Graphics Tools - BrushBitmap feature

[Frank Kestens]

Somebody has experience with the Brushbitmap function of Graphic Tools ?
I want to draw a circle , using a Brushbitmap . This works . But when i draw the circle on another location on the screen the picture seems to follow the position . It is as you look trough a circular opening towards the picture. I'd hoped the picture would stay centered to the circle , no matter where the circle is drawn on the screen.
Any idea how to fix this ?

[Eric Pearson]

It surprises many people, but that's the way Windows bitmap-brushes work. The standard behavior is described in the section of the Graphics Tools Help File titled "Pens and Brushes". The effect can be very useful when revealing a large bitmap image in pieces, or in maintaining the continuity of (for example) a patterned background. Of course if it's not the behavior you want, it's a pain in the neck.

Fortunately Graphics Tools provides other techniques that can be used to accomplish what it sounds like you want to do. The easiest method would probably be to use the OverlayWindow function, which can draw images with transparent areas. This allows not only circles but any shape to be drawn.

If you'd like to contact [email protected] we'll be glad to help you with the specifics.

-- Eric Pearson, Perfect Sync, Inc.

[Frank Kestens]

It surprises many people, but that's the way Windows bitmap-brushes work. The standard behavior is described in the section of the Graphics Tools Help File titled "Pens and Brushes". The effect can be very useful when revealing a large bitmap image in pieces, or in maintaining the continuity of (for example) a patterned background. Of course if it's not the behavior you want, it's a pain in the neck.

Fortunately Graphics Tools provides other techniques that can be used to accomplish what it sounds like you want to do. The easiest method would probably be to use the OverlayWindow function, which can draw images with transparent areas. This allows not only circles but any shape to be drawn.

If you'd like to contact [email protected] we'll be glad to help you with the specifics.

-- Eric Pearson, Perfect Sync, Inc.

Thanks for the quick reply ! . I guessed already that Windows was at the base of this behaviour .I guess that using the OverlayWindow "centers" the Bitmap to this Window. I would appreciate however if I could get some lines of code to do what you explain , as I'm not familiar with the OverlayWindow instruction .

[Frank Kestens]

BrushBitmap

What I want to do is to represent a picture of a moving planet along the sky . Let's say a have a bitmap of 100*100 p of this planet . I want this bitmap reduced fi to 40*40p and displayed into a circle. So the bitmap should also have same scaling . According to the manual the BrushBitmap takes the "natural" size however . Is there any way to deal with this ?

[Eric Pearson]

Oops, I now see from our records that you are using Graphics Tools Standard, which does not include the OverlayWindow function. Let me think about the best way to do "planets" with GT Standard and post again later. Are you using actual (photo-realistic) images of the planets?

-- Eric Pearson, Perfect Sync, Inc.

[Frank Kestens]

Oops, I now see from our records that you are using Graphics Tools Standard, which does not include the OverlayWindow function. Let me think about the best way to do "planets" with GT Standard and post again later. Are you using actual (photo-realistic) images of the planets?

-- Eric Pearson, Perfect Sync, Inc.

Yes , I intend to do so . This would be the last part to implement in the code I wrote for I highly accurate and fast integration and simulation programm of planetary motions.