WPF image resources

Question

I come from a mostly web and a little bit Windows Forms background. For a new project, we will be using WPF. The WPF application will need 10 - 20 small icons and images for illustrative purposes. I am thinking about storing these in the assembly as embedded resources. Is that the right way to go?

How do I specify in XAML that an Image control should load the image from an embedded resource?

Answer 1

1. Visual Studio 2010 Professional SP1.
2. .NET Framework 4 Client Profile.
3. PNG image added as resource on project properties.
4. New file in Resources folder automatically created.
5. Build action set to resource.

This worked for me:

<BitmapImage x:Key="MyImageSource" UriSource="Resources/Image.png" />

Answer 2

If you will use the image in multiple places, then it's worth loading the image data only once into memory and then sharing it between all Image elements.

To do this, create a BitmapSource as a resource somewhere:

<BitmapImage x:Key="MyImageSource" UriSource="../Media/Image.png" />

Then, in your code, use something like:

<Image Source="{StaticResource MyImageSource}" />

In my case, I found that I had to set the Image.png file to have a build action of Resource rather than just Content. This causes the image to be carried within your compiled assembly.

Answer 3

I found to be the best practice of using images, videos, etc. is:

• Change your files "Build action" to "Content". Be sure to check Copy to build directory.
  • Found on the "Right-Click" menu at the Solution Explorer window.
• Image Source in the following format:
  • "/«YourAssemblyName»;component/«YourPath»/«YourImage.png»"

Example

<Image Source="/WPFApplication;component/Images/Start.png" />

Benefits:

• Files are not embedded into the assembly.
  • The Resource Manager will raise some memory overflow problems with too many resources (at build time).
• Can be called between assemblies.

Answer 4

Yes, it's the right way. You can use images in the Resource file using a path:

<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
    <CheckBox  Content="{Binding Nname}" IsChecked="{Binding IsChecked}"/>
    <Image Source="E:\SWorking\SharePointSecurityApps\SharePointSecurityApps\SharePointSecurityApps.WPF\Images\sitepermission.png"/>
    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=Title}"></TextBlock>
</StackPanel>