android - Draw a semicircle in the background of a View

Question

I am trying to create a TextView whose background is a half circle. I create a oval using a ShapeDrawable. I tried to create a semicircle by using ScaleDrawable to double the size vertical size of the oval and clip it. However, the ScaleDrawable has no effect. Why not? What is the best way to draw a semicircle in the background of a View?

res/layout/activity_main.xml

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    >
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/main_view"
        android:background="@drawable/semicircle"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:gravity="center_horizontal"
    />
    </RelativeLayout>

res/drawable/semicircle.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<scale xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:drawable="@drawable/circle"
    android:scaleGravity="top|clip_vertical"
    android:scaleHeight="200%"
    android:scaleWidth="100%" >
</scale>

res/drawable/circle.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:shape="oval"
    <solid
        android:color="#444" />
</shape>

src/.../MainActivity.java

//...
public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main_activity);
        findViewById(R.id.main_view).getBackground().setLevel(10000);
    }
//...

Answer 1

To clip the oval shape, just embed it in a ClipDrawable like this:

res/drawable/semicircle.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<clip
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:clipOrientation="vertical"
    android:gravity="bottom">
    <shape android:shape="oval">
        <solid android:color="#444"/>
    </shape>
</clip>

ClipDdrawable common purpose is to create custom progress bars. It clips a part of its content and progressively displays it when its "level" property increases in a range of [0; 10000] (0=hidden, 10000=fully displayed).

• clipOrientation is the orientation of the clipping progress.
• gravity is the clipping progress start edge/side.

To get a half circle, set this ClipDrawable as your view background, and programmatically tweak its "level":

//...
findViewById(R.id.my_view).getBackground().setLevel(5000)
//...

Works on all Android versions ("Added in API level 1") and requires no custom view.

;-)