How to: Use a Drawing as an Image Source

This example shows how to use a Drawing as the Source for an Image control. To display a Drawing with an Image control, use a DrawingImage as the Image control's Source and set the DrawingImage object's DrawingImage.Drawing property to the drawing you want to display.

Example

The following example uses a DrawingImage and an Image control to display a GeometryDrawing. This example produces the following output:

A DrawingImage

using System;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Animation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;

namespace SDKSample
{
    public class DrawingImageExample : Page
    {

        public DrawingImageExample()
        {

            // 
            // Create the Geometry to draw. 
            //
            GeometryGroup ellipses = new GeometryGroup();
            ellipses.Children.Add(
                new EllipseGeometry(new Point(50,50), 45, 20)
                );
            ellipses.Children.Add(
                new EllipseGeometry(new Point(50, 50), 20, 45)
                );

            // 
            // Create a GeometryDrawing. 
            //
            GeometryDrawing aGeometryDrawing = new GeometryDrawing();
            aGeometryDrawing.Geometry = ellipses;

            // Paint the drawing with a gradient.
            aGeometryDrawing.Brush = 
                new LinearGradientBrush(
                    Colors.Blue, 
                    Color.FromRgb(204,204,255), 
                    new Point(0,0), 
                    new Point(1,1));

            // Outline the drawing with a solid color.
            aGeometryDrawing.Pen = new Pen(Brushes.Black, 10);

            // 
            // Use a DrawingImage and an Image control 
            // to display the drawing. 
            //
            DrawingImage geometryImage = new DrawingImage(aGeometryDrawing);

            // Freeze the DrawingImage for performance benefits.
            geometryImage.Freeze();

            Image anImage = new Image();
            anImage.Source = geometryImage;
            anImage.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Left;

            // 
            // Place the image inside a border and 
            // add it to the page. 
            //
            Border exampleBorder = new Border();
            exampleBorder.Child = anImage;
            exampleBorder.BorderBrush = Brushes.Gray;
            exampleBorder.BorderThickness = new Thickness(1);
            exampleBorder.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Left;
            exampleBorder.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top;
            exampleBorder.Margin = new Thickness(10);

            this.Margin = new Thickness(20);
            this.Background = Brushes.White;
            this.Content = exampleBorder;
        }

    }
}

<Page 
  xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
  xmlns:PresentationOptions="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation/options" 
  xmlns:mc="https://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
  mc:Ignorable="PresentationOptions"
  Background="White" Margin="20">

  <Border BorderBrush="Gray" BorderThickness="1" 
    HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top"
    Margin="10">

    <!-- This image uses a Drawing object for its source. -->
    <Image>
      <Image.Source>
        <DrawingImage PresentationOptions:Freeze="True">
          <DrawingImage.Drawing>
            <GeometryDrawing>
              <GeometryDrawing.Geometry>
                <GeometryGroup>
                  <EllipseGeometry Center="50,50" RadiusX="45" RadiusY="20" />
                  <EllipseGeometry Center="50,50" RadiusX="20" RadiusY="45" />
                </GeometryGroup>
              </GeometryDrawing.Geometry>
              <GeometryDrawing.Brush>
                <LinearGradientBrush>
                  <GradientStop Offset="0.0" Color="Blue" />
                  <GradientStop Offset="1.0" Color="#CCCCFF" />
                </LinearGradientBrush>
              </GeometryDrawing.Brush>
              <GeometryDrawing.Pen>
                <Pen Thickness="10" Brush="Black" />
              </GeometryDrawing.Pen>
            </GeometryDrawing>
          </DrawingImage.Drawing>
        </DrawingImage>
      </Image.Source>
    </Image>
  </Border>

</Page>

See Also

Tasks

How to: Draw an Image Using ImageDrawing

Concepts

Drawing Objects Overview

Freezable Objects Overview

Reference

Freeze

PresentationOptions:Freeze Attribute