How can I extend a TextBlock to display Outlined Text?

Question

My question relates to this question.

This question is quite dated, and the answer more so and it feels like it is lacking somewhat. The user created a control from scratch that is lacking somewhat, but the biggest point is that it doesn't feel like it should be necessary ( to me, at least ) to create an entirely new control in order to have a TextBlock that can support stroked ( outlined ) text.

I'm trying to extend the TextBlock control by providing a Brush property and a double property. I had hoped I could override the OnRender method but it's sealed, so I can't.

This is what I have so far ( it's not much ) :

public class StrokedText: TextBlock {
    public static readonly DependencyProperty
        StrokeProperty = DependencyProperty.Register(
            "Stroke",
            typeof( Brush ),
            typeof( StrokedText ),
            new PropertyMetadata(
                Brushes.Red,
                ( S, E ) => ( S as StrokedLabel ).InvalidateVisual( ) ) ),
        StrokeWidthProperty = DependencyProperty.Register(
            "StrokeWidth",
            typeof( double ),
            typeof( StrokedText ),
            new PropertyMetadata(
                2.0D,
                ( S, E ) => ( S as StrokedLabel ).InvalidateVisual( ) ) );

    /// <summary>
    /// Get or Set Stroke Brush.
    /// </summary>
    public Brush Stroke {
        get { return this.GetValue( StrokeProperty ) as Brush; }
        set { this.SetValue( StrokeProperty, value ); }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Get or Set Stroke Width
    /// </summary>
    public double StrokeWidth {
        get { return ( double )this.GetValue( StrokeWidthProperty ); }
        set { this.SetValue( StrokeWidthProperty, value ); }
    }

I've been spending some time looking at the TextBlock control in order to trace where it actually renders the string as text on the screen ( I figured if I could find that I could copy the method ), but I was hoping someone might happen to already know the answer and save me some time as the TextBlock control is just... insane.

So - is it possible for me to extend this TextBlock so that I can stroke the text like I want?

---

EDIT 1 :

For clarity, there seems to have been a misunderstanding as to for what I am going - I do not care about outlining the text block. I want to outline the TEXT itself.

Herl

Sounds like you want to use Effects. Your question is a little vague as strike and outline are two different operations. You want an outline around text or a line striking through? – Jut

@SideriteZackwehdex Text Outline. Not strike through. – Herl

@SideriteZackwehdex I only see two effects ( out of the box ) - Blur and Drop Shadow. I see no "Stroke" effect option. – Herl

I think creating a new control is virtually inevitable, you're adding new DPs so they would have to be attached DPs, at which point your XAML is going to start looking a bit messy and won't play nicely with the IDE. Take a look at this page, it's still a new control but it inherits TextBlock and replaces its rendering. – Burget

@MarkFeldman - I will take a look at this. I see they are using a TextBox though - I want to use a TextBLOCK - I'm just looking to display data, not facilitate data interaction. – Herl

Answer 1

Something like this:

<TextBlock >
    <TextBlock.Effect>
        <DropShadowEffect ShadowDepth="0"
                    Color="Red"
                    Opacity="1"
                    BlurRadius="5"/>
    </TextBlock.Effect>
    Some text that we want outlined
</TextBlock>

Using DropShadowEffect to simulate the Glow/Outline effect.

Jut

This is about right... Thanks. I'm still going to need to look deeper since i don't want to have to do this with EVERY textblock in my program. I suppose implementing a style could work but I was really hoping to be able to extend a TextBlock to get this done... Thanks. – Herl

The effect can be set in a style that affects all Textblocks or only those that you set the style to. – Jut