# “loadImage() inside settings()” rule is unclear
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/loadimage-inside-settings-rule-is-unclear/198
**Category:** Processing
**Created:** [May 21, 2018, 12:21pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/loadimage-inside-settings-rule-is-unclear/198 "2018-05-21T12:21:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@HGDoSNmPmz6fyxC](https://discourse.processing.org/u/HGDoSNmPmz6fyxC)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2018, 12:21pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/loadimage-inside-settings-rule-is-unclear/198/1 "2018-05-21T12:21:10Z")
The [documentation on `settings()`](https://processing.org/reference/settings_.html) says (emphasis added):
> The settings() method runs before the sketch has been set up, so other Processing functions cannot be used at that point. For instance, **do not use loadImage() inside settings()**. The settings() method runs “passively” to set a few variables, compared to the setup() command that call commands in the Processing API.
Why? I have a sketch whose dimensions should be the dimensions of the image it interacts with. Instead of changing the hardcoded `size()` values in `setup()` every time I test a new image, I instead:
```auto
void settings() {
my_image = loadImage("image.png");
size(my_image.width, my_image.height);
}
```
This works well, as I expected, and seems to be the only to accomplish the task. So why does the documentation tells us not to do it?
---
### Author:  [@hamoid](https://discourse.processing.org/u/hamoid)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/loadimage-inside-settings-rule-is-unclear/198/2 "2018-05-21T14:44:56Z")
Interesting that [the right way](https://github.com/processing/processing/wiki/Window-Size-and-Full-Screen) of doing it…
```auto
PImage my_image;
void settings() {
size(100, 100, P2D);
}
void setup() {
surface.setResizable(true);
my_image = loadImage("image.png");
surface.setSize(my_image.width, my_image.height);
}
void draw() {
image(my_image, 0, 0);
}
```
crashes for me when using P2D:
Using your approach @HGDoSNmPmz6fyxC works both for default and P2D modes (I’m on Linux)
If I delay resizing the sketch then it works fine:
```auto
PImage my_image;
void settings() {
size(100, 100, P2D);
}
void setup() {
surface.setResizable(true);
}
void keyPressed() {
my_image = loadImage("image.png");
surface.setSize(my_image.width, my_image.height);
}
void draw() {
if (my_image != null) {
image(my_image, 0, 0);
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@jeremydouglass](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jeremydouglass)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/loadimage-inside-settings-rule-is-unclear/198/3 "2018-05-21T18:21:43Z")
> [@hamoid](#):
>
> Interesting that the right way of doing it… […] crashes for me when using P2D
Have you checked if there is already an [open issue](https://github.com/processing/processing/issues)? This sounds like perhaps it should be reported. The code may have evolved out from under the docs, for example.
---
### Author:  [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/loadimage-inside-settings-rule-is-unclear/198/4 "2018-05-21T19:22:16Z")
1. [https://Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/18033/how-to-set-processing-to-automatically-detect-an-image-size-and-set-it-as-a-background#Item\_1](https://Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/18033/how-to-set-processing-to-automatically-detect-an-image-size-and-set-it-as-a-background#Item_1)
2. [https://Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/16705/null-pointer-exception-when-loading-image-in-settings-p3-1-1#Item\_1](https://Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/16705/null-pointer-exception-when-loading-image-in-settings-p3-1-1#Item_1)