kinda working I guess

OpenDreamRuntime/Objects/Types/DreamList.cs

@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ public sealed class DreamVisContentsList : DreamList {
     [Dependency] private IEntityManager _entityManager = default!;
     private readonly PvsOverrideSystem? _pvsOverrideSystem;
 
-    private readonly List<DreamObjectAtom> _visContents = new();
+    private readonly List<DreamObject> _visContents = new();
     private readonly DreamObject _atom;
 
     public DreamVisContentsList(DreamObjectDefinition listDef, PvsOverrideSystem? pvsOverrideSystem, DreamObject atom) : base(listDef, 0) {
@@ -747,6 +747,9 @@ public override void AddValue(DreamValue value) {
         } else if (value.TryGetValueAsDreamObject<DreamObjectTurf>(out var turf)) {
             _visContents.Add(turf);
             entity = EntityUid.Invalid; // TODO: Support turfs in vis_contents
+        } else if(value.TryGetValueAsDreamObject<DreamObjectImage>(out var image)) {
+            _visContents.Add(image);
+            entity = image.GetEntity();
         } else {
             throw new Exception($"Cannot add {value} to a vis_contents list");
         }

OpenDreamRuntime/Objects/Types/DreamObjectImage.cs

@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 using OpenDreamRuntime.Procs;
+using OpenDreamRuntime.Rendering;
 using OpenDreamShared.Dream;
+using Robust.Shared.Map;
 
 namespace OpenDreamRuntime.Objects.Types;
 
 public sealed class DreamObjectImage : DreamObject {
+
     public IconAppearance? Appearance;
 
     private DreamObject? _loc;
     private DreamList _overlays;
     private DreamList _underlays;
+    private EntityUid _entity = EntityUid.Invalid;
 
     /// <summary>
     /// All the args in /image/New() after "icon" and "loc", in their correct order
@@ -189,4 +193,23 @@ protected override void SetVar(string varName, DreamValue value) {
     public DreamObject? GetAttachedLoc(){
         return this._loc;
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Get or create the entity associated with this image. Used for putting this image in the world ie, with vis_contents
+    /// The associated entity is deleted when the image is.
+    /// </summary>
+    public EntityUid GetEntity() {
+        if(_entity == EntityUid.Invalid) {
+            _entity = EntityManager.SpawnEntity(null, new MapCoordinates(0, 0, MapId.Nullspace));
+            DMISpriteComponent sprite = EntityManager.AddComponent<DMISpriteComponent>(_entity);
+            sprite.SetAppearance(Appearance!);
+        }
+        return _entity;
+    }
+
+    protected override void HandleDeletion() {
+        if(_entity != EntityUid.Invalid) {
+            EntityManager.DeleteEntity(_entity);
+        }
+    }
 }

TestGame/code.dm

@@ -37,7 +37,14 @@
 	New()
 		..()
 		loc = locate(5, 5, 1)
-		//color = rgb(rand(0,255), rand(0,255), rand(0,255))
+		var/image/i = image(icon = 'icons/hanoi.dmi', icon_state="8")
+		src.vis_contents += i
+		spawn(50)
+			src << "changing image"
+			i.icon_state = "1"
+		spawn(100)
+			src << "removing image"
+			src.vis_contents.Cut()
 
 	Login()
 		world.log << "login ran"