Convert an image into WMF with .NET?

Question

There are plenty of examples of converting a wmf into a bitmap like: Reliable .wmf/wmf to Pixel based image conversion

But I need the reverse operation. I do not look for a vectorizer. I just want to embed a picture inside a wmf file without having to bother about the bits and bytes of the wmf format. I need a solution for .NET preferably in C#.

I first thought this would do the job:

using (Image img = Image.FromFile (path)) {
    img.Save (myStream, System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Wmf);
}

But this complains at runtime that the encoder is null. Where/How can I build such an encoder? I do not need a complicated one, just one that wraps an image into a wmf. Are there some requirements on the supported formats in WMF? I suppose png and bmp are supported but is gif also supported?

Answer 1

Here is the full answer to the question including my modifications. Vincent's answer is fully correct. Only some definitions and one enum were missing. That is why I post here the "clean" working code in the hope it can be useful for someone else.

        [Flags]
        private enum EmfToWmfBitsFlags {
            EmfToWmfBitsFlagsDefault = 0x00000000,
            EmfToWmfBitsFlagsEmbedEmf = 0x00000001,
            EmfToWmfBitsFlagsIncludePlaceable = 0x00000002,
            EmfToWmfBitsFlagsNoXORClip = 0x00000004
        }

        private static int MM_ISOTROPIC = 7;
        private static int MM_ANISOTROPIC = 8;

        [DllImport ("gdiplus.dll")]
        private static extern uint GdipEmfToWmfBits (IntPtr _hEmf, uint _bufferSize,
            byte[] _buffer, int _mappingMode, EmfToWmfBitsFlags _flags);
        [DllImport ("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern IntPtr SetMetaFileBitsEx (uint _bufferSize,
            byte[] _buffer);
        [DllImport ("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern IntPtr CopyMetaFile (IntPtr hWmf,
            string filename);
        [DllImport ("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern bool DeleteMetaFile (IntPtr hWmf);
        [DllImport ("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern bool DeleteEnhMetaFile (IntPtr hEmf);

        private static MemoryStream MakeMetafileStream (Bitmap image)
        {
            Metafile metafile = null;
            using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage (image)) {
                IntPtr hDC = g.GetHdc ();
                metafile = new Metafile (hDC, EmfType.EmfOnly);
                g.ReleaseHdc (hDC);
            }

            using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage (metafile)) {
                g.DrawImage (image, 0, 0);
            }
            IntPtr _hEmf = metafile.GetHenhmetafile ();
            uint _bufferSize = GdipEmfToWmfBits (_hEmf, 0, null, MM_ANISOTROPIC,
                EmfToWmfBitsFlags.EmfToWmfBitsFlagsDefault);
            byte[] _buffer = new byte[_bufferSize];
            GdipEmfToWmfBits (_hEmf, _bufferSize, _buffer, MM_ANISOTROPIC,
                    EmfToWmfBitsFlags.EmfToWmfBitsFlagsDefault);
            IntPtr hmf = SetMetaFileBitsEx (_bufferSize, _buffer);
            string tempfile = Path.GetTempFileName ();
            CopyMetaFile (hmf, tempfile);
            DeleteMetaFile (hmf);
            DeleteEnhMetaFile (_hEmf);

            var stream = new MemoryStream ();
            byte[] data = File.ReadAllBytes (tempfile);
            //File.Delete (tempfile);
            int count = data.Length;
            stream.Write (data, 0, count);
            return stream;
        }

Answer 2

From here:

When you use the Save method to save a graphic image as a Windows Metafile Format (WMF) or Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF) file, the resulting file is saved as a Portable Network Graphics (PNG) file instead. This behavior occurs because the GDI+ component of the .NET Framework does not have an encoder that you can use to save files as .wmf or .emf files.

But I guess you already got that far :)

Here someone is putting a bitmap in a FileStream.

metafileStream = MakeMetafileStream(gdiBitmap);

with MakeMetafileStream() being:

private static MemoryStream MakeMetafileStream(Bitmap image)
{
  Graphics graphics = null;
  Metafile metafile= null;
  var stream = new MemoryStream();
  try
  {
    using (graphics = Graphics.FromImage(image))
    {
      var hdc = graphics.GetHdc();
      metafile= new Metafile(stream, hdc);
      graphics.ReleaseHdc(hdc);
    }
    using (graphics = Graphics.FromImage(metafile))
    { graphics.DrawImage(image, 0, 0); }
  }
  finally
  {
    if (graphics != null)
    { graphics.Dispose(); }
    if (metafile!= null)
    { metafile.Dispose(); }
  }
  return stream;
}

Interesting stuff. But as to the encoder thing...

Here Peter Huang from MS posted this unmanaged approach:

        [DllImport("gdiplus.dll")]
        private static extern uint GdipEmfToWmfBits (IntPtr _hEmf, uint _bufferSize,
            byte[] _buffer, int _mappingMode, EmfToWmfBitsFlags _flags);
        [DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern IntPtr SetMetaFileBitsEx (uint _bufferSize,
            byte[] _buffer);
        [DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern IntPtr CopyMetaFile (IntPtr hWmf,
            string filename);
        [DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern bool DeleteMetaFile (IntPtr hWmf);
        [DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
        private static extern bool DeleteEnhMetaFile (IntPtr hEmf);
        private void button4_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
        {
            Graphics g= this.CreateGraphics();
            IntPtr hDC = g.GetHdc();
            Metafile mf = new Metafile(hDC,EmfType.EmfOnly);
            g.ReleaseHdc(hDC);
            g.Dispose();
            g=Graphics.FromImage(mf);
            //Pen p = new Pen(Color.White,5);
            g.DrawArc(Pens.Black,0,0,200,200,0,360);
            //g.DrawImage(Bitmap.FromFile(@"c:\temp\test.bmp"),0,0);
            g.Dispose();
            IntPtr _hEmf= mf.GetHenhmetafile();
            uint _bufferSize = GdipEmfToWmfBits(_hEmf, 0, null, MM_ANISOTROPIC,
                EmfToWmfBitsFlags.EmfToWmfBitsFlagsDefault);
            byte[] _buffer = new byte[_bufferSize];
            GdipEmfToWmfBits(_hEmf, _bufferSize, _buffer, MM_ANISOTROPIC,
                    EmfToWmfBitsFlags.EmfToWmfBitsFlagsDefault);
            IntPtr hmf = SetMetaFileBitsEx(_bufferSize, _buffer);
            CopyMetaFile(hmf, "C:\\ConvertedMetafile.wmf");
            DeleteMetaFile(hmf);
            DeleteEnhMetaFile(_hEmf);
        }

Hope this'll get you there :)