NetBeans GUI Builder Image

Question

I've added an image that I want to use as a background image and I want to put jLabels on top of it. So I use the image icon feature and show the image, but when I try to put a jLabel on it, it gets moved off to the side. I've tried several tutorials and it appears to work on youtube, but when I try to do the same thing on my own they get moved out of position.

field.setIcon(new javax.swing.ImageIcon(getClass().getResource("/wiffleball/resources/field2.png"))); // NOI18N

Answer 1

The JLabel doesn't have a layout manager by default. Label's also have default text positioning, which is normally aligned to the left, you need to change all these default values...

You may want to use a different layout manager other the BorderLayout, but this is just an example...

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.EventQueue;
import java.awt.Font;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.UIManager;
import javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException;

public class SimpleLabel {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new SimpleLabel();
    }

    public SimpleLabel() {
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
                } catch (ClassNotFoundException | InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException | UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
                }

                JLabel label = new JLabel(new ImageIcon("C:\\hold\\thumbnails\\_cg_836___Tilting_Windmills___by_Serena_Clearwater.png"));
                label.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
                label.setVerticalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);

                label.setLayout(new BorderLayout());

                JLabel child = new JLabel("Can you see me?");
                child.setForeground(Color.WHITE);
                child.setFont(label.getFont().deriveFont(Font.BOLD, 24f));
                child.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
                child.setVerticalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
                child.setHorizontalTextPosition(JLabel.CENTER);
                child.setVerticalTextPosition(JLabel.CENTER);
                label.add(child);

                JFrame frame = new JFrame("Testing");
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
                frame.add(label);
                frame.pack();
                frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
                frame.setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }
}

Answer 2

I put everything on a jPanel and that seemed to do it. It just took some tinkering with. Thanks!