I have a program where I can, with the mouse, draw a rectangle in any of four directions.
These rectangles are used on a pictureBox to crop parts of an image.
These rectangles must be drawn while maintaining the ratio of a given dimension for example 320 x 200.
I want this tool to behave pretty much exactly like the crop tool in Photoshop, or like in the crop example found here:
https://imageresize.org/
I have most elements working correctly I'm just struggling on a few geometric calculations.
See the "Bottom right" example in my code. This works perfectly and basically I just want to apply this exact formula to the other directions.
I have been playing with different calculations for hours and I just can't seem to work it out.
Here is the working code:
Protected Overrides Sub OnMouseMove(ByVal e As MouseEventArgs)
'Draw rectangle keeping aspect ratio
If e.Button = Windows.Forms.MouseButtons.Left Then
If e.X > startPos.X And e.Y > startPos.Y Then
'Bottom right
mRect = New Rectangle(mRect.Left, mRect.Top, e.X - mRect.Left, e.Y - mRect.Top)
mRect.Size = New Size(mRect.Width, mRect.Width / Ratio.Text)
If e.Y < mRect.Bottom Then
mRect = Rectangle.FromLTRB(startPos.X, startPos.Y, e.X, e.Y)
mRect.Size = New Size(mRect.Height * Ratio.Text, mRect.Height)
End If
Me.Invalidate()
ElseIf e.X < startPos.X And e.Y > startPos.Y Then
'Bottom left
mRect = New Rectangle(e.X, startPos.Y, startPos.X - e.X, e.Y - startPos.Y)
mRect.Size = New Size(mRect.Width, mRect.Width / Ratio.Text)
Me.Invalidate()
ElseIf e.X > startPos.X And e.Y < startPos.Y Then
'Top right
mRect = New Rectangle(startPos.X, e.Y, e.X - startPos.X, startPos.Y - e.Y)
mRect.Size = New Size(mRect.Height * 1.6, mRect.Height)
Me.Invalidate()
ElseIf e.X < startPos.X And e.Y < startPos.Y Then
'Top left
mRect = New Rectangle(e.X, e.Y, startPos.X - e.X, startPos.Y - e.Y)
mRect.Size = New Size(mRect.Width, mRect.Width / Ratio.Text)
Me.Invalidate()
End If
End If
End Sub
Any help would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!
Below is how things currently work, you can see things go funky when drawing in the north west region. I need to get the same behavior as the south east (or bottom right per the code) for all quadrants.
I propose a slightly different method to calculate the current position of the cursor, when a Ratio is applied to the Rectangle dimensions.
You need of course to save the starting position of the Rectangle, using the MouseDown event of a Control, then track the Mouse movements, using the MouseMove event.
The current position of the Cursor is calculated as usual (swapping the current Cursor Location the and Starting Position when the Offsets are negative).
The only difference is the Height of the Rectangle, when the overall size is subject to a Ratio constraint.
In this case, the Rectangle.Location.Y
is determined by the Rectangle.Width / Ratio
measure. This becomes visible if the Cursor.Location.Y
is above the starting location (Cursor.Location.Y <= StartingPosition.Y
). Just like in the code you posted.
For the example, I'm using a custom Rectangle class that holds all the informations need to draw a shape, with or without a specific Ratio applied to its dimensions.
Note that the Ratio
is hardcoded to 1.6
: it's just to for
testing, of course it can be set to anything else.
