...
(images)

I see there being two basic parts to this
problem.
1) getting the path to the images
2) loading and displaying them

If part 1) does not work, part 2)
is moot.

So, I suggest you write up some test code
that focuses on getting a valid URL to
the image (or one of them).

If you cannot get that working, post
your short code (that focuses only on
finding the image) to the group and we
might be able to assist further.

For part 2), there are a number of ways
you might go about loading and displaying
the image, but one way is this..

JLabel imageLabel = new JLabel(
   new ImageIcon( theImageURL ) );
parent.add( imageLabel );

Andrew T.

Sorry I don't use NetBeans so I can't help with that.

Use the program below but change the package to suit.  Put the image
file (kittens.jpg in my case) in a directory called images.  You can
either add the image directory and files to the jar or not, the loader
will get them no matter.  Remember that paths are relative to the class
being used to load the resource unless you specify / as the first
character of the resource name.  I like to put my images on JPanels but
that's just me.  If you compile this and jar it up it should work just
fine.  If you run it in the directory with the images directory, be
cautious that you know which image is being loaded!  Change the name of
the images directory when you test just to make sure.

package com.knutejohnson.test;

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import javax.imageio.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class test7 extends JPanel {
    BufferedImage image;

    public test7(String fname) {
        URL url = test7.class.getResource(fname);
        try {
            image = ImageIO.read(url);
            setPreferredSize(new Dimension(
             image.getWidth(),image.getHeight()));
        } catch (IOException ioe) {
            ioe.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
        g.drawImage(image,0,0,null);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Runnable r = new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                JFrame f = new JFrame();
                f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

                test7 t7 = new test7("images/kittens.jpg");

                f.add(t7,BorderLayout.CENTER);
                f.pack();
                f.setVisible(true);
            }
        };
        EventQueue.invokeLater(r);
    }
}

Sean,

This is NOT an easy problem.  Especially, if you use WebStart or a
different thread/classloader needs to load the resource.

I wrote a Java Application framework about 7 years ago.  One of the
first utility classes I wrote was something called IconLoader.  Feel
free to use as needed.

The entire project can be found at:
https://tframe.dev.java.net/

Kind regards,
Ed Tidwell

package net.java.dev.tframe.util;

import java.awt.Frame;
import java.net.URL;

import javax.swing.*;

/**
 * This class will load an icon and add it to the control passed in.
We will
 * add more methods as they are needed to support future controls not
currently
 * implemented.  If an icon is not found an error message is printed to
system
 * out to inform the caller that the icon was not located.
 *
 * Currently we have an "icons" directory in our jar file for all icons.
 * This directory should exist in your classes directory if your using
 * JBuilder to create your jar file.  <recommended solution>
 *
 * Made 2.0 so you do not have to create an instance of IconLoader.
Just call
 * the static method.  This is a LOT more efficient.
 *
 * Made 3.0 to work with WebStart
 *
 * @Author Ed Tidwell
 * @version 3.0
 */
public final class IconLoader {
    // this directory MUST exist in the jar AND
    // must contain all your icons
    //JBuilder note...  Create this directory in your classes directory and
    //copy your icons to that location.
    public static final String ICON_PATH = "resources/icons/";

    /** All methods in this class are static - forces access through
class only */
    private IconLoader() {}

    /**
     * This helper method insures we redirect to the class loader that
loads us.
     * @param iconName path to resources
     * @return url to resource
     */
    private static URL getURL(String iconName) {
        // have to get the class to get to the classLoader that LOADED us.
        // this is so we work correctly under WebStart
        URL iconURL = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader().
                      getResource(ICON_PATH + iconName);
        return iconURL;
    }

    /**
     * Give the name of an icon to look for and a JButton target for
the icon
     * IF it is found.
     * @param iconName file name
     * @param setMe button to set
     */
    public static void setIcon(String iconName, JButton setMe) {
        URL iconURL = getURL(iconName);
        if (iconURL != null) {
            setMe.setIcon(new ImageIcon(iconURL));
        } else {
            System.out.println(iconName + " not found in " + ICON_PATH);
        } // if else
    } // setIcon for JButton

    /**
     * Give the name of an icon to look for and a JLabel target for the
icon
     * IF it is found.
     * @param iconName file name
     * @param setMe button to set
     */
    public static void setIcon(String iconName, JLabel setMe) {
        URL iconURL = getURL(iconName);
        if (iconURL != null) {
            setMe.setIcon(new ImageIcon(iconURL));
        } else {
            System.out.println(iconName + " not found in " + ICON_PATH);
        } // if else
    } // setIcon for JButton

    /**
     * Give the name of an icon to look for and a Frame target for the icon
     * @param iconName of file
     * @param frame to set icon image against
     */
    public static void setIcon(String iconName, Frame frame) {
        URL iconURL = getURL(iconName);

        if (iconURL != null) {
            // set upper left hand corner icon for OS platforms that
support it
            // child applications can easily override the default
            frame.setIconImage(new ImageIcon(iconURL).getImage());
        } else {
            System.out.println(iconName + " not found in " + ICON_PATH);
        } // if else
    } // setIcon for JButton

    /**
     * Given an icon name return the icon.
     * @param iconName file name of icon
     * @return the icon if it exists.  Otherwise, null.
     */
    public static ImageIcon getIcon(String iconName) {
        URL iconURL = getURL(iconName);

        if (iconURL == null) {
            System.out.println(iconName + " not found in " + ICON_PATH);
        }

        return (iconURL == null ? null : new ImageIcon(iconURL));
    } // getIcon

} //IconLoader

Hope this
helps////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
protected final ImageIcon completeIcon = createImageIcon("Images/
Complete16.gif");
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 private static ImageIcon createImageIcon(String path)
 {
     //imgURL is the loading path of where in the system the picture
is located
     java.net.URL imgURL = RRStartUp.class.getResource(path);
     if (imgURL != null)
     {
         //sets the image icon in frame top left

         return new ImageIcon(imgURL);
       }
       else
       {
         System.err.println("Couldn't find file: " +
RRStartUp.class.getResource(path));
         return null;
       }
     }
     private static Image getFDImage()
     {
         //imgURL is the loading path of where in the system the
picture is located
         //RRStartUp is your main class
         java.net.URL imgURL = RRStartUp.class.getResource("Images/
medImage.jpg");
         if (imgURL != null)
         {
             //sets the picture in content pane
             return new ImageIcon(imgURL).getImage();

           }
           else
           {
             return null;
           }
    }

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
you can do this :
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
JButton complete =         new JButton(" Completion ", completeIcon);
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Or:
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
ImageIcon secImage = createImageIcon("Images/ChangePassword.jpg");
JLabel picture2 = new JLabel();

         if (secImage != null)
         {
             //////// create a object label to hold first image
             picture2 = new JLabel(secImage);
             //sets picture in pictureLabel
             picture2.setIcon(secImage);
           }
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
then set it to a panel:
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
panel.add(picture2, BorderLayout.CENTER);
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////