CustomPainter Explained | Flutter for Android Developers

What’s CustomPainter?

The CustomPainter class in Flutter is used to create custom graphics and drawings on the canvas. It provides methods to draw shapes, images, and text, allowing developers to create complex visual designs.

Check the official documentation for more.

CustomPainter explained for Android Developers

For Android developers, CustomPainter can be compared to the Canvas class in Android. Just like Canvas allows you to draw on a View, CustomPainter provides a similar functionality in Flutter. Instead of using XML layouts, Flutter uses a widget tree, and CustomPainter allows you to draw directly on the canvas, giving you more control over the rendering process. This is akin to using the Paint class in Android to customize the drawing of views.

Example Code

Here is an example of how to use CustomPainter:

class MyPainter extends CustomPainter {
  @override
  void paint(Canvas canvas, Size size) {
    final paint = Paint()..color = Colors.blue;
    canvas.drawRect(Rect.fromLTWH(0, 0, size.width, size.height), paint);
  }

  @override
  bool shouldRepaint(CustomPainter oldDelegate) => false;
}

CustomPainter Remarks

In conclusion, the CustomPainter class is a powerful tool for Flutter developers, enabling them to create intricate graphics and designs. By understanding how to leverage this class, developers can enhance the visual appeal of their applications.