VB6 + RC6 Auto-generated Widget-Forms via direct PSD-FileParsing

[Schmidt]

As the title says, the demo shows, how a fully transparent Widget-Form can be generated,
directly from a PhotoShop *.psd-File... by auto-creating clickable Widget-instances for each Layer in the PSD.

This Demo has the following pre-requisites:
- the newest RC6-version 6.0.15 has to be downloaded from vbRichClient.com (the RC6BaseDlls.zip)
- after that the RC6.dll as well as the RC6Widgets.dll have to be registered (via the little Scripts in the BaseDlls-Folder)
- before running the Demo, an about 4MB large *.psd File has to be downloaded from the following link:
.. https://vbrichclient.com/Downloads/tank-clock-mk1.psd
and then placed in the \Res\ Subfolder of the unzipped Demo-Project

The Demo-Project itself is quite small, and downloadable here:
PSDWidgets.zip

After everything is correctly set up, the demo should produce the following:



- the App-Window is movable when clicking on the "outer, dark-grey frame" of the render-output,
- any PSD-Layer of the Widget-Form is "hoverable" in different Colors (the smaller red-hours-circle is an example)
- ToolTips for each of the Widget-converted Layers are shown
- there is an (optional) little close-button to be able to close the App via Mouse (coming from a separate resource-image)
- in IDE-Mode the App-Window will get a TaskBar-entry (not so, when running compiled)
- the App-Window is zoomable (via Touchpad- or OnScreen-two-finger-gesture, or via the matching Mouse Std-Op: <Ctrl>+MouseWheel)

Have fun with it,

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Superb, Olaf, I will give that a go now!

[yereverluvinuncleber]

OK. I am really impressed.

I will dig into that code and see how you have done what you have achieved. Fascinated that you have changed my initial requirement to read from a series of PSD extracted PNGs and have expanded that to extract directly from the PSD file. That does away with my extraction script (.js) and potentially makes the whole design process a lot easier, matching it in ease with the old YWE widget build process. I can design in Photoshop and create VB6 widgets. Feck me! That is impressive.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

My desktop with the Panzer StopWatch PSD design being displayed (full centre) using VB6 and RC6 6.0.15


Note, that clock works, the widget is resizable, the various layers respond to events. Best of all it is designed in Photoshop and written in VB6!

[Schmidt]

I will dig into that code and see how you have done what you have achieved.

It's commented in sufficient detail (I think) - so that should help...

What was costing a bit of extra-time on my end (when working with *that* specific PSD) was basically 2 things:

1) better "PSD-group- and layer-naming" would have helped (psd-layer-group-paths will become the future Widget- and ImageList-Keys)
.. (as it was, I always had to "visualize and click" a layer for Debug-Printing its Path-Key -
.. more intuitive namings, resulting in paths like e.g. "grpBigClock/hour-hand", "grpBigClock/minute-hand" would have helped


2) when producing a PSD for "rotational stuff" - it would be good with regards to "auto-calculations",
.. to ensure the "rotation-center" exactly at PsdWidth/2 and PsdHeight/2
2.1) same for other layers (like e.g. the clock-hands) which have to be rotated around their own "sub-center-point" -
.. better to prepare them in "centerpoint-symmetric" stripes (either vertically or horizontally).
.. (had to fumble a bit, until I got these "internal clock-hand center-rotation-offsets" right in cwOverlay-Paint)


Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

It is impressive, fully commented and I am able to comprehend. I will set about converting it into something that approximates one of my YWE widgets and then I will start to add any functionality that is missing. In that way I will better understand the code and the issues it raises in my mind.

If anyone reading this fails to understand the importance of what Olaf has just created in the latest version on RC6, it is this:

***** You can now use Photoshop as an IDE for advanced VB6 GUI design *****

Don't underestimate the importance of this. You now have a graphical IDE for RichClient apps in Photoshop!

[yereverluvinuncleber]

It's commented in sufficient detail (I think) - so that should help...

What was costing a bit of extra-time on my end (when working with *that* specific PSD) was basically 2 things:

1) better "PSD-group- and layer-naming" would have helped (psd-layer-group-paths will become the future Widget- and ImageList-Keys)
.. (as it was, I always had to "visualize and click" a layer for Debug-Printing its Path-Key -
.. more intuitive namings, resulting in paths like e.g. "grpBigClock/hour-hand", "grpBigClock/minute-hand" would have helped

You are quite correct in that and apologies for the poor naming. Most of my PSDs have layers named exactly as you suggest. In my defence I was under time constraints when I created that PSD file and so I just banged it out as quickly as I could. Once done, I renamed the layers in the resulting XML descriptor file and never looked back. I simply copied that XML descriptor for future widgets so it didn't really matter.

For the future, for any new designs I will meticulously ensure the naming of layers is appropriate to its function and identification within the widget and imageList keys. I do that anyway for most of my widget designs, though laziness does creep in on occasion.

[SearchingDataOnly]

Directly parsing PSD files and generating transparent widget-forms, I have to say that this is really creative and amazing.

I now have a bold idea: make a PsdViewer or PhotoshopViewer.

[Schmidt]

I will set about converting it into something that approximates one of my YWE widgets...

Before you make a copy of the demo-source to do that, please note that I made a small update on the code-zip in post #1
(forgot to enable regfree-Mode for the RC6Widgets.dll, which is part of the Project - which the new zip-link now includes).

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

I now have a bold idea: make a PsdViewer or PhotoshopViewer.

