BMP 32-bit alpha files not compatible with win32 LoadImage()

[HarmlessDave]

This code works fine with files created by Paint.Net 4.0.x and the old BMPX export DLL (BMP32 Paint.NET FileType.dll):

 

m_hbm = (HBITMAP)::LoadImage(hInst, MAKEINTRESOURCE(idb_toolbar), IMAGE_BITMAP, 0, 0, LR_CREATEDIBSECTION);
if (m_hbm == NULL)
{
	DWORD derr = GetLastError();
	Logger("toolbar LoadImage error = %d  %u  %x", derr, derr, derr);
}
m_ilToolBar = ImageList_Create(bmpw, bmph, ILC_COLOR32, 11, 4);
ok2 = ImageList_Add(m_ilToolBar, m_hbm, NULL);

 

If I use 4.3.12 with the same PDN file and save as 32-bit BMP, the ::LoadImage fails with GetLastError() == 183:  11:58:24.266 - toolbar LoadImage error = 183  183  b7

 

If I look at the old DLL export and the new built-in export, I see that the new version uses a larger header.  I can provide samples of both if needed.

 

Our use case is creating bitmaps with transparency for Windows UI elements like toolbar buttons.  The old Win32 API calls won't read PNG.

[toe_head2001]

In Paint.NET v4.2, many formats (including BMP) were switched over to the newer WIC encoders/decoders.

 

You may need to start using WIC in your application, or re-encode your bitmap files with a different program.

[HarmlessDave]

Thanks, that makes sense to avoid maintaining a bunch of codecs when Microsoft has done that for you, but it's a shame that for 32-bit with alpha the results aren't compatible with their own Win32 API call.

 

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17602548/how-to-covert-iwicbitmapsource-to-hbitmap

 

It looks like it might be possible to get a HBITMAP from a WIC bitmap, though for now it's easier for us to keep using the old BMPX export DLL.