[wxPython-users] adding control captions on gradient buttonpanel

[C M]

On Dec 18, 2007 7:16 PM, Andrea Gavana <andrea.gavana at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> On Dec 19, 2007 1:10 AM, C M wrote:
> > On Dec 18, 2007 4:19 PM, Andrea Gavana <andrea.gavana at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Dec 18, 2007 8:14 AM, C M wrote:
> > > > I'd like to try to use a ButtonPanel with a gradient to hold some
> > controls,
> > > > but I also would like to have static text near the controls to
> indicate
> > > > their function or caption them.  But if I just add a
> wxStaticTextCtrl to
> > the
> > > > ButtonPanel, the background color of the statictext is used and of
> > course it
> > > > doesn't look quite right on the gradient (you can see the edges of
> the
> > > > rectangle).
> > > >
> > > > But with ButtonPanel, there is a main caption text, as well as
> button
> > > > captions, and both of these are done in such a way as they do not
> > produce
> > > > this problem--they just sit nicely over the gradient.  I don't
> > understand
> > > > how this is done because I don't yet understand how DC and drawing
> > works.
> > > >
> > > > I was wondering if there is or could be a way to allow placement of
> text
> > on
> > > > a gradient ButtonPanel so that it looks good with the gradient? (the
> > > > positioning itself may require sizers, but one thing at a time).
>  And
> > can
> > > > font and font size also be specified?
> > >
> > > The only way I can see it right now is to hack the ButtonPanel source
> > > code... the problem is, whatever you do with a wx.StaticText, it does
> > > not let the underlying "theme" (or gradient) shine through it, it uses
> > > its own background colour or the one inherited by its parent (if it is
> > > a solid one). Have you tried doing something like:
> > >
> > > yourStaticText.Bind(wx.EVT_ERASE_BACKGROUND, self.OnErase)
> > >
> > > def OnErase(self, event):
> > >
> > >    pass
> > >
> > > ? I don't know if this will change anything.
> >
> > Yup, didn't work.
>
> I imagined it... :-(
>
> > > If it doesn't, then you might consider hacking the wx.lib.stattextcod=
e to
> > try to let the
> > > gradient shine through. It would be an easy task to solve if someone
> > > could answer to this question:
> > >
> > > Is there a way to ask a wx.lib.stattext *not* to paint its rectangular
> > > background but let the underground colour (parent
> > > colour/theme/gradient) shine through?
> > >
> >
> > I'll hope for that answer.  In the meantime, do you happen to understand
> how
> > the main caption is done such that this doesn't have this problem?
>  Because
> > I thought maybe I could try that approach?
>
> Well, I can understand it as I wrote ButtonPanel :-D .


Whoops, I did know that and should have written, "can you help *me* to
understand it"!  (Although it would be notable if you wrote it while in a
wxPython trance state and no longer understand how you did it...that's
really how you write all these controls, right?)


> Anyway, you can
> basically do it with whatever custom panel you want, by defining a
> custom event handler for wx.EVT_PAINT event for your panel (self is
> your custom panel, a wx.Panel or a wx.PyPanel):
>
> self.Bind(wx.EVT_PAINT, self.OnPaint)
> self.Bind(wx.EVT_ERASE_BACKGROUND, self.OnEraseBackground)
>
> def OnPaint(self, event):
>    dc =3D wx.BufferedPaintDC(self)
>
>    # Here you draw the gradient in the panel and other stuff
>
>    dc.DrawText(self.myText, xPosition, yPosition)
>
> def OnEraseBackground(self, event):
>    pass
>
>
> So, there is nothing that draws the text background/rectangle and then
> the underlying theme/gradient shines through.
>

I'll look at this more, though I haven't drawn anything or used dc before so
this is unfamiliar territory but I wanted to learn about it more anyway.

Thanks again!
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