How do I get an animated gif to work in WPF?

Question

What control type should I use - Image, MediaElement, etc.?

Answer 1

I have try all the way above, but each one has their shortness, and thanks to all you, I work out my own GifImage:

    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using System.Linq;
    using System.Text;
    using System.Windows.Controls;
    using System.Windows;
    using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
    using System.IO;
    using System.Windows.Threading;

    namespace IEXM.Components
    {
    public class GifImage : Image
    {
            #region gif Source, such as "/IEXM;component/Images/Expression/f020.gif"
            public string GifSource
            {
                    get { return (string)GetValue(GifSourceProperty); }
                    set { SetValue(GifSourceProperty, value); }
            }

            public static readonly DependencyProperty GifSourceProperty =
                    DependencyProperty.Register("GifSource", typeof(string),
                    typeof(GifImage), new UIPropertyMetadata(null, GifSourcePropertyChanged));

            private static void GifSourcePropertyChanged(DependencyObject sender,
                    DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
            {
                    (sender as GifImage).Initialize();
            }
            #endregion

            #region control the animate
            /// 

            /// Defines whether the animation starts on it's own
            /// 
            public bool IsAutoStart
            {
                    get { return (bool)GetValue(AutoStartProperty); }
                    set { SetValue(AutoStartProperty, value); }
            }

            public static readonly DependencyProperty AutoStartProperty =
                    DependencyProperty.Register("IsAutoStart", typeof(bool),
                    typeof(GifImage), new UIPropertyMetadata(false, AutoStartPropertyChanged));

            private static void AutoStartPropertyChanged(DependencyObject sender,
                    DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
            {
                    if ((bool)e.NewValue)
                            (sender as GifImage).StartAnimation();
                    else
                            (sender as GifImage).StopAnimation();
            }
            #endregion

            private bool _isInitialized = false;
            private System.Drawing.Bitmap _bitmap;
            private BitmapSource _source;

            [System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
            public static extern bool DeleteObject(IntPtr hObject);

            private BitmapSource GetSource()
            {
                    if (_bitmap == null)
                    {
                            _bitmap = new System.Drawing.Bitmap(Application.GetResourceStream(
                                     new Uri(GifSource, UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute)).Stream);
                    }

                    IntPtr handle = IntPtr.Zero;
                    handle = _bitmap.GetHbitmap();

                    BitmapSource bs = System.Windows.Interop.Imaging.CreateBitmapSourceFromHBitmap(
                            handle, IntPtr.Zero, Int32Rect.Empty, BitmapSizeOptions.FromEmptyOptions());
                    DeleteObject(handle);
                    return bs;
            }

            private void Initialize()
            {
            //        Console.WriteLine("Init: " + GifSource);
                    if (GifSource != null)
                            Source = GetSource();
                    _isInitialized = true;
            }

            private void FrameUpdatedCallback()
            {
                    System.Drawing.ImageAnimator.UpdateFrames();

                    if (_source != null)
                    {
                            _source.Freeze();
                    }

               _source = GetSource();

              //  Console.WriteLine("Working: " + GifSource);

                    Source = _source;
                    InvalidateVisual();
            }

            private void OnFrameChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
            {
                    Dispatcher.BeginInvoke(DispatcherPriority.Normal, new Action(FrameUpdatedCallback));
            }

            /// 

            /// Starts the animation
            /// 
            public void StartAnimation()
            {
                    if (!_isInitialized)
                            this.Initialize();


             //   Console.WriteLine("Start: " + GifSource);

                    System.Drawing.ImageAnimator.Animate(_bitmap, OnFrameChanged);
            }

            /// 

            /// Stops the animation
            /// 
            public void StopAnimation()
            {
                    _isInitialized = false;
                    if (_bitmap != null)
                    {
                            System.Drawing.ImageAnimator.StopAnimate(_bitmap, OnFrameChanged);
                            _bitmap.Dispose();
                            _bitmap = null;
                    }
                    _source = null;
                    Initialize();
                    GC.Collect();
                    GC.WaitForFullGCComplete();

             //   Console.WriteLine("Stop: " + GifSource);
            }

            public void Dispose()
            {
                    _isInitialized = false;
                    if (_bitmap != null)
                    {
                            System.Drawing.ImageAnimator.StopAnimate(_bitmap, OnFrameChanged);
                            _bitmap.Dispose();
                            _bitmap = null;
                    }
                    _source = null;
                    GC.Collect();
                    GC.WaitForFullGCComplete();
               // Console.WriteLine("Dispose: " + GifSource);
            }
    }
}

Usage:

As it would not cause memory leak and it animated the gif image own time line, you can try it.