This problem occurs because the .NET Framework uses a new
Clipboard format when it adds metafiles to the Clipboard. Other applications,
such as Microsoft Word, or the operating system are not aware of this new
format and, therefore, cannot paste or display the image.
To add a metafile to the Clipboard so that it is visible to
other applications, you must use the CF_ENHMETAFILE format. Support for this
format is provided through the DataObject class with the DataFormats.EnhancedMetafile method. Unfortunately, limitations in the current implementation
of the .NET Framework prevent this from being a viable solution. Therefore, you
must gain interoperability with Win32 Clipboard application programming interfaces (APIs) to resolve this
problem.
The code samples that follow demonstrate how to add a
metafile to the Clipboard so that it is visible to other applications.
Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Sample
Imports System.Drawing.Imaging
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Public Class ClipboardMetafileHelper
<DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="OpenClipboard", _
SetLastError:=True, ExactSpelling:=True, CallingConvention:=CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function OpenClipboard(ByVal hWnd As IntPtr) As Boolean
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="EmptyClipboard", _
SetLastError:=True, ExactSpelling:=True, CallingConvention:=CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function EmptyClipboard() As Boolean
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="SetClipboardData", _
SetLastError:=True, ExactSpelling:=True, CallingConvention:=CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function SetClipboardData(ByVal uFormat As Integer, ByVal hWnd As IntPtr) As IntPtr
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="CloseClipboard", _
SetLastError:=True, ExactSpelling:=True, CallingConvention:=CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function CloseClipboard() As Boolean
End Function
<DllImport("gdi32.dll", EntryPoint:="CopyEnhMetaFileA", _
SetLastError:=True, ExactSpelling:=True, CallingConvention:=CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function CopyEnhMetaFile(ByVal hemfSrc As IntPtr, ByVal hNULL As IntPtr) As IntPtr
End Function
<DllImport("gdi32.dll", EntryPoint:="DeleteEnhMetaFile", _
SetLastError:=True, ExactSpelling:=True, CallingConvention:=CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function DeleteEnhMetaFile(ByVal hemfSrc As IntPtr) As Boolean
End Function
' Metafile mf is set to a state that is not valid inside this function.
Public Shared Function PutEnhMetafileOnClipboard(ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, ByVal mf As Metafile) As Boolean
Dim bResult As New Boolean()
bResult = False
Dim hEMF, hEMF2 As IntPtr
hEMF = mf.GetHenhmetafile() ' invalidates mf
If Not hEMF.Equals(New IntPtr(0)) Then
hEMF2 = CopyEnhMetaFile(hEMF, New IntPtr(0))
If Not hEMF2.Equals(New IntPtr(0)) Then
If OpenClipboard(hWnd) Then
If EmptyClipboard() Then
Dim hRes As IntPtr
hRes = SetClipboardData(14, hEMF2) ' 14 == CF_ENHMETAFILE
bResult = hRes.Equals(hEMF2)
CloseClipboard()
End If
End If
End If
DeleteEnhMetaFile(hEMF)
End If
Return bResult
End Function
End Class
'You can call this function with code that is similar to the following code:
Dim mf As New Metafile("filename.emf")
ClipboardMetafileHelper.PutEnhMetafileOnClipboard(me.Handle,mf)
Microsoft Visual C# .NET Sample
using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
public class ClipboardMetafileHelper
{
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool OpenClipboard(IntPtr hWndNewOwner);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool EmptyClipboard();
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern IntPtr SetClipboardData(uint uFormat, IntPtr hMem);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool CloseClipboard();
[DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
static extern IntPtr CopyEnhMetaFile(IntPtr hemfSrc, IntPtr hNULL);
[DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
static extern bool DeleteEnhMetaFile(IntPtr hemf);
// Metafile mf is set to a state that is not valid inside this function.
static public bool PutEnhMetafileOnClipboard( IntPtr hWnd, Metafile mf )
{
bool bResult = false;
IntPtr hEMF, hEMF2;
hEMF = mf.GetHenhmetafile(); // invalidates mf
if( ! hEMF.Equals( new IntPtr(0) ) )
{
hEMF2 = CopyEnhMetaFile( hEMF, new IntPtr(0) );
if( ! hEMF2.Equals( new IntPtr(0) ) )
{
if( OpenClipboard( hWnd ) )
{
if( EmptyClipboard() )
{
IntPtr hRes = SetClipboardData( 14 /*CF_ENHMETAFILE*/, hEMF2 );
bResult = hRes.Equals( hEMF2 );
CloseClipboard();
}
}
}
DeleteEnhMetaFile( hEMF );
}
return bResult;
}
}
//You can call this function with code that is similar to the following code:
Metafile mf = new Metafile( "filename.emf" );
ClipboardMetafileHelper.PutEnhMetafileOnClipboard(this.Handle, mf );
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