AD UDF and GDI+ animation

[mpower]

Hey all (especially @water - the creator of AD UDF),

I'm having a problem with using some GDI+ animations alongside AD queries - when an AD query happens, the animation halts/slows down a lot. Is there any reason for this? And possibly a workaround that doesn't cause the animation choppiness?

Here's the reproducer:

expandcollapse popup

#include <Array.au3>
#include <AD.au3>
#include <GDIPlus.au3>
#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <StaticConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>

_GDIPlus_Startup()
Global $iW = 300, $iH = 150, $userfirstname
Global Const $hGUI = GUICreate("", $iW, $iH, -1, -1, $WS_POPUP + $WS_BORDER)
GUISetBkColor(0xFFFFFF)
Global Const $iPic = GUICtrlCreatePic("", 0, 0, $iW, $iH - 20)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_DISABLE)
$statuslbl = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Loading please wait...", 0, $iH - 15, $iW, 15, $SS_CENTER)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xFFFFFF)
GUISetState()

Global $hHBmp_BG, $hB
AdlibRegister("PlayAnim", 10)
NameCheck()

Do
    Switch GUIGetMsg()
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            AdlibUnRegister("PlayAnim")
            _WinAPI_DeleteObject($hHBmp_BG)
            _GDIPlus_Shutdown()
            GUIDelete()
            Exit
    EndSwitch
Until False

Func NameCheck()
    If _AD_Open() Then
        $aResult = _AD_GetObjectAttribute(@UserName, "DisplayName")
        $aResultSplit = StringSplit($aResult, ',')
        $userfirstname = StringStripWS($aResultSplit[Ubound($aResultSplit)-1],$STR_STRIPLEADING)
        _AD_Close()
    Else
        $userfirstname = 'Anonymous'
    EndIf
    GUICtrlSetData($statuslbl, 'Hi, ' & $userfirstname)
EndFunc     ;==>CheckName

Func PlayAnim()
    $hHBmp_BG = _GDIPlus_Carousel($iW, $iH - 20)
    $hB = GUICtrlSendMsg($iPic, $STM_SETIMAGE, $IMAGE_BITMAP, $hHBmp_BG)
    If $hB Then _WinAPI_DeleteObject($hB)
    _WinAPI_DeleteObject($hHBmp_BG)
EndFunc   ;==>PlayAnim

Func _GDIPlus_Carousel($iW, $iH, $bHBitmap = True)
    Local Const $hBitmap = _GDIPlus_BitmapCreateFromScan0($iW, $iH)
    Local Const $hGfx = _GDIPlus_ImageGetGraphicsContext($hBitmap)
    _GDIPlus_GraphicsSetSmoothingMode($hGfx, 4 + (@OSBuild > 5999))
    _GDIPlus_GraphicsSetPixelOffsetMode($hGfx, 4)
    _GDIPlus_GraphicsClear($hGfx, 0xFFFFFFFF)

    Local Const $iUB = 4
    Local $aColors[$iUB][4] = [[0xD8F4B401, 0xE8CF9902], [0xD8E3746C, 0xE8C1645C], [0xD83A7BF9, 0xE8326AD4], [0xD8109D59, 0xE80E864C]]
    Local Const $fRadius = 50, $fMid = ($iW - $fRadius) / 2
    Local Const $hBrush = _GDIPlus_BrushCreateSolid(), $hPen = _GDIPlus_PenCreate(0x80000000)
    Local Const $hPath1 = _GDIPlus_PathCreate(), $hPath2 = _GDIPlus_PathCreate()
    Local $hRegion1, $hRegion2, $fPenSize, $i
    Local Static $fSpeed

