[RESOLVED] Read PNG 16 bit greyscale file pixels

I have a PNG file which is a greyscale image and I want to do calculations on the data within it. I don't need to display it, I just need to get at the pixel data and assemble a 2D array of the 16 bit values.

But... I don't want to convert it to a Bitmap (been down that route already) because I lose the 16 bit resolution.

Is there a way I can read the PNG pixel data?, or maybe a way I can convert it directly to a 48bit Bitmap and go from there?

I found a solution which I shall put here for posterity...

Download FreeImage from freeimage.sourceforge.net/download.html, compile the DLL for .Net and after adding a reference to it, you can retrieve the pixel data as below.

Code:

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        using FreeImageAPI;

        private List<List<int>> LoadPixelsFromFile(string filename)
        {

            FIBITMAP dib = FreeImage.LoadEx(filename);

            int Height = (int)FreeImage.GetHeight(dib);
            int Width = (int)FreeImage.GetWidth(dib);

            List<List<int>> ImageData = new List<List<int>> { };
            for (int y = 0; y < Height; y++)
            {
                List<int> row = new List<int> { };
                // Note: dib is stored upside down
                Scanline<ushort> line = new Scanline<ushort>(dib, Height - 1 - y);
                foreach (ushort pixel in line)
                {
                    row.Add(pixel);
                }
                ImageData.Add(row);
            }
            FreeImage.UnloadEx(ref dib);
            return ImageData;

        }

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