How can I set the UINavigationbar with gradient color?

Question

I want to set the UINavigationbar backgroundColor to a gradient color where I would like to set it via an array of colors to create a Gradient, ide

Answer 1

This is the solution without using an intermediate CAGradientLayer, and just using CoreGraphics, in Swift 3.0.

Essentially, the method creates a UIImage on the fly with the gradient colors passed and sets it.

extension UINavigationBar
{
    /// Applies a background gradient with the given colors
    func apply(gradient colors : [UIColor]) {
        var frameAndStatusBar: CGRect = self.bounds
        frameAndStatusBar.size.height += 20 // add 20 to account for the status bar

        setBackgroundImage(UINavigationBar.gradient(size: frameAndStatusBar.size, colors: colors), for: .default)
    }

    /// Creates a gradient image with the given settings
    static func gradient(size : CGSize, colors : [UIColor]) -> UIImage?
    {
        // Turn the colors into CGColors
        let cgcolors = colors.map { $0.cgColor }

        // Begin the graphics context
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(size, true, 0.0)

        // If no context was retrieved, then it failed
        guard let context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext() else { return nil }

        // From now on, the context gets ended if any return happens
        defer { UIGraphicsEndImageContext() }

        // Create the Coregraphics gradient
        var locations : [CGFloat] = [0.0, 1.0]
        guard let gradient = CGGradient(colorsSpace: CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB(), colors: cgcolors as NSArray as CFArray, locations: &locations) else { return nil }

        // Draw the gradient
        context.drawLinearGradient(gradient, start: CGPoint(x: 0.0, y: 0.0), end: CGPoint(x: size.width, y: 0.0), options: [])

        // Generate the image (the defer takes care of closing the context)
        return UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    }
}

The defer statement makes this so much clean than prior versions. Be noted that CGGradient are available since iOS 8.0.

Also, this creates the gradient from left to right, tweaking the parameters of drawLinearGradient (start and end) moves the locations. This is up for your implementation.

Answer 2

In Swift 3

let gradient = CAGradientLayer()
let sizeLength = UIScreen.main.bounds.size.height * 2
let defaultNavigationBarFrame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: sizeLength, height: 64)
gradient.frame = defaultNavigationBarFrame
gradient.colors = [UIColor.white.cgColor, UIColor.black.cgColor]
UINavigationBar.appearance().setBackgroundImage(self.image(fromLayer: gradient), for: .default)

func image(fromLayer layer: CALayer) -> UIImage {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(layer.frame.size)
    layer.render(in: UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!)
    let outputImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
    return outputImage!
}

Answer 3

Swift 5

• Includes status bar in gradient.
• Doesn't use an image.
• Uses transparency so content is visible through nav bar.

extension UINavigationBar {

    func addGradient(_ toAlpha: CGFloat, _ color: UIColor) {
        let gradient = CAGradientLayer()
        gradient.colors = [
            color.withAlphaComponent(toAlpha).cgColor,
            color.withAlphaComponent(toAlpha).cgColor,
            color.withAlphaComponent(0).cgColor
        ]
        gradient.locations = [0, 0.8, 1]
        var frame = bounds
        frame.size.height += UIApplication.shared.statusBarFrame.size.height
        frame.origin.y -= UIApplication.shared.statusBarFrame.size.height
        gradient.frame = frame
        layer.insertSublayer(gradient, at: 1)
    }

}

Answer 4

This amazing tutorial from Lawrence Tan  shows how to set a gradient using barTintColor and no backgroundImage: https://medium.com/swift2go/add-gradient-to-navigation-bar-in-swift-9284fe91fea2

Summary

CAGradientLayer extension

extension CAGradientLayer {

    class func primaryGradient(on view: UIView) -> UIImage? {
        let gradient = CAGradientLayer()
        let flareRed = UIColor(displayP3Red: 241.0/255.0, green: 39.0/255.0, blue: 17.0/255.0, alpha: 1.0)
        let flareOrange = UIColor(displayP3Red: 245.0/255.0, green: 175.0/255.0, blue: 25.0/255.0, alpha: 1.0)
        var bounds = view.bounds
        bounds.size.height += UIApplication.shared.statusBarFrame.size.height
        gradient.frame = bounds
        gradient.colors = [flareRed.cgColor, flareOrange.cgColor]
        gradient.startPoint = CGPoint(x: 0, y: 0)
        gradient.endPoint = CGPoint(x: 1, y: 0)
        return gradient.createGradientImage(on: view)
    }

    private func createGradientImage(on view: UIView) -> UIImage? {
        var gradientImage: UIImage?
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(view.frame.size)
        if let context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext() {
            render(in: context)
            gradientImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()?.resizableImage(withCapInsets: UIEdgeInsets.zero, resizingMode: .stretch)
        }
        UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
        return gradientImage
    }
}

Apply the gradient

guard
    let navigationController = navigationController,
    let flareGradientImage = CAGradientLayer.primaryGradient(on: navigationController.navigationBar)
    else {
        print("Error creating gradient color!")
        return
    }

navigationController.navigationBar.barTintColor = UIColor(patternImage: flareGradientImage)

Answer 5

For Swift 4.2

extension UINavigationBar {
    func setGradientBackground(colors: [Any]) {
        let gradient: CAGradientLayer = CAGradientLayer()
        gradient.locations = [0.0 , 0.5, 1.0]
        gradient.startPoint = CGPoint(x: 0.0, y: 1.0)
        gradient.endPoint = CGPoint(x: 1.0, y: 1.0)

        var updatedFrame = self.bounds
        updatedFrame.size.height += self.frame.origin.y
        gradient.frame = updatedFrame
        gradient.colors = colors;
        self.setBackgroundImage(self.image(fromLayer: gradient), for: .default)
    }

    func image(fromLayer layer: CALayer) -> UIImage {
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(layer.frame.size)
        layer.render(in: UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!)
        let outputImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
        UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
        return outputImage!
    }
}

How to use

   self.navigationController?.navigationBar.setGradientBackground(colors: [
            UIColor.red.cgColor,
            UIColor.green.cgColor,
            UIColor.blue.cgColor
            ])