Explicitly Using @2x images in an iPad xib in Interface Builder

Question

I've got 2 sets of images in my project, one set for old displays and one @2x set for retina displays. I'm working on the iPad xibs (it's a universal app) and the double sized images that are @2x would actually work just fine for the ipad. If the image.png is 300 pixels wide, the image@2x.png is 600 pixels wide, so on the 768 wide iPad screen that would work just fine. When I put a UIImageView in my iPad xib, I try to set the Image Name to explicitly be image@2x.png, but I get the ?? image which means that Interface Builder doesn't know what it is.

When I launch the simulator it does actually show the @2x image, so it is technically working, but Interface Builder won't show it to me properly and that makes it difficult to create the layout.

Is there a way to get Interface Builder to show me the @2x image when I'm making an iPad xib?

Answer 1

The way it works is that Interface Builder automatically chooses the right one for your device. You cannot explicitly change that as it is against its existence.

Answer 2

Images can be named with a ~iPad to specify that they should be used when running on the iPad. For example, you could have these images: myImage.png myImage@2x.png myImage~iPad.png

The first will get used on the iPhone 3GS and below, the second on the iPhone 4, and the third on the iPad.