How to include an XAML icon in another XAML file - wpf

Question

I've downloaded the Visual Studio Image Library, which contains XAML icons. For example, this is the content of the file FolderClosed_16x.xaml:
<!-- This file was generated by the AiToXaml tool.-->
<!-- Tool Version: 14.0.22307.0 -->
<Viewbox Width="16" Height="16" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation">
<Rectangle Width="16" Height="16">
<Rectangle.Fill>
<DrawingBrush>
<DrawingBrush.Drawing>
<DrawingGroup>
<DrawingGroup.Children>
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#00FFFFFF" Geometry="F1M0,0L16,0 16,16 0,16z" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFF6F6F6" Geometry="F1M1.5,1L9.61,1 10.61,3 13.496,3C14.323,3,14.996,3.673,14.996,4.5L14.996,12.5C14.996,13.327,14.323,14,13.496,14L1.5,14C0.673,14,0,13.327,0,12.5L0,2.5C0,1.673,0.673,1,1.5,1" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFEFEFF0" Geometry="F1M1.9998,3.0004L1.9998,4.0004 8.8738,4.0004 8.3738,3.0004z" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFDBB679" Geometry="F1M2,3L8.374,3 8.874,4 2,4z M13.496,4L10,4 9.992,4 8.992,2 1.5,2C1.225,2,1,2.224,1,2.5L1,12.5C1,12.776,1.225,13,1.5,13L13.496,13C13.773,13,13.996,12.776,13.996,12.5L13.996,4.5C13.996,4.224,13.773,4,13.496,4" />
</DrawingGroup.Children>
</DrawingGroup>
</DrawingBrush.Drawing>
</DrawingBrush>
</Rectangle.Fill>
</Rectangle>
</Viewbox>
I've added this file to my project in Visual Studio. How do I use the icon in another XAML file? Pasting these lines inside my XAML file works as expected, but I'd like to keep all icon files in a directory and reference them in multiple places. Is this possible without modifying the icon files?
I'd like to use it like this in my MainWindow.xaml, but this doesn't work:
<ContentControl Template="{StaticResource Icons/FolderClosed_16x.xaml}" />

Answer 1

You should define the Viewbox as a type or resource.
Create new `UserControl´ (Project->Add user Control (WPF) in Visual Studio) called FolderClosed_16x.
Replace the contents of the FolderClosed_16x.xaml file with this:
<Viewbox x:Class="WpfApp1.FolderClosed_16x"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Width="16" Height="16">
<Rectangle Width="16" Height="16">
<Rectangle.Fill>
<DrawingBrush>
<DrawingBrush.Drawing>
<DrawingGroup>
<DrawingGroup.Children>
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#00FFFFFF" Geometry="F1M0,0L16,0 16,16 0,16z" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFF6F6F6" Geometry="F1M1.5,1L9.61,1 10.61,3 13.496,3C14.323,3,14.996,3.673,14.996,4.5L14.996,12.5C14.996,13.327,14.323,14,13.496,14L1.5,14C0.673,14,0,13.327,0,12.5L0,2.5C0,1.673,0.673,1,1.5,1" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFEFEFF0" Geometry="F1M1.9998,3.0004L1.9998,4.0004 8.8738,4.0004 8.3738,3.0004z" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFDBB679" Geometry="F1M2,3L8.374,3 8.874,4 2,4z M13.496,4L10,4 9.992,4 8.992,2 1.5,2C1.225,2,1,2.224,1,2.5L1,12.5C1,12.776,1.225,13,1.5,13L13.496,13C13.773,13,13.996,12.776,13.996,12.5L13.996,4.5C13.996,4.224,13.773,4,13.496,4" />
</DrawingGroup.Children>
</DrawingGroup>
</DrawingBrush.Drawing>
</DrawingBrush>
</Rectangle.Fill>
</Rectangle>
</Viewbox>
Change the base type in FolderClosed_16x.xaml.cs to Viewbox:
public partial class FolderClosed_16x : Viewbox
{
public FolderClosed_16x()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
}
Reference the control as usual from another view:
<local:FolderClosed_16x />

Answer 2

This is the solution that I ended up using. I have one xaml file in my project that contains all the icons and they all have an x:Key:
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<!-- Folder Closed -->
<Rectangle x:Key="FolderClosed" Width="16" Height="16" x:Shared="false">
<Rectangle.Fill>
<DrawingBrush>
<DrawingBrush.Drawing>
<DrawingGroup>
<DrawingGroup.Children>
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#00FFFFFF" Geometry="F1M0,0L16,0 16,16 0,16z" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFF6F6F6" Geometry="F1M1.5,1L9.61,1 10.61,3 13.496,3C14.323,3,14.996,3.673,14.996,4.5L14.996,12.5C14.996,13.327,14.323,14,13.496,14L1.5,14C0.673,14,0,13.327,0,12.5L0,2.5C0,1.673,0.673,1,1.5,1" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFEFEFF0" Geometry="F1M1.9998,3.0004L1.9998,4.0004 8.8738,4.0004 8.3738,3.0004z" />
<GeometryDrawing Brush="#FFDBB679" Geometry="F1M2,3L8.374,3 8.874,4 2,4z M13.496,4L10,4 9.992,4 8.992,2 1.5,2C1.225,2,1,2.224,1,2.5L1,12.5C1,12.776,1.225,13,1.5,13L13.496,13C13.773,13,13.996,12.776,13.996,12.5L13.996,4.5C13.996,4.224,13.773,4,13.496,4" />
</DrawingGroup.Children>
</DrawingGroup>
</DrawingBrush.Drawing>
</DrawingBrush>
</Rectangle.Fill>
</Rectangle>
<!-- more icons go here -->
</ResourceDictionary>
In a file that uses the icon, I reference my icons file:
<Window.Resources>
<ResourceDictionary>
<ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<ResourceDictionary Source="Icons.xaml"/>
<!-- other files can be referenced here -->
</ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
<!-- other resources can be defined here here -->
</ResourceDictionary>
</Window.Resources>
And in the same file, I use the icon like this:
<ContentControl Content="{StaticResource FolderClosed}" />