>I need to draw to a Windows metafile. Delphi does not directly support this, >so I plan to use API calls to create the metafile. Creating a Metafile returns >a THandle which can be cast to a DC. > >In delphi, how can I use the THandle to get/create a Canvas for drawing? I've asked a similar question a few days ago but got no response, so I figured it out myself. Here's the code. (hope it's what you need). unit Metaform; interface uses SysUtils, WinTypes, WinProcs, Messages, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs, StdCtrls, Buttons, ExtCtrls; type TForm1 = class(TForm) Panel1: TPanel; BitBtn1: TBitBtn; Image1: TImage; procedure BitBtn1Click(Sender: TObject); private { Private declarations } public { Public declarations } end; var Form1: TForm1; implementation {$R *.DFM} type TMetafileCanvas = class(TCanvas) private FClipboardHandle: THandle; FMetafileHandle: HMetafile; FRect: TRect; protected procedure CreateHandle; override; function GetMetafileHandle: HMetafile; public constructor Create; destructor Destroy; override; property Rect: TRect read FRect write FRect; property MetafileHandle: HMetafile read GetMetafileHandle; end; constructor TMetafileCanvas.Create; begin inherited Create; FClipboardHandle := GlobalAlloc( GMEM_SHARE or GMEM_ZEROINIT, SizeOf(TMetafilePict)); end; destructor TMetafileCanvas.Destroy; begin DeleteMetafile(CloseMetafile(Handle)); if Bool(FClipboardHandle) then GlobalFree(FClipboardHandle); if Bool(FMetafileHandle) then DeleteMetafile(FMetafileHandle); inherited Destroy; end; procedure TMetafileCanvas.CreateHandle; var MetafileDC: HDC; begin { Create a metafile DC in memory } MetafileDC := CreateMetaFile(nil); if Bool(MetafileDC) then begin { Map the top,left corner of the displayed rectangle to the top,left of the device context. Leave a border of 10 logical units around the picture. } with FRect do SetWindowOrg(MetafileDC, Left - 10, Top - 10); { Set the extent of the picture with a border of 10 logical units. } with FRect do SetWindowExt(MetafileDC, Right - Left + 20, Bottom - Top + 20); { Play any valid metafile contents to it. } if Bool(FMetafileHandle) then begin PlayMetafile(MetafileDC, FMetafileHandle); end; end; Handle := MetafileDC; end; function TMetafileCanvas.GetMetafileHandle: HMetafile; var MetafilePict: PMetafilePict; IC: HDC; ExtRect: TRect; begin if Bool(FMetafileHandle) then DeleteMetafile(FMetafileHandle); FMetafileHandle := CloseMetafile(Handle); Handle := 0; { Prepair metafile for clipboard display. } MetafilePict := GlobalLock(FClipboardHandle); MetafilePict^.mm := mm_AnIsoTropic; IC := CreateIC('DISPLAY', nil, nil, nil); SetMapMode(IC, mm_HiMetric); ExtRect := FRect; DPtoLP(IC, ExtRect, 2); DeleteDC(IC); MetafilePict^.xExt := ExtRect.Right - ExtRect.Left; MetafilePict^.yExt := ExtRect.Top - ExtRect.Bottom; MetafilePict^.HMF := FMetafileHandle; GlobalUnlock(FClipboardHandle); { I'm giving you this handle, but please do NOT eat it. } Result := FClipboardHandle; end; procedure TForm1.BitBtn1Click(Sender: TObject); var MetafileCanvas : TMetafileCanvas; begin MetafileCanvas := TMetafileCanvas.Create; MetafileCanvas.Rect := Rect(0,0,500,500); MetafileCanvas.Ellipse(10,10,400,400); Image1.Picture.Metafile.LoadFromClipboardFormat( cf_MetafilePict, MetafileCanvas.MetafileHandle, 0); MetafileCanvas.Free; end; end.