A patched version of draw9patch that is much more pleasant to use, especially on a mac.
draw9patch is my least favorite part of the android SDK for three reasons:
- It does not use a native mac file open/close dialog. It uses an alternative abomination, apparently preferred by Swing.
- If you edit a png in draw9patch and then try to save it, it will not attempt to save it in the same directory as the png you were editing (which is what you want, 99% of the time). It will open the (awful) save dialog in your home directory.
- When you are editing your 9patch, you have to draw exactly on the magic pixel boundary. Filling in this magic pixel line for an image with dimensions in the hundreds of pixels can lead to self harm.
Apart from these easy to fix flaws, it is a fine tool. With these flaws, it is a significant irritation in my workflow.
- It uses the native mac file open/close dialog.
- When you open a png for 9patch editing and save it, it starts out in the same directory as that png.
- If you're anywhere close to one of the borders of the image, drawing applies to that border. It's slightly tricky close to the edges, but eh. No big deal.
It is said that the truly wise never do anything at all. Having accomplished this foolishness, I hope to fill this project with wisdom.