How to take my view as a picture osx

Question

I want to take my NSView(With layers) as an image can I do so in OSX ?

in iOS I would do the following

-(UIImage*) makeImage//snapshot the view
{
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.view.bounds.size);
    [self.view.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
    UIImage *viewImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
    return viewImage;
}

I tried this solution from 1 of the SO answers

[[NSImage alloc] initWithData:[view dataWithPDFInsideRect:[view bounds]]];

but it didn't work because I have layers in my NSView.

I started from converting UI to NS and now I have warnings on every line :)

-(NSImage*) makeImage :(RMBlurredView*)view
{
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(view.bounds.size);

    [self.view.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];

    NSImage *viewImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();

    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

    return viewImage;
}

I am not familiar with OSX can some 1 help me to convert this code to OSX ?

Daij-Djan · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-01T11:21:49.390

5

drawing to the image is tad different than in iOS:

you create a blank image, LOCK on to it, so all drawing goes to that graphics context

NSImage *image = [[NSImage alloc] initWithSize:self.view.bounds.size];
[image lockFocus];

you draw your layer same as on iOS

CGContextRef ctx = [NSGraphicsContext currentContext].graphicsPort;
[self.view.layer renderInContext:ctx];

unlock image
```
[image unlockFocus];
```

NOTE this is only if your view is layered. it doesn't work for non-layered views!
your view -as shown above- is layer backed so all's fine ;)

edited Jun 01 '14 at 11:21

answered Jun 01 '14 at 08:16

Daij-Djan

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Thank you very much :) -BTW it is my route to handle the previous question , I couldn't find how to make gif through out the layered view , so i decided to draw all its static conents and then to take this snapShot and add it as regular nsview with apicture inside :) – Coldsteel48 Jun 01 '14 at 10:56
I answered this today :) you have to set imageView.canDrawSubviewsInLayer = YES so animated gifs work. see: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/23969667/how-to-display-animated-gif-in-objective-c-on-top-of-the-layered-view/23969766#23969766 – Daij-Djan Jun 01 '14 at 10:58
However I feel sad with this solution , but it works like a charm :) – Coldsteel48 Jun 01 '14 at 10:58
Oh I didnt see that -> didn't recieve anything from SO about your update , I am trying it now I hope it will work :)) Thanks you :) – Coldsteel48 Jun 01 '14 at 11:00

How to take my view as a picture osx

1 Answers1