diff --git a/src/blackmisc/json.cpp b/src/blackmisc/json.cpp
index 6a9b3fb4f..ebaae7ec9 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/json.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/json.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2013 VATSIM Community / authors
- * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
- * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
- * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+/* Copyright (C) 2014
+ * swift project Community / Contributors
+ *
+ * This file is part of swift project. It is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file found in the top-level
+ * directory of this distribution and at http://www.swift-project.org/license.html. No part of swift project,
+ * including this file, may be copied, modified, propagated, or distributed except according to the terms
+ * contained in the LICENSE file.
+ */
 
 #include "json.h"
+#include "blackmiscfreefunctions.h"
+#include <QJsonDocument>
 
 const QJsonValue &operator >>(const QJsonValue &json, int &value)
 {
@@ -113,6 +119,20 @@ const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, QDateTime &value)
     return json;
 }
 
+const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, QPixmap &value)
+{
+    const QString hex(json.toString());
+    BlackMisc::pngHexStringToPixmapRef(hex, value);
+    return json;
+}
+
+const QJsonValue &operator >>(const QJsonValue &json, QPixmap &value)
+{
+    const QString hex(json.toString());
+    BlackMisc::pngHexStringToPixmapRef(hex, value);
+    return json;
+}
+
 QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const int value)
 {
     json.append(QJsonValue(value));
@@ -167,6 +187,13 @@ QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const QDateTime &value)
     return json;
 }
 
+QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const QPixmap &value)
+{
+    QString pm(BlackMisc::pixmapToPngHexString(value));
+    json.append(QJsonValue(pm));
+    return json;
+}
+
 QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QString, const int &> &value)
 {
     json.insert(value.first, QJsonValue(value.second));
@@ -220,3 +247,35 @@ QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QString, const QDateT
     json.insert(value.first, QJsonValue(value.second.toString()));
     return json;
 }
+
+QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QString, const QPixmap &> &value)
+{
+    QString pm(BlackMisc::pixmapToPngHexString(value.second));
+    json.insert(value.first, pm);
+    return json;
+}
+
+QJsonObject BlackMisc::Json::jsonObjectFromString(const QString &json)
+{
+    if (json.isEmpty()) { return QJsonObject();}
+    QJsonDocument jsonDoc(QJsonDocument::fromJson(json.toUtf8()));
+    return jsonDoc.object();
+}
+
+QJsonArray BlackMisc::Json::jsonArrayFromString(const QString &json)
+{
+    if (json.isEmpty()) { return QJsonArray();}
+    QJsonDocument jsonDoc(QJsonDocument::fromJson(json.toUtf8()));
+    return jsonDoc.array();
+}
+
+QJsonObject &BlackMisc::Json::appendJsonObject(QJsonObject &target, const QJsonObject &toBeAppended)
+{
+    if (toBeAppended.isEmpty()) return target;
+    QStringList keys = toBeAppended.keys();
+    foreach(const QString & key, keys)
+    {
+        target.insert(key, toBeAppended.value(key));
+    }
+    return target;
+}
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/json.h b/src/blackmisc/json.h
index 839308e79..3019e041c 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/json.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/json.h
@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@
  * contained in the LICENSE file.
  */
 
-/*!
-    \file
-*/
+//! \file
 
 #ifndef BLACKMISC_JSON_H
 #define BLACKMISC_JSON_H
@@ -23,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <QJsonArray>
 #include <QDateTime>
 #include <QStringList>
+#include <QPixmap>
 #include <utility>
 
 /*!
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@ BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValue &operator >>(const QJsonValue &json, QString &
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValue &operator >>(const QJsonValue &json, double &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValue &operator >>(const QJsonValue &json, bool &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValue &operator >>(const QJsonValue &json, QDateTime &value);
+BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValue &operator >>(const QJsonValue &json, QPixmap &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, int &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, qlonglong &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, qulonglong &value);
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, QSt
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, double &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, bool &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, QDateTime &value);
+BLACKMISC_EXPORT const QJsonValueRef &operator >>(const QJsonValueRef &json, QPixmap &value);
+
 //! @}
 
 //! \brief Specialized JSON serialization for enum
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const QString &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const double value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const bool value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const QDateTime &value);
+BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonArray &operator<<(QJsonArray &json, const QPixmap &value);
 //! @}
 
 //! \name Streaming operators for QJsonObject (from value)
@@ -109,31 +112,29 @@ BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QStr
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QString, const double &> &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QString, const bool &> &value);
 BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QString, const QDateTime &> &value);
+BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonObject &operator<<(QJsonObject &json, const std::pair<QString, const QPixmap &> &value);
 //! @}
 
 namespace BlackMisc
 {
     namespace Json
     {
-
-        //! \brief Append to first JSON object (concatenate)
+        //! Append to first JSON object (concatenate)
         //! \ingroup JSON
-        inline QJsonObject &appendJsonObject(QJsonObject &target, const QJsonObject &toBeAppended)
-        {
-            if (toBeAppended.isEmpty()) return target;
-            QStringList keys = toBeAppended.keys();
-            foreach(const QString & key, keys)
-            {
-                target.insert(key, toBeAppended.value(key));
-            }
-            return target;
-        }
+        BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonObject &appendJsonObject(QJsonObject &target, const QJsonObject &toBeAppended);
+
+        //! JSON Object from string
+        //! \ingroup JSON
+        BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonObject jsonObjectFromString(const QString &json);
+
+        //! JSON Array from string
+        //! \ingroup JSON
+        BLACKMISC_EXPORT QJsonArray jsonArrayFromString(const QString &json);
 
     } // Json
 
     namespace Mixin
     {
-
         /*!
          * CRTP class template which will generate marshalling operators for a derived class with its own marshalling implementation.
          *