How to use Path in a DrawingImage?

Question

I have some paths defined that I would like to convert into DrawingImage resources but I must be missing something.

i.e.

I want to take something like this:

<Path Stroke="DarkGoldenRod" StrokeThickness="3" 
      Data="M 100,200 C 100,25 400,350 400,175 H 280" />

and use it with something like this:

<DrawingImage x:Key='icon'>
    <DrawingImage.Drawing>
      <DrawingGroup>
        <DrawingGroup.Children>
          <GeometryDrawing ... />
          . . .
        </DrawingGroup.Children>
      </DrawingGroup>
    </DrawingImage.Drawing>
</DrawingImage>

Any suggestions?

-dk

Answer 1

This should work :

<DrawingImage x:Key='icon'>
  <DrawingImage.Drawing>
    <DrawingGroup>
      <DrawingGroup.Children>
        <GeometryDrawing Geometry="M 100,200 C 100,25 400,350 400,175 H 280">
          <GeometryDrawing.Pen>
            <Pen Thickness="3" Brush="DarkGoldenRod"/>
          </GeometryDrawing.Pen>
        </GeometryDrawing>
      </DrawingGroup.Children>
    </DrawingGroup>
  </DrawingImage.Drawing>
</DrawingImage>

Answer 2

I quite don't know what you want to do ... given your comment to Thomas' answer.

However, Expression Design can export in two different WPF ways:

1. To a ResourceDictionary where the artwork turns into DrawingBrush(es), or
2. To a Canvas where the artwork turns into Path(s) and Shape(s).

The ResourceDictionary/DrawingBrush approach is very similar to the suggested answer you gave in the question and that Thomas answered with.

What I would suggest is to design your artwork with Expression Design and then keep a hold of the .design file so that you can export to whatever format you wish ... especially at a later point in time.

Now, I know a lot of artwork gets done in Adobe Illustrator and then is converted using Expression Design. If that is the case, I would keep both the .ai file and the .design file so that you can always modify your artwork and export again.

Of course, this is all to get around the issue that you can't import xaml into Expression Design (i.e. it doesn't support a round-trip scenario).

One thing I would mention is that sometimes it isn't as easy as just copying the mini-path language from the Path.Data property to the GeometryDrawing.Geometry property ... because of resizing scenarios (meaning that DrawingBrush(es) are typically set to a Fill somewhere and then they typically fill whatever space there is). So, watch out for that!