How to: Add Custom Icons to Toolbar and Menu Items

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 Adding and Editing Resources (Visual C#) and How to: Add or Remove Resources.

To add custom icons

1. 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 checks to see whether the menu exists. If it does exist, this code removes the menu. It then 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
       RemoveMenubar()
       AddMenuBar()
   End Sub 
   
   Private Sub AddMenuBar()
       Try
           MenuBar = Me.Application.ActiveExplorer().CommandBars.ActiveMenuBar
           newMenuBar = menuBar.Controls.Add( _
               Office.MsoControlType.msoControlPopup, _
               Temporary:=False)
           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
           MessageBox.Show(Ex.Message)
       End Try 
   End Sub 
   
   Private Sub RemoveMenubar()
       Try 
           ' If the menu already exists, remove it. 
           Dim foundMenu As Office.CommandBarPopup = _
               Me.Application.ActiveExplorer().CommandBars.ActiveMenuBar. _
               FindControl(Office.MsoControlType.msoControlPopup, _
               System.Type.Missing, menuTag, True, True)
           If foundMenu IsNot Nothing Then
               foundMenu.Delete(True)
           End If 
       Catch Ex As Exception
           MessageBox.Show(Ex.Message)
       End Try 
   End Sub
   

   private Office.CommandBar menuBar;
   private Office.CommandBarPopup newMenuBar;
   private Office.CommandBarButton buttonOne;
   private string menuTag = "AUniqueTag";
   
   private void ThisAddIn_Startup(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
   {
       RemoveMenubar();
       AddMenuBar();
   }
   
   private void AddMenuBar()
   {
       try
       {
           menuBar = this.Application.ActiveExplorer().CommandBars.ActiveMenuBar;
           newMenuBar = (Office.CommandBarPopup)menuBar.Controls.Add(
               Office.MsoControlType.msoControlPopup, missing,
               missing, missing, false);
           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)
       {
           MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
       }
   }
   
   private void RemoveMenubar()
   {
       // If the menu already exists, remove it. 
       try
       {
           Office.CommandBarPopup foundMenu = (Office.CommandBarPopup)
               this.Application.ActiveExplorer().CommandBars.ActiveMenuBar.
               FindControl(Office.MsoControlType.msoControlPopup,
               System.Type.Missing, menuTag, true, true);
           if (foundMenu != null)
           {
               foundMenu.Delete(true);
           }
       }
       catch (Exception ex)
       {
           MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
       }
   }
   

2. 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.

   <Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.StartupObjectAttribute(0), _
    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);
       }
   }
   

3. 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 Icon = My.Resources.Icon1
           Dim newImageList As New ImageList
           newImageList.Images.Add(newIcon)
           tempImage = ConvertImage.Convert(newImageList.Images(0))
       Catch ex As Exception
           MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
       End Try 
       Return tempImage
   End Function
   

   private stdole.IPictureDisp getImage()
   {
       stdole.IPictureDisp tempImage = null;
       try
       {
           System.Drawing.Icon newIcon = 
               Properties.Resources.Icon1;
   
           ImageList newImageList = new ImageList();
           newImageList.Images.Add(newIcon);
           tempImage = ConvertImage.Convert(newImageList.Images[0]);
       }
       catch (Exception ex)
       {
           MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
       }
       return tempImage;
   }
   

Compiling the Code

This example requires:

• An icon named Icon1 in the project resources.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Add Custom Toolbars and Toolbar Items to Outlook

How to: Add Custom Menus and Menu Items to Outlook

How to: Add or Remove Resources

How to: Specify an Application Icon (Visual Basic, C#)

Concepts

Outlook Object Model Overview

Other Resources

Managing Application Resources