Draw lines on desktop

[SaphuA]

Hello,

Is there a way to draw lines on the desktop? Without using a form that is.

Thanks!

[oMBRa]

look the example of _WinAPI_DrawLine in the help file

[martin]

Hello,

Is there a way to draw lines on the desktop? Without using a form that is.

Thanks!

It can be difficult because the DeskTop refreshes and destroys what you've drawn. See a similar requirement in this thread though the solution I suggested used a transparent window so th elines looked like they were on the desktop. If you forced the window to stay uder all others then it would not be possible to see that it was not on the DeskTop.

[Malkey]

To use this example.

The line will start where the left mouse button is first held down and will end where the button is released;.

Middle mouse button or Ctrl key to clear all lines; and,

Esc key to exit.

expandcollapse popup

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#include <GDIPlus.au3>
#include <GuiConstantsEx.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <Misc.au3>

Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1)
Opt("GUIOnEventMode", 1)

Main()

Func Main()
    Local $hBitmap, $hGui, $hGraphic, $hImage2, $GuiSizeX = @DesktopWidth, $GuiSizeY = @DesktopHeight
    Local $GuiSize = 70, $hWnd, $hDC, $pSize, $tSize, $pSource, $tSource, $pBlend, $tBlend
    Local $iX1 = 0, $iY1 = 0, $tPoint, $pPoint, $hBMPBuff, $hGraphicGUI, $hPen, $aMPos, $aMPosNew
    Local $iOpacity = 255, $dll = DllOpen("user32.dll")

    $hGui = GUICreate("L1", $GuiSizeX, $GuiSizeY, -1, -1, $WS_POPUP, BitOR($WS_EX_LAYERED, $WS_EX_TOPMOST))
    GUISetState()

    _GDIPlus_Startup()
    $hWnd = _WinAPI_GetDC(0)
    $hDC = _WinAPI_CreateCompatibleDC($hWnd)
    $hBitmap = _WinAPI_CreateCompatibleBitmap($hWnd, $GuiSizeX, $GuiSizeY)
    _WinAPI_SelectObject($hDC, $hBitmap)
    $hGraphic = _GDIPlus_GraphicsCreateFromHDC($hDC)
    $hBMPBuff = _GDIPlus_BitmapCreateFromGraphics($GuiSizeX, $GuiSizeY, $hGraphic)
    $hGraphicGUI = _GDIPlus_ImageGetGraphicsContext($hBMPBuff)

    _GDIPlus_GraphicsClear($hGraphic); Add ,0x01000000) to disable underling desktop
    $hPen = _GDIPlus_PenCreate(0xffff0000, 6)

    $tSize = DllStructCreate($tagSIZE)
    $pSize = DllStructGetPtr($tSize)
    DllStructSetData($tSize, "X", $GuiSizeX);$iWidth )
    DllStructSetData($tSize, "Y", $GuiSizeY);$iHeight)
    $tSource = DllStructCreate($tagPOINT)
    $pSource = DllStructGetPtr($tSource)
    $tBlend = DllStructCreate($tagBLENDFUNCTION)
    $pBlend = DllStructGetPtr($tBlend)
    DllStructSetData($tBlend, "Alpha", $iOpacity)
    DllStructSetData($tBlend, "Format", 1)
    $tPoint = DllStructCreate($tagPOINT); Create point destination structure here
    $pPoint = DllStructGetPtr($tPoint); Create pointer to this dll data structure, $pPTDest parameter
    DllStructSetData($tPoint, "X", $iX1)
    DllStructSetData($tPoint, "Y", $iY1)
    _WinAPI_UpdateLayeredWindow($hGui, $hWnd, $pPoint, $pSize, $hDC, $pSource, 0, $pBlend, $ULW_ALPHA)

    Do
        Select
            Case _IsPressed("01", $dll); Ctrl  mouse button to move
                $aMPos = MouseGetPos()
                Do
                    Sleep(10)
                Until Not _IsPressed("01", $dll)
                $aMPosNew = MouseGetPos()
                _GDIPlus_GraphicsDrawLine($hGraphic, $aMPosNew[0], $aMPosNew[1], $aMPos[0], $aMPos[1], $hPen)
                _WinAPI_UpdateLayeredWindow($hGui, $hWnd, 0, $pSize, $hDC, $pSource, 0, $pBlend, $ULW_ALPHA)
            Case _IsPressed("04", $dll) Or _IsPressed("11", $dll); middle mouse button 0r Ctrl key
                _GDIPlus_GraphicsClear($hGraphic)
                _WinAPI_UpdateLayeredWindow($hGui, $hWnd, 0, $pSize, $hDC, $pSource, 0, $pBlend, $ULW_ALPHA)
        EndSelect
        Sleep(50)
    Until _IsPressed("1B", $dll); ESC key

    DllClose($dll)
    _GDIPlus_PenDispose($hPen)
    _GDIPlus_GraphicsDispose($hGraphicGUI)
    _GDIPlus_GraphicsDispose($hGraphic)
    _WinAPI_ReleaseDC(0, $hWnd)
    _WinAPI_DeleteObject($hBitmap)
    _WinAPI_DeleteDC($hDC)
    _GDIPlus_Shutdown()
EndFunc  ;==>Main
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