drawing in Windows memory device context - resolution?

Question

I am trying to export a plot generated by my program in the form of a bitmap. No problem with creating a bitmap in memory (with CreateDIBSection) and saving it on the disk (using GDI+). To draw I have to use device context, and the only one that is easily available is compatible with the screen. So I create a compatible dc, select the bitmap I already created into this device context and I am ready to draw and print into the bitmap. And it works - but it gives me no control over the size of the plot (note: size of the plot, not size of the bitmap). If I understand correctly what is happening mapping modes follow DPI of the screen DC which in turn means size of the plot (and text I put on the plot) is different on different computers.

Is there any way of changing the DPI resolution for the device context? Or perhaps there exist a better way of doing what I am trying to do? Perfect solution would be to ask user for the pixel bitmap size and be able to draw a plot that nicely fits the bitmap.

Vaaksiainen Vaaksiainen · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-07T08:00:59

You don't have to use device context to draw now that you already use Gdiplus over GDI. You just associate your Gdiplus::Graphics object with a Gdiplus::Bitmap instead of HDC. Units and transformations let alone bitmap size are all independent of the device. Hope that helps.

Gdiplus::Bitmap bitmap( L"miranda_kerr.png" ); // draw over existing
Gdiplus::Graphics graphics( &bitmap );

Gdiplus::Pen pen( Gdiplus::Color(255,0,0));
Gdiplus::Status status = graphics.DrawLine( &pen, 20, 20, 100, 500 );
//...

drawing in Windows memory device context - resolution?

1 Answers