PNG as GUI, drop shadows, curved edges, you name it

[fisofo]

I have to agree, I used GIMP 2 and it was pretty easy.

Another vote from me, i use it all the time, fantastic program. Not as robust as an Adobe product, but way better pricing

Ok, offtopic, but I just got to say J0ker... I can't stand your avatar. Seriously, do you find it amusing or something? Whatever... *Adblocked* Gotta love firefox extensions.

Back ontopic: LuckyMurari, do you actually have something started?

Edited June 18, 2007 by fisofo

[Dhilip89]

I got an idea!

how about we make a stand-alone widget app with AutoIt ?

something similiar to yahoo! widget, m$ gadget, etc...

Nobody see this post ?

[LuckyMurari]

Nobody see this post ?

I saw this n have replied to it.......

Fisofo...I have started it actually but the prob that occured was I waz doing them as separate apps...I mean it like one clock,one todo list etc etc...As they are separate apps thr wz prob with the efficiency 'coz they consumed a lot of mem....I figured out a bit on hw 2 make it one prog using child windows but again the prob of extensibility came like i hav 2 allow users 2 create thr own widgets...If nebody shows some way out I think we can start sumthing official

[i542]

Just made StarPlay

hope you like it

[Josbe]

Playing and testing from the original sample, I did this (attached) with AutoIt logo.

NOTE: "Grey.gif" file, for me, it was unnecessary.

au3_logo.au3

[ConsultingJoe]

Amazing job.

A+ here

NVM: Forgot to read the third step.

Edited June 20, 2007 by CyberZeroCool

[Valuater]

Nice stuff guys!!!

8)

[lod3n]

Valuater,

I'm glad to see that you caught wind of this. Considering the nature of how this works, it seems like it would be difficult to work into something like XSkin. I am interested to see what, if anything, you do with this technique.

[Valuater]

Valuater,

I'm glad to see that you caught wind of this. Considering the nature of how this works, it seems like it would be difficult to work into something like XSkin. I am interested to see what, if anything, you do with this technique.

With less time available to me now, and the in-depth research needed to mix the two.....

I would love to see someone else dig into it

Thanks.... and again, nice work lod3n!!

8)

[ConsultingJoe]

Heres mine. I hope you guys like it.

pnggui.zip

[smstroble]

I'm curious how exactly this works. As per AutoIt Help $WS_EX_LAYERED: Creates a layered window. Note that this cannot be used for child windows. But this script creates a layered child window anyway, and still works. Even more so if the layered property is removed the control GUI will not be transparent. I am also curious as to what role grey.gif plays. If have discovered that changeing the color of grey.gif makes stange things happen, size doen not seem to matter though. grey.gif may be of any size and any color except white, sounds like it sets the transparency but if so wouldn't a gray image produce a semi transparent window? Very interesting. Anyway I agree with Dhilip some standalone widgets using this would be neat, i started to work on a clock myself but quickly discovered I do not have a aptitude for art in anyway lol.

Edited June 21, 2007 by smstroble

[lod3n]

CyberZeroCool, your example is missing the grey.gif file. I replaced it with the original, but I think that shade is perhaps not the best for the transparent color. This magenta grey.gif works nicely.

[lod3n]

smstroble,

"As per AutoIt Help $WS_EX_LAYERED: Creates a layered window. Note that this cannot be used for child windows." Where does it say that exactly? I don't think that's right. According to Microsoft, WS_EX_LAYERED "provides an efficient way to add transparency and translucency to top-level windows"

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms997507.aspx

This demo exploits both the transparency and translucency offered by this style. The purpose of the grey.gif is to provide to the child gui the reference color to be made invisible throughout that gui. It ought to have been named something else, perhaps TransparentReferenceColor.gif, or something.

It's kind of a tricky demo, as it's hitting you with two different concepts at once: 1) A way to make a certain color transparent throughout your gui (the foreground gui providing the controls), and 2) A way to make a gui based on a PNG with alpha transparency but no controls (the background GUI).

Both GUIs in the demo use the WS_EX_LAYERED extended style, but very different ways.

[smstroble]

Hmm, interesting, must have taken a while to get everything set just right to work. It does say that $WS_EX_LAYERED is not for child window use in the help file if you look at the extended style table $WS_EX_LAYERED is at the bottom of the table. Perhaps that entry in the helpfile should be updated . Anyway nice script, thanks for sharing!

[Prozac]

This is a great script.

I wonder if anyone could me find out why its not working together with this:

http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.ph...st&p=361817

Which is Icon buttons with text.

My problem is that it will only show the icon image and not the button, seems to have something to do with $WS_CLIPSIBLINGS in the button function.

Any help?

Edited July 1, 2007 by Prozac

[lod3n]

Are you putting the controls on the child gui, or the main gui?

[GtaSpider]

Hello

Very, very cool! big thanks to lod3n and PaulIA for this amazing script! @lod3n.. with witch programm you have createt the png? Gimp? CS2? can u please give us the Projectfile? my aero effect doesnt looks so cool like yours ;-)

Mfg / Best regards Spider

[lod3n]

Photoshop, and I just stole and modified slightly the PNG that comes with Launchy.

[Prozac]

Are you putting the controls on the child gui, or the main gui?

Putting it on the control gui.

I also have the problem with a normal gui with just a background image, if that is any help.

[dufran3]

First off, freaking fantastic guys! I will try and use this in my next GUI. Question first, on the launchskin.png file, the center is black to gray gradient. How did you make the transparent looking border that is around the gradient area???