iOS Core Animation: Advanced Techniques

6. Specialized Layers

Specialization is a feature of every complex organization.

Catharine R. Stimpson

Up to this point, we have been working with the CALayer class, and we have seen that it has some useful image drawing and transformation capabilities. But Core Animation layers can be used for more than just images and colors. This chapter explores some of the other layer classes that you can use to extend Core Animation’s drawing capabilities.

CAShapeLayer

In Chapter 4, “Visual Effects,” you learned how to use CGPath to create arbitrarily shaped shadows without using images. It would be neat if we could create arbitrarily shaped layers in the same way.

CAShapeLayer is a layer subclass that draws itself using vector graphics instead of a bitmap ...