What about the case thing?  When loading from jar file case matters.
When loading in windows outside of jar file case does not matter.

Opalinski
opalpa@gmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/opalpaweb/

yep that's what i find , when my programs don't work.
it's every body else's fault for not listening.

but then I wake up from my dream.

The following  code works ( i know because i use it every day)

YOU DO NOT NEED ANY CLASS PATH TO POINT TO YOUR IMAGES IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT,
nor do they need to be on the "class path"

public class MyProvidesReports implements ProvidesReports {

some other code here........
     Getpictures(JobParams);
some other code............

 private void Getpictures(HashMap ReportParams) {
     java.net.URL Source;
     java.net.URL Source1;

     Source = MyProvidesReports.class.getResource("/Images/Image1.png"); //
this is a fixed format for all java platforms do not use "file.separator
    // Source1 = MyProvidesReports.class.getResource("/Images/Chop.png"); //
this is a fixed format for all java platforms do not use "file.separator

    // ReportParams.put("MyChop", Source1);
     ReportParams.put("CompanyLogo", Source);
 }

}
you just need to compile the pictures into a directory

"/Images/Image1.png"

BUT NOTE:
THE CHARACTER CASE, not all platforms ignore the case , "Images" is NOT the
same as "images"  

ALSO NOTE
Do not use "file.separator" or strings with paths in, because file separators
are different on each platform.

use the URL class, and a standard separator and it will always work.

the above code is for getting pictures so that their references can be passed
to reports or buttons or whatever.

those  3-5 lines , will save your life every time, on every platform i have
yet tested it on   ( windows95/98/se/2000/NT/linux/osx/solaris/yellowdog)