I would like to have some sort of function that generates an image based off of entries I made into an admin type control page. Basically the image created would have to generate text overlayed transparently onto an existing image on a webpage and would have to include the font, etc as well as be hyperlinked to whatever destination I entered in the control page.

How would I go about doing this? I have some basic php knowledge but i'm nowhere near advanced to just spit out code into notepad from my own brain out of nothing yet.

Preferably I could generate it anywhere on the actual webpage I wanted to, and I would settle for not being able to overlay on an existing image, and instead just generating a box itself, with the photoshop-style sliced hyperlinked text on the image.

Also, I need to do it twice, on either side of a central logo a half inch away on either side.

Thanks!

You're looking for ImageMagick or GD. I suggest ImageMagick. Check you have it installed; here is an example peice of code, set $image to a blank image, or something you don't mind messing up completely....

PHP Code:

<?php
@exec("mogrify -fill #00CC00 -pointsize 20 -font Arial.ttf -draw \"text 30,30 'Hello'\" $image");
?>

This will draw the text 'Hello' onto $image in the Arial font at a height of 20 pt (or does it do it in px.... I forget) In a horrible neon green colour (#00CC00).

Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice makes reasonable.

With the $image stuff, how's the variable work? Do I put the URL there in some form?

I just took your code and pasted it in, changing "$image" to "/images/myimage.gif" but nothing happened.



http://www.polarism.com/indextst2.php

Just trying to write on either side of the middle image.

check you have image magick installed;

PHP Code:

<?php
@exec("mogrify -fill #FFFF00 -draw \"rectangle 10,10 60,160\" images/myimage.gif");
?>

Make sure myimage.gif is a real file, and greater that 10x10px (so you'll see the change). Run this. If it changes, you have ImageMagick.

Apparently I must not then, how would I do it with GD functions? (as I know that's installed)