(C++) How to draw on a QBitmap with using the GUI designer?

 

This page describes how to draw on a QBitmap with using the GUI designer, resulting in this screenshot. You can also directly download the CppQtBitmapDrawGui source and binary code.

 

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Probably, you do not want to use a QBitmap, as it can only display monochrome (that is black and white) color!

 

To create this program in Qt Creator, you can follow the steps below:

• Step #1: Setting up the Qt4 Gui application project
• Step #2: Setting up the GUI
• Step #3: Coding the declarations of the dialog
• Step #4: Coding the definitions of the dialog
• Step #5: Running the program

 

 

 

 

 

Step #1: Setting up the Qt4 Gui application project

 

1. Start Qt Creator.
2. If you are not shown the welcome screen, click on 'Welcome' on the left
3. If, in the welcome screen, the 'Develop' tab is not shown, click on 'Develop' to view the Welcome screen Develop tab
4. In the Welcome screen Develop tab, click 'Create New Project' to go to the New project dialog
5. In the New project dialog, click 'QT4 Gui Application' to go to the introduction and project location dialog
6. In the Introduction and project location dialog, you must specify a name and location to save your (project) files. For example, after 'Name' type 'HelloWorldGui'. Click next
7. In the select required modules dialog, all checks are correct (only QtCore and QtGui are checked), so click 'Next'
8. In the class Information dialog, change the 'Base class' to 'QDialog' and click 'Next'
9. In the project management dialog, click 'Finish'

 

Now your Qt4 Gui application project is successfully set up. Your screen might look like this.

 

 

 

 

 

Step #2: Setting up the GUI

 

1. On the left menu bar, you can see you are now in 'Edit' mode (instead of 'Welcome' mode). You can see your project right of this menu bar. You can see a 'QtHelloWorldGui' project folder, containing the following files:

   1. QtHelloWorldGui.pro
   2. main.cpp
   3. dialog.cpp
   4. dialog.h
   5. dialog.ui

   Double-click on 'dialog.ui' to be taken to the GUI designer.

2. Your screen might then look like this. I prefer to press 'Alt-0' to remove the Project manager sidebar and my screen looks like this.

3. From the Widget toolbox, place a PushButton (under 'Buttons') and Label (under 'Display Widgets') on the MainWindow.

4. Click on the PushButton and change the Text property to 'Invert colors', like this screenshot.

5. Click on the Label and change the Bitmap property to 'Choose file' and select an image like 256x256.png, like this screenshot.

6. Right-click on the Dialog and select 'Layout -> Lay out vertically'.

7. Right-click on the Dialog and select 'Size contraints -> Set minimum size'.

 

You have now successfully set up the GUI. Your screen might then look like this.

 

 

 

 

 

Step #3: Coding the declarations of the dialog

 

1. Press 'ALT-0' to view the Project Manager sidebar again. Your screen might then look like this.

2. Double-click on 'dialog.h to be taken to the source of dialog.h:

   #ifndef DIALOG_H #define DIALOG_H namespace Ui {   class Dialog; } class Dialog : public QDialog {   Q_OBJECT public:   Dialog(QWidget *parent = 0);   ~Dialog(); protected:   void changeEvent(QEvent *e); private:   Ui::Dialog *ui; }; #endif // DIALOG_H

3. Change this code to the following:

   #ifndef DIALOG_H #define DIALOG_H #include <QDialog> #include <QPainter> #include <QBitmap> #include <QTimer> namespace Ui {   class Dialog; } class Dialog : public QDialog {   Q_OBJECT public:   Dialog(QWidget *parent = 0);   ~Dialog(); protected:   void changeEvent(QEvent *e); private slots:   void OnClick();   void OnTick(); private:   Ui::Dialog *ui;   QBitmap m_bitmap;   QPainter m_painter;   int m_z;   QTimer m_timer; }; #endif // DIALOG_H

 

Note that if you try to execute the program, you get the following (link) error:

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/MyFolder/moc_mainwindow.cpp:66: undefined reference to 'Dialog::OnClick()' /MyFolder/moc_mainwindow.cpp:66: undefined reference to 'Dialog::OnTick()'

 

This (link) error is correct: the member functions Dialog::OnClick and Dialog::OnTick are declared but not yet defined.

 

 

 

 

 

Step #4: Coding the definitions of the dialog

 

1. Press 'ALT-0' to view the Project Manager sidebar again. Your screen might then look like this.

2. Double-click on 'dialog.cpp to be taken to the source of dialog.cpp:

   #include "dialog.h" #include "ui_dialog.h" Dialog::Dialog(QWidget *parent) :     QDialog(parent),     ui(new Ui::Dialog) {   ui->setupUi(this); } Dialog::~Dialog() {   delete ui; } void Dialog::changeEvent(QEvent *e) {   QDialog::changeEvent(e);   switch (e->type()) {   case QEvent::LanguageChange:     ui->retranslateUi(this);     break;   default:     break;   } }

3. Change this code to the following:

   #include <QPainter> #include "dialog.h" #include "ui_dialog.h" Dialog::Dialog(QWidget *parent) :     QDialog(parent),     ui(new Ui::Dialog),     m_bitmap("256x256.png"),     m_painter(&m_bitmap),     m_z(0) {   ui->setupUi(this);   assert(QFile::exists("256x256.png") && "Please put a file called 256x256.png in the executable its folder");   QObject::connect(ui->pushButton,SIGNAL(clicked()),this,SLOT(OnClick()));   QObject::connect(&m_timer,SIGNAL(timeout()),this,SLOT(OnTick()));   OnTick();   m_timer.start(10); } Dialog::~Dialog() {   delete ui; } void Dialog::changeEvent(QEvent *e) {   QDialog::changeEvent(e);   switch (e->type()) {   case QEvent::LanguageChange:     ui->retranslateUi(this);     break;   default:     break;   } } void Dialog::OnTick() {   ++m_z;   for (int x = 0; x!=256; ++x)   {     for (int y = 0; y!=256; ++y)     {       m_painter.setPen(QColor((m_z+x)%256,(m_z+y)%256,(m_z+x+y)%256));       m_painter.drawPoint(x,y);     }   }   ui->label->setPixmap(m_bitmap); } void Dialog::OnClick() {   m_z+=128; }

 

 

 

 

 

Step #5: Running the program

 

1. Press CTRL-R to start the program
2. Your screen might then look like this