match bitmap file to screen area (ImageSearch)

[Ster]

I've been searching the forums and have come across some codings that may be usefull, but all the gui32.dll calls are very confusing to me.

Simply put i want this function exactly:

http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/ImageSearch.htm

is there an equivalent in autoIt?

[Andre]

Hi,

the autohotkey has some good things perhaps an idea to combine the 2 into one ?

Andre

[tuape]

Yes, this would be a good function to add. I wouldn't mind if this function would be ripped from AHK, they have used a lot of AutoIt's code

[Valik]

Yes, this would be a good function to add. I wouldn't mind if this function would be ripped from AHK, they have used a lot of AutoIt's code 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So you want us to throw away our ideals and be a bunch of dirty rat bastards that steal source code? I think that'd be a rather hypocritical thing for us to do given one of the primary reasons AutoIt is closed/limited source is due to a certain group leeching our code without even being courteous enough to ask us first.

[Josbe]

I think a combination of PixelSearch and PixelChecksum could do something... I will go test...

Lar.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice words...

I didn't know of this function (at this moment), I don't use AHK...but it's interesting because, looks like this func, works with files.

Also, would be nice a GUI function that extracts a region of an image file and can be used like resource over a window... (of course, I believe that could be finished with DLLCall)

[tuape]

So you want us to throw away our ideals and be a bunch of dirty rat bastards that steal source code?  I think that'd be a rather hypocritical thing for us to do given one of the primary reasons AutoIt is closed/limited source is due to a certain group leeching our code without even being courteous enough to ask us first.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, that's not what I'm saying. You can always take the high road and ask AHK developer / give him credits on the func description. I'm just saying AHK source code might be worth studying to give ideas how this can be done.

@Larry: That's very good but doesn't really do exactly the same (not reading image info from files)

A function coded with C++ and added to AutoIt would probably perform much better.

[Valik]

I'm just saying AHK source code might be worth studying to give ideas how this can be done.

This is why reading their source is pointless:

I just looked at the ImageSearch function source in AHK and it is a modification of my PixelSearch function from AU3.

[JSThePatriot]

I have looked at the whole thing, because I wanted to see who AutoIt's competitor's are, and I noticed they gave Jon some credit, but not very much in their helpfile. They have most everything AutoIt used to offer.

I looked at how they had everything setup, and its just like AutoIt... really kinda upset me that someone would do that. They even have a quite large support forum. Its odd.

Edit: This seems to be the case with alot of things I have noticed... splits and such, except this isnt a split they just took the source and went with it. I am glad Jon saw this and limited the source code when he did. Competition is one thing, but just taking and claiming it for your own is a totally different story.

JS

Edited July 21, 2005 by JSThePatriot

[tuape]

I didn't mean to step to anyones toes here. I've just been in the forum long enough to know that AHK is taking code from Jon, that's all.

@Larry: For test automation image file is better. Humans can easily spot a difference in image file, but not in Pixelchecksum. Maybe both ways could be supported?

I myself don't have any specific need at the moment, I'm just saying that this function would be really good add-on...

[JSThePatriot]

I didn't mean to step to anyones toes here. I've just been in the forum long enough to know that AHK is taking code from Jon, that's all.

@Larry: For test automation image file is better. Humans can easily spot a difference in image file, but not in Pixelchecksum. Maybe both ways could be supported?

I myself don't have any specific need at the moment, I'm just saying that this function would be really good add-on...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know you didnt mean to step on any toes. At the same time this is somewhat a sore subject for the developers, because someone has just taken their code barely gave any recognition to who wrote it, and claiming it as their own.

JS

[v1rtu0s1ty]

whipped together something similar that should be useful... bad code... uncommented... but works...

expandcollapse popup

;----------------------------------------------------------------
;;;;;The very first pixel should be as unique as possible...
;----------------------------------------------------------------
$info = _ImageSearchGetInfo(326,313,339,331)

$xy = _ImageSearch(0,0,640,480,$info)
If Not @error Then MsgBox(4096,"",$xy[0] & "," & $xy[1])

Func _ImageSearchGetInfo($l,$t,$r,$b)
    Dim $array[4]
    $color = PixelGetColor($l, $t)
    $chksum = PixelChecksum($l, $t, $r, $b)
    $array[0] = $r - $l
    $array[1] = $b - $t
    $array[2] = $color
    $array[3] = $chksum
    Return $array
EndFunc

Func _ImageSearch($left,$top,$width,$height,$ISarray)
    $x = $left
    $y = $top
    $boundX = $left + $width
    $boundY = (($top + $height) - $ISarray[1])

    While $x <= $boundX And $y <= $boundY
        $initXY = PixelSearch($x, $y, $boundX, $y, $ISarray[2])
        If Not @error Then
            If $ISarray[3] = PixelChecksum($initXY[0], $initXY[1], $initXY[0] + $ISarray[0], $initXY[1] + $ISarray[1]) Then
                Return $initXY
            Else
                If ($initXY[0] + $ISarray[0]) > $boundX Then
                    $y = $y + 1
                Else
                    $x = $initXY[0] + 1
                EndIf
            EndIf
        Else
            $y = $y + 1
        EndIf
    WEnd
    SetError(1)
EndFunc

gotta go get ready for a road trip...

Lar.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Larry,

I'm interested in this code you wrote. Which part compares the source image? How is the source image loaded? I'm planning to use it in the script I'm building now since I can't retrieve the classname of a text inside a dialog box.

Thanks,

Neil

[Ster]

Okay specifically why i wanted this function is that in a game i play, i want to drop items from my inventory based on an original cropped bitmap i would save to file.

now a matching image will generally be the same, except the background of the inventory window is not consistent. therefore i require the shade-difference option.

if i could understand how to open a bitmap and parse each pixel, say x:1-41 and y:1-41, then i could write my own utility by using pixelsearch. however i do not know how to load a bitmap nor parse each pixel -- if someone could give a breif example of this i would GREATLY APRECIATE it.

p.s. i was also thinking of using imagemagick COMPARE but the download seems to be source only files.

[v1rtu0s1ty]

_ImageSearchGetInfo takes a snapshot and saves th info to an array. You can record this info however you want. pass the array to _ImageSearch along with the left,top pixel and width,height to search.

Lar.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Am I correct that the array passed to _ImageSearch will be used to compare the image or array found in the left,top pixel and width,height supplied?

Assuming I have kept a .gif file of the image I want to compare with, how will I load this image? And how will I use your function to compare it?

Thanks again!

Neil

[cmallett]

I just looked at the ImageSearch function source in AHK and it is a modification of my PixelSearch function from AU3.

That is false. Both ImageSearch and the fast-mode PixelSearch were written from scratch by Aurelian Maga (and I made some small refinements, such as PNG and transparent-icon support). Anyone wishing proof can download the source code, in which the ImageSearch function can be found by searching script2.cpp for "ImageSearch was created by Aurelian Maga."

Edit: Fixed typos.

Edited July 23, 2005 by cmallett

[Ster]

[...]

if i could understand how to open a bitmap and parse each pixel [...] then i could write my own utility by using pixelsearch.  [...] if someone could give a brief example of this i would GREATLY APRECIATE it.

[...]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[tuape]

I have to give credit to AHK people about this ImageSearch function. It's fast enough and works very well.

[murky024]

Hate to bump a dead thread but is there a way to do this in AutoIt? My search has only yeilded me this and I am not sure I completely understand the use of Larry's function...

[Melba23]

murky024,

Rather than necro a dead thread, please just open a new one next time.

You need to sharpen up your searching skills - this popped up as top of the list for me.

M23