Help needed to create cool transition app!

[rainydayprogrammer]

I am relatively new to AutoIt. I need to create an application that does the following:

(Assume computer is running some sort of application eg.VLC)

1. Open some sort of image.

2. Close VLC in the background.

3. Open another application (eg. Notepad) in the background, without switching away from the foreground image.

4. Once notepad is open, close the foreground image to expose notepad window.

This is what I have so far

Run($vlcPath[1]&" -f "&$vid1&" --no-video-title-show" ,"", @SW_MAXIMIZE); ;Start a random program

Sleep(3000);

ShellExecute("Jellyfish.jpg",""); ;In 3sec open some image in front of the movie.

Sleep(3000);

If ProcessExists("vlc.exe") Then ;If the VLC is running, close the application in the background.

ProcessClose("vlc.exe");

EndIf

Sleep(3000);

Run("notepad.exe",""); ;Run Notepad

Sleep(1000);

WinActivate("Viewer",""); ;Make image window active

Sleep(3000);

WinClose("Viewer"); ;Close image to reveal notepad window.

The problem with this script is that, I can see notepad open and then go into the background.

How can I avoid this? How can I have notepad start and run in the background and only become active when I want it to?

Please help!!

[tehdon]

You can start notepad hidden with

ShellExecute("notepad.exe","","","",@SW_HIDE)

The following would show it, assuming the Window title hasn't changed since when you opened it

WinSetState("Untitled - Notepad","",@SW_SHOW)

[Yoriz]

when you use run to open notepad set the optional 'show' flag to @SW_HIDE, when you want to show notepad use WinSetState with the flag @SW_SHOW.

[picea892]

#include <guiconstants.au3>
#include <constants.au3>
#include <windowsconstants.au3>

$hGui1 = GUICreate('Just a Way To End SCript', 300,100)
GUISetState()
Run("notepad.exe","",@SW_HIDE)
WinWait("Untitled","",100)
$hw1 = WinGetHandle("Untitled")
$iRet = DllCall("User32.dll", "int", "SetWindowPos", "Hwnd", $hw1,"Hwnd", $HWND_BOTTOM, _
          "int", 100, "int", 300, "int", 300, "int", 300, "uint", $SWP_NOACTIVATE + $SWP_SHOWWINDOW + $SWP_NOMOVE)
While 1
    $msg = GUIGetMsg()
    If $msg = -3 Then
        Exit
    EndIf
    
WEnd

[rainydayprogrammer]

Thanks everyone! That was very helpful!