Unified Service Desk for Microsoft Dynamics CRM has a logo in the top right hand corner of the screen, in this post I will demonstrate how to change this image.

This change will involve creating a custom panel layout, assuming you’ve not done this before you’ll first need to download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK Templates by following the steps below;

1. Open Visual Studio and click on Tools, then Extensions and Updates.
   
2. Select the “Online” option then in the search box, type Microsoft Dynamics CRM. (As shown below)
   
3. Locate Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK Templates and click on Download.
   
4. When required accept the license agreement to start the install.
   

Create a custom panel, with logo changed.

The steps involved in creating a new custom panel are;

1. Create an image web resource
   
2. Create a new project in Visual Studio
   
3. Edit the layout XAML
   
4. Build the solution
   
5. Copy the DLL to your Unified Service Desk install
   
6. Create a hosted control to contain your new panel layout
   

Step One – Create an image

Your first task will be to find (or create an image) of suitable size / type. The ideal image size is 160 pixels x 25 pixels. (Either JPG or PNG will do.) In my test I am going to use this random picture of a spanner!

In the final XAML I can reference this image in two ways.

1. One is to hold it in a fixed position in on my desktop and reference it as something like “C:\MyUSDProject\USDPanelLayouts\Images\NEW_logo.jpg”.
2. Another approach is to load the image as a web resource in my CRM solution and reference it by name. I prefer this second approach. So I will demonstrate that!

Below you can see that I have created a new resource called “New_Logo”.

Step Two – Create a new project in Visual Studio

To create a new project, load Visual Studio and select the new project option. (Or press Ctrl+Shift+N)

NOTE: I have tested this approach using Visual Studio 2013.

You will be prompted to select the type of project, in the left hand menu under C#, select CRM SDK Template and then Unified Service Desk. Now select USD Custom Panel Layout. (As shown below.)

Note: It is important that you select .NET Framework 4.5.2

Step Three – Edit the layout XAML

Now in the solution explorer, double click on CustomLayout.xaml

In the code window you will need to find as this line will need to be changed.

<Image Grid.Column=”0″ Source=”{Binding Source=msdyusd_Logo, Converter={StaticResource CRMImageLoader}}”
Style=”{DynamicResource ImageLogo}”
/>

If you have created a new web respurce, simple change “msdyusd_Logo” to the name of your new resource. SO in my example my line became;

<Image Grid.Column=”0″ Source=”{Binding Source=new_NEW_Logo, Converter={StaticResource CRMImageLoader}}”
Style=”{DynamicResource ImageLogo}”
/>

Alternatively, if you have given you’ve stored your image locally you can do something like;

<Image Grid.Column=”0″ Source=”C:\<path to project>\USD.PanelLayouts\Images\mag_logo.png”/>

Step Four – Build the Solution

Having made you change you will next need to build the solution.

Step Five – Copy the DLL to your Unified Service Desk install

Now you need to copy the dll you just created into the application director of of you USD client. (You’ll find the DLL in your bin/debug directory in your Visual Studio project.)

My USD client application was installed in Program File\Microsoft Dynamics CRM USD\USD, but your location may differ slightly.

Step Six – Create a hosted control to contain your new panel layout

Now you will need to have a hosted control that uses your new panel layout.

NOTE:
If you are working on an existing implementation you might need to disable your current hosted control for mainpanel.

Notice that my USD Component type is “Panel Layout” and that the panel type is “User Defined”.

Having selected “User Defined” for the panel type you then set the application to be global and the display group to be “MainWorkArea”.

The Assembly URI and Assembly type will point to your new layout. The URI being the name of your layout and the type being the name followed by .CustomeLayout

Now when I run my application I can see my spanner picture as the logo.

All good? Well no. Not yet. Some more work is need. (Maybe)

In my application I had used the right panel quite extensively yet the default template does not have a right panel! So I need to do some research on how to add this bak in. When I have that information I will of course update my blog. But for now I only recommend this approach if you aren’t using the right panel.