C# Font Scaling in a fixed width???

[mcseprofession]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me. I’m trying to add text into a fixed width. Say label1.MaximumSize = new Size(0, 30);
label1.text=textbox1.text
When the label gets full I want the text to start squeezing together and not just cut off. I keep playing with string formats ECT. But just can’t seem to figure it out. Is there a way to have a label or drawstring perform this kind of function???

[tlhintoq]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me. I’m trying to add text into a fixed width. Say label1.MaximumSize = new Size(0, 30);
label1.text=textbox1.text
When the label gets full I want the text to start squeezing together and not just cut off. I keep playing with string formats ECT. But just can’t seem to figure it out. Is there a way to have a label or drawstring perform this kind of function???

Here's some code from one of my functions that puts a text tag onto a jpg graphic. It works a little different from your need, as I extend the label to space required by all the text at a fixed size. You want to reduce the font to match a fixed space.

 
Font myFont = new Font("Arial", LableSize); // LableSize is the font size                    
Graphics LGraphic = Graphics.FromImage(myLable);//myLable is an Image obj                 
PaintEventArgs e = new PaintEventArgs(LGraphic, FullSize);//Fullsize is the size of the total graphic so I know how much space I have to work with later on                 
SizeF oSize1 = e.Graphics.MeasureString(szLable, myFont);
 

I'm thinking that you should be able to reverse engineer a loop from this that takes your fixed space, and a starts with a font size of 1, and keeps increasing the size until your text no longer fits, then drop back down to the size that worked and use that to display your text. Maybe something involving a check like:

int FontSizeToUse = 1;
for (int Loop = 1; Loop < 25; Loop++)
{
     if (oSize1.Width > myTextBox.Width) 
     {
          FontSizeToUse = Loop - 1;
          break;
     }
}
// Use the FontSizeToUse for your lable
 

[mcseprofession]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Im using somthing like that now.

int FontSizeCount = 0;
private void textBox1_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
 
            label1.MaximumSize = new Size(0, 30);
            if (label1.Width > 232)
            {
                label1.Font = ChangeFontSize(label1.Font, label1.Font.Size - 2);
                label1.Location = new Point(28, FontSizeCount + 33);
                label1.Refresh();
                FontSizeCount++;
            }
            if ( label1.Width < 219 && FontSizeCount > 0)
            {
               label1.Font = ChangeFontSize(label1.Font, label1.Font.Size + 2);
               label1.Location = new Point(28, 33 - FontSizeCount);
               label1.Refresh();
               FontSizeCount--;
            }
 
            label1.Text = textbox1.Text;
 
 
        }
 
        static public Font ChangeFontSize(Font font, float fontSize)
        {
            if (font != null)
            {
                float currentSize = font.Size;
                if (currentSize != fontSize)
                {
                    font = new Font(font.Name, fontSize, font.Style, font.Unit, font.GdiCharSet, font.GdiVerticalFont);
                }
            }
            return font;
        }
 

And it is working it decreasing and increasing the size of the fonts, but I need it to not make the fonts smaller, but to squeeze them together. I found something like what I need it to do, if you got http://www.yugiohcardmaker.net and add a text to the name it writes on the card, after it reaches its max point it starts to squeeze the text together. I’m not sure how I can do it, or if I need to think of another way...

[tlhintoq]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Im using somthing like that now.

int FontSizeCount = 0;
private void textBox1_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
 
            label1.MaximumSize = new Size(0, 30);
            if (label1.Width > 232)
            {
                label1.Font = ChangeFontSize(label1.Font, label1.Font.Size - 2);
                label1.Location = new Point(28, FontSizeCount + 33);
                label1.Refresh();
                FontSizeCount++;
            }
            if ( label1.Width < 219 && FontSizeCount > 0)
            {
               label1.Font = ChangeFontSize(label1.Font, label1.Font.Size + 2);
               label1.Location = new Point(28, 33 - FontSizeCount);
               label1.Refresh();
               FontSizeCount--;
            }
 
            label1.Text = textbox1.Text;
 
 
        }
 
        static public Font ChangeFontSize(Font font, float fontSize)
        {
            if (font != null)
            {
                float currentSize = font.Size;
                if (currentSize != fontSize)
                {
                    font = new Font(font.Name, fontSize, font.Style, font.Unit, font.GdiCharSet, font.GdiVerticalFont);
                }
            }
            return font;
        }
 

And it is working it decreasing and increasing the size of the fonts, but I need it to not make the fonts smaller, but to squeeze them together. I found something like what I need it to do, if you got http://www.yugiohcardmaker.net and add a text to the name it writes on the card, after it reaches its max point it starts to squeeze the text together. I’m not sure how I can do it, or if I need to think of another way...

I don't think there is a way of affecting spacing or leading of a label. The control simply doens't have that much power.
Had you considered making a graphic of your text and placing that on the form? Then you can easily change the width of the graphic to space you need, resulting in skinnier letters.

[mcseprofession]

Thanx tlhintoq, that would be fine, im still not sure how to do it.. do you mean somthing like.

