PixelSearch SplashScreen (PixelChecksum)

[herewasplato]

Inspired by a misinterpretation of the request in this post during the wee hours of the morning: http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=19664, I made this tool to help write PixelSearch and PixelChecksum lines for a script that you are writing. It creates a semi-transparent splash screen that you can move and resize to represent the area that you want to search. It was not intended to add a splash screen to a script that is actively searching for a pixel. Although you might be able to have a splash screen turn on and off right before each PixelSearch line as sort of a debug tool. You could also toggle this "feature" off and on via a hotkey... just in case you could not remember the area where you were searching... or if you are wondering if something has changed/moved in the app you are working with.

As with another of my scripts in the forum:

http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=14395

I have more comment lines than lines of AutoIt3 code.

Caveat: I'm not a gamer and I don't know if the way the script writes the PixelSearch line of code for you is the best for gaming. My hope is that this script might be of some use to those scripting for apps like Firefox and the like when you might want to check a pixel on the tool bar to see if a page has finished loading. I've tested it on apps like that - on just a toolbar icon or system tray icon.

For those really new to the forum...

Copy/paste the code below or download attached file at end of this post:

expandcollapse popup

;blame herewasplato for this long winded script
;the script is for use with (Windows 2000/XP or later)

;the end result of running this script should be
;a PixelSearch line of code in the windows clipboard
;that you can paste into your script

; 1) Read all of the comments in this script

; 2) Run this script

; 3) Reposition/Resize the semi-transparent
;   splash screen to cover the area to be
;   searched by PixelSearch in your script

; 4) Press ESC

; 5) Move the mouse to the window and pixel
;   that you are searching for in your script

; 6) Press ESC

; 7) Paste the contents of the Windows clipboard
;   into your script


;more boring details:
;running the script should move the active window
;to position 0,0 on the desktop and a create a
;splash screen starting in that same 0,0 location

;the splash screen represents the size of the
;PixelSearch area

;if you must, you can change the
;transparency of the splash screen here:
$transparency = 100;A number in the range 0 - 255.
;The larger the number,
;the more transparent the window will become.
;hopefully you can find a transparency setting that
;will allow you to see allow of the info behind
;the splash screen

;move the splash screen (PixelSearch area)
;via the left/right/up/down arrow keys
;(faster = shift-left/right/up/down)
;to the area of interest to you

;control the size of the splash screen (PixelSearch area)
;via the control-left/right/up/down arrow keys
;(faster = control-shift-left/right/up/down)

;PixelSearchs over large areas take CPU time
;so use the smallest search area possible

;if you make a large splash screen (PixelSearch area)
;it may flicker - you might control some of that by
;slowing down the splash screen "refresh rate" here:
$RefreshRate = 200

;read the help file on each of these settings
AutoItSetOption("PixelCoordMode", 0);do not change*
AutoItSetOption("MouseCoordMode", 0);do not change*
AutoItSetOption("WinTitleMatchMode", 3)
AutoItSetOption("TrayIconDebug", 1)
;see the very bottom of the script for more info

;a lazy way to prevent two copies of this script
;from running at the same time
$S_running = "pix-splash-window"
If WinExists($S_running) Then
    MsgBox(0, "AutoIt", "This script is already running")
    Exit
EndIf
AutoItWinSetTitle($S_running)

;gives you a chance to make the window
;of interest active before the script
;moves the active window to 0,0
MsgBox(0, "AutoIt PixelSearch Tool", _
        "You have 10 seconds to make the " & _
        "window of interest Active.", 10)

;sets the splash screen's starting size and position
$left = 0;leave
$top = 0;leave
$right = 100;change the starting size if you wish
$bottom = 100;change the starting size if you wish
$Xoffset = 0;leave
$Yoffset = 0;leave

;sets the hotkeys
HotKeySet("{ESC}", "ExitEachLoop")

;moves the splash screen
HotKeySet("{RIGHT}", "Xoffset_up")
HotKeySet("{DOWN}", "Yoffset_up")
HotKeySet("{LEFT}", "Xoffset_down")
HotKeySet("{UP}", "Yoffset_down")

;moves the splash screen in larger increments
HotKeySet("+{RIGHT}", "Xoffset_upL")
HotKeySet("+{DOWN}", "Yoffset_upL")
HotKeySet("+{LEFT}", "Xoffset_downL")
HotKeySet("+{UP}", "Yoffset_downL")

;resizes the splash screen
HotKeySet("^{RIGHT}", "right_up")
HotKeySet("^{DOWN}", "bottom_up")
HotKeySet("^{LEFT}", "right_down")
HotKeySet("^{UP}", "bottom_down")

;resizes the splash screen in larger increments
HotKeySet("^+{RIGHT}", "right_upL")
HotKeySet("^+{DOWN}", "bottom_upL")
HotKeySet("^+{LEFT}", "right_downL")
HotKeySet("^+{UP}", "bottom_downL")

;gets the mouse cursor out of the way
$OriginalMousePosition = MouseGetPos()
$DW = @DesktopWidth;make small for post width
$DH = @DesktopHeight;make small for post width
MouseMove($DW, $DH, 0)

;moves the active window to 0,0
WinMove("", "", 0, 0)

;this loop allows you to Reposition/Resize
;the splash screen to cover the area of interest
$ExitEachLoop = "no"
While 1
    SplashTextOn("PixArea", "", _
            $right - $left, _
            $bottom - $top, _
            $left + $Xoffset, _
            $top + $Yoffset, 1 + 16)
    WinSetTrans("PixArea", "", $transparency)
    Sleep($RefreshRate)
    If $ExitEachLoop = "yes" Then ExitLoop
WEnd
SplashOff()

