UIView with rounded corners and drop shadow?

Question

I've literally tried everything I could but none of them work for a custom UIView... I just wanted a blank white view with rounded corners and a light drop shadow (with no lighting effect). I can do each of those one by one but the usual clipToBounds/maskToBounds conflicts occur.

Answer 1

Something swifty tested in swift 4

import UIKit

extension UIView {
    @IBInspectable var dropShadow: Bool {
        set{
            if newValue {
                layer.shadowColor = UIColor.black.cgColor
                layer.shadowOpacity = 0.4
                layer.shadowRadius = 1
                layer.shadowOffset = CGSize.zero
            } else {
                layer.shadowColor = UIColor.clear.cgColor
                layer.shadowOpacity = 0
                layer.shadowRadius = 0
                layer.shadowOffset = CGSize.zero
            }
        }
        get {
            return layer.shadowOpacity > 0
        }
    }
}

Produces

If you enable it in the Inspector like this:

It will add the User Defined Runtime Attribute, resulting in:

(I added previously the cornerRadius = 8)

:)

Answer 2

After one whole day research of the round corner view with shadow, I'm glad to post my custom uiview class here, hope to end this question:

RoundCornerShadowView.h

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface RoundCornerShadowView : UIView

@end

RoundCornerShadowView.m

#import "RoundCornerShadowView.h"

@implementation RoundCornerShadowView

// *** must override this method, not the other method ***
// otherwise, the background corner doesn't disappear....
// @2015/05/29
-(void) layoutSubviews {
    [super layoutSubviews];//is must to ensure rightly layout children view

    //1. first, create Inner layer with content
    CALayer *innerView = [CALayer layer];
    innerView.frame = CGRectMake(0,0,self.bounds.size.width,self.bounds.size.height);
    //instead of: innerView.frame = self.frame;
    innerView.borderWidth = 1.0f;
    innerView.cornerRadius = 6.0f;
    innerView.masksToBounds = YES;
    innerView.borderColor = [[UIColor lightGrayColor] CGColor];
    innerView.backgroundColor = [[UIColor whiteColor] CGColor];
    //put the layer to the BOTTOM of layers is also a MUST step...
    //otherwise this layer will overlay the sub uiviews in current uiview...
    [self.layer insertSublayer:innerView atIndex:0];

    //2. then, create shadow with self layer
    self.layer.masksToBounds = NO;
    self.layer.shadowColor = [[UIColor darkGrayColor] CGColor];
    self.layer.shadowOpacity = 0.4f;
    //shadow length
    self.layer.shadowRadius = 2.0f;
    //no offset
    self.layer.shadowOffset = CGSizeMake(0, 0);
    //right down shadow
    //[self.layer setShadowOffset: CGSizeMake(1.0f, 1.0f)];

    //3. last but important, MUST clear current view background color, or the color will show in the corner!
    self.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
}

@end

so, NO need to add subview in view or below in target view, just add one layer in current view, and do 3 step to complete it!

take a close look at to the comments in the code, it's helpful to understanding the component!

Answer 3

Swift 3 & IBInspectable solution:
Inspired by Ade's solution

First, create an UIView extension:

//
//  UIView-Extension.swift
//  

import Foundation
import UIKit

@IBDesignable
extension UIView {
     // Shadow
     @IBInspectable var shadow: Bool {
          get {
               return layer.shadowOpacity > 0.0
          }
          set {
               if newValue == true {
                    self.addShadow()
               }
          }
     }

     fileprivate func addShadow(shadowColor: CGColor = UIColor.black.cgColor, shadowOffset: CGSize = CGSize(width: 3.0, height: 3.0), shadowOpacity: Float = 0.35, shadowRadius: CGFloat = 5.0) {
          let layer = self.layer
          layer.masksToBounds = false

          layer.shadowColor = shadowColor
          layer.shadowOffset = shadowOffset
          layer.shadowRadius = shadowRadius
          layer.shadowOpacity = shadowOpacity
          layer.shadowPath = UIBezierPath(roundedRect: layer.bounds, cornerRadius: layer.cornerRadius).cgPath

          let backgroundColor = self.backgroundColor?.cgColor
          self.backgroundColor = nil
          layer.backgroundColor =  backgroundColor
     }


     // Corner radius
     @IBInspectable var circle: Bool {
          get {
               return layer.cornerRadius == self.bounds.width*0.5
          }
          set {
               if newValue == true {
                    self.cornerRadius = self.bounds.width*0.5
               }
          }
     }

     @IBInspectable var cornerRadius: CGFloat {
          get {
               return self.layer.cornerRadius
          }

          set {
               self.layer.cornerRadius = newValue
          }
     }


     // Borders
     // Border width
     @IBInspectable
     public var borderWidth: CGFloat {
          set {
               layer.borderWidth = newValue
          }

          get {
               return layer.borderWidth
          }
     }

     // Border color
     @IBInspectable
     public var borderColor: UIColor? {
          set {
               layer.borderColor = newValue?.cgColor
          }

          get {
               if let borderColor = layer.borderColor {
                    return UIColor(cgColor: borderColor)
               }
               return nil
          }
     }
}

Then, simply select your UIView in interface builder setting shadow ON and corner radius, like below:

The result!

