Develop Reference

is it possible to achieve bevelled text and drop shadows using GDI in c#?

I'm looking to expand my 'simple' photography events system to add the ability to add custom text to images we've shot. I technically have this aspect working using the existing picturebox control to display the image and a text box in which text can be entered and this will be added to the image being displayed.
However, being a photographer, I'd like the text to look a little nicer and as such am looking to emulate what I can do in Photoshop, i.e. bevel/emboss, add inner glows and drop shadows to this text but I'm struggling to find any references to this.
I may be simply limited by the fact I'm using winforms and this may have been achievable via WPF, but WPF wasn't about when I stopped being a programmer for a profession and as such stuck to technology I knew... I'm also far too far down the line in the system to re-write it all in WPF, so if its a limitation I'll just look at adding in pre-determined overlays rather than custom text which I know I can achieve.
The code I have so far is as follows and any tips on how to expand this to perform the bevel/emboss, glows etc would be much appreciated.
public static Bitmap addTexttoImage(string imagename, string textnya)
{
float fontSize = 80;
string imagepath = imagename;
Image image = Image.FromStream(new MemoryStream(File.ReadAllBytes(imagepath)));
//read the image we pass
Bitmap bmp = (Bitmap)Image.FromFile(imagepath);
Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bmp);
//this will centre align our text at the bottom of the image
StringFormat sf = new StringFormat();
sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center;
sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Far;
//define a font to use.
Font f = new Font("Impact", fontSize, FontStyle.Bold, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
//pen for outline - set width parameter
Pen p = new Pen(ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#77090C"), 8);
p.LineJoin = LineJoin.Round; //prevent "spikes" at the path
//this makes the gradient repeat for each text line
Rectangle fr = new Rectangle(0, bmp.Height - f.Height, bmp.Width, f.Height);
LinearGradientBrush b = new LinearGradientBrush(fr,
ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#FF6493"),
ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#D00F14"),
90);
//this will be the rectangle used to draw and auto-wrap the text.
//basically = image size
Rectangle r = new Rectangle(0, 0, bmp.Width, bmp.Height);
GraphicsPath gp = new GraphicsPath();
gp.AddString(textnya, f.FontFamily, (int)FontStyle.Bold, fontSize, r, sf);
g.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.AntiAlias;
g.PixelOffsetMode = PixelOffsetMode.HighQuality;
g.DrawPath(p, gp);
g.FillPath(b, gp);
//cleanup
gp.Dispose();
b.Dispose();
b.Dispose();
f.Dispose();
sf.Dispose();
g.Dispose();
return bmp;
}

imageresizer plugin text to image

I need to convert text into an image. Does anyone know if I can use the creative version of imageresizer.net to do this?
I have searched a lot but haven't found anything to confirm or deny imageresizer can do this.

Why use imagerezier when you can do it with c# out-of-box? From https://stackoverflow.com/a/2070493/1224069:
private Image DrawText(String text, Font font, Color textColor, Color backColor)
{
//first, create a dummy bitmap just to get a graphics object
Image img = new Bitmap(1, 1);
Graphics drawing = Graphics.FromImage(img);
//measure the string to see how big the image needs to be
SizeF textSize = drawing.MeasureString(text, font);
//free up the dummy image and old graphics object
img.Dispose();
drawing.Dispose();
//create a new image of the right size
img = new Bitmap((int) textSize.Width, (int)textSize.Height);
drawing = Graphics.FromImage(img);
//paint the background
drawing.Clear(backColor);
//create a brush for the text
Brush textBrush = new SolidBrush(textColor);
drawing.DrawString(text, font, textBrush, 0, 0);
drawing.Save();
textBrush.Dispose();
drawing.Dispose();
return img;
}

Generated Bitmap Displays Weirdly in PictureBox

I cannot seem to programmatically create a colored bitmap to display in a PictureBox. The bitmap saves normally as a file, but is faded at the edges when displayed in a PictureBox. Here is simplified code used to create and display the Bitmap (in actual code, the bitmap generation is completely separate from the form, so forcing the bitmap size to match the picturebox size isn't possible):
Bitmap Bmp = new Bitmap(4, 4, System.Drawing.Imaging.PixelFormat.Format24bppRgb);
using (Graphics gfx = Graphics.FromImage(Bmp))
using (SolidBrush brush = new SolidBrush(Color.BlueViolet))
{
gfx.FillRectangle(brush, 0, 0, 4, 4);
}
Then set the Image value on a PictureBox to the generated Bitmap:
pictureBox1.Image = Bmp;
Here is the resulting bitmap displayed in a 300x300 picturebox:
How do I set the Image on the PictureBox so that it displays the colored bitmap properly (full solid)?
EDIT: I am restricted to generating smaller source bitmaps, so upscaling into a PictureBox is unavoidable. The problem appears when the generated source bitmap is 4px or 100px square, so I believe these are relevant cases.
EDIT: The PictureBox scaling should be set to stretch or zoom for the issue to manifest. In this example case the 4x4 source bitmap is stretched to 300x300.
EDIT: The basic problem is PictureBox's inability to upscale small bitmaps into large controls. This is confusing because the Bitmap upscales nicely into a PictureBox.Background image. Unless you have a magic bullet that will fix the image upscaling problem, I think it might be best to go for clear and simple workarounds in your answer.

