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Using Nested Graphics Containers

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GDI+ provides containers that you can use to temporarily replace or augment part of the state in a Graphics object. You create a container by calling the BeginContainer method of a Graphics object. You can call BeginContainer repeatedly to form nested containers. Each call to BeginContainer must be paired with a call to EndContainer.

Transformations in Nested Containers

The following example creates a Graphics object and a container within that Graphics object. The world transformation of the Graphics object is a translation 100 units in the x direction and 80 units in the y direction. The world transformation of the container is a 30-degree rotation. The code makes the call DrawRectangle(pen, -60, -30, 120, 60) twice. The first call to DrawRectangle is inside the container; that is, the call is in between the calls to BeginContainer and EndContainer. The second call to DrawRectangle is after the call to EndContainer.

Graphics graphics = e.Graphics;
Pen pen = new Pen(Color.Red);
GraphicsContainer graphicsContainer;
graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.Black, 100, 80, 3, 3);

graphics.TranslateTransform(100, 80);

graphicsContainer = graphics.BeginContainer();
graphics.RotateTransform(30);
graphics.DrawRectangle(pen, -60, -30, 120, 60);
graphics.EndContainer(graphicsContainer);

graphics.DrawRectangle(pen, -60, -30, 120, 60);

Dim graphics As Graphics = e.Graphics
Dim pen As New Pen(Color.Red)
Dim graphicsContainer As GraphicsContainer
graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.Black, 100, 80, 3, 3)

graphics.TranslateTransform(100, 80)

graphicsContainer = graphics.BeginContainer()
graphics.RotateTransform(30)
graphics.DrawRectangle(pen, -60, -30, 120, 60)
graphics.EndContainer(graphicsContainer)

graphics.DrawRectangle(pen, -60, -30, 120, 60)

In the preceding code, the rectangle drawn from inside the container is transformed first by the world transformation of the container (rotation) and then by the world transformation of the Graphics object (translation). The rectangle drawn from outside the container is transformed only by the world transformation of the Graphics object (translation). The following illustration shows the two rectangles:

Illustration that shows nested containers.

Clipping in Nested Containers

The following example demonstrates how nested containers handle clipping regions. The code creates a Graphics object and a container within that Graphics object. The clipping region of the Graphics object is a rectangle, and the clipping region of the container is an ellipse. The code makes two calls to the DrawLine method. The first call to DrawLine is inside the container, and the second call to DrawLine is outside the container (after the call to EndContainer). The first line is clipped by the intersection of the two clipping regions. The second line is clipped only by the rectangular clipping region of the Graphics object.

Graphics graphics = e.Graphics;
GraphicsContainer graphicsContainer;
Pen redPen = new Pen(Color.Red, 2);
Pen bluePen = new Pen(Color.Blue, 2);
SolidBrush aquaBrush = new SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(255, 180, 255, 255));
SolidBrush greenBrush = new SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(255, 150, 250, 130));

graphics.SetClip(new Rectangle(50, 65, 150, 120));
graphics.FillRectangle(aquaBrush, 50, 65, 150, 120);

graphicsContainer = graphics.BeginContainer();
// Create a path that consists of a single ellipse.
GraphicsPath path = new GraphicsPath();
path.AddEllipse(75, 50, 100, 150);

// Construct a region based on the path.
Region region = new Region(path);
graphics.FillRegion(greenBrush, region);

graphics.SetClip(region, CombineMode.Replace);
graphics.DrawLine(redPen, 50, 0, 350, 300);
graphics.EndContainer(graphicsContainer);

graphics.DrawLine(bluePen, 70, 0, 370, 300);

Dim graphics As Graphics = e.Graphics
Dim graphicsContainer As GraphicsContainer
Dim redPen As New Pen(Color.Red, 2)
Dim bluePen As New Pen(Color.Blue, 2)
Dim aquaBrush As New SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(255, 180, 255, 255))
Dim greenBrush As New SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(255, 150, 250, 130))

graphics.SetClip(New Rectangle(50, 65, 150, 120))
graphics.FillRectangle(aquaBrush, 50, 65, 150, 120)

graphicsContainer = graphics.BeginContainer()
' Create a path that consists of a single ellipse.
Dim path As New GraphicsPath()
path.AddEllipse(75, 50, 100, 150)

' Construct a region based on the path.
Dim [region] As New [Region](path)
graphics.FillRegion(greenBrush, [region])

graphics.SetClip([region], CombineMode.Replace)
graphics.DrawLine(redPen, 50, 0, 350, 300)
graphics.EndContainer(graphicsContainer)

graphics.DrawLine(bluePen, 70, 0, 370, 300)

The following illustration shows the two clipped lines:

Illustration that shows a nested container with clipped lines.

