PenInput - Background Image or Combine Images

[NEPatton]

I want to be able to combine an image and the output from peninput.  

Concept Use:  User takes picture with phone, adds notations/text using PenInput, combined image + peninput is then saved somewhere.

Concept Implementation:  Add "Background Image" property to the PenInput.  Then, in my app - I can set the Background image to something from my camera or elsewhere.  PenInput is a layer on top of background image.  Output is background + Pen layer.

Other Concept:  Create SET method for IMAGE property on PenInput.  Then, user is able to SET the image + modify image.  GET Method then returns the combined image automatically.  This method allows for some different functionality as then users are technically able to edit the base image (erase parts of the image).

Ideally, the combined image + peninput will be stored in base64 binary.

[Barry_O365]

That's a good idea.

It is 1 of the core requirement on a project I am doing.

Still looking for a viable work around at the moment.

[rbhurjee]

Great idea, I upvoted. When i started using PowerApps I expected the pen control to work like other windows applications that let you annotate an existing pdf, jpeg, bitmap, etc. 

@Barry_O365 have you found a workaround?

[jgohl]

@NEPatton 
This would be very useful and I have been needing to achieve the same thing.

You don't need to "store" them as base64 however, you can use JSON function to convert image types to base64.

I see what you mean with the pen input control having a background image property where the output would be the drawn pen overlaid on top of the background image; more useful would be a separate function which could overlay two images and output the merged image.  Because you are not limiting to this feature to the pen input control.

I can only see three work-arounds at the moment:-

1. Store the images in two separate blobs in a db, to retrieve them later into two image controls, one overlapping the other. 

2. Write a web servicein C#, which will take the images in base64 format, convert them to memory stream, create graphics object draw the overlay and convert back to base64.

3. If you are using onpremise SQL, write a CLR assembly in C# for use in SQL (this wont work on Azure SQL, unless you have a managed instance), which does the same as the above, accepting the images as base64 in the parameters of a stored procedure.

[jgohl]

@NEPatton 
This would be very useful and I have been needing to achieve the same thing.

You don't need to "store" them as base64 however, you can use JSON function to convert image types to base64.

I see what you mean with the pen input control having a background image property where the output would be the drawn pen overlaid on top of the background image; more useful would be a separate function which could overlay two images and output the merged image.  Because you are not limiting to this feature to the pen input control.

I can only see three work-arounds at the moment:-

1. Store the images in two separate blobs in a db, to retrieve them later into two image controls, one overlapping the other. 

2. Write a web servicein C#, which will take the images in base64 format, convert them to memory stream, create graphics object draw the overlay and convert back to base64.

3. If you are using onpremise SQL, write a CLR assembly in C# for use in SQL (this wont work on Azure SQL, unless you have a managed instance), which does the same as the above, accepting the images as base64 in the parameters of a stored procedure.

[MrNappa]

I don't understand why is this not a thing yet, seeing how it is a fairly common requirement to be able to draw something on top of a picture you have just taken or added.

Please add a PenInput.BackgroundImage which, when set, make the PenInput.Image output property contain the background+drawing.