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Drop pictures on an item

Drag an image file from File Explorer onto the carousel on the Item Card to upload it as the picture of the item or one of its variants. You can also create a new variant from the image.

When to use this

You have picture files on your computer and want to add them to an item or its variants without going through the Import dialog.

1. Prerequisites

  • The storage source is External File Storage, so the carousel is shown. See Use the picture carousel.
  • The item is saved (it has a number).
  • The company manages its own pictures (not a consumer company).
  • You have modify permission on items. To create a new variant, you also need insert permission on item variants.

2. Steps

2.1. Drop the file

  1. Open the Item Card.
  2. Drag one image file from File Explorer onto the carousel. The carousel shows Drop image to upload.
  3. Release the file:
    • on a thumbnail, to target that item or variant;
    • anywhere else on the carousel, to target the picture that is shown.

The Where Should This Picture Go? page opens.

2.2. Choose where the picture goes

The page shows:

  • Dropped Picture: a preview and the file name. WEBP files have no preview, but upload normally.
  • A list with the item and every variant. The line you dropped on is selected. Replaces Existing Picture is highlighted when that record already has a picture.

Then do one of the following:

  • Assign to the item or an existing variant: select the line and choose OK.
  • Create a new variant: in the New Variant group, turn on Create a new variant from this image, enter a Variant Code and optionally a Variant Description, and choose OK. The selected line is then ignored.

Choose Cancel to stop. Nothing is uploaded.

2.3. Read the result

The status line of the carousel shows the result, for example The picture was uploaded to variant RED. or Variant BLUE was created with the dropped picture. The carousel refreshes with the new picture.

3. Verify

  • The new picture appears in the carousel on the right thumbnail.
  • For a new variant: the variant exists on the Item Variants page, with the dropped picture.

4. Rules and limits

  • One file per drop. Dropping several files at once is refused.
  • Pictures only. JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP and BMP. Media Bridge checks the file contents, so a renamed file of another type is refused.
  • While Business Central is busy, a new drop is ignored with a message. Wait, then drop again.
  • A new variant is removed again if the picture upload fails, so a failed drop never leaves an empty variant behind.
  • The variant code must be new. If a variant with that code already exists, choose it in the list instead.

5. Common signals you may need this procedure

Only JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP and BMP pictures can be uploaded.

The file is not a supported picture. Convert it, or choose another file.

Drop one image at a time.

Several files were dropped at once.

The dropped file could not be read. Try again.

The file was empty or could not be transferred. Try again, or use Import.

The item or variant changed while the file was dropped. Try again.

You moved to another item, or the variant was deleted, while the file was being dropped.

Save the item before you add pictures.

The item has no number yet. Save it first.

Variant %1 already exists for item %2.

Enter another code, or select the existing variant in the list.

Enter a code for the new variant.

Create a new variant from this image is on, but Variant Code is empty.

The picture could not be stored: ...

The storage source refused the picture. The text after the colon explains why. See Set up external storage.

Business Central is busy. Wait a moment, then drop the image again.

A previous action is still running.

6. When to contact The Framework

  • Nothing happens when you drop a file, and no message appears.
  • Drops keep failing with a storage error while the connection test on Media Bridge Setup succeeds.