Do you know what the graphics requirement is going to be for your developing Android app? Well, it might be time to start thinking about it. Maybe the graphics for your app are going to be fairly plain and stationary; if this is the case you’re probably going to get off pretty easy as far as the programming aspect is concerned. On the other hand, if you think your Android app is going to require a lot of animation then it is definitely time to start thinking about how you’re going to have your app handle the graphics aspect.
Before we get started just let me say that for sake of making this article a bit more succinct we’re only going to be dealing with 2D graphics for now. Additionally, before you can really get started you are, of course, going to need the proper tools. Do a search for the Android “drawable package.” This package contains most of the software you’re going to need to handle designing those 2D graphics.
Ok, that’s out of the way. Now, there are two basic approaches to “drawing” your 2D graphics. One of these options is great if you’re going to show a static image or an image that doesn’t require very much animation; the other option is preferable if you’re going to have quite a bit of animation present. The first option involves drawing to a View Object. It’s simple, it’s basic, all you do is tell the app what to show for the view. The next option involves drawing to “canvas.” This last option will let you define how often you want the app to “draw,” a very important aspect if you’re going to have much movement involved in your app’s graphics.
Briefly, let’s stop and think about what type of apps development might be best suited for each of these. If your app is going to be very stationary, such as the email app, odds are you’re going to go with option a; we’ve already established this. Option b is going to be well suited for anything involving very much animation, and if you’re thinking that your app is going to be a game option b is probably going to be your option of choice. That being said, if your game is going to be a slow paced game with a low refresh rate then you might be able to get away with taking the simple route and going with option a. As usual, it all depends on what you want your Android app to be.