 
 
                        bm = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.Width, pictureBox1.Height);
                        using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bm))
{
 g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font(CardDescFontName, CardDescFontSize), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(30, 380), new SizeF(288, 90)));
 
}
 

do you have an example of how I can do it??? thanx again

[mcseprofession]

Still No Luck... I have looked all over Google, just cannot seem to get it. Can anyone please show me an example of how to draw text and have the letters squeezed together instead of cutting off, if they won’t fit in a fixed width area???

[tlhintoq]

Thanx tlhintoq, that would be fine, im still not sure how to do it.. do you mean somthing like.

 
 
                        bm = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.Width, pictureBox1.Height);
                        using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bm))
{
 g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font(CardDescFontName, CardDescFontSize), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(30, 380), new SizeF(288, 90)));
 
}
 

do you have an example of how I can do it??? thanx again

You're definately on the the right track. Use the .DrawString to draw your text on to a graphic. From their scale the graphic to match your fixed-size space.

I was recently reminded of user controls from another post. This might be a good use for such a thing. A custom user control that takes a text string and displays it as a graphic. Maybe a couple properties to set for which font to use and so forth. That way once you work out all the behavior you can easily drop it on other forms.

[mcseprofession]

Thank you, i will try playing around with that...

[mcseprofession]

Hi again, can someone look at this and tell me what I’m doing wrong. Maybe I’m just brain fried from trying to figure this out for 4 days. I’m new to c# and learning as I go. I can now get the image to stretch but I can’t get it to do the opposite and squeeze the text together...

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Drawing.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
 
namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        Bitmap bm;
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
 
        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
                bm = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.Width, pictureBox1.Height);
                using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bm))
                {
                    pictureBox1.Refresh();
                    g.TextRenderingHint = TextRenderingHint.ClearTypeGridFit;
                    g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 36), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(0, 0), new SizeF(275, 70)));
 
                    g.ScaleTransform(2f,1f);
                    g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 36), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(10, 0), new SizeF(275, 70)));
                }
 
 
                using (Graphics h = pictureBox1.CreateGraphics())
                {
                    h.DrawImageUnscaled(bm, 0, 0);
                }
        }
        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
        }
    }
}
 

[tlhintoq]

Hi again, can someone look at this and tell me what I’m doing wrong. Maybe I’m just brain fried from trying to figure this out for 4 days. I’m new to c# and learning as I go. I can now get the image to stretch but I can’t get it to do the opposite and squeeze the text together...

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Drawing.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
 
namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        Bitmap bm;
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
 
        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
                bm = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.Width, pictureBox1.Height);
                using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bm))
                {
                    pictureBox1.Refresh();
                    g.TextRenderingHint = TextRenderingHint.ClearTypeGridFit;
                    g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 36), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(0, 0), new SizeF(275, 70)));
 
                    g.ScaleTransform(2f,1f);
                    g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 36), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(10, 0), new SizeF(275, 70)));
                }
 
 
                using (Graphics h = pictureBox1.CreateGraphics())
                {
                    h.DrawImageUnscaled(bm, 0, 0);
                }
        }
        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
        }
    }
}
 

I think you can just set the SizeMode property of the PictureBox at design time to either StretchImage or AutoSize (whichever gives you the results you like the look of), then change line 36. Notice you are specifically telling it to draw unscaled.
Instead just set the image property of the PictureBox to your newly created image.

PictureBox1.Image = MyNewlyCreatedImageObject;

[mcseprofession]

Hi, again.. first let me say thanx to tlhintoq for the help I have got so far. well I can now get the image to stretch but I can’t get it to do the opposite and squeeze the text together... anyone have any ideas or am I doing wrong.

Bitmap bm;
 
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
bm = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.Width , pictureBox1.Height);
using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bm))
{ 
pictureBox1.Refresh();
g.TextRenderingHint = TextRenderingHint.ClearTypeGridFit;
g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 18), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(0, 0), new SizeF(275, 70)));
g.ScaleTransform(3f,1f);
g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 36), Brushes.Black, new RectangleF(new PointF(10, 0), new SizeF(275, 70)));
}
 
using (Graphics h = pictureBox1.CreateGraphics())
{
h.DrawImage(bm,0,0);
}
}
 
 

[mcseprofession]

OK.. I Got It.. Some one over at msdn was able to figure it out.. Im going to Post it here incase anyone here needs somthing like this..

bm = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.Width, pictureBox1.Height);   
            using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bm))   
            {   
                pictureBox1.Refresh();   
                SizeF sz = g.MeasureString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 18));   
                float sf = (pictureBox1.Width / sz.Width < pictureBox1.Height / sz.Height) ? pictureBox1.Width / sz.Width : pictureBox1.Height / sz.Height;   
                g.ScaleTransform(sf,sf);   
                g.DrawString(textBox1.Text, new Font("Stone Serif ITC TT", 18), Brushes.Black, new PointF(0, 0), new StringFormat(StringFormatFlags.NoWrap | StringFormatFlags.NoClip));   
            }   
 
            using (Graphics h = pictureBox1.CreateGraphics())   
            {   
                h.DrawImage(bm, 0, 0);   
            }  
 
 

Thanks for all the help..