOne;

        private void ThisAddIn_Startup(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
        {
            AddMenuBar();
        }

        private void AddMenuBar()
        {
            try
            {
                menuBar = this.Application.ActiveExplorer().CommandBars.ActiveMenuBar;
                newMenuBar = (Office.CommandBarPopup)menuBar.Controls.Add(
                    Office.MsoControlType.msoControlPopup, missing,
                    missing, missing, true);
                if (newMenuBar != null)
                {
                    newMenuBar.Caption = "See New Icon";
                    newMenuBar.Tag = menuTag;
                    buttonOne = (Office.CommandBarButton)
                        newMenuBar.Controls.
                    Add(Office.MsoControlType.msoControlButton, System.
                        Type.Missing, System.Type.Missing, 1, true);
                    buttonOne.Style = Office.MsoButtonStyle.
                        msoButtonIconAndCaption;
                    buttonOne.Caption = "New Icon";
                    buttonOne.FaceId = 65;
                    buttonOne.Tag = "c123";
                    buttonOne.Picture = getImage();
                    newMenuBar.Visible = true;
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }
        }

Create a new class named ConvertImage. This class uses System.Forms.Axhost to convert an Image file to an image type that can be applied to the menu item.

<Global.System.Security.Permissions.PermissionSetAttribute _
 (Global.System.Security.Permissions.SecurityAction.Demand, Name:="FullTrust")> _
Public Class ConvertImage
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.AxHost
    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New("59EE46BA-677D-4d20-BF10-8D8067CB8B32")
    End Sub

    Public Shared Function Convert(ByVal Image _
        As System.Drawing.Image) As stdole.IPictureDisp
        Convert = GetIPictureFromPicture(Image)
    End Function
End Class

sealed public class ConvertImage : System.Windows.Forms.AxHost
{
    private ConvertImage()
        : base(null)
    {
    }

    public static stdole.IPictureDisp Convert
        (System.Drawing.Image image)
    {
        return (stdole.IPictureDisp)System.
            Windows.Forms.AxHost
            .GetIPictureDispFromPicture(image);
    }
}

Add a method to convert the icon file into an Image file by adding it to an ImageList. This code sends the Image file to the ConvertImage.Convert method you created and then returns the file to the caller.

Private Function getImage() As stdole.IPictureDisp
    Dim tempImage As stdole.IPictureDisp = Nothing
    Try
        Dim newIcon As System.Drawing.Icon = My.Resources.Icon1
        Dim newImageList As New System.Windows.Forms.ImageList
        newImageList.Images.Add(newIcon)
        tempImage = ConvertImage.Convert(newImageList.Images(0))
    Catch ex As Exception
        MsgBox(ex.Message)
    End Try
    Return tempImage
End Function

private stdole.IPictureDisp getImage()
{
    stdole.IPictureDisp tempImage = null;
    try
    {
        System.Drawing.Icon newIcon =
            Properties.Resources.Icon1;

        System.Windows.Forms.ImageList newImageList = 
            new System.Windows.Forms.ImageList();
        newImageList.Images.Add(newIcon);
        tempImage = ConvertImage.Convert(newImageList.Images[0]);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
    }
    return tempImage;
}

Compiling the Code

This example requires:

An icon named Icon1 in the project resources.

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To add custom icons

Compiling the Code

See Also

Tasks

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Additional resources