How do I rotate a picture in WinForms

Here's a method you can use to rotate an image in C#:

/// <summary>
/// method to rotate an image either clockwise or counter-clockwise
/// </summary>
/// <param name="img">the image to be rotated</param>
/// <param name="rotationAngle">the angle (in degrees).
/// NOTE: 
/// Positive values will rotate clockwise
/// negative values will rotate counter-clockwise
/// </param>
/// <returns></returns>
public static Image RotateImage(Image img, float rotationAngle)
{
    //create an empty Bitmap image
    Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(img.Width, img.Height);

    //turn the Bitmap into a Graphics object
    Graphics gfx = Graphics.FromImage(bmp);

    //now we set the rotation point to the center of our image
    gfx.TranslateTransform((float)bmp.Width / 2, (float)bmp.Height / 2);

    //now rotate the image
    gfx.RotateTransform(rotationAngle);

    gfx.TranslateTransform(-(float)bmp.Width / 2, -(float)bmp.Height / 2);

    //set the InterpolationMode to HighQualityBicubic so to ensure a high
    //quality image once it is transformed to the specified size
    gfx.InterpolationMode = InterpolationMode.HighQualityBicubic;

    //now draw our new image onto the graphics object
    gfx.DrawImage(img, new Point(0, 0));

    //dispose of our Graphics object
    gfx.Dispose();

    //return the image
    return bmp;
}

This is an old thread, and there are several other threads about C# WinForms image rotation, but now that I've come up with my solution I figure this is as good a place to post it as any.

  /// <summary>
  /// Method to rotate an Image object. The result can be one of three cases:
  /// - upsizeOk = true: output image will be larger than the input, and no clipping occurs 
  /// - upsizeOk = false & clipOk = true: output same size as input, clipping occurs
  /// - upsizeOk = false & clipOk = false: output same size as input, image reduced, no clipping
  /// 
  /// A background color must be specified, and this color will fill the edges that are not 
  /// occupied by the rotated image. If color = transparent the output image will be 32-bit, 
  /// otherwise the output image will be 24-bit.
  /// 
  /// Note that this method always returns a new Bitmap object, even if rotation is zero - in 
  /// which case the returned object is a clone of the input object. 
  /// </summary>
  /// <param name="inputImage">input Image object, is not modified</param>
  /// <param name="angleDegrees">angle of rotation, in degrees</param>
  /// <param name="upsizeOk">see comments above</param>
  /// <param name="clipOk">see comments above, not used if upsizeOk = true</param>
  /// <param name="backgroundColor">color to fill exposed parts of the background</param>
  /// <returns>new Bitmap object, may be larger than input image</returns>
  public static Bitmap RotateImage(Image inputImage, float angleDegrees, bool upsizeOk, 
                                   bool clipOk, Color backgroundColor)
  {
     // Test for zero rotation and return a clone of the input image
     if (angleDegrees == 0f)
        return (Bitmap)inputImage.Clone();

     // Set up old and new image dimensions, assuming upsizing not wanted and clipping OK
     int oldWidth = inputImage.Width;
     int oldHeight = inputImage.Height;
     int newWidth = oldWidth;
     int newHeight = oldHeight;
     float scaleFactor = 1f;

     // If upsizing wanted or clipping not OK calculate the size of the resulting bitmap
     if (upsizeOk || !clipOk)
     {
        double angleRadians = angleDegrees * Math.PI / 180d;

        double cos = Math.Abs(Math.Cos(angleRadians));
        double sin = Math.Abs(Math.Sin(angleRadians));
        newWidth = (int)Math.Round(oldWidth * cos + oldHeight * sin);
        newHeight = (int)Math.Round(oldWidth * sin + oldHeight * cos);
     }

     // If upsizing not wanted and clipping not OK need a scaling factor
     if (!upsizeOk && !clipOk)
     {
        scaleFactor = Math.Min((float)oldWidth / newWidth, (float)oldHeight / newHeight);
        newWidth = oldWidth;
        newHeight = oldHeight;
     }

     // Create the new bitmap object. If background color is transparent it must be 32-bit, 
     //  otherwise 24-bit is good enough.
     Bitmap newBitmap = new Bitmap(newWidth, newHeight, backgroundColor == Color.Transparent ? 
                                      PixelFormat.Format32bppArgb : PixelFormat.Format24bppRgb);
     newBitmap.SetResolution(inputImage.HorizontalResolution, inputImage.VerticalResolution);

     // Create the Graphics object that does the work
     using (Graphics graphicsObject = Graphics.FromImage(newBitmap))
     {
        graphicsObject.InterpolationMode = InterpolationMode.HighQualityBicubic;
        graphicsObject.PixelOffsetMode = PixelOffsetMode.HighQuality;
        graphicsObject.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.HighQuality;

        // Fill in the specified background color if necessary
        if (backgroundColor != Color.Transparent)
           graphicsObject.Clear(backgroundColor);

        // Set up the built-in transformation matrix to do the rotation and maybe scaling
        graphicsObject.TranslateTransform(newWidth / 2f, newHeight / 2f);

        if (scaleFactor != 1f)
           graphicsObject.ScaleTransform(scaleFactor, scaleFactor);

        graphicsObject.RotateTransform(angleDegrees);
        graphicsObject.TranslateTransform(-oldWidth / 2f, -oldHeight / 2f);

        // Draw the result 
        graphicsObject.DrawImage(inputImage, 0, 0);
     }

     return newBitmap;
  }

This is the result of many sources of inspiration, here at StackOverflow and elsewhere. Naveen's answer on this thread was especially helpful.


Simple method:

public Image RotateImage(Image img)
{
    var bmp = new Bitmap(img);

    using (Graphics gfx = Graphics.FromImage(bmp))
    {
        gfx.Clear(Color.White);
        gfx.DrawImage(img, 0, 0, img.Width, img.Height);
    }

    bmp.RotateFlip(RotateFlipType.Rotate270FlipNone);
    return bmp;
}

Tags:

C#

Winforms

Image