[SOLVED] How can I add the project level directory into .classpath?

How can I add the project level directory into .classpath?

I'm getting

javax.imageio.IIOException: Can't read input file!

when I try to open files that are at the top-level folder of the actual Eclipse project. My guess is that since .classpath explicitly defines all the class paths, I have to include that folder.

Here are the contents of my current .classpath:

<classpath>
    <classpathentry kind="src" path="src"/>
    <classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.7"/>
<classpathentry kind="output" path="bin"/></classpath>

If I am correct with my suspicion, what would the .classpath entry be for that directory? path="" would be my educated guess, but what should be the appropriate value of the kind tag? I have found some documentation online, but it was over my head.

EDIT: I was wrong (see comments below)
EDIT2: It works from the cmd (the image displays). It must have something to do with either .project or .classpath
EDIT3: The image is also in bin

Solution

Resolved with a pretty ironic solution: I had to put the files i the project level directory (which i initially assumed was the case and the root cause of my problem). the top level relative directory IS the project directory