Creating text image in code

Patrick Machielse wrote:
> Maybe the easiest way to do what you want is:
>
> * create an image of suitable proportions
> * -[yourImage lockFocus]
> * -[yourString drawAtPoint:withAttributes:]
> * -[yourImage unlockFocus]

Ah, perfect! And I can use sizeWithAttributes: to determine the size
beforehand and centre the text appropriately.

Thanks to all for the replies!

(FYI, if anyone's interested, the project is a countdown timer to a big
sporting event - European Cup rugby final - in which the counter text
is the actual window, with the colour of the text slowly changing to
red and growing in size, as the big date draws near. Sounds tacky, I
know, but I know people who'll love this).

In article <1147355802.221887.48110.RemoveThis@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
google.RemoveThis@whooley.utvinternet.com wrote:

> What's the easiest (i.e least amount of code) way to generate an
> NSImage with black text on a transparent background? It needs to be
> done in code, as the text will be constantly changing.

Meditate on

+ [NSGraphicsContext graphicsContextWithBitmapImageRep: ...

It provides a bridge between something in an NSImage and a place where
you can draw text.

<google DeleteThis @whooley.utvinternet.com> wrote:

> David Phillip Oster wrote:
> > Meditate on
> >
> > + [NSGraphicsContext graphicsContextWithBitmapImageRep: ...
> >
> > It provides a bridge between something in an NSImage and a place where
> > you can draw text.
>
> Hommmmmm...
>
> Thanks! Was that introduced in 10.4? I can't find it in the 10.3 docs.

Maybe the easiest way to do what you want is:

* create an image of suitable proportions
* -[yourImage lockFocus]
* -[yourString drawAtPoint:withAttributes:]
* -[yourImage unlockFocus]

patrick

<google DeleteThis @whooley.utvinternet.com> wrote:

> Patrick Machielse wrote:
> > Maybe the easiest way to do what you want is:
> >
> > * create an image of suitable proportions
> > * -[yourImage lockFocus]
> > * -[yourString drawAtPoint:withAttributes:]
> > * -[yourImage unlockFocus]
>
> Ah, perfect! And I can use sizeWithAttributes: to determine the size
> beforehand and centre the text appropriately.

You're getting the hang of it...

> (FYI, if anyone's interested, the project is a countdown timer to a big
> sporting event - European Cup rugby final - in which the counter text
> is the actual window, with the colour of the text slowly changing to
> red and growing in size, as the big date draws near. Sounds tacky, I
> know, but I know people who'll love this).

Rugby players, no doubt!

Anyway, why not just put your drawing code in you custom view's
drawRect: method?

patrick