How can I change screen backgrounds on the fly

[Craig-B]

Not being very experienced in visual basic/C, How would I go about creating a (C-hook/VB ) that will allow me to set 2 screen backgrounds and change them on the fly in VX. I prefer the gradient background for my solid but when I'm sketching geometry I prefer the plain black. In some design packages like (Pro-E)the background will change automatically from sketching mode to modeling mode.

[bryan314]

To get you started, from the file GrVars_CH.h in the c-hook sdk:

code:

---

/**

* @defgroup gr_grp9 Graphics Background Gradient Defines

* @{*/

#define GRADIENT_NONE 0 ///< None (use Graphics background color)

#define GRADIENT_HORIZONTAL 1 ///< Horizontal

#define GRADIENT_VERTICAL 2 ///< Vertical

#define GRADIENT_DIAGONAL 3 ///< Diagonal

/** @}*/

 

extern DllImpExp MC_BYTE gr_back_color; ///< graphics view background color

extern DllImpExp MC_BYTE gr_gradient_start_color; ///< graphics view gradient start color

extern DllImpExp MC_BYTE gr_gradient_end_color; ///< graphics view gradient end color

extern DllImpExp short gradient_direction; ///< graphics view gradient direction

---

You may need to call repaint_graphics(); or rebuild_graphics(); after changing the values.

 

Bryan

[Craig-B]

Thanks for your help bryan314

 

But I think its a little over my head

[Zerren Gedeon]

For your enjoyment and maybe education?

A CHook to switch the Graphics Background “on the fly”.

 

Since Bryan so thoughtfully looked up all the needed info.

I thought hmmm… What would this look like?

 

In the C-hooks folder on the forum FTP site, you’ll find -> GraphicsBackground_CHook.zip

 

It addition to containing the GraphicsBackGround.DLL and GraphicsBackGround.FT (what is needed to run this add-on).

The entire VS2003 C-Hook project with source code is included!

 

To use the CHook:

Copy the DLL and FT files into your CHOOKS folder and restart X.

Now in Settings-Customize, under the Category: "C-Hooks" you’ll find 2 new icons;

1 sets the background to ‘plain’ and the other sets it to ‘gradient’.

As you can see by the icons that I’m no artist. It would take me as long to make ‘pretty’ icons as it did to create the entire project!

 

NOTE:

I’ve included a method of defining the color of the non-gradient background using the PARAM option in the FT file, which of course does not require rebuilding the DLL.

But the gradient option requires more than one value, so you will need this project, as rebuilding the DLL is the only way to alter the colors used in the ‘gradient’ mode. You could certainly find a way to obtain those (2) color settings and even the gradient direction by storing that data “somewhere” (text file, the Registry, etc) and having the GraphicsBackground CHook read that data each time the ‘gradient’ mode is executed.

I leave that task to you…

 

A few notes on using the VS project files:

 

1>

You may need to alter the ‘Additional Include Directories’ paths in the Project since I have the SDK installed at C:SDK and you may have it somewhere else on you system, such as C:MCAMXSDK. Hint! An easy way to change all those paths is not do it using the Project Properties Pages inside VS, but just directly edit the GraphicsBackGround.vcproj file in a text editor and do a mass search and replace.

 

2> If your Mastercam X is not installed in C:MCMAX-MR2 (like mine), you’ll need to alter the InstallRelease.bat and InstallDebug.bat files to set the destination folder to be correct for your system’s setup.

 

 

Happy coding! zDog

[Craig-B]

Thanks alot Zerren Gedeon

I will give it a try and post my results.

Also thanks again bryan314

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

Seems to work fine, except that I can't get it to register color 0 - black.

[Zerren Gedeon]

Matt,

 

That's called a "feature" (aka. bug ).

 

In this function in main.cpp ->

code:

---

 extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) int no_gradient (int param) 

---

This line ->

 

if ((param > 0) && (param < 256))

 

Should be->

if ((param >= 0) && (param < 256))

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi Zerren,

 

I can't seem to find the GraphicsBackground_CHook.zip file on the FTP site anywhere....

 

Thanks,

 

Colin Gilchrist

The Boeing Company

[Colin Gilchrist]

Ok, never mind. I opened the Chooks folder, right clicked and did a refresh, and there it is. Please disregard last.

 

Thank you,

 

Colin Gilchrist

The Boeing Company

[bryan314]

Zerren Gedeon,

 

I've used your code as basis for a chook and I wish to put my chook and code up on the ftp site but I didn't see any kind of licensing stated in your files. Since my code is partially derived from your code do you have any problems with me putting this up? Are there any licensing statements you wish me to include? (ie GPL?) Or can I put a general 'public domain' 'do what you want' on it?

 

Bryan

[Zerren Gedeon]

Bryan,

 

You are free to use that code as you wish.

I consider it 'public domain'.

[b_daddy]

Zerren,

 

I trird to load this in X2 and got an error saying "Incompatable C-Hook version number, Recompile and relink the C-hook" Seeing as I no nothing about how to do this, is this something you can do easily?

 

Thanks

[Zerren Gedeon]

"Old" C-Hooks need to be updated to run with X2.

Topic: Chook in V9 upgrade to X2 *Help

 

Even though to Topic states V9 -> X2, the same applies with X->X2 CHooks.

 

Easy to do...

It will take me longer to find the project on my system than it will to rebuilt it for X2.

[b_daddy]

Thanks Zerren, I will give that a try.

 

Thanks again

[Zerren Gedeon]

GraphicsBackgroundSwitcher (X2).zip is available on the forum FTP site in the 'C_Hooks' folder.

 

Enjoy...

[b_daddy]

Zerren,

 

Hate to be such a pain, but the .dll file is password protected.

[Zerren Gedeon]

...but the .dll file is password protected.

 

??? I don't even know how you would do that !?!

 

Details, please.