GDI Graphics draw on screen.

[JojjeK]

I have tried for a few days to get AutoIt to draw a square on my screen(not on a GUI, but on the windows screen). After some searching i found this post from 2008 which had enough information for me to learn how to draw a simple line on the screen. It works really well with drawing a line, but when i want to draw multiple lines to make a square shape the lines start to flicker. Here's my code where i can enable/disable the lines:

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#include <FileConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPI.au3>
#Include <GDIPlus.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <WinAPIFiles.au3>
#include <Misc.au3>
#include <ButtonConstants.au3>

$Test = GUICreate("ColorCheck")
$Square = GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("On", 10, 90, 80, 30, $BS_PUSHLIKE)
$Exit = GUICtrlCreateButton("EXIT",200,35,50,25)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW,$Test)


While 1
   _GDIPlus_Startup ()
   Global $hDC = _WinAPI_GetWindowDC(0)
   Global $hGraphic = _GDIPlus_GraphicsCreateFromHDC($hDC)



   Switch GUIGetMsg()

   Case $Exit

      Exit

   EndSwitch



   Switch GUICtrlRead($Square)


   Case $GUI_CHECKED

      GUICtrlSetData($Square, "Off")
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 760, 390, 1160, 390)
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 760, 690, 1160, 690)
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 760, 390, 760, 690)
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 1160, 390, 1160, 690)


   Case Else
      GUICtrlSetData($Square, "On")

   EndSwitch

   Sleep(10)
WEnd


_WinAPI_RedrawWindow(_WinAPI_GetDesktopWindow(), 0, 0, $RDW_INVALIDATE+$RDW_ALLCHILDREN)
_WinAPI_ReleaseDC(0, $hDC)
_GDIPlus_Shutdown()

And here is my code where i just draw the lines:

#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPI.au3>
#Include <GDIPlus.au3>

_GDIPlus_Startup ()

$hDC = _WinAPI_GetWindowDC(0)

$hGraphic = _GDIPlus_GraphicsCreateFromHDC($hDC)

While 1
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 760, 390, 1160, 390)
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 760, 690, 1160, 690)
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 760, 390, 760, 690)
      _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, 1160, 390, 1160, 690)
WEnd

Is there anyway to draw a few lines, i am planning on drawing more lines so i really need to find a way, and keep them from flickering. The flickering gets even worse if i the screen updates e.g videos or games.

[careca]

Maybe you could use a transparent GUI behind, and then the lines could not be redrawn.

But im not an expert on this.

See this example:

Maybe you can use the idea to make whatever you want.

Edited January 3, 2019 by careca

[JojjeK]

I tried to create a transparent GUI behind it, but it still flickers even with the GUI on top and if i just do GUICtrlCreateGraphic it will be as transparent as the GUI.

[careca]

One option could be making your GUI the child window of whatever it is on top of it.

Scratch that, thy this instead:

_WinAPI_SetWindowPos($GUI, $HWND_TOP, 100, 100, $WX, $WY, $SWP_SHOWWINDOW)

 

Edited January 3, 2019 by careca