Transparent controls

[ChrisL]

I started messing around with this when someone asked about transparent controls before.

I made a function for creating transparent controls but martin below had a better way of doing it. (Thanks for the help martin!)

The syntax is $hWnd = _GuiCtrlMakeTrans($ControlID as returned by GuiCtrlCreate....,[Transparency level (Optional can be set later by the returned hWnd )])

Returns a handle to the new Child gui

There are a couple of functions which I can't get to work properly, one is UP/Down controls and the other is Radio Buttons

This is the new function

Func _GuiCtrlMakeTrans($iCtrlID,$iTrans=255)
    
    Local $pHwnd, $nHwnd, $aPos, $a
    
    $hWnd = GUICtrlGetHandle($iCtrlID);Get the control handle
    If $hWnd = 0 then Return SetError(1,1,0) 
    $pHwnd = DllCall("User32.dll", "hwnd", "GetParent", "hwnd", $hWnd);Get the parent Gui Handle
    If $pHwnd[0] = 0 then Return SetError(1,2,0)
    $aPos = ControlGetPos($pHwnd[0],"",$hWnd);Get the current pos of the control
    If @error then Return SetError(1,3,0)
    $nHwnd = GUICreate("", $aPos[2], $aPos[3], $aPos[0], $aPos[1], 0x80000000, 0x00080000 + 0x00000040, $pHwnd[0]);greate a gui in the position of the control
    If $nHwnd = 0 then Return SetError(1,4,0)
    $a = DllCall("User32.dll", "hwnd", "SetParent", "hwnd", $hWnd, "hwnd", $nHwnd);change the parent of the control to the new gui
    If $a[0] = 0 then Return SetError(1,5,0)
    If NOT ControlMove($nHwnd,'',$hWnd,0,0) then Return SetError(1,6,-1);Move the control to 0,0 of the newly created child gui
    GUISetState(@SW_Show,$nHwnd);show the new child gui
    WinSetTrans($nHwnd,"",$iTrans);set the transparency
    If @error then Return SetError(1,7,0)
    GUISwitch($pHwnd[0]);switch back to the parent Gui
    
    Return $nHwnd;Return the handle for the new Child gui
    
EndFunc

Here is an example of the Help file Gui Example

expandcollapse popup

#include <GuiConstantsEx.au3>
#include <AVIConstants.au3>
#include <TreeViewConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>



; GUI
GuiCreate("Sample GUI", 400, 400)
GuiSetIcon(@SystemDir & "\mspaint.exe", 0)
GUICtrlCreatePic(@WindowsDir & "\River Sumida.bmp",0,0,400,400,$WS_CLIPSIBLINGS)

; MENU
GuiCtrlCreateMenu("Menu&One")
GuiCtrlCreateMenu("Menu&Two")
GuiCtrlCreateMenu("MenuTh&ree")
GuiCtrlCreateMenu("Menu&Four")

; CONTEXT MENU
$contextMenu = GuiCtrlCreateContextMenu()
GuiCtrlCreateMenuItem("Context Menu", $contextMenu)
GuiCtrlCreateMenuItem("", $contextMenu);separator
GuiCtrlCreateMenuItem("&Properties", $contextMenu)

; PIC
Local $sFile = RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AutoIt v3\AutoIt", "InstallDir") & "\Examples\GUI\logo4.gif"
GuiCtrlCreatePic($sFile,0,20, 169,68)
$pt = _GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1); we'll set the transparecy later for this one
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("Sample pic", 75, 21, 53, 15)
GuiCtrlSetColor(-1,0xffffff)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)


; AVI
Local $sFile = RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AutoIt v3\AutoIt", "InstallDir") & "\Examples\GUI\sampleAVI.avi"
GuiCtrlCreateAvi($sFile,0, 180, 30, 32, 32, $ACS_AUTOPLAY)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("Sample avi", 170, 70)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)


; TAB
GuiCtrlCreateTab(240, 20, 150, 70)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateTabItem("One")
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("Sample Tab with tabItems", 250, 40)
GuiCtrlCreateTabItem("Two")
GuiCtrlCreateTabItem("Three")
GuiCtrlCreateTabItem("")

