CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#winformspicturebox
ghiboz
ghiboz

Reputation: 8003

lock image file in PictureBox

I load an image into a picturebox:

myPictureBox.Image = Image.FromFile(strImageFile);

and works perfectly, but the image file is locked and I can't manage until my application is closed..

I need, from another window of the program, save a new image to reload when this child window is closed..

Upvotes: 2

Views: 3099

Answers (5)

Oliver Fritz
Oliver Fritz

Reputation: 1

My experience shows that PictureBox.LoadAsync does NOT seem to lock the file. I was even able to delete such a file with IO.FileInfo.Delete while it was still showing in the PictureBox. I have not made systematic studies, but I recommend to give it a try.

Upvotes: 0

Sir Rufo
Sir Rufo

Reputation: 19106

As documented load the image from the file and assign a cloned instance to the picture box.

If you want to use the same image in multiple PictureBox controls, create a clone of the image for each PictureBox. Accessing the same image from multiple controls causes an exception to occur.

And to keep the file unlocked, just use it only for the clone time:

using ( var img = Image.FromFile( fileName ) )
{
    pictureBox2.Image = (Image) img.Clone();
}

Upvotes: 1

abto
abto

Reputation: 1628

An easy approach is to copy the image from the file to a new Bitmap and dispose the instance from the file after that. This is best done with a proper using construct:

using(var fromFile = Image.FromFile(strImageFile))
{
    myPictureBox.Image = new Bitmap(fromFile);
}

Upvotes: 1

Andrey Korneyev
Andrey Korneyev

Reputation: 26876

Well, you can use Image.FromStream instead Image.FromFile and wrap stream you're reading from into using to make sure it will be released after you've done reading.

using (var stream = File.Open(strImageFile, FileMode.Open))
{
     myPictureBox.Image = Image.FromStream(stream);
}

Upvotes: 0

Sriram Sakthivel
Sriram Sakthivel

Reputation: 73492

Image.FromFile will keep the File open which prevents access to the image file till the Image is disposed. If you want to release the lock, you need to keep the Image file in memory.

myPictureBox.Image = Image.FromStream(new MemoryStream(File.ReadAllBytes(strImageFile)));

Upvotes: 5

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