Visual sample of the results:
Private DrawingRects As List(Of DrawingRectangle) = New List(Of DrawingRectangle)()
Private Sub PicureBox1_MouseDown(sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles PicureBox1.MouseDown
If e.Button = MouseButtons.Left Then
DrawingRects.Add(New DrawingRectangle() With {
.DrawingcColor = Color.LightGreen,
.Location = e.Location,
.Owner = CType(sender, Control),
.Ratio = 1.6,
.Size = Size.Empty,
.StartPosition = e.Location
})
End If
End Sub
Private Sub PicureBox1_MouseMove(sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles PicureBox1.MouseMove
If e.Button = MouseButtons.Left Then
Dim rect As DrawingRectangle = DrawingRects.Last()
If e.X < rect.StartPosition.X Then rect.Location = New Point(e.X, rect.Location.Y)
If e.Y < rect.StartPosition.Y Then rect.Location = New Point(rect.Location.X, e.Y)
Dim currentWidth As Integer = Math.Abs(rect.StartPosition.X - e.X)
If rect.Ratio = 1.0F Then
rect.Size = New Size(currentWidth, Math.Abs(rect.StartPosition.Y - e.Y))
Else
If rect.StartPosition.Y <= rect.Location.Y Then
rect.Size = New Size(currentWidth, CType(Math.Abs(rect.StartPosition.X - e.X) / rect.Ratio, Integer))
Else
Dim currentHeight As Integer = CType(currentWidth / rect.Ratio, Integer)
rect.Location = New Point(rect.Location.X, rect.StartPosition.Y - currentHeight)
rect.Size = New Size(currentWidth, currentHeight)
End If
End If
DrawingRects(DrawingRects.Count - 1) = rect
DirectCast(sender, Control).Invalidate()
End If
End Sub
Private Sub PicureBox1_Paint(sender As Object, e As PaintEventArgs) Handles PicureBox1.Paint
Dim canvas As Control = DirectCast(sender, Control)
If DrawingRects.Count > 0 Then
e.Graphics.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.AntiAlias
For Each rect As DrawingRectangle In DrawingRects
If canvas IsNot rect.Owner Then Continue For
Using pen As New Pen(rect.DrawingcColor, rect.PenSize)
e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(pen, New Rectangle(rect.Location, rect.Size))
End Using
Next
End If
End Sub
The DrawingRectangle
class:
Note: the class has an Owner
property, referencing the current Control
where the shape is drawn: this allows to use a List(Of DrawingRectangle)
with
different controls at the same time.
Public Class DrawingRectangle
Private rectAspect As SizeF = SizeF.Empty
Private rectRatio As Single = 0F
Public Property Owner As Control
Public Property Location As Point
Public Property Size As Size
Public Property StartPosition As Point
Public Property DrawingcColor As Color
Public Property PenSize As Single
Public Property Aspect() As SizeF
Get
Return rectAspect
End Get
Set(ByVal value As SizeF)
Me.rectAspect = value
SetAspectRatio(value)
End Set
End Property
Public Property Ratio As Single
Get
Return rectRatio
End Get
Set(ByVal value As Single)
rectRatio = value
SetAspectRatio(value)
End Set
End Property
Private Sub SetAspectRatio(aspect As SizeF)
Me.rectRatio = aspect.Width / aspect.Height
End Sub
Private Sub SetAspectRatio(ratio As Single)
Me.rectAspect = New SizeF(100, 100 / ratio)
End Sub
End Class
You have sample rectangle S with given ratio and dimensions sw, sh
(320x200 in your example)
Mouse positions form new rectangle N with dimensions nw, nh
(absolute values!)
Your task is, as far as I understand, to inscribe rectangle with the same ratio as S into rectangle N, getting rectangle R with base point (rx0, ry0)
and dimensions (rw, rh)
nx0 = min(e.x, startpos.x)
ny0 = min(e.y, startpos.y)
nw = abs(e.x - startpos.x)
nh = abs(e.y - startpos.y)
if nw * sh >= nh * sw then // if N is "too wide"
rh = nh
rw = rh * sw / sh
ry0 = ny0
rx0 = nx0 + (nw - rw) / 2
else // N is "too slim"
rw = nw
rh = rw * sh / sw
rx0 = nx0
ry0 = ny0 + (nh - rh) / 2
then
mRect = New Rectangle(rx0, ry0, rx0 + rw, ry0 + rh)