[RESOLVED] [2005] Display Vertical Text in a label ?

[geroldsh]

I've searched for vertical text, but was unable to find an answer on how to display vertical text in a label; eventhough there is an indication that it can be done.
I tried to use the following sub but all I can get to display a emptyness.

Public Sub DrawYAxis()
        Dim bm As Bitmap = New Bitmap(30, 50)
        Dim g As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(bm) 'Graphics object created from bitmap
        Dim drawFont As New Font("Arial", 8)
        Dim BlackBrush As New SolidBrush(Color.Black)
        Dim What As String = "Y Axis"
        g.DrawString(What, drawFont, BlackBrush, bm.Height, bm.Width)
        g.TranslateTransform(CSng(bm.Width / 2), CSng(bm.Height / 2))
        g.RotateTransform(90)
        YAxisLabel.Image = bm
        g.Dispose()
    End Sub

any guide to the blind will be appreciated! Thanks.

[francisstokes]

You could sort the label into an array then display 1 letter with an

Environment.Newline

in between.

[geroldsh]

Thanks. However, what I want to do is have the Y Axis displayed vertically along the Y axis of a graph. This will also be used to display other text non-horizontally. I've been searching the web, but so far no one has come close the actually showing how to do what i need (at lease I can't figure it out. What is throwing me off is trying to create a graphics object from a label. It does not have to be a label; a picturebox of panel will also work.

[francisstokes]

Private Sub Form4_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Label1.Text = "H" & Environment.NewLine & "i" & Environment.NewLine & Environment.NewLine _
        & "T" & Environment.NewLine & "h" & Environment.NewLine & "e" & Environment.NewLine & _
        "r" & Environment.NewLine & "e"
    End Sub

Will display "Hi There" downward.

[geroldsh]

Thanks, francisstokes, for your help. I don't want the text to read vertically one letter at a time, but the actually be sideways, as if the page was turned. I do not have a image to show you. I want the X Axis to be view horizontally along the top of the grid, and the Y Axis to be view turned 90 degrees along the left edge of the grid.

jmcilhinney, in another thread indicated that this was posible.

[francisstokes]

Sorry i understand what you mean now. Does it have to be a label?

[conipto]

Working with RotateTransform is a pain in the neck. YOu have to set the rotate before you do the drawing, and then it wacks up the X and Y coordinates, since you have to imagine them all rotated.

I made a picturebox instead of a label, and this worked..

Public Sub DrawYAxis()
        Dim bm As Bitmap = New Bitmap(300, 500)
        Dim g As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(bm) 'Graphics object created from bitmap
        Dim drawFont As New Font("Arial", 12)
        Dim BlackBrush As New SolidBrush(Color.Black)
        Dim What As String = "Y Axis"
        g.RotateTransform(90)
        'g.TranslateTransform(CSng(bm.Width / 2), CSng(bm.Height / 2)) 'I couldn't get this to work upside down because I didn't feel like playing with the math all day :)
        g.DrawString(What, drawFont, BlackBrush, 0, -20)
        PictureBox1.Image = bm
        g.Dispose()
    End Sub

[geroldsh]

No, it does not need to be a label. I came across this sub, I found in "Bobo Color Picker" from PSC, that I incorporated into the program. It is close to what I want, except that I can't control the faceing of the text.

Public Sub DrawYAxis(ByVal TargetBox As PictureBox, ByVal lblText As String)
        'Printing text vertically
        Dim drawFont As New Font("Arial", 10)
        Dim TextBrush As New SolidBrush(System.Drawing.SystemColors.MenuText)
        TargetBox.Image = New Bitmap(TargetBox.Width, TargetBox.Height)
        Dim g As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(TargetBox.Image)
        Dim sFormat As New StringFormat
        sFormat.FormatFlags = StringFormatFlags.DirectionVertical
        g.DrawString(lblText, drawFont, TextBrush, 0, 0, sFormat)
        TargetBox.Invalidate()
        TextBrush.Dispose()
        g.Dispose()
        sFormat.Dispose()
    End Sub

I know that there must be a better way to control the direction of text.

[jmcilhinney]

The ElementsEx library in my signature has a RotatedLabel control that allows you to place text at any angle as simply as adding a regular Label.

[geroldsh]

Thanks, jmcilhinney. I will check it out.
This revised code does what I want:

Public Sub DrawYAxis(ByVal TargetBox As PictureBox, ByVal lblText As String)
        'Printing text vertically
        Dim drawFont As New Font("Arial", 10)
        Dim TextBrush As New SolidBrush(System.Drawing.SystemColors.MenuText)
        TargetBox.Image = New Bitmap(TargetBox.Width, TargetBox.Height)
        Dim g As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(TargetBox.Image)
        g.TranslateTransform(0, TargetBox.Height) ' (0, textwidth)
        'set the rotation angle for vertical text
        g.RotateTransform(270)
        g.DrawString(lblText, drawFont, TextBrush, 0, 0)
        TargetBox.Invalidate()
        TextBrush.Dispose()
        g.Dispose()
    End Sub

Thanks all the the help.