Convert Image to Alpha Bitmap

Image Converter

The image converter is integrated in RibbonTools64 in the file menu (Convert Images). With this tool one can convert different Image files to a Bitmap (.bmp or .png) which one can use in the Windows Ribbon framework. It supports an Encoder for the Bitmap V5 Header (.bmp). The Bitmap-V5 format is mostly a format which supports transparency (Alpha channel) in the .bmp file. This transparency you can see in the Thumbnails of the Windows Explorer and in other Image programs (Paint, Paint.net, ...), because the Decoder of V5-Bitmaps is integrated in Windows. These V5-Bitmaps you can also use in the Ribbon Images. In a .NET program (C#, VB) you get directly a Bitmap with PixelFormat.Format32bppArgb when you create a Bitmap with a V5-Bitmap file, because the Bitmap Decoder is integrated in GDI-Plus. You don't have to do extra stuff to convert a normal (Bitmap-V1) Bitmap to a PixelFormat with Alpha channel.

Supported Image sources which can be converted

The result of Bitmap file is either a 32 Bit Bitmap-V5, Bitmap-V1 or a PNG file. The output folder should be different to the input folder in most cases.

1. Bitmap Files (*.bmp, *.png and other)

You can select any Bitmap file (Bitmap with file extension .bmp, Portable Network Graphics .png, GIF-file .gif, TIFF .tiff, JPEG .jpg or .jpeg ). This file will be converted to a 32 Bit Bitmap file with transparency (Alpha channel).

2. Icon Files (*.ico)

You can use any Icon file to get a Bitmap. But you can also use some Icons from the Windows System. The Icons from Windows System are, for example, in the Windows folder "Windows\SystemResource" with filenames Shell32.dll.mun, ImageRes.dll.mun. Copy these files to a folder you like and extract these files with the 7-Zip program. You will get different folders. One folder is for the integrated Icons. These Icon files you can convert by the tool.

3. Special Gif Files from Standard-Icons.com

Go to the Website Standard-Icons.com or vista-style-icons.com. Now you can select an icon theme. Go with the mouse over an icon, press the right mouse button and click in the upcoming dialog "Picture save as". You will get a .gif file. This .gif file you can convert to transparent bitmaps with sizes 16x16, 20x20, 24x24, 32x32, 40x40, 48x48 and 64x64. The size of the bitmap file you can see in the file name. Example: BitmapFile_32.bmp is the file with a size of 32x32.

4. Visual Studio Image Library

You can select a .xaml file from the Visual Studio Image Library. The converted result are .bmp or .png files with sizes 16x16, 20x20, 24x24, 32x32, 40x40, 48x48 and 64x64. The size of the bitmap file you can see in the file name. Example: BitmapFile_32.bmp is the file with a size of 32x32.

You can also define your own Xaml files like the files in the Image Library or you can convert .ai or other vector Images to a .xaml file.

Show Bitmap Infos (*.bmp, *.png and *.ico)

You can select an Image or Icon file. This will show you some informations about the Bitmap. The informations are the Size, PixelFormat, Stride, and for .bmp files the BitmapHeader type and Compression value.