CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javatransparencysplash-screenanimated-gif
GuillaumeA
GuillaumeA

Reputation: 3545

Java Animated transparent splash screen

I'd like to make a splash screen with an animated gif. My animated gif has a transparent background so I'd like to display only the visible part of my gif as a splash screen. First of all, I must specify that I'm using Matlab so it is not possible (or I haven't found how) to override components/functions. Here my sample code :

 win = javax.swing.JWindow;
 jl = javax.swing.JLabel(javax.swing.ImageIcon('C:\Users\ME\Documents\loader512-.gif'));
 win.getContentPane.add(jl);
 win.setAlwaysOnTop(true);
 win.pack;
 %% set the splash image to the center of the screen
 screenSize = win.getToolkit.getScreenSize;
 screenHeight = screenSize.height;
 screenWidth = screenSize.width;
 % get the actual splashImage size
 imgHeight = 512;
 imgWidth = 512;
 win.setLocation((screenWidth-imgWidth)/2,(screenHeight-imgHeight)/2);   
 win.show

It works very well shwing the image, however its background is ether white or gray depending on the transparency of the window. I also tried to play with the background of the JLabel without success.

Please help !

Upvotes: 1

Views: 710

Answers (1)

initramfs
initramfs

Reputation: 8405

The problem with your code is that every given window has a particular defined shape. Without changing the shape every Window object has a rectangular canvas in which it draws upon. The transparency only applies if you draw a object behind your GIF image. If transparency is enabled the renderer merely draws the background colour (which is normally black or white or some light gray) if nothing else is present.

Since the release of Java 7 a new method called setShape(Shape); appeared for Window objects. If your animated GIF has a fixed transparency "zone" I advise creating a custom java.awt.Shape object in which you pass to the win object via set shape.

Example:

win = javax.swing.JWindow;
jl = javax.swing.JLabel(javax.swing.ImageIcon('C:\Users\ME\Documents\loader512-.gif'));
win.getContentPane.add(jl);
Shape S = createCustomShape(); //Create your shape
win.setShape(S);
win.setAlwaysOnTop(true);
//{rest of code...}

If the animated GIF has a changing transparency background, you must create a complex implementation in which the Shape object updates on a frame by frame basis in response to the GIF. In my opinion, if this is the case, I wouldn't bother. :)

Read more on the Shape object here.

N.B. The Shape "object" is actually a interface, either use one of the implementing subclasses or create your own.

Upvotes: 1

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