---
title: 'SkCanvas Creation'
linkTitle: 'SkCanvas Creation'

weight: 250
---

First, read about [the SkCanvas API](../skcanvas_overview).

Skia has multiple backends which receive SkCanvas drawing commands. Each backend
has a unique way of creating a SkCanvas. This page gives an example for each:

## Raster

---

The raster backend draws to a block of memory. This memory can be managed by
Skia or by the client.

The recommended way of creating a canvas for the Raster and Ganesh backends is
to use a `SkSurface`, which is an object that manages the memory into which the
canvas commands are drawn.



    #include "SkData.h"
    #include "SkImage.h"
    #include "SkStream.h"
    #include "SkSurface.h"
    void raster(int width, int height,
                void (*draw)(SkCanvas*),
                const char* path) {
        sk_sp rasterSurface =
                SkSurface::MakeRasterN32Premul(width, height);
        SkCanvas* rasterCanvas = rasterSurface->getCanvas();
        draw(rasterCanvas);
        sk_sp img(rasterSurface->makeImageSnapshot());
        if (!img) { return; }
        sk_sp png(img->encode());
        if (!png) { return; }
        SkFILEWStream out(path);
        (void)out.write(png->data(), png->size());
    }

Alternatively, we could have specified the memory for the surface explicitly,
instead of asking Skia to manage it.



    #include 
    #include "SkSurface.h"
    std::vector raster_direct(int width, int height,
                                    void (*draw)(SkCanvas*)) {
        SkImageInfo info = SkImageInfo::MakeN32Premul(width, height);
        size_t rowBytes = info.minRowBytes();
        size_t size = info.getSafeSize(rowBytes);
        std::vector pixelMemory(size);  // allocate memory
        sk_sp surface =
                SkSurface::MakeRasterDirect(
                        info, &pixelMemory[0], rowBytes);
        SkCanvas* canvas = surface->getCanvas();
        draw(canvas);
        return pixelMemory;
    }

## GPU

---

GPU Surfaces must have a `GrContext` object which manages the GPU context, and
related caches for textures and fonts. GrContexts are matched one to one with
OpenGL contexts or Vulkan devices. That is, all SkSurfaces that will be rendered
to using the same OpenGL context or Vulkan device should share a GrContext. Skia
does not create a OpenGL context or Vulkan device for you. In OpenGL mode it
also assumes that the correct OpenGL context has been made current to the
current thread when Skia calls are made.



    #include "GrDirectContext.h"
    #include "gl/GrGLInterface.h"
    #include "SkData.h"
    #include "SkImage.h"
    #include "SkStream.h"
    #include "SkSurface.h"

    void gl_example(int width, int height, void (*draw)(SkCanvas*), const char* path) {
        // You've already created your OpenGL context and bound it.
        const GrGLInterface* interface = nullptr;
        // Leaving interface as null makes Skia extract pointers to OpenGL functions for the current
        // context in a platform-specific way. Alternatively, you may create your own GrGLInterface and
        // initialize it however you like to attach to an alternate OpenGL implementation or intercept
        // Skia's OpenGL calls.
        sk_sp context = GrContext::MakeGL(interface);
        SkImageInfo info = SkImageInfo:: MakeN32Premul(width, height);
        sk_sp gpuSurface(
                SkSurface::MakeRenderTarget(context, SkBudgeted::kNo, info));
        if (!gpuSurface) {
            SkDebugf("SkSurface::MakeRenderTarget returned null\n");
            return;
        }
        SkCanvas* gpuCanvas = gpuSurface->getCanvas();
        draw(gpuCanvas);
        sk_sp img(gpuSurface->makeImageSnapshot());
        if (!img) { return; }
        sk_sp png(img->encode());
        if (!png) { return; }
        SkFILEWStream out(path);
        (void)out.write(png->data(), png->size());
    }

## SkPDF

---

The SkPDF backend uses `SkDocument` instead of `SkSurface`, since a document
must include multiple pages.



