rendering html to png (server-side)

Question

I have a workflow model. Internet Explorer doesn't support some features required for model editing functionality (and regular user doesn't need it).

I want a read-only preview of my model. Is it possible to server-side render my HTML to an image?

I would prefer offline solution to allow our system run in corporate LAN without accesss to internet.

Answer 1

If you are using windows, you can maybe use a tool like ConvertHTML (http://www.converthtmltoimage.com/?gclid=CL355ejhiqECFQGF3god-wl1Pw).
Or use a web service like WebShotsPro (http://www.webshotspro.com/) or Thumbalizr.

Answer 2

You can try using a java library called flyingsaucer (aka xhtmlrenderer). It has worked very well for me in the past.

Homepage: https://xhtmlrenderer.dev.java.net/

FAQ for generating an image: http://pigeonholdings.com/projects/flyingsaucer/R8/doc/guide/users-guide-R8.html#xil_29

Answer 3

I would go for a online service for website thumbnail generation. one such service is http://sitethumbshot.com.