Bringing Shadows to Life with ShadowImageView Library

Robert Harris -

In the heart of Android development, aesthetics and functionality often walk hand in hand. A UI element as simple as an image view can be transformed dramatically with a touch of shadow, adding depth and visual appeal to the user interface. This is where the open-source project, ShadowImageView, shines brightly. Created by ManhDucIT, this Android library makes it a breeze to implement shadowed image views in Android applications. Utilizing the prowess of Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, it stands as a testament to simplicity and ease of use.

The key features of ShadowImageView include:

  1. Rendering rounded-corner shadows, a subtle aesthetic that can match with modern UI designs.
  2. Facilitating square shadows, a classic style that never goes out of fashion.
  3. Providing the flexibility to customize shadow styles, catering to the diverse design needs.

Getting started with ShadowImageView is straightforward. Add the following dependency to your Android project:

dependencies {
    implementation 'com.github.ManhDucIT:shadowimageview:1.2.0'
}

Here’s a glimpse of how effortlessly you can create a shadowed image view:

// Create a shadowed image view
val shadowImageView = ShadowImageView(requireContext())

// Set the image resource
shadowImageView.setImageResource(R.drawable.image)

// Style the shadow
shadowImageView.shadowRadius = 10.dp
shadowImageView.shadowColor = Color.BLACK
shadowImageView.shadowOffset = Offset(10.dp, 10.dp)

// Display the image view
shadowImageView.show()

The code snippet above illustrates the simplicity with which ShadowImageView operates, displaying an image view with a shadow effect.

Moreover, ShadowImageView welcomes customization. By tweaking the attributes in the ShadowImageView class, you can tailor the shadow style to your liking:

// Set shadow style
shadowImageView.shadowRadius = 10.dp
shadowImageView.shadowColor = Color.BLACK
shadowImageView.shadowOffset = Offset(10.dp, 10.dp)

// Set rounded-corner shadow
shadowImageView.shadowShape = ShadowShape.ROUND

// Set square shadow
shadowImageView.shadowShape = ShadowShape.RECTANGLE