; COMBO
GuiCtrlCreatecombo("Sample Combo", 250, 100, 120, 100)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)


; PROGRESS
GuiCtrlCreateProgress(60, 100, 150, 20)
GuiCtrlSetData(-1, 60)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("Progress:", 5, 102)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; EDIT
GuiCtrlCreateEdit(@CRLF & "  Sample Edit Control", 10, 130, 150, 70)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; LIST
GuiCtrlCreateList("", 5, 210, 100, 90)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlSetData(-1, "a.Sample|b.List|c.Control|d.Here", "b.List")

; ICON
GuiCtrlCreateIcon("shell32.dll", 1, 175, 140)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("Icon", 180, 180, 50, 20)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; LIST VIEW
$listView = GuiCtrlCreateListView("Sample|ListView|", 110, 210, 110, 80)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateListViewItem("A|One", $listView)
GuiCtrlCreateListViewItem("B|Two", $listView)
GuiCtrlCreateListViewItem("C|Three", $listView)

; UPDOWN
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("UpDown", 350, 135)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateInput("42", 350, 140, 40, 20)
GuiCtrlCreateUpDown(-1)


; GROUP WITH RADIO BUTTONS
GuiCtrlCreateGroup("Sample Group", 230, 120,110,80)
GuiCtrlCreateRadio("Radio One", 250, 140, 80)
GuiCtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)
GuiCtrlCreateRadio("Radio Two", 250, 165, 80)
GUICtrlCreateGroup ("",-99,-99,1,1) ;close group

; LABEL
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("Green" & @CRLF & "Label", 350, 185, 40, 40)
GuiCtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0x00FF00)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; SLIDER
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("Slider:", 235, 235)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateSlider(270, 230, 120, 30)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlSetData(-1, 30)

; INPUT
GuiCtrlCreateInput("Sample Input Box", 235, 275, 130, 20)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; DATE
GuiCtrlCreateDate("", 5, 300, 200, 20)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateLabel("(Date control expands into a calendar)", 10, 325, 200, 20)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; BUTTON
$Button = GuiCtrlCreateButton("Sample Button", 10, 350, 100, 30)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; CHECKBOX
GuiCtrlCreateCheckbox("Checkbox", 130, 355, 80, 20)
GuiCtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)

; TREEVIEW ONE
$treeOne = GuiCtrlCreateTreeView(210, 310, 80, 80)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
$treeItem = GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("TreeView", $treeOne)
GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Item1", $treeItem)
GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Item2", $treeItem)
GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Foo", -1)
GuiCtrlSetState($treeItem, $GUI_EXPAND)

; TREEVIEW TWO
$treeTwo = GuiCtrlCreateTreeView(295, 310, 103, 80, $TVS_CHECKBOXES)
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1,100)
GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("TreeView", $treeTwo)
GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("With", $treeTwo)
GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("tvs_checkboxes", $treeTwo)
GuiCtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)
GuiCtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Style", $treeTwo)


; GUI MESSAGE LOOP
GuiSetState()

;change the transparency of the picture
For $i = 255 to 0 step -1
    WinSetTrans($pt,"",$i)
    Sleep(1)
Next

For $i = 0 to 100
    WinSetTrans($pt,"",$i)
    Sleep(1)
Next

While 1
    
    Switch GuiGetMsg() 
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit
        Case $Button
            Msgbox(0,"","Button still works!")
    EndSwitch
    
WEnd


Func _GuiCtrlMakeTrans($iCtrlID,$iTrans=255)
    