    #include "SkPDFDocument.h"
    #include "SkStream.h"
    void skpdf(int width, int height,
               void (*draw)(SkCanvas*),
               const char* path) {
        SkFILEWStream pdfStream(path);
        auto pdfDoc = SkPDF::MakeDocument(&pdfStream);
        SkCanvas* pdfCanvas = pdfDoc->beginPage(SkIntToScalar(width),
                                                SkIntToScalar(height));
        draw(pdfCanvas);
        pdfDoc->close();
    }

## SkPicture

---

The SkPicture backend uses SkPictureRecorder instead of SkSurface.



    #include "SkPictureRecorder.h"
    #include "SkPicture.h"
    #include "SkStream.h"
    void picture(int width, int height,
                 void (*draw)(SkCanvas*),
                 const char* path) {
        SkPictureRecorder recorder;
        SkCanvas* recordingCanvas = recorder.beginRecording(SkIntToScalar(width),
                                                            SkIntToScalar(height));
        draw(recordingCanvas);
        sk_sp picture = recorder.finishRecordingAsPicture();
        SkFILEWStream skpStream(path);
        // Open SKP files with `viewer --skps PATH_TO_SKP --slide SKP_FILE`
        picture->serialize(&skpStream);
    }

## NullCanvas

---

The null canvas is a canvas that ignores all drawing commands and does nothing.



    #include "SkNullCanvas.h"
    void null_canvas_example(int, int, void (*draw)(SkCanvas*), const char*) {
        std::unique_ptr nullCanvas = SkMakeNullCanvas();
        draw(nullCanvas.get());  // NoOp
    }

## SkXPS

---

The (_still experimental_) SkXPS canvas writes into an XPS document.



    #include "SkDocument.h"
    #include "SkStream.h"
    #ifdef SK_BUILD_FOR_WIN
    void skxps(IXpsOMObjectFactory* factory;
               int width, int height,
               void (*draw)(SkCanvas*),
               const char* path) {
        SkFILEWStream xpsStream(path);
        sk_sp xpsDoc = SkDocument::MakeXPS(&pdfStream, factory);
        SkCanvas* xpsCanvas = xpsDoc->beginPage(SkIntToScalar(width),
                                                SkIntToScalar(height));
        draw(xpsCanvas);
        xpsDoc->close();
    }
    #endif

## SkSVG

---

The (_still experimental_) SkSVG canvas writes into an SVG document.



    #include "SkStream.h"
    #include "SkSVGCanvas.h"
    #include "SkXMLWriter.h"
    void sksvg(int width, int height,
               void (*draw)(SkCanvas*),
               const char* path) {
        SkFILEWStream svgStream(path);
        std::unique_ptr xmlWriter(
                new SkXMLStreamWriter(&svgStream));
        SkRect bounds = SkRect::MakeIWH(width, height);
        std::unique_ptr svgCanvas =
            SkSVGCanvas::Make(bounds, xmlWriter.get());
        draw(svgCanvas.get());
    }

## Example

---

To try this code out, make a
[new unit test using instructions here](/docs/dev/testing/tests) and wrap these
functions together:



    #include "SkCanvas.h"
    #include "SkPath.h"
    #include "Test.h"
    void example(SkCanvas* canvas) {
        const SkScalar scale = 256.0f;
        const SkScalar R = 0.45f * scale;
        const SkScalar TAU = 6.2831853f;
        SkPath path;
        for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) {
            SkScalar theta = 2 * i * TAU / 5;
            if (i == 0) {
                path.moveTo(R * cos(theta), R * sin(theta));
            } else {
                path.lineTo(R * cos(theta), R * sin(theta));
            }
        }
        path.close();
        SkPaint p;
        p.setAntiAlias(true);
        canvas->clear(SK_ColorWHITE);
        canvas->translate(0.5f * scale, 0.5f * scale);
        canvas->drawPath(path, p);
    }
    DEF_TEST(FourBackends, r) {
        raster(     256, 256, example, "out_raster.png" );
        gl_example( 256, 256, example, "out_gpu.png"    );
        skpdf(      256, 256, example, "out_skpdf.pdf"  );
        picture(    256, 256, example, "out_picture.skp");
    }