Skip to main content

​
Prerequisites

Before you start developing ImageGlass, ensure you have the following installed:

​
Required Software

  • Windows 11 (recommended for development)
  • Visual Studio 2026 with the following workloads:
    • .NET desktop development
    • Desktop development with C++
  • .NET 10 SDK (target framework: net10.0-windows10.0.17763.0)
  • Git for version control

​
Optional Tools

  • WebView2 Runtime (64-bit v119.0.2151 or later) - Required for WebView2-based features
  • Windows Terminal - For a better command-line experience
  • Visual Studio Code - For editing markdown and configuration files

​
Clone the Repository

Clone the ImageGlass repository from GitHub: 
git clone https://github.com/d2phap/ImageGlass.git
cd ImageGlass
The repository uses two main branches:
  • develop - Contains the latest development commits
  • prod - Contains the final stable release
Always base your pull requests on the develop branch, not prod.

​
Project Structure

The ImageGlass solution is organized as follows: 
ImageGlass/
├── Source/
│   ├── ImageGlass/           # Main application
│   ├── igcmd/                # Command-line utility
│   └── Components/
│       ├── ImageGlass.Base/      # Core functionality and utilities
│       ├── ImageGlass.UI/        # UI components and controls
│       ├── ImageGlass.Viewer/    # Image viewer canvas
│       ├── ImageGlass.Gallery/   # Image gallery/thumbnail viewer
│       ├── ImageGlass.Settings/  # Settings management
│       ├── ImageGlass.WebP/      # WebP codec support
│       └── ImageGlass.WinTouch/  # Touch input handling
├── Setup/
│   └── Assets/
│       ├── Themes/           # Application themes
│       └── Language/         # Language packs
├── Assets/                   # Application resources
└── Tools/                    # Build and development tools

​
Open the Solution

  1. Navigate to the Source directory
  2. Open the solution in Visual Studio 2026:
    • Look for the .csproj files in the Source/ImageGlass directory
    • The main entry point is ImageGlass.csproj
The solution targets x64 and ARM64 platforms. Make sure you select the appropriate platform configuration before building.

​
Configure Build Settings

ImageGlass supports three build configurations:
  • Debug - For development with debugging symbols
  • Release - Optimized build for testing
  • Publish_Release - Final production build

​
Platform Targets

  • x64 - For 64-bit Intel/AMD processors
  • ARM64 - For ARM64 processors
Select your platform in Visual Studio:
  1. Go to Build > Configuration Manager
  2. Select the desired configuration (e.g., Debug)
  3. Choose the platform (e.g., x64)

​
Build the Solution

​
Using Visual Studio

  1. Open the solution in Visual Studio 2026
  2. Select Build > Build Solution (or press Ctrl+Shift+B)
  3. Wait for the build to complete
The build output will be in: 
Source/ImageGlass/bin/<Configuration>/<Platform>/

​
Build Requirements from Project Files

Based on the .csproj files, ImageGlass requires:
  • Target Framework: net10.0-windows10.0.17763.0
  • Windows SDK: 10.0.17763.0 or later
  • Language Version: Latest C# features
  • Unsafe Code: Enabled (required for performance-critical operations)

​
Run ImageGlass

After a successful build:
  1. Set ImageGlass as the startup project
  2. Press F5 to run with debugging, or Ctrl+F5 to run without debugging
  3. The application will launch and you can test your changes

​
Development Tips

​
IntelliSense and Code Analysis

ImageGlass uses several code analyzers:
  • IDisposableAnalyzers - Ensures proper disposal of resources
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.Threading.Analyzers - Detects threading issues

​
Debug Configuration

The project uses embedded debug symbols for all configurations, which makes debugging easier without separate PDB files.

​
High DPI Support

ImageGlass is configured with:
  • ApplicationHighDpiMode: PerMonitorV2
  • ForceDesignerDpiUnaware: true
Be mindful of DPI scaling when working on UI components.

​
Next Steps

​
Common Issues

​
Build Errors

If you encounter build errors:
  1. Ensure .NET 10 SDK is installed: Check with dotnet --list-sdks
  2. Clean and rebuild: Go to Build > Clean Solution, then rebuild
  3. Check NuGet packages: Right-click solution > Restore NuGet Packages
  4. Verify platform target: Make sure you’re building for x64 or ARM64, not AnyCPU

​
Missing Dependencies

ImageGlass uses several NuGet packages that are automatically restored. If restoration fails: 
dotnet restore Source/ImageGlass/ImageGlass.csproj

​
Getting Help

If you need help:

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us