References ▼
Adding automation to a paint application enables the user to add all the paint toolkit capabilities and the associated user interfaces, to that application. The paint automation coordinates the low-level Digital Paint toolkit functions, the LEAD container functions and the LEAD toolbar functions. This facilitates the building of a paint application and removes the need to understand all the low level functionality.
The paint automation toolkit can perform the following tasks:
Handle multiple windows simultaneously, with each window having its own transformations, regions, Undo/Redo information, etc.
Set the Undo/Redo level to virtually any value, as well as Undo or Redo the operations in every window in an MDI environment.
Select All or None of the bitmap in the current active window. In addition, the current selection can be cut, copied, pasted or deleted.
Print the bitmap in any of the application's opened windows.
The paint automation toolbar lets the user select the needed tool and draw, while the automation handles the visual feedback needed to communicate between the painting process and the user. Mouse cursors and the basic drawing algorithms for selected tools (Line, Ellipse, Polygon, etc.) are handled by automation. The Paint tools currently available in the toolkit are:
Paintbrush
Line Shape
Rectangle Shape
Rounded Rectangle Shape
Ellipse Shape
Polygon Shape
Curve Shape
Rectangular Select
Rounded Rectangular Select
Elliptical Select
Polygon Select
Surface Select
Border Select
Color Select
Fill using the surface fill method
Fill using the border fill method
Fill using the color replace method (Color Replace)
Text
Color Picker
Select (region) mover
Zoom
Most of the tools above have an accompanying dialog that can be used to set the tool's properties.
Effective use of automated digital paint requires a good grasp of the following LEAD functionalities:
Low-level digital paint functionality
LEAD Toolbar
LEAD Container
Therefore, it is best to carefully read the documentation of the modules before using LEAD's digital paint automation.
The automated digital paint functionality gives the user the flexibility to create and add LEAD Containers and the LEAD Toolbar using automated functions. This offers the maximum possible creativity to the user. Note that using the low-level functionality of the LEADTOOLS Container and LEADTOOLS Toolbar may occasionally create internal automation conflicts. Consequently, it is best to use the given automation interface functions with the LEADTOOLS Container and the LEADTOOLS Toolbar.