ImageEn, unit iexLayers

Layer Editing


TImageEnView supports layer editing, allowing your users to build complex images from text, shapes, lines, polygon and other images, and merge them. All layer types can be created, resized, rotated and moved, either programmatically or by the user.



Layer Types

Kind Class Description Example
ielkImage TIEImageLayer Layer that contains an image
ielkShape TIEShapeLayer Layer that displays standard shapes, such as rectangles, ellipses, stars, etc. One hundred built-in shapes are available
ielkLine TIELineLayer Layer that displays a single line, optionally including a text label and start and ending arrows
ielkPolyline TIEPolylineLayer Layer that displays a polyline or polygon of multiple points
ielkAngle TIEAngleLayer Layer that displays an angle
ielkText TIETextLayer Layer that displays text



Note: If you are transitioning your code from TImageEnVect Objects to TIELayers, read our transition guide.


Overview




Layer Insertion and Editing

Layers can be inserted programmatically using LayersAdd or LayersInsert, and manipulated using CurrentLayer or Layers.

You can also allow your users to add and edit layers using Mouse Interactions, such as mlCreateImageLayers and mlClickCreatePolylineLayers.

The following keyboard shortcuts are also available (if loKeyboardShortcuts is included in LayerOptions):
Description Type Shortcut
Move layer - Cursor Keys (Hold Shift to move faster)
Resize layer - Ctrl+Cursor Keys (Hold Shift to size faster)
Remove the current layer (Deletion can be disabled using loPreventLayerDelete) iesDelete Delete
Edit the text of the current layer iesEditText F2
Select next layer (Hold Shift to get previous) - Ctrl+Tab
Move layer forward (Hold Shift to move to very front) iesBringForwardCtrl+]
Send layer back (Hold Shift to move to very back) iesSendBackward Ctrl+]
Increase the size of the font of a text or line layer, or the border iesIncreaseFontSize Ctrl+Period
Decrease the size of the font of a text or line layer, or the border iesDecreaseFontSize Ctrl+Comma
Display the Properties Dialog iesProperties Alt+Enter
Select all layers iesSelectAll Ctrl+A
Select the font for a text or line layer iesFontSelect Ctrl+D
Toggle bold of the font of a text or line layer iesBold Ctrl+B
Toggle italics of the font of a text or line layer iesItalic Ctrl+I
Toggle underline of the font of a text or line layer iesUnderline Ctrl+U
Align text left (top) iesLeftAlign Ctrl+L (Hold Shift to align to top)
Align text center iesCenterAlign Ctrl+E (Hold Shift to to vertically center)
Align text right (top) iesRightAlign Ctrl+R (Hold Shift to align to bottom)
Justify text iesJustified Ctrl+J
Cut layer to clipboard iesCut Ctrl+X
Copy layer to clipboard iesCopy Ctrl+C
Paste layer from clipboard iesPaste Ctrl+V
Cancel text editing or line or polyline insertion - Escape
Enact text editing or polyline insertion - Enter
Invert the angle of an layer (e.g. 90° will become 270°) iesInvertAngle Alt+I
Increase the curve of a line layer iesIncreaseCurve Alt+Up
Decrease the curve of a line layer iesDecreaseCurve Alt+Down
Clear the formatting from a rich formatted text layer iesClearFormatting Ctrl+Space
Increase the width of the border or line iesIncreaseBorder Ctrl+Period
Decrease the width of the border or line iesDecreaseBorder Ctrl+Comma
Select a fill color for the layer iesBackColorSelect Ctrl+G

These shortcuts can be configured or disabled using KeyboardShortcuts. Also, the effect of the Ctrl, Alt and Shift modifiers can be configured with ShiftKeyLock


Loading and Saving

Standard image types such as JPEG and BMP, do not support layers, so to preserve your layer information you will need to use one of the following formats:
 ImageEn Native Format (*.ien): Maintains all layer information. Supported only by ImageEn (Loading and Saving)
 Photoshop (*.psd): Widely used layer format. Only image layers are supported; non-image layers will be converted when saving (Loading and Saving)
 Adobe PDF (*.pdf): Widely used document format. PDF objects can be imported as layers, and layers can be saved as PDF files
 Scalable Vector Graphics (*.svg): Vector image format for web browsers (Saving only)


Layer Components

You can preview and manipulate the layers in a TImageEnView using TImageEnLayerMView.



You can display and edit properties of the current layer using TIELayerProps.




