WPF - Import image as resource

Question

In WinForms it is possible to import an image as a resource, and the image would still work when compiled in the /bin/Debug folder.

I can't figure out how to get this working in WPF, when I run the application the image doesn't load, because the image is saved in /Projects/AppName/images/, and the application is compiled into /Projects/AppName/bin/Debug when I run it in Debug mode.

Do I simply need to make a copy of my Images folder and put it where the application is compiled? Or is there another way. Here is my code which displays my image:

<Image Width="300">
    <Image.Source>
        <BitmapImage DecodePixelWidth="300" UriSource="/images/jamsnaps-dark.png" />
    </Image.Source>
</Image>

Answer 1

• Create a folder (e.g. images) in your Visual Studio Project.
• Add the image file(s) to that folder.
• Set their Build Action to Resource (in the Properties window, see second image in this answer).

Then write the UriSource property like you already did:

UriSource="/images/jamsnaps-dark.png"

That URI is effectively a Resource File Pack URI, where the prefix is automatically added by the XAML Parser.

In code behind, you would write

bitmap.UriSource = new Uri("pack://application:,,,/images/jamsnaps-dark.png");

Answer 2

Two options :

1) Go out from bin/Debug and in to your application folder by ../../ and then to your image.

  <Image>
      <Image.Source>
           <BitmapImage  UriSource="../../images/jamsnaps-dark.png" />
      </Image.Source>
   </Image>

2) Compile your images as Content from properties in the context menu on the image file , and then when compiled they would be placed in been debug. I don't remember if you also need to tell them to copy local also in properties ( i'm not near a computer at the moment so i can't check .