;save the location/size info of the area
;to search via PixelSearch
$part1 = '$PScoord = PixelSearch(' & _
        $left + $Xoffset & ',' & _
        $top + $Yoffset & ',' & _
        $right + $Xoffset & ',' & _
        $bottom + $Yoffset & ','

;puts the mouse back where it was
MouseMove($OriginalMousePosition[0], _
        $OriginalMousePosition[1], 0)

;this loop allows you to position the mouse over the
;pixel that has the color that you are interested in
;searching for in your script
$ExitEachLoop = "no"
While 1
    $pos = MouseGetPos()
    $part2 = PixelGetColor($pos[0], $pos[1])
    ToolTip($part2)
    Sleep(100)
    If $ExitEachLoop = "yes" Then ExitLoop
WEnd

;creates the line of code for your script
ClipPut($part1 & $part2 & ')')


Exit
Func ExitEachLoop()
    $ExitEachLoop = "yes"
EndFunc;==>ExitEachLoop


;moves
Func Xoffset_up()
    If ($right + $Xoffset) < $DW Then $Xoffset = $Xoffset + 1
EndFunc;==>Xoffset_up

Func Yoffset_up()
    If ($bottom + $Yoffset) < $DH Then $Yoffset = $Yoffset + 1
EndFunc;==>Yoffset_up

Func Xoffset_down()
    If $Xoffset > 0 Then $Xoffset = $Xoffset - 1
EndFunc;==>Xoffset_down

Func Yoffset_down()
    If $Yoffset > 0 Then $Yoffset = $Yoffset - 1
EndFunc;==>Yoffset_down


;moves in larger increments
Func Xoffset_upL()
    If ($right + $Xoffset) < $DW Then $Xoffset = $Xoffset + 10
EndFunc;==>Xoffset_upL

Func Yoffset_upL()
    If ($bottom + $Yoffset) < $DH Then $Yoffset = $Yoffset + 10
EndFunc;==>Yoffset_upL

Func Xoffset_downL()
    If $Xoffset > 0 Then $Xoffset = $Xoffset - 10
EndFunc;==>Xoffset_downL

Func Yoffset_downL()
    If $Yoffset > 0 Then $Yoffset = $Yoffset - 10
EndFunc;==>Yoffset_downL


;resize
Func right_up()
    If ($right - $left + $Xoffset) < $DW Then $right = $right + 1
EndFunc;==>right_up

Func bottom_up()
    If ($bottom - $top + $Yoffset) < $DH Then $bottom = $bottom + 1
EndFunc;==>bottom_up

Func right_down()
    If $right > 0 Then $right = $right - 1
EndFunc;==>right_down

Func bottom_down()
    If $bottom > 0 Then $bottom = $bottom - 1
EndFunc;==>bottom_down


;resize in larger increments
Func right_upL()
    If ($right - $left + $Xoffset) < $DW Then $right = $right + 10
EndFunc;==>right_upL

Func bottom_upL()
    If ($bottom - $top + $Yoffset) < $DH Then $bottom = $bottom + 10
EndFunc;==>bottom_upL

Func right_downL()
    If $right > 0 Then $right = $right - 10
EndFunc;==>right_downL

Func bottom_downL()
    If $bottom > 0 Then $bottom = $bottom - 10
EndFunc;==>bottom_downL


;;;;;;;;;;;start test script;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;you can test the output of the script above
;with a small test script like this:
AutoItSetOption("PixelCoordMode", 0)
AutoItSetOption("MouseCoordMode", 0)

;just paste over the line below
;with the output of the script above
$PScoord = PixelSearch(0, 0, 10, 10, 8650752);*
;*consult help file for shades and steps

If IsArray($PScoord) Then
    MouseMove($PScoord[0], $PScoord[1])
Else
    MsgBox(0, "AutoIt", "Error")
EndIf
;;;;;;;;;;;end test script;;;;;;;;;;;;;;



;more info for your script:
;take a look at the help file to learn
;about these two settings
AutoItSetOption("PixelCoordMode", 0)
AutoItSetOption("MouseCoordMode", 0)
;you can/should put them near the top of your script
;you can change the "0" to a "1" BUT...
;you will probably want to do so for both lines
;if you are going to use mouse clicks

;your script does not have to position
;the window that you are searching at 0,0

Edit:

corrected typos,

changed some text,

uploaded slight changes...

...no changes in functionality - I hope :-)

Edit2:

Added msgbox that will go away after 10 seconds...

Edit3:

Changed to AutoIt tags instead of code tags

pix-search.au3

Edited October 5, 2009 by herewasplato

[Snipz]

This should come in handy some how or other good job

[herewasplato]

This should come in handy some how or other good job

Good; then it was't a total waste of my time.....

[joseedwin]

text removed by JoseEdwin... sorry green.

Edited March 23, 2006 by joseedwin

[greenmachine]

Edit - he fixed his post, so I'll fix mine.

Back on topic (so I don't break my own rule), plato you made this whole thing for a help request? That's so.. above the standard of help. Lots of detail in there. Nice.

Edited March 27, 2006 by greenmachine

[herewasplato]

...plato you made this whole thing for a help request? That's so.. above the standard of help. Lots of detail in there. Nice.

Thanks. It was just one of those holiday things with lots of time to repy to that post. I kinda wished the OP had needed it - since I don't.

Most of the inquiries that I've had about it seem to think that they are supposed to add all or part of the tool's code to the script that they are writing.

So, just to repeat for the newbies:

You run the tool

The tool writes to the Windows clipboard

You paste the clipboard's contents into the script that you are writing.