Answer 4

You need add masksToBounds = true for combined between corderRadius shadowRadius.

button.layer.masksToBounds = false;

Answer 5

extension UIView {
    func dropRoundedShadowForAllSides() {
        let backgroundView = UIView(frame:self.frame)
        let radius = frame.height/2
        backgroundView.layer.masksToBounds = false
        self.layer.masksToBounds = true
        backgroundView.layer.shadowOffset = CGSize(width: 0.0, height: 0.0)
        backgroundView.layer.shadowRadius = 4
        backgroundView.layer.shadowOpacity = 0.4

        let path = UIBezierPath()

        // Start at the Top Left Corner + radius distance
        path.move(to: CGPoint(x: 2*radius, y: 0.0))

        // Move to the Top Right Corner - radius distance
        path.addLine(to: CGPoint(x: backgroundView.frame.size.width - radius, y: 0.0))

        // Move to top right corner + radius down as curve
        let centerPoint1 = CGPoint(x:backgroundView.frame.size.width - radius,y:radius)
        path.addArc(withCenter: centerPoint1, radius: radius, startAngle: 3*(.pi/2), endAngle: 0, clockwise: true)

        // Move to the Bottom Right Corner - radius
        path.addLine(to: CGPoint(x: backgroundView.frame.size.width, y: backgroundView.frame.size.height - radius))

        // Move to top right corner + radius left as curve
        let centerPoint2 = CGPoint(x:backgroundView.frame.size.width - radius,y:backgroundView.frame.size.height - radius)
        path.addArc(withCenter: centerPoint2, radius: radius, startAngle: 0, endAngle: .pi/2, clockwise: true)

        // Move to the Bottom Left Corner - radius
        path.addLine(to: CGPoint(x: radius, y: backgroundView.frame.size.height))

        // Move to left right corner - radius up as curve
        let centerPoint3 = CGPoint(x:radius,y:backgroundView.frame.size.height - radius)
        path.addArc(withCenter: centerPoint3, radius: radius, startAngle: .pi/2, endAngle: .pi, clockwise: true)

        // Move to the top Left Corner - radius
        path.addLine(to: CGPoint(x: 0, y: radius))

        // Move to top right corner + radius down as curve
        let centerPoint4 = CGPoint(x:radius,y:radius)
        path.addArc(withCenter: centerPoint4, radius: radius, startAngle: .pi, endAngle: 3 * (.pi/2), clockwise: true)

        path.close()

        backgroundView.layer.shadowPath = path.cgPath
        if let superView = self.superview {
            superView.addSubview(backgroundView)
            superView.sendSubview(toBack: backgroundView)
            superView.bringSubview(toFront: self)
        }

    }
}

Answer 6

Well if you don't want to change your nibs and view hierarchy as suggested David C. this method will do it for you. To add rounded corners and shadow to your UIImageView just use this method, for example:

[Utils roundCornersForImageView:myImageView withCornerRadius:6.0 
andShadowOffset:2.0];

(!) For performance reasons I don't think it is a good idea to use this code in something like UITableView, since this code changes view hierarchy. So I will suggest to change your nib and add a container view for shadow effect and use Davic C. code.

+ (void)roundCornersForImageView:(UIImageView *)imageView 
withCornerRadius:(float)cornerRadius andShadowOffset:(float)shadowOffset
{
    const float CORNER_RADIUS = cornerRadius;
    const float BORDER_WIDTH = 1.0; 
    const float SHADOW_OFFSET = shadowOffset;
    const float SHADOW_OPACITY = 0.8;
    const float SHADOW_RADIUS = 3.0;

    //Our old image now is just background image view with shadow
    UIImageView *backgroundImageView = imageView;
    UIView *superView = backgroundImageView.superview;

    //Make wider actual visible rect taking into account shadow
    //offset
    CGRect oldBackgroundFrame = backgroundImageView.frame;
    CGRect newBackgroundFrame = CGRectMake(oldBackgroundFrame.origin.x, oldBackgroundFrame.origin.y, oldBackgroundFrame.size.width + SHADOW_OFFSET, oldBackgroundFrame.size.height + SHADOW_OFFSET);
    [backgroundImageView removeFromSuperview];
    backgroundImageView.frame = newBackgroundFrame;        

    //Make new UIImageView with rounded corners and put our old image
    CGRect frameForRoundedImageView = CGRectMake(0, 0, oldBackgroundFrame.size.width, oldBackgroundFrame.size.height);
    UIImageView *roundedImageView = [[UIImageView alloc]initWithFrame:frameForRoundedImageView];
    roundedImageView.image = imageView.image;
    [roundedImageView.layer setCornerRadius:CORNER_RADIUS];
    [roundedImageView.layer setBorderColor:[UIColor lightGrayColor].CGColor];        
    [roundedImageView.layer setBorderWidth:BORDER_WIDTH]; 
    [roundedImageView.layer setMasksToBounds:YES];

    //Set shadow preferences
    [backgroundImageView setImage:nil];
    [backgroundImageView.layer setShadowColor:[UIColor blackColor].CGColor];
    [backgroundImageView.layer setShadowOpacity:SHADOW_OPACITY];
    [backgroundImageView.layer setShadowRadius:SHADOW_RADIUS];
    [backgroundImageView.layer setShadowOffset:CGSizeMake(SHADOW_OFFSET, SHADOW_OFFSET)];   

    //Add out two image views back to the view hierarchy.
    [backgroundImageView addSubview:roundedImageView];
    [superView addSubview:backgroundImageView];   
}