How to reference to images and other objects in Xc

This question have been asked numerous times, but I have not managed to get an answer that I am happy with. Probably because the most answers is of "how do I do this?" type and also get "this way you do this" answers.

The problem I have is that I need to use absolute paths when I want to reference to images in Xcode (version 6.0.1). I am quite sure that I could place the images in my working directory which is something like:

/Users/patrikek/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/ChessGame-
ftpbqerfsenxxbfvneyzfwdmtwjk/Build/Products/Debug

Then add the file to some Xcode group in project navigator (eg. images/myImg.png) and I would be able to reference the file as myImg.png (since I have not foldered the image inside my working directory). I am also quite sure that the project navigator stuff would not b required for this to work.

And after this introduction comes the questions:

1) Is it necessary to place all images and other resources in the current working directory? Also, if not what is the best way to store folders in a program and is it necessary to name the folder containing images to Resources?

2) Is it possible to arrange files using the project navigator? What I am after is to use the project navigator only and let Xcode worry about the details of copying files and so. It seems somehow unnecessary to have a project navigator, when the physical files are not packaged in the same way. It does also seem error prone to update the project navigator and the physical hierarchy independently of each other.

An example:

I create a folder images in the Project navigator, inside that folder am I placing a reference to the image using the usual way in the project navigator. Is it now possible to make Xcode arrange so that I can do a call images/myImg.png when I want to load the image in some function (without me doing anything, since if I move many images to my working directory I may forget one and I may also spell images wrong by mistake if I create another folder in my working space). Also what have happened inside Xcode when this action was done?

Since I am not at all familiar with Xcode yet I may have got something wrong here, but the core of this problem is to find out where the files physical location must/should be and if there is some way to let Xcode do this by using the project navigator.

BR Patrik

Xcode does not manage images the way you have presumed that it does. Take a look at the 2013 WWDC "What's New in Xcode" video to see how Xcode 5 and Xcode 6 organize and manage images for any given project. When you have configured the asset catalogues for your project correctly, it wouldn't matter where the original images live on disk. As long as you have dragged the right assets into the right catalogues, your projects will work. The good news is that you only need to configure images once and change only the ones that change once done. For details, see this wwdc video: http://devstreaming.apple.com/videos/wwdc/2013/400xex2xbskwa5bkxr17zihju9uf/400/ref.mov

Once an image is configured in the asset catalogue, you can refer to it with or without it's file extension. For example, you can refer to "example.png" as "example" in your code. Hence, "myImg.png" can be "myImg" or "myImg.png" in code. No need to worry about which subdirectory contains it.

Now if your question has to do with runtime assets, again your development system directory structure would not matter. If that is the case, then you might have to re-ask your question. I would be glad to help you there as well--if that's what you want to know.