BitmapSource from file

Question

How can I load a BitmapSource from an image file?

Answer 1

• The BitmapImage class is a non-asbtract subclass of BitmapSource, so just use the new BitmapImage(Uri) constructor and pass that new instance to anything that expects a BitmapSource object.
• Don't be confused by the fact the argument type is System.Uri: a Uri isn't just for http:// addresses, but it's also suitable for local filesystem paths and UNC shares, and more.

So this works for me:

BitmapImage thisIsABitmapImage = new BitmapImage(new Uri("c:\\image.bmp"));  BitmapSource thisIsABitmapImageUpcastToBitmapSource = thisIsABitmapImage;