blend two uiimages based on alpha/transparency of top image

Question

I'm trying to blend a background with a foreground image, where the foreground image is a transparent image with lines on it.

I am trying to do it this way.

UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(CGSizeMake(320, 480));
CGContextRef context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext();   

// create rect that fills screen
CGRect bounds = CGRectMake( 0,0, 320, 480);

// This is my bkgnd image
CGContextDrawImage(context, bounds, [UIImage imageNamed:@"bkgnd.jpg"].CGImage);

CGContextSetBlendMode(context, kCGBlendModeSourceIn);

// This is my image to blend in
CGContextDrawImage(context, bounds, [UIImage imageNamed:@"over.png"].CGImage);

UIImage *outputImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();

UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(outputImage, self, nil, nil);
// clean up drawing environment
//
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

but does not seem to work.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Answer 1

This is what I've done in my app, similar to Tyler's - but without the UIImageView:

UIImage *bottomImage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"bottom.png"];
UIImage *image = [UIImage imageNamed:@"top.png"];

CGSize newSize = CGSizeMake(width, height);
UIGraphicsBeginImageContext( newSize );

// Use existing opacity as is
[bottomImage drawInRect:CGRectMake(0,0,newSize.width,newSize.height)];
// Apply supplied opacity
[image drawInRect:CGRectMake(0,0,newSize.width,newSize.height) blendMode:kCGBlendModeNormal alpha:0.8];

UIImage *newImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();

UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

If the image already has opacity, you do not need to set it (as in bottomImage) otherwise you can set it (as with image).