JFreechart: save in png file ALL components of a chartPanel

Question

Using JFree I would like to make a XY plot, and write some information in the right margin outside the plot... and save all of it (i.e. plot + information) in a png file. I thought I found a way to do that with the following code:

import javax.swing.Box;
import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.border.EmptyBorder;

import org.jfree.chart.ChartFactory;
import org.jfree.chart.ChartPanel;
import org.jfree.chart.JFreeChart;
import org.jfree.chart.axis.AxisSpace;
import org.jfree.chart.plot.PlotOrientation;
import org.jfree.chart.plot.XYPlot;
import org.jfree.data.xy.XYSeries;
import org.jfree.data.xy.XYSeriesCollection;
import org.jfree.ui.ApplicationFrame;

public class example {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        XYSeriesCollection dataset = new XYSeriesCollection();
        XYSeries series =new XYSeries("data");
        series.add(1, 1);
        series.add(2, 2);
        series.add(3, 3);
        series.add(4, 4);
        dataset.addSeries(series);

        // create the chart...
        final JFreeChart chart = ChartFactory.createXYLineChart(
                "Example plot",     
                "X AXIS",           
                "Y AXIS",           
                dataset,            
                PlotOrientation.VERTICAL,
                true,               
                true,               
                false               
                );


        int plotWidth = 500;
        int leftMargin = 70;
        int rightMargin = 400;

        final XYPlot plot = chart.getXYPlot();
        // change margin size
        AxisSpace axisSpace=new AxisSpace();
        axisSpace.setRight(rightMargin);
        axisSpace.setLeft(leftMargin);
        plot.setFixedRangeAxisSpace(axisSpace);     


        // add text outside the plot area
        Box b = new Box(BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
        b.setBorder(new EmptyBorder(50, plotWidth+leftMargin, 100, 210));
        JLabel label = new JLabel();
        label.setText("I want to add some");
        b.add(label);
        label = new JLabel();
        label.setText("information about the plot");
        b.add(label);
        label = new JLabel();
        label.setText("here outside the graph");
        b.add(label);

        ChartPanel chartPanel = new ChartPanel(chart);
        chartPanel.setPreferredSize(new java.awt.Dimension(500+400, 500));
        chartPanel.add(b);
        JFrame container = new ApplicationFrame("");
        container.setContentPane(chartPanel);
        container.pack();
        container.setVisible(true);


    }

}

When the plot shows up in its frame I got the following:

However, when I save it (performing a dosave, or a doprint, or a save as, or through a bufferedimage) I get the following:

Is there a way to have all the components of a chartpanel in my png file ? Is there another way to put information in the right margin and save the complete result in a png file ?

Thank you for your attention.

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 06 '20 at 21:31

performing a dosave, or a doprint, or a save as

I know nothing about the methods provided by the JFreeChart API so I have no ideas how those methods work.

However, to me it looks like the "chartPanel" is the only component added to the frame. So if you create an image of the "chartPanel" you should get an image of everything added to the frame.

The basic code for creating an image of any component is:

Dimension d = component.getSize();
BufferedImage image = new BufferedImage(d.width, d.height, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
Graphics2D g2d = image.createGraphics();
component.print( g2d );
g2d.dispose();
ImageIO.write(image, ".jpg", new File(...));

Or, you can check out Screen Image for a class that allows you to create an image of any Swing component.

Thanks a lot. I spent a few hours yesterday evening trying to figure out how to use bufferedimage to get the result I want. You helped me a lot. — user2207927, Feb 07 '20 at 05:46

JFreechart: save in png file ALL components of a chartPanel

1 Answers1