AutoHotkey Community

[Ron1]

QUESTION: Can AHK (GUI) create a window with a wide border of controllable width and controllable color, and also transparent inside this special border?

I realize that AHK (GUI) can create a window with a thin black border that is also transparent within this border. However, this border is so thin as to be ineffective for the intended application.

MOTIVATION: In Assistive Technology low-vision applications, it is helpful to have overt methods of signaling users about changes in the system state. A substantial border, surrounding an otherwise transparent window, could be used to signal any number of possible changes of state, such as the pressing of a shift key.

IDEAS TO DATE: I have found no way yet to create this border with a single GUI. But I realize that it is likely possible to use four GUIs, all created (or removed) at the same time, one for each of the four rectangular "bars" that would make up such a border. At the same time, this approach would leave the region inside the bars transparent, as desired. But is there a more direct method?

All suggestions will be received with appreciation.

Ron1

[BoBo²]

[Drawing a rectangle] ?

[tic]

how do you plan on moving the window?

[Guest]

Thank you Bobo2 and Tic,

I am studying the thread to which Bobo2 pointed me.

I do not need to move the rectangle, just to create it (say, when a shift key is pressed) and then to delete it (say, when that shift key is released)

The rectangle will always be along the outside border of the display, but must be thick enough to be seen by a person with low vision and of a color easily spotted.

Ron1

[tic]

I still dont really understand what this is going to be used for, but do you mean something like this:

[SKAN]

[tic]

Here's also a very simple example with a timer making the border thicker:

[Ron1]

Tic and SKAN,

Thank you so much for your very helplful suggestions. I am learning much by studying them. The depth of AHK continues to amaze me as a relative beginner. And the knowledge, and helpfulness, of other users, like yourselves, is most appreciated.

Tic, it is good to know about Gdip. I shall explore its capabilities further, and I shall experiment with your suggested code. Clearly, using Gdip could be very useful in meeting many needs.

SKAN, your approach is very direct and attractive. I expanded the size of the border created in your model to just touch the four edges of the display, as required for my application. I then observed just two oddities that I am addressing and that I hope to resolve:

(1) When the border is triggered, in this case with the CTRL key, a flicker occurs in the central area of the screen, which puzzles me. It is almost as if the GUI is being implemented in two steps, where a solid fill is used in the central area and then that fill is made transparent in a second step. Since the single SHOW command does all implementation, the reason for this puzzles me. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the WinSet command it coming from outside the GUI family of commands. Fortunately, no such flicker occurs when the CTRL key is released to HIDE the border.

(2) The bottom of the border goes under the WinXP taskbar with "Start" on it, rather than on top of the taskbar as required in my application, despite the "AlwaysOnTop" command.

I may then go on to see if I can make the border itself translucent, so that the image under will show through just slightly. I realize that the "Transparent" feature, with appropriate 0-255 number, may be what is needed.

Again, my HUGE appreciation to both of you for excellent help. My project is the development of a scanner-based document magnification system for individuals with low vision.

Regards,

Ron1

[rani]

multi rectangels
how I make multi rectanges on same Image ?
so:
by mouse up the rectange remain
on on next mouse down/drag it wil create another rectangel ?

[tic]

gdi+ and setimage()