You are generating a 4x4 bitmap and it's being stretched. Specify the size to match the picture box instead:
int width = pictureBox1.Width;
int height = pictureBox1.Height;
var Bmp = new Bitmap(width, height, System.Drawing.Imaging.PixelFormat.Format24bppRgb);
using (Graphics gfx = Graphics.FromImage(Bmp))
using (var brush = new SolidBrush(Color.BlueViolet))
{
gfx.FillRectangle(brush, 0, 0, width, height);
}
pictureBox1.Image = Bmp;

You will need to turn anti-aliasing off. Also, since you are using one color for the whole picturebox, why not make the bitmap 1x1? If you need it 4x4, change the int the top of the example from 1 to 4.
int hw = 1;
Bitmap Bmp = new Bitmap(hw, hw,
System.Drawing.Imaging.PixelFormat.Format24bppRgb);
using (Graphics gfx = Graphics.FromImage(Bmp))
{
// Turn off anti-aliasing and draw an exact copy
gfx.SmoothingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.None;
gfx.CompositingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.CompositingMode.SourceCopy;
using (SolidBrush brush = new SolidBrush(Color.BlueViolet))
{
gfx.FillRectangle(brush, 0, 0, hw, hw);
}
}
pictureBox1.Image = Bmp;
UPDATE
Since you are still having the same issue by setting the picturebox to the image, you will have to get the graphics object from the picturebox and draw directly on it.
The code is very similar.
using (Graphics gfx = Graphics.FromImage(pictureBox1.Image))
{
// Turn off anti-aliasing and draw an exact copy
gfx.SmoothingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.None;
gfx.CompositingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.CompositingMode.SourceCopy;
using (SolidBrush brush = new SolidBrush(Color.BlueViolet))
{
gfx.FillRectangle(brush, 0, 0,
pictureBox11.Width - 1,
pictureBox11.Height - 1);
}
}
// Force the picturebox to redraw with the new image.
// You could also use pictureBox11.Refresh() to do the redraw.
pictureBox11.Invalidate();

I tried to test your code and the image were properly displayed.
But when i used this code:
Rectangle srcRect = New Rectangle(0, 0, Bmp.Width, Bmp.Height);
Rectangle dstRect = New Rectangle(0, 0, PictureBox1.Width, PictureBox1.Height);
g = PictureBox1.CreateGraphics;
g.DrawImage(Bmp, dstRect, srcRect, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
g.Dispose();
I did get exactly your result. In order to fix it:
Rectangle srcRect = New Rectangle(0, 0, Bmp.Width - 1, Bmp.Height - 1);
Rectangle dstRect = New Rectangle(0, 0, PictureBox1.Width, PictureBox1.Height);
g = PictureBox1.CreateGraphics;
g.DrawImage(Bmp, dstRect, srcRect, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
g.Dispose();
Edit:
So you have the bitmap and you want to stretch it. And the bitmap has ane solid color. Do this insted:
Color pixelColor = Bmp.GetPixel(0, 0);
PictureBox1.BackColor = pixelColor;
valter

Override a transparent picturebox in C# windows application form?

I want to put in a background image, and above the background image I want to superimpose a transparent picturebox and tried to put the second picturebox like so:
pictureBox2.BackColor = Color.Transparent;
But it did not work. Basically, I would like to do this:

Transparency in Windows Forms isn't implemented as one would expect. Having a transparent background actually means that a control uses the background of its parent. This means that you need to make your overlay control a child of the original picture box:
PictureBox overlay = new PictureBox();
overlay.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
overlay.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(128, Color.Blue);
pictureBox2.Controls.Add(overlay);
If you want the overlay picture box to contain a transparent image you need to actually change the image:
PictureBox overlay = new PictureBox();
overlay.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
overlay.BackColor = Color.Transparent;
Bitmap transparentImage = new Bitmap(overlayImage.Width, overlayImage.Height);
using (Graphics graphics = Graphics.FromImage(transparentImage))
{
ColorMatrix matrix = new ColorMatrix();
matrix.Matrix33 = 0.5f;
ImageAttributes attributes = new ImageAttributes();
attributes.SetColorMatrix(matrix, ColorMatrixFlag.Default, ColorAdjustType.Bitmap);
graphics.DrawImage(overlayImage, new Rectangle(0, 0, transparentImage.Width, transparentImage.Height), 0, 0, overlayImage.Width, overlayImage.Height, GraphicsUnit.Pixel, attributes);
}
overlay.Image = transparentImage;
pictureBox2.Controls.Add(overlay);

Save non-transparent image from a PictureBox with transparent images

I have a PictureBox with lots of transparent png's drawn into...
Now I'd like to save the content of this PictureBox to a file, but without the transparency.
How can I do this?
I have already tried to remove transparency from the Image like this, but it didn't work, I still got a transparent image after the save.
...
removeTransparency(pictureBox.Image).Save(saveFileDialog.FileName);
private Bitmap removeTransparency(Image transparentImage)
{
Bitmap src = new Bitmap(transparentImage);
Bitmap newImage = new Bitmap(src.Size.Width, src.Size.Height);
Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(newImage);
g.DrawRectangle(new Pen(new SolidBrush(Color.White)), 0, 0, newImage.Width, newImage.Height);
g.DrawImage(src, 0, 0);
return newImage;
}

You may cycle through all pixel (please not using GetPixel/SetPixel) to change the color or you may create another bitmap with the same size, create a graphics context from the image, clear the image with your favorite background color and then draw your image on it (so transparent pixels simply will be replaced by the background color).
Example
Did you do something like this?
public static Bitmap Repaint(Bitmap source, Color backgroundColor)
{
Bitmap result = new Bitmap(source.Width, source.Height, PixelFormat.Format32bppArgb);
using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(result))
{
g.Clear(backgroundColor);
g.DrawImage(source, new Rectangle(0, 0, source.Width, source.Height));
}
return result;
}