docs/html/guide/developing/tools/draw9patch.jd

page.title=Draw 9-patch
@jd:body

<p>The Draw 9-patch tool allows you to easily create a 
   {@link android.graphics.NinePatch} graphic using a WYSIWYG editor.</p>
<p>For an introduction to Nine-patch graphics and how they work, please read 
the section on Nine-patch in the 
<a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/available-resources.html#ninepatch">Nine-patch Images</a> topic.</p>

<img src="{@docRoot}images/draw9patch-norm.png" style="float:right" alt="" height="300" width="341"
/>

<p>Here's a quick guide to create a Nine-patch graphic using the Draw 9-patch tool.
You'll need the PNG image with which you'd like to create a NinePatch.</p>

<ol>
  <li>From a terminal, launch the <code>draw9patch</code> application from your SDK 
    <code>/tools</code> directory.
    </li>
  <li>Drag your PNG image into the Draw 9-patch window 
    (or <strong>File</strong> > <strong>Open 9-patch...</strong> to locate the file).
    Your workspace will now open.
    <p>The left pane is your drawing area, in which you can edit the lines for the
     stretchable patches and content area. The right 
     pane is the preview area, where you can preview your graphic when stretched.</p>
    </li>
  <li>Click within the 1-pixel perimeter to draw the lines that define the stretchable 
    patches and (optional) content area. Right-click (or hold Shift and click, on Mac) to erase 
    previously drawn lines.
    </li>
  <li>When done, select <strong>File</strong> > <strong>Save 9-patch...</strong>
    <p>Your image will be saved with the <code>.9.png</code> file name.</p>
    </li>
</ol>
    <p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> A normal PNG file (<code>*.png</code>) will be 
     loaded with an empty one-pixel border added around the image, in which you can draw 
     the stretchable patches and content area.
     A previously saved 9-patch file (<code>*.9.png</code>) will be loaded as-is, 
     with no drawing area added, because it already exists.</p>

<img src="{@docRoot}images/draw9patch-bad.png" style="float:right;clear:both" alt="" height="300" width="341"
/>

<p>Optional controls include:</p>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Zoom</strong>: Adjust the zoom level of the graphic in the drawing area.</li>
  <li><strong>Patch scale</strong>: Adjust the scale of the images in the preview area.</li>
  <li><strong>Show lock</strong>: Visualize the non-drawable area of the graphic on mouse-over.</li>
  <li><strong>Show patches</strong>: Preview the stretchable patches in the drawing area (pink is a 
    stretchable patch).</li>
  <li><strong>Show content</strong>: Highlight the content area in the preview images 
    (purple is the area in which content is allowed).</li>
  <li><strong>Show bad patches</strong>: Adds a red border around patch areas that may
  produce artifacts in the graphic when stretched. Visual coherence of your stretched
  image will be maintained if you eliminate all bad patches.</li>
<ul>