Windows Imaging Component

Not to be confused with Imaging for Windows.
Windows Imaging Component (WIC)
A component of Microsoft Windows
Details
Included with Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP Service Pack 3
.NET Framework 3.0
Related components
Windows Image Acquisition

The Windows Imaging Component (WIC) is a Component Object Model based imaging codec framework introduced in Windows Vista and Windows XP Service Pack 3 for working with and processing digital images and image metadata. It allows applications supporting the framework to automatically get support of installed codecs for graphics file formats.

It is similar to DirectShow, or ACM/VCM, in that it can be extended using image codecs and can support third-party graphics formats on a system-wide basis. Additionally, Windows Presentation Foundation applications also automatically support the installed image codecs. Codecs for RAW image formats used by high-end professional digital cameras are also supported in this manner.

WIC enables application developers to perform image processing operations on any image format through a single set of common APIs, without requiring prior knowledge of specific image formats. By writing a codec once for WIC, developers can get system-wide support for that graphics file format in all applications that use WIC, .NET 3.x or WPF.

Features

Windows Imaging Component provides an extensible architecture for image codecs, pixel formats, and metadata, with automatic run-time discovery of new formats. It supports reading and writing of arbitrary metadata in image files, with the ability to preserve unrecognized metadata during editing. While working with images, it preserves high bit depth image data, up to 32 bits per channel, throughout the revamped high dynamic range image processing pipeline built into Windows Vista.

Windows Imaging Component supports Windows Color System, the ICC V4-compliant color management technology in Windows Vista.

Codecs

By default, Windows Vista ships with the JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PNG, BMP and HD Photo encoder and decoder codecs, and an .ICO decoder. Additionally, as of 2009, some camera manufacturers[1] and 3rd-parties[2][3] have released WIC codecs for proprietary raw image formats, enabling Mac-like raw image support to Windows 7 and Vista.[4] In July 2011, this was extended significantly by Microsoft itself by providing a separate Codec Pack for most current digital cameras.[5]

Metadata

WIC supports Exchangeable Image File (Exif), PNG textual metadata, image file directory (IFD), IPTC Information Interchange Model (IPTC), and Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) formats. In addition, WIC includes an extensible framework to support third-party metadata implementations.

Metadata format support is per-codec. For example, the native JPEG codec supports XMP but the native GIF and PNG codecs do not.[6]

Usage

WIC in Microsoft products

In Windows Vista: Windows Explorer, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Live Photo Gallery Viewer are based on Windows Imaging Component and can thus view/organize images in any format for which the WIC codecs are installed.

Starting with Windows 7, Windows Media Center (available on Windows 7 Home Premium and above) is WIC-enabled. The GDI+ graphic library, used by many native application and underneath .NET 2's System.Drawing, is also built on top of WIC, although GDI+ will not load 3rd-party or external codecs. The WIC stack itself underwent a major overhaul and is now free threaded, and so are all the built-in and external codecs shipping with the operating system. Being free threaded is also a requirement for new codecs targeting Windows 7.[7]

WIC is also available for Windows XP as a standalone download or as part of .NET Framework 3.0.[8] A PowerToy for Windows XP from Microsoft, known as Photo Info, which allows viewing and editing image metadata from Windows Explorer, also uses WIC.[9]

Microsoft Expression Design's import and export capabilities are entirely based on WIC[10] Expression Media Service Pack 1 and later also supports additional RAW camera formats and HD Photo using WIC.[11][12]

Third-party support

As of 2007, few third-party imaging applications (image editors, image organizers and image viewers) utilize WIC.

FastPictureViewer, a simple standalone third-party image viewer, supports standard image formats along with HD Photo and RAW camera formats (NRW, NEF, CR2, DNG) using WIC. An experimental WIC import plug-in for Adobe Photoshop can also be found on FastPictureViewer's website.[13]

From version 3.6.0.76 IMatch also supports WIC.

References

  1. ↑ Microsoft Pro Photo Codec's Page
  2. ↑ Ardfry Imaging, LLC.
  3. ↑ FastPictureViewer WIC Codec Pack
  4. ↑ How to add Mac-like raw image support under Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, and XP
  5. ↑ Microsoft Camera Codec Pack (16.0.0652.0621)
  6. ↑ "WIC Metadata". MSDN. Microsoft. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  7. ↑ Windows 7 Developer White Papers: Windows Imaging Component Codec Guidelines for Camera RAW Image Formats (PDC 2008)"
  8. ↑ "Download WIC for Windows XP". Microsoft.com. 2006-11-09. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  9. ↑ Photo Info shell extension for Windows Explorer
  10. ↑ Will Expression Designer use WIC
  11. ↑ "DAM for Creatives". Microsoft blogs. September 12, 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  12. ↑ "Expression Media Service Pack 1". Help & Support. Microsoft. 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  13. ↑ WIC import plug-in for Photoshop

External links

Available WIC Codecs: