Accessing the GD library

[rlparker25]

Hi,

I am trying to create a user defined tag that takes a piece of text and turns it into an image. I have a script that works fine on its own but if I put it into a user defined tag it stops working. I am guessing that this is because it can't access the GD library functions as if I just put simple php in the tag works fine.

Does anyone know how i can access the GD library funcations?

This is my code

$font = "impact.ttf";
  $size = 120;
  $text = 'hello ';

if (function_exists("imagecreate")
      && ($area = @imagettfbbox($size, 0, $font, $text)) !== false)
  {
    $textwidth = $area[2] - $area[0] + 2;
    $textheight = $area[1] - $area[7] + 2;
    $textx = 1;
    $texty = -$area[7];
    $ok = true;

    $image = imagecreate($textwidth, $textheight);
    $white = imagecolorallocate($image, 255, 255, 255);
    $black = imagecolorallocate($image, 0, 0, 0);

    imagefilledrectangle($image, 0, 0, $textwidth, $textheight, $white);
    imagettftext($image, $size, 0, $textx, $texty, $black, $font, $text);

$width = imagesx($image);
    $height = imagesy($image);

$new_width = 968;
  $new_height = $height * ($new_width/$width);

$image_resized = imagecreatetruecolor($new_width, $new_height);
imagecopyresampled($image_resized, $image, 0, 0, 0, 0, $new_width, $new_height, $width, $height);

    imagejpeg($image_resized);

imagedestroy($image_resized);
  }
  else
  {
  echo 'error';
  }

[alby]

I am trying to create a user defined tag that takes a piece of text and turns it into an image. I have a script that works fine on its own but if I put it into a user defined tag it stops working. I am guessing that this is because it can't access the GD library functions as if I just put simple php in the tag works fine.

What is the error or print 'error'?

Alby

[rlparker25]

it doesn't generate an error, I have just made it write the word error to the screen if it cannot find the function imagecreate. This was just to show me that it was actually doing something as if it doesn't create the image it doesn't output anything

Rachael

[Russ]

I've only ever done it when you write a file and create from a base image.

//Write that file
header("Content-type: image/png");

and perhaps something like...

$imagecreate = imagecreatefrompng("/pathtoimage/image.png");

Hope this helps,
Russ

[rlparker25]

Thanks but the problem I am having isn't with creating an image. If I just run my code in a normal php page it works fine. The problem is if i put the code in a user defined tag it can't seem to access the GD library functions

I need to be able to take the page title and turn it into an image to be used elsewhere on the page

[alby]

Thanks but the problem I am having isn't with creating an image. If I just run my code in a normal php page it works fine. The problem is if i put the code in a user defined tag it can't seem to access the GD library functions

I need to be able to take the page title and turn it into an image to be used elsewhere on the page

1. Are you sure that imagettfbbox load your font impact.ttf?
  Insert a check for this

2. Have you seen truetypetext module?

Alby

[Russ]

Sorry, didn't quite get what you meant. It can be done, there are modules, maybe paths in the code?

[rlparker25]

Hi,

I think I had the font file in the wong place, I have put it in the root and now I get a huge amunt of rubbish written out on the screen
e.g.

����JFIF��>CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), default quality ��C $.' ",#(7),01444'9=82<.342��C 2!!22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222��`�"�� ���}!1AQa"q2���#B��R��$3br� %&'()*

aflmanchester.dns-systems.net/john-smith/

I am not sure that text module would work for me. I am trying to take the persons name and turn it into an image lke the john smith one shown at the bottom of the page. Once the image has been creted I need to resize it so they are always the same width regardless of how long the persons name is.

[alby]

I think I had the font file in the wong place, I have put it in the root and now I get a huge amunt of rubbish written out on the screen

This is better 
Now, you can follow the first part of Russ advice (Reply #3) ....

Alby

[rlparker25]

sorry I don't undersand what advie you mean?

the post about creating an image based on an existing one doesn't apply

Do you know why I am getting that error when I know the code works outside of the cms?

[robsta]

Hi

I gave up on the whole server side gd/truetype text/image replacement a while back... my 2c follow...

I've been using siFR 3.0 [ http://novemberborn.net/sifr3/beta2 ] for all my text replacement for the last two years and it works really well... There's no dicking around and it can be applied directly to a cmsms page without requiring a UDT or a module... and you can use multiple fonts, typography control, multiple links and style them via css accordingly.

It does need flash to work ... but with no flash you get html text instead... which you can style as well - which is much better than an h1 wrapping an images alt attribute.

also it doesn't require server side work...

www.designworks.co.nz
www.leapltd.co.nz
www.kordiasolutions.com

all use it throughout

R

[rlparker25]

thanks, will remember that for the future.

i ended up putting my code in an include file and it seemed to work fine!

Rachael