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Creating a custom image with UIImage and other attributes

I am looking to create a custom image in iOS. The image would be used for sharing to social sites for example.

As an example, the user might select a photo which we have a reference to as a UIImage. With this image we want to create another image with the original contained within it.

The idea is to create a polaroid style image with some writing/wording at the bottom. What is the best way to achieve this?

My first thought is to create a XIB which controls the layout and init this off screen, use a snapshot to create the finished UIImage and dealloc the view. Or would it be better to use CGContextDrawImage? The worry is the layout, if we have multiple items that require a specific layout is context drawing going to be easy to accomplish

Solution

  • I was able to create this image below: Polaroid

    via the following method:

    1. Setup an XIB like a polaroid: Static Mine's pretty static, but you can use the File Owner and some other magic to set your image and text easily.

    2. Setup a class file with the following:

      import Foundation
import UIKit

class LoveIs: UIView {

class func instanceFromNib() -> UIView {
    return UINib(nibName: "Polaroid", bundle: nil).instantiateWithOwner(nil, options: nil)[0] as! UIView
}    }

    3. Setup your main view controller (one 'fetching' the image) like so:

      var loveIs: UIView? = nil

loveIs = LoveIs.instanceFromNib()

loveIs?.layer.borderColor = UIColor.darkGrayColor().CGColor
loveIs?.layer.borderWidth = 5
UIGraphicsBeginImageContext((loveIs?.bounds.size)!)
loveIs?.layer.renderInContext(UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!)

let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(image, self, nil, nil)