# Standard Picture Object

The standard picture object provides a language-neutral abstraction for GDI images: bitmaps, icons, metafiles, and enhanced metafiles. As with the standard font object, the system provides a standard implementation of this object. Its primary interfaces are IPicture and IPictureDisp, the latter being derived from IDispatch to provide access to the picture’s properties through OLE automation. A picture object is created new with OleCreatePictureIndirect.

The picture object also supports the outgoing interface IPropertyNotifySink so that a client can determine when picture properties change. Accordingly, the picture object also supports IConnectionPointContainer and one connection point for IPropertyNotifySink.

The picture object also supports IPersistStream such that it can save and load itself from an instance of IStream. An object that uses a picture object internally would normally save and load the picture as part of the object’s own persistence handling. The API function OleLoadPicture simplifies the creation of a picture object based on stream contents.