Faster Picturebox loading or alternatives

Question

Hi I have a app which is loading between 200-1000 32x32px pictureboxes. All pictureboxes are on screen so I need to load them all and can't just load some. I set up a imageList and then create a picturebox for each image. As it stands it takes a few secs for the whole set of images to display to the screen screen. Is there a better way to load that many small images than loading 1000 pictureboxes? If posting the code would help I will post it when I get home from work. Thanks Jay

Sascha B · Answer

So ok let's start it! Preparation: declare these two variables above public form1() Bitmap bitmapimg; Graphics bmpgraphic; First of all you need a background worker. (find it in the toolbox) got into the go_work method and make something like this. bitmap = new Bitmap(w h System.Drawing.Imaging.PixelFormat.Format64bppPArgb); // Where w is your width for all your images! Also the height. bmpgrafik = Graphics.FromImage(bitmap); // This is the connection between the Graphic and the Bitmap! Very important bmpgraphic.CompositingMode = CompositingMode.SourceCopy; bmpgraphic.CompositingQuality = CompositingQuality.GammaCorrected; now paint all your images on this bmpgraphic something like this for(i = 0; i { //set actual image img = new Bitmap(imagepath); bmpgraphic.DrawImage(imgPoint); //Point is where the picture is drawn in the box. You must change it wit every i } When everything is drawn virtual on your bitmap throught the bmpgraphic go into the RunWorkerCompleted method and make something like this picturebox.Image = bitmap; and then bitmap.Dispose(); // Cleaning up the cache So everytime you want to redraw this image (resize picture changed etc.) then you have to call this if(!backgroundworker.IsBusy) // Just to get sure the backgroundworker is ready backgroundworker.RunWorkerAsync(); // redraw everything So now your image should or can be painted :D Now you can check the xy coordinates with the mouse moove method throught your picturebox and check it with the positions from your little pictures. (You have to save every point to every image so you can check them) Hope I forgot nothing. And good luck!

Jay Webster · Answer

Working perfectly :) Thanks Sascha :D

Sascha B · Answer

oh sry you have to dispose the bmpgraphic not the bitmap. Got the exact same error when I first tried it :D

Jay Webster · Answer

Thanks for the code :) I have the following: [CODE] Bitmap bitmap img; Graphics bmpgraphic; public frmEditor() { InitializeComponent(); } private void frmEditor_Load(object sender EventArgs e) { backgroundWorker.RunWorkerAsync(); } private void backgroundWorker_DoWork(object sender DoWorkEventArgs e) { bitmap = new Bitmap(32 32 System.Drawing.Imaging.PixelFormat.Format64bppPArgb); bmpgraphic = Graphics.FromImage(bitmap); bmpgraphic.CompositingMode = CompositingMode.SourceCopy; bmpgraphic.CompositingQuality = CompositingQuality.GammaCorrected; Point myPoint = new Point(1 1); img = new Bitmap(bush.png); bmpgraphic.DrawImage(img myPoint); } private void backgroundWorker_RunWorkerCompleted(object sender RunWorkerCompletedEventArgs e) { PictureBoxMap.Image = bitmap; bitmap.Dispose(); } [/CODE] I wrote it to test showing one 32px image. Although when I run the program I get a red X in a box where the picture box is.

Jay Webster · Answer

Thanks :)

Sascha B · Answer

I will ^^ But first I have to get home as I said before. Than I can copy&paste something out of my project. I think at 17:00 GMT+1

Jay Webster · Answer

Sascha when you get a chance if you code post those code snippets it would help alot would be appreciated :)

Jay Webster · Answer

hmm you are right I will have a play about when I get home sure I will be back though :)

Sascha B · Answer

But you know the x and y coordinates in the big picturebox and you know where you placed the tiles. So I think it isn't that impossible :D But 1000times better than redraw all of your little boxes everytime one thing changed. btw: You idea sounds like a RPG Maker Edit: My programm paints nearly 30k seperatet dots on my picturebox. So I know what you mean with slow loading. But with painting them on a bitmap first my problems with freezes and laggs dissappeared

Jay Webster · Answer

What I am actually trying to achieve is a map editor type application. Each 32x32 tile can be changed to some other image be it grass water whatever. The only problem I have is that when it initially loads the grid of picture boxes it loads them slowly. I have used mouse events so that you can zoom/move the map around but when it zoom's it resizes the picture boxes and redraws the lot again so takes along time too long. Sascha: I dont think I can use the method you stated as if it was just one big picture box I wouldnt be able to change the individual tiles? Frogleg: Since it can zoom in and out it could load 20 tiles it could load all of them.. I hope I am being clear in what is happening. Jay

Sascha B · Answer

just create 32x32 size bitmaps paint the images on them and when everything is ready paint them on a big picturebox with for(i = 0; i You can create the bitmaps with a backgroundworker = no freezes If you have trouble with painting on bitmaps and assign them on the big picturebox I can post some code snippets when I'm home. (17:00 GMT + 1) If you use mouse interaction you can use the xy coordinates of the picturebox + mouseClickEvent

Frogleg · Answer

How many picturebox can you see at one time ? You might be better off having a set amount of pictureboxes with a next and previous button - then load as required.