Re: Drawing an image in the background of a frame

Lele Gaifax wrote:
> I'm asked if it would be possible to obtain something like the following
> sketch, where I have a frame with a "background" image and, in a specified
> area (a "subframe"), a superimposed list of flowables (paragraphs of text)
> with a "white" background:

Are you trying to do an automated magazine layout of some kind? That's 
an extremely difficult thing to automate.  People, as a rule, always do 
a better job of determining the visual appeal of a layout.


> The problem is that I should omit the image *iff* the flowables do not fit in
> the given area, possibly "trying" further combinations of image+flowables
> until one fits, so I cannot simply draw the image and then do a
> "subframe.add(flowable)".

There are some conflicting requirements here.  Does the size of the 
image represent a bounding box for the flowables?  If you omit the 
image, then what is the bounding box?  You said the flowables have to 
fit in a "specified area".  Is that area different for different 
images?  There are ways to determine the height of a flowable for some 
fixed width, and that may be all you need to know.

If you can document how a HUMAN would make these decisions, then you 
might be able to come up with a computer algorithm, but remember that 
the computer can't judge "eye appeal".

-- 
Tim Roberts, [email protected]
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.