    Local $pHwnd, $nHwnd, $aPos, $a
    
    $hWnd = GUICtrlGetHandle($iCtrlID);Get the control handle
    If $hWnd = 0 then Return SetError(1,1,0) 
    $pHwnd = DllCall("User32.dll", "hwnd", "GetParent", "hwnd", $hWnd);Get the parent Gui Handle
    If $pHwnd[0] = 0 then Return SetError(1,2,0)
    $aPos = ControlGetPos($pHwnd[0],"",$hWnd);Get the current pos of the control
    If @error then Return SetError(1,3,0)
    $nHwnd = GUICreate("", $aPos[2], $aPos[3], $aPos[0], $aPos[1], 0x80000000, 0x00080000 + 0x00000040, $pHwnd[0]);greate a gui in the position of the control
    If $nHwnd = 0 then Return SetError(1,4,0)
    $a = DllCall("User32.dll", "hwnd", "SetParent", "hwnd", $hWnd, "hwnd", $nHwnd);change the parent of the control to the new gui
    If $a[0] = 0 then Return SetError(1,5,0)
    If NOT ControlMove($nHwnd,'',$hWnd,0,0) then Return SetError(1,6,-1);Move the control to 0,0 of the newly created child gui
    GUISetState(@SW_Show,$nHwnd);show the new child gui
    WinSetTrans($nHwnd,"",$iTrans);set the transparency
    If @error then Return SetError(1,7,0)
    GUISwitch($pHwnd[0]);switch back to the parent Gui
    
    Return $nHwnd;Return the handle for the new Child gui
    
EndFunc

Edited June 9, 2008 by ChrisL

[Andreik]

Thanks ChrisL! Work fine for me.

[martin]

Works well ChrisL, good idea.

The function seems a bit clunky though. Could it be done by having something like

SetTransparency($Tab1,$level)

then in your function find the size of the control using ControlGetPos, create the gui the way you do at the moment but using the dimensions from ControlGetPos, and then set the control to be a child of that window? If that works then you wouldn't need all those case statements for all the different control types, and controls could be created just as normal.

[GHOSTSKIKDA]

very nice work

_____________

[Kip]

doesn't this also work with standard UDF controls. (Because those controls are also windows ($WS_POPUP))

Edited June 9, 2008 by Kip

[ChrisL]

Updated.. thanks Martin!

[WeMartiansAreFriendly]

Good looking on the script ChrisL.

[CoePSX]

Nice work! This is great!

[ChuckS]

Excellent job!

[martin]

Updated.. thanks Martin!

That's ok. It's even better now ChrisL.

The main gui caption is drawn as inactive, presumably because the focus is on one of the child windows. One way to make it look active is like this.

$gui1 = Guicreate("Sample Gui",....; as before but have a handle reference
.
.
 GuiRegisterMsg($WM_NCACTIVATE,"SetDrawnActive")
.
.
.
Func SetDrawnActive($hWnd, $iMsg,$Wparam)
  If $hWnd = $Gui1 then
   If Not $Wparam then return 1
  EndIf
EndFunc

But this doesn't affect another problem. If the gui is partly covered by another window you need to click on a child window to bring it back to the front. Clicking on the caption bar or the main gui has no effect.

[ChrisL]

That's ok. It's even better now ChrisL.

The main gui caption is drawn as inactive, presumably because the focus is on one of the child windows. One way to make it look active is like this.

$gui1 = Guicreate("Sample Gui",....; as before but have a handle reference
.
.
 GuiRegisterMsg($WM_NCACTIVATE,"SetDrawnActive")
.
.
.
Func SetDrawnActive($hWnd, $iMsg,$Wparam)
  If $hWnd = $Gui1 then
   If Not $Wparam then return 1
  EndIf
EndFunc

But this doesn't affect another problem. If the gui is partly covered by another window you need to click on a child window to bring it back to the front. Clicking on the caption bar or the main gui has no effect.

Really I don't think I'm seeing that on my laptop (the overlap bit I mean) Edited June 9, 2008 by ChrisL

[martin]

Really I don't think I'm seeing that on my laptop (the overlap bit I mean)

No, you won't. Apologies, I had completely forgotten that I'd set the extended style of the main Gui to $WS_EX_NOACTIVATE as an experiment.

[JustinMeyer]

I am using wondering if anyone else is having the problem of the control(s) set transparent with this function

taking all the focus? Every time I try to click another button in my gui the focus goes directly to my transparent

input box.

[Kiti]

I want to make a transparent label that respond to clicks, but what I get is a gray box (the Form), and under it the actual transparent button. I don't want that form to be visible. Do you know how to make it invisible, or how to change that decalation, so I'll put the form off the screen, with a negative coordinate, and increase the decalation between it and the actual transparent button, so it will be on the screen?

