1. Create a qrc file or copy & paste one from another project.

2. Add the qrc file to vc project.

3. Prepare image files and store them to a place close to qrc file, better be in the same directory with qrc file.

4. Edit qrc file, key-in those image files' relative path as entries to qrc file, just like this

     
      images/image1/somepicture1.png
      
     
      images/image1/somepicture2.png
      
     
      images/image2/somepicture1.png
      
     
      images/image2/somepicture2.png
     

5. Right click the qrc file from vc project, and set the file's property, adding the image files' relative path (relative to vc's project file, *.vcproj) to "dependency items" of "customized generation steps".

All getThemeIcon functions' parameter, typically a image file name without directory path, should have its relative path (relative to qrc file itself) in qrc file and its virtual relative path (relative to vcproj file) in "dependency items".