I have bunch of EPS vector files that I want to convert to Xaml (WPF version, not Silverlight). What's the best tool for the job (Preferably a free one)?
You can use Blend (3+ only), to import EPS. Not sure about free tools, but if it's a one off you could just grab the trial of Blend 3.
Correction:
You can't import EPS with Blend, only .ai. You can convert your EPS to .ai and then import into Blend.
Alternatively, there's similar question here that might help.
Related
I was toying with the idea of switching over to using XAML based icons instead of PNG-based icons, in a Visual Studio-based WPF project.
I can create reasonable and decent icons with Expression Design. but I don't get how the workflow from Expression Design to Visual Studio is supposed to work. I can export to a temporary file in WPF resource dictionary format, and then cut and paste into an actual resource dictionary in my project. I suppose. But that's getting really tedious.
How are you SUPPOSED to do this? (Export from Expression Design into a visual studio project).
fwiw, Expression Blend seems unusable for creating icons. It just doesn't play well with canvases. And Expression Design does have horrifying shortcomings and limitations. But I'd rather use a tool that's built to generate ARTWORK, rather than UI.
Is there a way to do this, and use use PACK URI's, since the project is currently heavily pack-uri based.
I think the piece I'm missing is there doesn't seem to be a standardized XAML format for image files.
Any tips appreciated.
Using Blend to create icons was always problem. I don't know how to make it simple but i could suggest a third party application for icons.. you can get it free here... It was Syncfusion's Metro studio where you get thousands of icons and you can export as well as png and xaml path... Its it a pre designed icons you can make use of it..
As per the title, what's the preferred image format (or formats) for use in WPF?
My company will hire a designer to design some logos, images, toolbar icons, etc. for use in a WPF application. I was going to ask for Vector Graphics as they are supposed to stretch, shrink, etc without loosing clarity;
However, reading this post
Does WPF support reading/writing WMF/EMF files natively?
and others has got me worried; IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A SIMPLE TASK?! isn't this what WPF is supposed to handle natively in its sleep ?! stretch, rotate, throw flames, make toast, etc...
The preferred vector image format is XAML. There are a lot of ways for a designer to generate those graphics. Adoble Illustrator for example can use the XAML exporter. The open source tool Inkscape can export to XAML directly, a designer can also draw XAML using Microsoft Expression Design and Microsoft Expression Blend. Literally all vector graphics tool support SVG and there are a lot of ways to convert SVG to XAML.
Don't bother with WMF/EMF it will just look ugly since windows can not render them antialiased.
For my application (WPF) I'd like to use the standard icons for save, open... However, I'm not aware of them being available as vector graphics? So, where can one get them, is it maybe possible to extract them from some DLL files or whatever? Thank you very much!
The icons that are included with Visual Studio 2008 are bitmap only, I haven't installed Visual Studio 2010 yet.
There's a package of nice free common toolbar icons in XAML format at: http://www.grafile.com/presentation/Vista_Toolbar_library.html (haven't used them myself yet).
You can find a lot of (usually not free) icons sets by googling "xaml icons", you can find even more if you google "vector icons" but those will usually won't be XAML
Consider using big size icons (eg. 256x256 or 128x128 pix) and wpf would scale them down nicely. Probably you wouldn't make your icons bigger than 128x128 px anyway.
Icons you can use:
Crystal Project
I have a few images in EPS format which I would like to use in my WPF application. Is this possible?
If not, is there a way to convert them to XAML so I can use them directly in WPF? I don't have a budget for Expression Design or Adobe Illustrator, and there are only a few images to convert.
You can use Inkscape http://www.inkscape.org/. It will allow you to import EPS file, but you'll need to have GhostScript installed for that. Inkscape uses SVG format and will allow you to export from SVG to XAML.
Is it possible to import WMF (Windows Metafile) or any other vector based file into a silverlight project?
You can use Paste2Xaml to convert WMF/EMF to XAML
http://www.wpf-graphics.com/Paste2Xaml.aspx
And (from the same source) ViewerSvg to convert SVG to XAML
http://www.wpf-graphics.com/ViewerSvg.aspx
Also, for SVG, InkScape has a XAML export feature and there's a XAML export plugin for Adobe Illustrator somewhere, for WMF, Microsoft Expression Graphics Designer (what a short name) is supposed to be able to import WMF and export XAML, but I haven't used those myself.
You may want to have a look at free Silverlight Contrib project at codeplex. It comes with control to display WMF and EMF files.
Inkscape can import wmf and export xaml: http://www.inkscape.org.
I don't know of a direct way, but I've definitely transformed SVG into XAML successfully before. See this brief guide.