Is it possible to use custom images for UML items in plantUML?

PlantUML is very powerful when you would like to create standard UML diagrams.

But I currently think about using PlantUML to document EIP routes (like the routes on these images: https://www.google.de/search?q=camel+route&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch).

This would be pretty easy if you could specify another image instead of normal boxes for a class. Something like an SVG or WMF image or a shape script as in Sparx Enterprise Architect.

The only custom images I found in the documentation where those tiny sprites...

Solution

From the PlantUML's Language Specification

Legacy HTML

You can mix Creole with the following HTML tags:

...

<img:file> : the file must be accessible by the filesystem

<img:http://plantuml.com/logo3.png> : the URL must be available from the Internet

It appears that it shouldn't be a problem. There is also a PlantUML Word Plug-in, that would possibly enable you to paste images over the default ones otherwise.

The following PlantUML code renders a simple diagram - the referenced images have to be in the proper location...

object "inbound message" as m1
object "XML Splitter" as s1

m1 : <img:MessageIcon.gif>
s1 : <img:SplitterIcon.gif>
m2 : <img:MessageIcon.gif>

m1 -> s1
s1 -> m2