As the two preceding examples show, transformations and clipping regions are cumulative in nested containers. If you set the world transformations of the container and the Graphics object, both transformations will apply to items drawn from inside the container. The transformation of the container will be applied first, and the transformation of the Graphics object will be applied second. If you set the clipping regions of the container and the Graphics object, items drawn from inside the container will be clipped by the intersection of the two clipping regions.

Quality Settings in Nested Containers

Quality settings (SmoothingMode, TextRenderingHint, and the like) in nested containers are not cumulative; rather, the quality settings of the container temporarily replace the quality settings of a Graphics object. When you create a new container, the quality settings for that container are set to default values. For example, suppose you have a Graphics object with a smoothing mode of AntiAlias. When you create a container, the smoothing mode inside the container is the default smoothing mode. You are free to set the smoothing mode of the container, and any items drawn from inside the container will be drawn according to the mode you set. Items drawn after the call to EndContainer will be drawn according to the smoothing mode (AntiAlias) that was in place before the call to BeginContainer.

Several Layers of Nested Containers

You are not limited to one container in a Graphics object. You can create a sequence of containers, each nested in the preceding, and you can specify the world transformation, clipping region, and quality settings of each of those nested containers. If you call a drawing method from inside the innermost container, the transformations will be applied in order, starting with the innermost container and ending with the outermost container. Items drawn from inside the innermost container will be clipped by the intersection of all the clipping regions.

The following example creates a Graphics object and sets its text rendering hint to AntiAlias. The code creates two containers, one nested within the other. The text rendering hint of the outer container is set to SingleBitPerPixel, and the text rendering hint of the inner container is set to AntiAlias. The code draws three strings: one from the inner container, one from the outer container, and one from the Graphics object itself.

Graphics graphics = e.Graphics;
GraphicsContainer innerContainer;
GraphicsContainer outerContainer;
SolidBrush brush = new SolidBrush(Color.Blue);
FontFamily fontFamily = new FontFamily("Times New Roman");
Font font = new Font(fontFamily, 36, FontStyle.Regular, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);

graphics.TextRenderingHint = System.Drawing.Text.TextRenderingHint.AntiAlias;

outerContainer = graphics.BeginContainer();

graphics.TextRenderingHint = System.Drawing.Text.TextRenderingHint.SingleBitPerPixel;

innerContainer = graphics.BeginContainer();
graphics.TextRenderingHint = System.Drawing.Text.TextRenderingHint.AntiAlias;
graphics.DrawString(
   "Inner Container",
   font,
   brush,
   new PointF(20, 10));
graphics.EndContainer(innerContainer);

graphics.DrawString(
   "Outer Container",
   font,
   brush,
   new PointF(20, 50));

graphics.EndContainer(outerContainer);

graphics.DrawString(
   "Graphics Object",
   font,
   brush,
   new PointF(20, 90));

Dim graphics As Graphics = e.Graphics
Dim innerContainer As GraphicsContainer
Dim outerContainer As GraphicsContainer
Dim brush As New SolidBrush(Color.Blue)
Dim fontFamily As New FontFamily("Times New Roman")
Dim font As New Font( _
   fontFamily, _
   36, _
   FontStyle.Regular, _
   GraphicsUnit.Pixel)

graphics.TextRenderingHint = _
System.Drawing.Text.TextRenderingHint.AntiAlias

outerContainer = graphics.BeginContainer()

graphics.TextRenderingHint = _
    System.Drawing.Text.TextRenderingHint.SingleBitPerPixel

innerContainer = graphics.BeginContainer()
graphics.TextRenderingHint = _
    System.Drawing.Text.TextRenderingHint.AntiAlias
graphics.DrawString( _
   "Inner Container", _
   font, _
   brush, _
   New PointF(20, 10))
graphics.EndContainer(innerContainer)

graphics.DrawString("Outer Container", font, brush, New PointF(20, 50))

graphics.EndContainer(outerContainer)

graphics.DrawString("Graphics Object", font, brush, New PointF(20, 90))

The following illustration shows the three strings. The strings drawn from the inner container and from the Graphics object are smoothed by antialiasing. The string drawn from the outer container is not smoothed by antialiasing because the TextRenderingHint property is set to SingleBitPerPixel.

Illustration that shows the strings drawn from nested containers.

See also