Demos

Demo Description Demo Project Folder Compiled Demo
All Layer Editing Usage of image, shape, text, polygon and line layers LayerEditing\Layers_AllTypes\Layers.dpr   
ImageEn Layer Actions Image Layering application built using only ImageEnView Layer actions Actions\Actions_Layers\LayerActions.dpr   
Image Layer Editing Usage of image layers LayerEditing\Layers_Images\Layers.dpr   
Line Layer Editing Creating and point editing line, poly-line and angle layers LayerEditing\Layers_Lines\Layers.dpr   
Text Layers Adding and editing text layers, including rich formatting LayerEditing\Layers_Text\TextLayers.dpr   
Adding Text to Images Draw text onto images using text layers LayerEditing\Layers_TextOut\TextLayers.dpr   
Dragging to Create Layers Dragging text, images and shapes onto a TImageEnView to create layers LayerEditing\DragDropLayers\Layers_DragDrop.dpr   
Custom Drawing Layers Custom drawing layers to highlight content in the background layer LayerEditing\Layers_CustomDraw\LayersDraw.dpr   
Layer Masks Using a mask to hide portions of an image layer LayerEditing\LayerMask\LayerMask.dpr   
Layer Rotation Free rotation and resizing of layers using mouse interactions LayerEditing\RotateLayers\RotateLayers.dpr   
Magic Fill to Polygon Creates a polygon (closed TIEPolylineLayer) by performing a magic selection on an image (matching color range) LayerEditing\MagicFillToPolygon\Magic2Polygon.dpr   
Stamp Layers Add text, shapes, images and arrows directly to an image by clicking and dragging LayerEditing\StampTextAndShapes\StampLayers.dpr   
User Data in Layer Store your own custom data with layers in a TImageEnView LayerEditing\UserDataInLayer\UserDataInLayer.dpr   
Database Layers Demo Adding annotations to an image stored within a database blob field using FireDAC and a TIEDBBitmap Database\DBDemo_Layers\DBDemoLayers.dpr   


Examples

ImageEnView1.LayersAdd( ielkImage );             // Append an image layer
ImageEnView1.IO.LoadFromFile('C:\image.jpg');    // Load image into the new/active layer


// Add a yellow explosion shape layer at size 220 x 120
ImageEnView1.LayersAdd( iesExplosion, 50, 50, 220, 120 );
ImageEnView1.CurrentLayer.FillColor    := clYellow;
ImageEnView1.CurrentLayer.BorderWidth  := 0;
ImageEnView1.Update();




// Append an image layer and apply a pink border
ImageEnView1.LayersAdd( ielkImage );                  // Append an image layer
ImageEnView1.IO.LoadFromFile('C:\New Zealand.jpg');   // Load image into the new/active layer
ImageEnView1.CurrentLayer.BorderColor := $008000FF;
ImageEnView1.CurrentLayer.BorderWidth := 3;




// Allow users to create image layers. Prompt for an image file after selection
ImageEnView1.LayerOptions := ImageEnView1.LayerOptions + [ loAutoPromptForImage ];
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlCreateImageLayers ];


// Allow user to move and resize layers (allow multiple layer selection and ensure masks are moved with layers)
ImageEnView1.LayerOptions := ImageEnView1.LayerOptions + [ loAllowMultiSelect, loAutoSelectMask ];
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlMoveLayers, mlResizeLayers ];

A selected text layer with resize grips:



// Allow user to rotate layers
// Enable multiple layer selection, ensure masks are moved with layers and show a rotation grip
ImageEnView1.LayerOptions := ImageEnView1.LayerOptions + [ loAllowMultiSelect, loAutoSelectMask, loShowRotationGrip ];
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlRotateLayers ];




// Allow the user to create, size and rotate red arrows
ImageEnView1.LayerOptions := ImageEnView1.LayerOptions + [ loShowRotationGrip ];
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlCreateLineLayers, mlMoveLayers, mlResizeLayers, mlRotateLayers ];
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Clear();
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Values[ IELP_LineColor ] := 'clRed';
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Values[ IELP_LineWidth ] := '6';
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Values[ IELP_LineShapeSize  ] := '20';
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Values[ IELP_LineStartShape ] := '1';
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Values[ IELP_Rotate ] := '235';

 Allow user to create star shapes at preferred aspect ratio
ImageEnView1.LayersResizeAspectRatio := iearAlways;
IEGlobalSettings().DefaultLayerShape := iesStar5;
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlCreateShapeLayers ];


// Allow user to draw a polygon
ImageEnView1.LayersAutoClosePolylines := iecmAlways;
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlClickCreatePolylineLayers ];


// Allow users to create and edit a polyline
ImageEnView1.LayersAutoClosePolylines := iecmManual;
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlClickCreatePolylineLayers, mlEditLayerPoints ];



// Allow users to edit a polyline. Hold Alt key to turn line into a curve
ImageEnView1.MouseInteractLayers := [ mlEditLayerPoints ];



// Draw a Smiley Face

// make layer lines thicker
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Values[ IELP_BorderWidth ] := '10';
ImageEnView1.LayerDefaults.Values[ IELP_FillColor ]   := 'clWhite';

// LEFT EYE
// Add an ellipse shape layer
ImageEnView1.LayersAdd( iesEllipse, 100, 100, 30, 30 );

// RIGHT EYE
// Add an ellipse shape layer
ImageEnView1.LayersAdd( iesEllipse, 170, 100, 30, 30 );

// SMILE
// Add a line layer
ImageEnView1.LayersAdd( Point( 100, 150 ), Point( 200, 150 ));

// Curve it
TIELineLayer(ImageEnView1.CurrentLayer).Curve := 1;

// Show changes
ImageEnView1.Update();




See Also

 TIELayer
 LayersAdd
 LayersInsert
 TIELayerKind
 MouseInteractLayers
 LayerOptions