Re^3: Image Magick convert as Perl

[davidrw]

An even more fundamental question is: How do I generate a "blank" image that I can draw on?

I'll take that one first (reference: perl-magick -- search for "xc" in the Examples section):

my $image = Image::Magick->new();
$image->Set(size=> "800x600");
$image->ReadImage('xc:white');

See also this formats page for what IM takes (XC is listed there as well as some built-in images and patterns).

Annotate will suffice, but I'm still puzzled that the Draw doesn't work.

me too.. i guess it's just another IM inconsistancy .. (note at least in the http://imagemagick.org/script/perl-magick.php|docs] that Draw doesn't list a 'text' parameter)

My other question is: how do I generate 50% transparent text?

umm.. no clue.. But i suspect if there is an answer it might be on this site: ImageMagick v6 Examples -- seems like a very good collection of faq/how-to's...

[GrandFather]

Thanks for that. I'd found the ReadImage example, but adapting it didn't get the results I was after - which may be because with Image Magick there always seems to be three different things that aren't clearly documented that you have to get right at the same time. I was confused by "ReadImage" which implies that there should be an image somewhere to read, but looks like it is actually a magical create image.

I have managed to overlay one image on another using burn in or dodge to get something like transparancy so I ought be able to do it by drawing to a second image then combine that image with the first. I'll post something in snippets when I get it sorted out.