Drawing onto PNG instead of onto window using SFML

[Yaxlat]

I am creating a platformer game using SFML, and my "Level Size" is a lot larger than my window size. So I am using sf::View to move around the view while I move.

What I do every frame is:

• I draw everything onto the window
• Set the view to be part of the window
• Run window.display()
• Run window.clear()

What I want to do now, however, is to draw each element onto an image (.png) file. A couple details:

• This image should be the same size as my "Level Size"
• I don't want it zoomed in anyway - it should not be affected by my current window or view
• Finally there are transparent parts of the image, because I have not drawn them onto my canvas. I do not want these black in my image, but rather transparent

How can I achieve this? Ideally I would like to run a function like this: exportPNG(string filename, level).
Thanks a lot!

[G.]

You can draw everything onto a transparent sf::RenderTexture, then get the sf::Texture of your render texture, then copyToImage() and saveToFile().

But if it is "a lot" larger than your window, you may be limited by the maximum texture size.

[Yaxlat]

You can draw everything onto a transparent sf::RenderTexture, then get the sf::Texture of your render texture, then copyToImage() and saveToFile().

But if it is "a lot" larger than your window, you may be limited by the maximum texture size.

Ok, thanks a lot! I'll see what I can do, I haven't messed around with that yet. When I say a lot, I'm talking about 5000px maximum, so I think I'll be fine.

[Yaxlat]

then get the sf::Texture of your render texture

How can I do this?

[G.]

I'm pretty sure you'll find how if you take a look at the documentation of sf::RenderTexture.