    For $i = 0 To $iUB - 1
        $aColors[$i][2] = -Sin($fSpeed + $i * 1.570796) * 15                ;z coordinate, 1.570796 = Pi/2 = 90° = 360° / 4
        $aColors[$i][3] = $fMid + Cos($fSpeed + $i * 1.570796) * 80         ;x coordinate
    Next
    _ArraySort($aColors, 0, 0, 0, 2) ;sort z-axis
    For $i = 0 To $iUB - 1
        $fPenSize = $aColors[$i][2] / 20 + 1.1
        _GDIPlus_PenSetWidth($hPen, $fPenSize)
        _GDIPlus_BrushSetSolidColor($hBrush, 0x80E0E0E0) ;shadow color
        _GDIPlus_GraphicsFillEllipse($hGfx, $aColors[$i][3], ($iH - $fRadius) / 2 + 10 + $fRadius + $aColors[$i][2], $fRadius + $aColors[$i][2], ($fRadius + $aColors[$i][2]) / 4, $hBrush)

        _GDIPlus_PathAddEllipse($hPath1, $aColors[$i][3], ($iH - $fRadius) / 2, $fRadius + $aColors[$i][2], $fRadius + $aColors[$i][2])
        _GDIPlus_PathAddEllipse($hPath2, $aColors[$i][3] + $fPenSize - 5 - $aColors[$i][2] / 10, ($iH - $fRadius) / 2 - $fPenSize - 5 - $aColors[$i][2] / 10, $fRadius + $aColors[$i][2], $fRadius + $aColors[$i][2])

        $hRegion1 = _GDIPlus_RegionCreateFromPath($hPath1)
        $hRegion2 = _GDIPlus_RegionCreateFromPath($hPath2)
        _GDIPlus_RegionCombineRegion($hRegion1, $hRegion2, 1) ;combine lighter circle with darker circle

        _GDIPlus_BrushSetSolidColor($hBrush, $aColors[$i][1]) ;lighter ball color
        _GDIPlus_GraphicsFillPath($hGfx, $hPath1, $hBrush)

        _GDIPlus_BrushSetSolidColor($hBrush, $aColors[$i][0]) ;darker ball color
        _GDIPlus_GraphicsFillRegion($hGfx, $hRegion1, $hBrush)

        _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawPath($hGfx, $hPath1, $hPen) ;draw circle frame

        _GDIPlus_RegionDispose($hRegion1)
        _GDIPlus_RegionDispose($hRegion2)
        _GDIPlus_PathReset($hPath1)
        _GDIPlus_PathReset($hPath2)
    Next
    $fSpeed += 0.0361799

    If $bHBitmap Then
        Local $hHBITMAP = _GDIPlus_BitmapCreateHBITMAPFromBitmap($hBitmap)
        _GDIPlus_BitmapDispose($hBitmap)
        Return $hHBITMAP
    EndIf
    Return $hBitmap
EndFunc

Cheers,

mpower

Edited August 7, 2015 by mpower

[UEZ]

AutoIt is not able to work "real" threaded. That means when you use AdlibRegister or the Timer function the script will still partly interrupted as it is done in this AD scenario.

I don't know whether it is possible to let run the animation function "real" threaded.

[water]

I'm not sure AdlibRegister can interrupt a running AD query. Wouldn't a progress bar or something else be enough to tell the user that the script is working ...?

[UEZ]

water, same problem when using the timer function. A progress bar is too boring.

[water]

I see. In this case I would try to enhance performance of the AD queries. If you can deliver sub-second response time then there is no need for a progress bar or something else.

[mpower]

I see. In this case I would try to enhance performance of the AD queries. If you can deliver sub-second response time then there is no need for a progress bar or something else.

there is actually a other things happening before the AD query, this is part of a splash screen, it's the reproducer that I've created to only show the "slow-down" part of the animation. when other things happen the animation is smooth, only the AD query seems to cause the slow down.

[water]

Never did I play with performance of the AD UDF and GDI+.
But if the animation is so essential you could run the animation in another script and use IPC (Inter Process Communication) to move data to the animation script or end it.

[mpower]

Never did I play with performance of the AD UDF and GDI+.
But if the animation is so essential you could run the animation in another script and use IPC (Inter Process Communication) to move data to the animation script or end it.

Oh it's definitely not important or essential, I just thought it might be due to some bug or inefficiency in the UDF or autoit, but if it's just down to the non-threaded autoit process then that's that.