Edit: I forgot my script

#include <GUIConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
Opt("GUIOnEventMode", 1)
$Form1 = GUICreate("Form1", 36, 17, 284, 0, BitOR($WS_POPUP, $WS_SYSMENU))
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1, 1)
$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Label1", 0, 0, 36, 17)
GUICtrlSetOnEvent(-1, "Label1Click")
_GuiCtrlMakeTrans(-1, 1)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd
Func Label1Click()
    MsgBox(48, "", "Yeay!!")
EndFunc   ;==>Label1Click

Edit2: Ok, I've got it, I also have to make the label with negative coords. So... the GUI itself cannot be made transparent, right?

Edited June 21, 2008 by Kiti

[ludocus]

I would change the name in: _GUICtrlSetTrans

[TheMna]

Currently, I have a background picture on my GUI and I'd like to have the labels background translucent to highlight them a bit. If I wanted to get a white translucent background label onto a GUI with opaque font, how should I go about it? I tried using the function to create a translucent white label with no text, and then putting another label in the same position with the text (also tried guictrlsetstate with $ontop), but the text remains faded. Really neat little function you got there btw muttley

[ChrisL]

Currently, I have a background picture on my GUI and I'd like to have the labels background translucent to highlight them a bit. If I wanted to get a white translucent background label onto a GUI with opaque font, how should I go about it? I tried using the function to create a translucent white label with no text, and then putting another label in the same position with the text (also tried guictrlsetstate with $ontop), but the text remains faded. Really neat little function you got there btw muttley

Then it's not my script you need, just create a standard label and use GuiCtrlSetBkColor($label,$GUI_BKCOLOR_TRANSPARENT)

[TheMna]

Then it's not my script you need, just create a standard label and use GuiCtrlSetBkColor($label,$GUI_BKCOLOR_TRANSPARENT)

Thats what I've been using, but I wanted to have it translucent, not transparent.

[martin]

@ChrisL

In your example in the first post there is a 20 pixel offset due to the vertical height of the Menu. This means that a control created without the _GuiCtrlMakeTrans function will not be at the same vertical height as a control which does use the _GuiCtrlMakeTRans function but which uses the same x,y coordinates.

So I thought perhaps the function aught to have a way to find the vertical offset so that people wouldn't have to work out the 20 pixel size or whatever.

Maybe this would do it

Func GetVertOffset($hgui)
;Const $SM_CYCAPTION = 4
    Const $SM_CXFIXEDFRAME = 7
    Local $wtitle, $wclient, $wsize,$wside,$ans
    $wclient = WinGetClientSize($hgui)
    $wsize = WinGetPos($hgui)
    $wtitle = DllCall('user32.dll', 'int', 'GetSystemMetrics', 'int', $SM_CYCAPTION)
    $wside = DllCall('user32.dll', 'int', 'GetSystemMetrics', 'int', $SM_CXFIXEDFRAME)
    $ans = $wsize[3] - $wclient[1] - $wtitle[0] - 2 * $wside[0]
    Return $ans
EndFunc  ;==>GetVertOffset

[JustinMeyer]

Func GetVertOffset($hgui)
;Const $SM_CYCAPTION = 4
    Const $SM_CXFIXEDFRAME = 7
    Local $wtitle, $wclient, $wsize,$wside,$ans
    $wclient = WinGetClientSize($hgui)
    $wsize = WinGetPos($hgui)
    $wtitle = DllCall('user32.dll', 'int', 'GetSystemMetrics', 'int', $SM_CYCAPTION)
    $wside = DllCall('user32.dll', 'int', 'GetSystemMetrics', 'int', $SM_CXFIXEDFRAME)
    $ans = $wsize[3] - $wclient[1] - $wtitle[0] - 2 * $wside[0]
    Return $ans
EndFunc ;==>GetVertOffset

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! Man this is cool Martin. I have no idea how to use DLLs (yet) being a noob and all but this is great. You helped me solve one of my

problems with a gui I am working on using lod3ns PNG GUI. You can take a look here.