How to set background image in Java?

Question

I am developing a simple platform game using Java using BlueJ as the IDE. Right now I have player/enemy sprites, platforms and other items in the game drawn using polygons and simple shapes. Eventually I hope to replace them with actual images.

For now I would like to know what is the simplest solution to setting an image (either URL or from local source) as the 'background' of my game window/canvas?

I would appreciate it if it isn't something long or complex as my programming skills aren't very good and I want to keep my program as simple as possible. Kindly provide example codes with comments to elaborate on their function, and also if it's in its own class, how to call on relevant methods used by it on other classes.

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

The answer will vary slightly depending on whether the application or applet is using AWT or Swing.

（Basically, classes that start with J such as JApplet and JFrame are Swing, and Applet and Frame are AWT.)

In either case, the basic steps would be:

1. Draw or load an image into a Image object.
2. Draw the background image in the painting event of the Component you want to draw the background in.

Step 1. Loading the image can be either by using the Toolkit class or by the ImageIO class.

The Toolkit.createImage method can be used to load an Image from a location specified in a String:

Image img = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().createImage("background.jpg");

Similarly, ImageIO can be used:

Image img = ImageIO.read(new File("background.jpg");

Step 2. The painting method for the Component that should get the background will need to be overridden and paint the Image onto the component.

For AWT, the method to override is the paint method, and use the drawImage method of the Graphics object that is handed into the paint method:

public void paint(Graphics g)
{
    // Draw the previously loaded image to Component.
    g.drawImage(img, 0, 0, null);

    // Draw sprites, and other things.
    // ....
}

For Swing, the method to override is the paintComponent method of the JComponent, and draw the Image as with what was done in AWT.

public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
{
　　　　// Draw the previously loaded image to Component.
　　　　g.drawImage(img, 0, 0, null);

　　　　// Draw sprites, and other things.
　　　　// ....
}

Simple Component Example

Here's a Panel which loads an image file when instantiated, and draws that image on itself:

class BackgroundPanel extends Panel
{
    // The Image to store the background image in.
    Image img;
    public BackgroundPanel()
    {
        // Loads the background image and stores in img object.
        img = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().createImage("background.jpg");
    }

    public void paint(Graphics g)
    {
        // Draws the img to the BackgroundPanel.
        g.drawImage(img, 0, 0, null);
    }
}

For more information on painting:

• Painting in AWT and Swing
• Lesson: Performing Custom Painting from The Java Tutorials may be of help.