This article will assist you in dealing with the most common issues faced with product images in the DotActiv software and what to do if they are not working.
Applicable Products: DotActiv Free, DotActiv Lite, DotActiv Pro,
DotActiv Enterprise
There are three possible ways in which you can upload images to your planogram:
- Link image folders to the planogram based on an image algorithm,
- Drag and drop images from a file onto the product in the DotActiv software, or
- Bulk import images.
These methods are great if you only wish to add a few missing images to your planogram or if you have multiple images that you wish to import at once. Which method you choose is entirely dependant on your business and its requirements. Learn how to upload/import images using these methods in this article linked here. You can also learn how to format your product images in this article here.
Setting Up Mapped Image Formulas
After opening your planogram and populating it with products, open the ‘Product Properties’ page by double-clicking on any product. You can also right-click on a product and select ‘Properties’ from the context menu that pops up.
On the ‘Properties’ window that is shown, select ‘Image Attributes’ as shown above.
Clicking on the ‘Formula’ button will take you to a tab where you can set up the image mappings.
Here is where you can control how the DotActiv software finds the images to use for a product.
Below is a list of descriptors of how the DotActiv software reads each of the different image types.
.1 = Front View
.2 = Side/Left View
.3 = Top View
.4 = Tray Front View
.5 = Tray Side/Left View
.6 = Tray Top View
You can also access the ‘Image Algorithm Setup’ window by clicking on ‘File’, then ‘Setup’ and ‘Application Settings’. In the Application Settings window, select ‘Image Algorithm’.
If the algorithm is missing from the text box, you can use the algorithm – GetImageNameHH([Product.Item Detail.Barcode],”.1″) to map your product images.
That gives you the following result:
| Directory | Product.Item Detail.Barcode | Result |
| C:\DotActiv Data\Images | 0123456789012 | C:\DotActiv Data\Images\0123456\789012.1 |
| C:\DotActiv\Images | 9876543210987 | C:\DotActiv\Images\9876543\210987.1 |
Please ensure that the correct permissions are set on the folder so that the application can make use of the image files. Also, the above is an example. If you use a different naming convention, please map it to that code.
Image Troubleshooting
Some Images Are Not Working
Image Filters
Check for Image Filters. If there are filters enabled, remove them to verify that all the images have been pulled into the DotActiv software. This can be checked by following the steps below:
1. Select the ‘Setup Filter’ option
2. Select ‘Clear Filter’ on the pop-up window.
Item Specific Missing Image
If you want to check the image information for a specific product, use the following process:
- Open the ‘Product Properties’ window by double-clicking on the product or right-clicking on the product. Then select ‘Properties’ from the context menu that is shown.
- On the properties window that is shown, select ‘Image Attributes’. Doing so brings up the following page:
If any of the mapped images have a red ‘X’ next to them, it means that the specified image file path cannot be found. Please ensure that the expected file is stored in the location marked in those fields.
If the specified path is incorrect or not what is expected, that could indicate that the product information is incorrect. Please verify the product information such as Barcode or whatever key you use for the naming convention.
All/Most Products Do Not Show
Ensure that the FLP was created in the same software environment that the application is running under at present. If the FLP formats do not match, the formula may not resolve the path to the image correctly.
Alternatively, it can be due to the image formula not being correctly set up or pointing to the wrong directory. In that case, please refer to the above ‘Setting up Mapped Images Formulas’ for assistance to correct the formula.
Images Not Showing After Opening Existing Planogram
When opening an existing planogram in the DotActiv software or one made by another user, it’s important that you convert it.
Upon opening an existing planogram, the ‘Map Planogram Fields’ window appears.
Ensure that all your key fields are mapped. Key fields include Product Code, Barcode, and if relevant, Store Code.
You can drag and drop the key fields from the ‘Fields in Planogram’ section to the ‘Field Mapping’ section, as seen below.
Then click ‘Convert’.
Always convert when prompted and your images should display correctly.
Images appear with a black background after being imported
An uploaded product image might appear black on a planogram due to the image having a transparent background after being edited and saved as a PNG file. When viewing edited PNG images separately, there’s nothing behind them and no colour for the program to load into the transparent parts. In that case, it’s up to the program to set the colour for the transparent parts. Some programs use a single colour (like black), and some use a pattern, e.g. chessboard pattern.
Therefore, if your PNG image is saved with a transparent background, it will usually appear with a black background by default when imported. To fix this, we’d suggest saving your image as a JPEG/JPG file or adding a white background when saving images as a PNG file.
Should the above steps not work for you, please create a support ticket and the DotActiv support team will assist you in uncovering the issue.