In html5, Javascript is there a way to make a polygon I just draw draggable? or listen to mouse events?

Question

I draw a polygon with the following code:

    var canvas = document.getElementById("polyCanvas");
    var c2 = canvas.getContext("2d");
    var coords = '';

    c2.clearRect(0, 0, 2000, 2000);
    $("fdel").remove();
    $("#eliminar" + todelete).remove();
    c2.beginPath();

    var first = true;
    var points = 1;
    var done = false;
    $("#vertexcontainer .vertex").each(function() {
        var position = $(this).position();
        var x = 2+position.left;
        var y = 2+position.top;
        if (!done){
            if (first) {
                c2.moveTo(x, y);
                first = false;
            } else {
                c2.lineTo(x, y);
            }
        }
        if(points > cpoints){
            done = true;
        }
        points = points + 1;
        coords = coords + x + ',' + y + ' ';
    });
    $('#coordinates').val(coords);;
    c2.closePath();
    c2.lineWidth = 2;
    c2.strokeStyle = '#ff0000';
    c2.stroke();
    c2.fillStyle = "rgb(0, 100, 200)";
    c2.fill();

It runs smoothly, but i'd like to be able to drag the polygon around, or to use mouse events with it. Is that possible?

My naive attempt to do c2.hover(function..., and c2.addeventlistener... have not been successful.

Answer 1

You cannot actually move any drawings you've made on the canvas.

But...you can create the illusion that something is moving.

You create the illusion of movement by repeatedly erasing the canvas and redrawing the shapes in their new positions.

To drag a shape you need to listen to 4 mouse events.

In mousedown: Check if the mouse is over the shape, and, if yes, set a flag indicating a drag has begun. To check if the mouse is over the shape, you can use canvas context's isPointInPath method which tests if an [x,y] point is inside the most recently drawn path.

In mousemove: If the dragging flag is set (indicating a drag is in process), change the position of the selected text by the distance the user has dragged and redraw the shape in its new position

In mouseup or in mouseout: The drag is over so clear the dragging flag.

Here's a example code and a Demo:

var canvas=document.getElementById("canvas");
var ctx=canvas.getContext("2d");
var cw=canvas.width;
var ch=canvas.height;
function reOffset(){
  var BB=canvas.getBoundingClientRect();
  offsetX=BB.left;
  offsetY=BB.top;        
}
var offsetX,offsetY;
reOffset();
window.onscroll=function(e){ reOffset(); }
window.onresize=function(e){ reOffset(); }

var isDown=false;
var startX,startY;

var poly={
  x:0,
  y:0,
  points:[{x:50,y:50},{x:75,y:25},{x:100,y:50},{x:75,y:125},{x:50,y:50}],
}

ctx.fillStyle='skyblue';
ctx.strokeStyle='gray';
ctx.lineWidth=3;

draw();

$("#canvas").mousedown(function(e){handleMouseDown(e);});
$("#canvas").mousemove(function(e){handleMouseMove(e);});
$("#canvas").mouseup(function(e){handleMouseUp(e);});
$("#canvas").mouseout(function(e){handleMouseOut(e);});


function draw(){
  ctx.clearRect(0,0,cw,ch);
  define();
  ctx.fill();
  ctx.stroke()
}

function define(){
  ctx.beginPath();
  ctx.moveTo(poly.points[0].x+poly.x,poly.points[0].y+poly.y);
  for(var i=0;i<poly.points.length;i++){
    ctx.lineTo(poly.points[i].x+poly.x,poly.points[i].y+poly.y);
  }
  ctx.closePath();
}


function handleMouseDown(e){
  // tell the browser we're handling this event
  e.preventDefault();
  e.stopPropagation();

  startX=parseInt(e.clientX-offsetX);
  startY=parseInt(e.clientY-offsetY);

  // Put your mousedown stuff here
  define();
  if(ctx.isPointInPath(startX,startY)){
    isDown=true;
  }
}

function handleMouseUp(e){
  // tell the browser we're handling this event
  e.preventDefault();
  e.stopPropagation();

  mouseX=parseInt(e.clientX-offsetX);
  mouseY=parseInt(e.clientY-offsetY);

  // Put your mouseup stuff here
  isDown=false;
}

function handleMouseOut(e){
  // tell the browser we're handling this event
  e.preventDefault();
  e.stopPropagation();

  mouseX=parseInt(e.clientX-offsetX);
  mouseY=parseInt(e.clientY-offsetY);

  // Put your mouseOut stuff here
  isDown=false;
}

function handleMouseMove(e){
  if(!isDown){return;}
  // tell the browser we're handling this event
  e.preventDefault();
  e.stopPropagation();

  mouseX=parseInt(e.clientX-offsetX);
  mouseY=parseInt(e.clientY-offsetY);

  // Put your mousemove stuff here
  var dx=mouseX-startX;
  var dy=mouseY-startY;
  startX=mouseX;
  startY=mouseY;

  poly.x+=dx;
  poly.y+=dy;
  draw();

}

body{ background-color: ivory; }
#canvas{border:1px solid red; }

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.9.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<h4>Drag the polygon</h4>
<canvas id="canvas" width=300 height=300></canvas>