A Pen by Tim Holman.

Drawing-with-text.markdown

Drawing with text

Draw on the html5 canvas using text as your medium.

A Pen by Tim Holman on CodePen.

License.

index.html

<canvas id='canvas'></canvas>
<span id='info'>Click and drag to draw!<span>

<!-- 
  Drawing with text:
  
  -  Click and drag to draw.
  -  Double click to clear.

  Ported from java at http://www.generative-gestaltung.de

  by Tim Holman - @twholman

-->

script.js

// Drawing with text. Ported from Generative Design book - http://www.generative-gestaltung.de - Original licence: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

// Application variables
var position = {x: 0, y: window.innerHeight/2};
var counter = 0;
var minFontSize = 3;
var angleDistortion = 0;
var letters = "There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. 'Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,' thought Alice; 'only, as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.'";

// Drawing variables
var canvas;
var context;
var mouse = {x: 0, y: 0, down: false}

function init() {
  canvas = document.getElementById( 'canvas' );
  context = canvas.getContext( '2d' );
  canvas.width = window.innerWidth;
  canvas.height = window.innerHeight;
  
  canvas.addEventListener('mousemove', mouseMove, false);
  canvas.addEventListener('mousedown', mouseDown, false);
  canvas.addEventListener('mouseup',   mouseUp,   false);
  canvas.addEventListener('mouseout',  mouseUp,  false);  
  canvas.addEventListener('dblclick', doubleClick, false);
  
  window.onresize = function(event) {
    canvas.width = window.innerWidth;
    canvas.height = window.innerHeight;
  }
}

function mouseMove ( event ){
  mouse.x = event.pageX;
  mouse.y = event.pageY;
  draw();
}

function draw() {
 if ( mouse.down ) {
    var d = distance( position, mouse );
    var fontSize = minFontSize + d/2;
    var letter = letters[counter];
    var stepSize = textWidth( letter, fontSize );
    
    if (d > stepSize) {
      var angle = Math.atan2(mouse.y-position.y, mouse.x-position.x);
      
      context.font = fontSize + "px Georgia";
    
      context.save();
      context.translate( position.x, position.y);
      context.rotate( angle );
      context.fillText(letter,0,0);
      context.restore();

      counter++;
      if (counter > letters.length-1) {
        counter = 0;
      }
    
    //console.log (position.x + Math.cos( angle ) * stepSize)
      position.x = position.x + Math.cos(angle) * stepSize;
      position.y = position.y + Math.sin(angle) * stepSize;

      }
  }     
}

function distance( pt, pt2 ){
  
  var xs = 0;
  var ys = 0;
 
  xs = pt2.x - pt.x;
  xs = xs * xs;
 
  ys = pt2.y - pt.y;
  ys = ys * ys;
 
  return Math.sqrt( xs + ys );
}

function mouseDown( event ){
  mouse.down = true;
  position.x = event.pageX;
  position.y = event.pageY;
  
  document.getElementById('info').style.display = 'none';
}

function mouseUp( event ){
    mouse.down = false;
}

function doubleClick( event ) {
  canvas.width = canvas.width; 
}

function textWidth( string, size ) {
  context.font = size + "px Georgia";
  
  if ( context.fillText ) {
    return context.measureText( string ).width;
  } else if ( context.mozDrawText) {
    return context.mozMeasureText( string );
  }
  
 };

init();

style.scss

@import "compass";
html, body {
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  margin: 0px;
  overflow: hidden;
  
    &:hover {
   span {
      display: none; 
    }
  }
}

canvas {
 cursor: crosshair;
  
}

span {
    font-family: 'Georgia', cursive;
  font-size: 40px;
 position: fixed; 
  top: 50%;
  left: 50%;
  color: #000;
  margin-top: -40px;
  margin-left: -200px;
}