Set up Microsoft Expression Blend to work with LEADTOOLS for WPF

In this quick tutorial, you will make the LEADTOOLS for WPF controls and effects available for use within Microsoft Expression Blend. No coding is required to do this.

Create the Project

Start Microsoft Expression Blend, and from the main menu, select File->New->Project...
In the Create New Project dialog box, accept the default selections Standard Application (.exe) and language Visual C#. Name the project. For Example: MyProject.
If desired, type a new location for your project or select a directory using the Browse button, and then click OK.

Plug-in LEADTOOLS for WPF Resources

LEADTOOLS for WPF provides you with powerful controls that let you add image displays, image lists, and apply image effects in Microsoft Expression Blend. In this step, you will make all these rich features available within your project.

At the right-hand side of the screen, select the Project tab, right-click the References folder, and select Add Reference....
In the Add Reference dialog box, browse to the LEADTOOLS local install directory Win32 folder [default path is: C:\Program Files<LEADTOOLS_INSTALLDIR>\Bin\Dotnet\Win32], and select the following files:
- Leadtools.dll
- Leadtools.Codecs.dll
- Leadtools.Codecs.Cmp.dll
- Leadtools.Codecs.Png.dll
- Leadtools.ImageProcessing.SpecialEffects.dll
- Leadtools.Windows.Controls.Express.dll
- Leadtools.Windows.Media.dll
- Leadtools.Windows.Media.Effects.dll
- If you have installed the WPF Module as an add-on to a LEADTOOLS SDK, you may wish to reference other LEADTOOLS .dlls in order to enable specific effects or features.
Click Select and then click OK to make them available to your project.

Set up Your Application Window

The default window name is Window1.xaml. To change this:

Select the Window.
On the Properties tab, find Common Properties-->Title. Type a window name. For Example: PictureThis!

Example

[Window1.xaml]

<Window xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"  
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"  
    x:Class="MyProject.Window1"  
    x:Name="Window"  
    Title="PictureThis!"  
    Width="640"  
    Height="480"  
    > 
    <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot"/>  
</Window>