How to Draw a Gradient Fill on a Canvas

... and Draw some Transparent text

Here are two custom Delphi functions to paint a Canvas object using gradient fill from one color value to another, either vertical or horizontal:

uses Math, ...

procedure GradHorizontal(Canvas:TCanvas; Rect:TRect; FromColor, ToColor:TColor) ;
var
  X:integer;
  dr,dg,db:Extended;
  C1,C2:TColor;
  r1,r2,g1,g2,b1,b2:Byte;
  R,G,B:Byte;
  cnt:integer;
begin
  C1 := FromColor;
  R1 := GetRValue(C1) ;
  G1 := GetGValue(C1) ;
  B1 := GetBValue(C1) ;

  C2 := ToColor;
  R2 := GetRValue(C2) ;
  G2 := GetGValue(C2) ;
  B2 := GetBValue(C2) ;

  dr := (R2-R1) / Rect.Right-Rect.Left;
  dg := (G2-G1) / Rect.Right-Rect.Left;
  db := (B2-B1) / Rect.Right-Rect.Left;

  cnt := 0;
  for X := Rect.Left to Rect.Right-1 do
  begin
    R := R1+Ceil(dr*cnt) ;
    G := G1+Ceil(dg*cnt) ;
    B := B1+Ceil(db*cnt) ;

    Canvas.Pen.Color := RGB(R,G,B) ;
    Canvas.MoveTo(X,Rect.Top) ;
    Canvas.LineTo(X,Rect.Bottom) ;
    inc(cnt) ;
  end;
end;

procedure GradVertical(Canvas:TCanvas; Rect:TRect; FromColor, ToColor:TColor) ;
var
  Y:integer;
  dr,dg,db:Extended;
  C1,C2:TColor;
  r1,r2,g1,g2,b1,b2:Byte;
  R,G,B:Byte;
  cnt:Integer;
begin
   C1 := FromColor;
   R1 := GetRValue(C1) ;
   G1 := GetGValue(C1) ;
   B1 := GetBValue(C1) ;

   C2 := ToColor;
   R2 := GetRValue(C2) ;
   G2 := GetGValue(C2) ;
   B2 := GetBValue(C2) ;

   dr := (R2-R1) / Rect.Bottom-Rect.Top;
   dg := (G2-G1) / Rect.Bottom-Rect.Top;
   db := (B2-B1) / Rect.Bottom-Rect.Top;

   cnt := 0;
   for Y := Rect.Top to Rect.Bottom-1 do
   begin
      R := R1+Ceil(dr*cnt) ;
      G := G1+Ceil(dg*cnt) ;
      B := B1+Ceil(db*cnt) ;

      Canvas.Pen.Color := RGB(R,G,B) ;
      Canvas.MoveTo(Rect.Left,Y) ;
      Canvas.LineTo(Rect.Right,Y) ;
      Inc(cnt) ;
   end;
end;

For a test drop a TPaintBox (provides a canvas that applications can use for rendering an image) control on a form and handle its OnPaint event:

begin
   //horizontal gradient from RED to BLUE
   GradHorizontal(PaintBox1.Canvas, PaintBox1.ClientRect, clRed, clBlue) ;

   PaintBox1.Canvas.Brush.Style := bsClear;
   PaintBox1.Canvas.TextOut(5,10,'Transparent text') ;
end;

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