Yup, I use XnView to view folders of PSD files but now is your chance SDO to create a tool that does the same. I think Faf could use this functionality as it is something that base Windows explorer lacks.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Before you make a copy of the demo-source to do that, please note that I made a small update on the code-zip in post #1
(forgot to enable regfree-Mode for the RC6Widgets.dll, which is part of the Project - which the new zip-link now includes).

Olaf

Will comply.

P.S Still impressed.

[Schmidt]

Yup, I use XnView to view folders of PSD files but now is your chance SDO to create a tool that does the same. I think Faf could use this functionality as it is something that base Windows explorer lacks.

Careful with these plans... because the Parser-Class is named cSimplePSD for a reason...

Whilst it fully supports the Photoshop-produced "normal Layering with Alpha" (which is the "bread-and-butter" in Photoshop) -
there's additional settings per Layer (like Masking or Clipping) - which are currently not (or only partially) supported by cSimplePSD.

As a companion in a "PhotoShop-powered Form-Editing-scenario" (useful for Game-Designers and Desk-Modders),
cSimplePSD should do a decent enough job though.

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

It is a significant step forward and it indicates a path for this type and method of design. I had already committed (in my mind) to some simple eye-candy type desktop 'widgets' that had a minimal UI (sysmetric gauges &c) with all the user controls and events reverted to menus and preferences.

Instead, what you have provided is a significant improvement on that and I am fairly sure it will do all that I require. It is time to experiment.

Crikey, VB6 program transparency with potentially multi-platform graphical controls, seems now to be here, soon it will be 64bit with TwinBasic, is the future finally arriving?

[xiaoyao]

If the PSD file has 6 layers, is it possible to read the name of each layer, the coordinates in the picture, and also the layer size?
Then how to get the PNG image of each layer to memory bytes? Convenient for GDIPLUS to load as image object?

[xiaoyao]

Call FreeImage, you can operate freely on all graphics and images, just like ps
This is an open source library
If only for psd, go directly to github to find the code: https://github.com/MolecularMatters/psd_sdk
Vb6 calls: compile c++ into static dll calls or directly call FreeImage

[Schmidt]

If the PSD file has 6 layers, is it possible to read the name of each layer, the coordinates in the picture, and also the layer size?
Then how to get the PNG image of each layer to memory bytes? Convenient for GDIPLUS to load as image object?

The Demo contains an enumeration-loop over all PSD-layers already...
(including coord-, dimension-, and layer-surface-object-access).

The .LayerSurface(i)-Prop returns a cCairoSurface (which in turn opens up all kind of exports via its own methods).

Olaf

[xiaoyao]

CAN you make a sample ,thank you.
if layer info like json:
lyaer1>>layer1-a show=true
layer1>>layer1-b show=false
and how to export to png byte.
i want to use psd file like a resource file
Otherwise, I still need to copy each layer and create a new PSD file, and export each PNG file, which is a lot of work

thank you

[JT870]

Dear Olaf, Please check your latest RC6 + RC6Widgets Package, It seems that
LayerPath is not existed in following line:
Cairo.ImageList.AddSurface .LayerPath(i), .LayerSurface(i)

Thanks.
John

[yereverluvinuncleber]

I'd be interested to hear that too. It would add flexibility to existing apps that use images by default and resolving a storage issue as a byproduct.

[Schmidt]

Dear Olaf, Please check your latest RC6 + RC6Widgets Package, It seems that
LayerPath is not existed in following line:
Cairo.ImageList.AddSurface .LayerPath(i), .LayerSurface(i)

When you open an RC6-referenced project in the VB6-IDE -
what's the output in your immediate-window for:
?New_c.Version

What I mean is, the cSimplePSD-Class was newly introduced in 6.0.13 -
but LayerPath was added to this class only in 6.0.15 (along with a few "hardening-fixes" in cSimplePSD)

Remember, a simple "copy-over" (of new files from a recently downloaded, unpacked RC6BaseDlls-Zip) into your local RC6-Folder is not enough.
You will always have to follow up with registering (either via \SysWow64\regsvr32.exe or the two RegisterInPlace-scripts).

Olaf

[Schmidt]

I'd be interested to hear that too.

You mean XiaoYaos question, how to export all Layers to *.png-Files?

I thought I've answered this sufficiently already in #16...
(especially my mentioning of .LayerSurface(i) being of type cCairoSurface should have cleared all doubts, regarding PNG or JPG-export)

But Ok - here's "a hand-out" again (most of the loop-construct, copied from what was already written in the cfAlpha.InitFromPSD-routine):

Sub ExportPngs(PSD_FileNameOrByteArray, ByVal PngFolder As String)
  New_c.FSO.EnsurePath PngFolder 'make sure the PngFolder-Path "materializes itself" in the FileSystem
  New_c.FSO.EnsurePathEndSep PngFolder 'add a backslash to the PngFolder-param (in case it was missing)
  
  With New_c.SimplePSD(PSD_FileNameOrByteArray)  'create a new PSD-Parser.instance (and load the passed content)
    Dim i As Long
    For i = 0 To .LayersCount - 1 'loop over all the Layers in the PSD
      If .LayerByteSize(i) Then   'this is an Alpha-Surface-Layer with "meat" (and not a group-specification)
         .LayerSurface(i).WriteContentToPngFile PngFolder & Replace(.LayerPath(i), "/", "_") & ".png"
      End If
    Next
  End With
End Sub

If you place the above routine in modMain.bas, you can call it from everywhere, e.g. in Sub Main itself via:

   ExportPngs App.Path & "\Res\tank-clock-mk1.psd", App.Path & "\PngExport"

HTH

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Very good. Still digging into your code and merging my own. Lots to think about and absorb... I'll get there.

[JT870]

After registering again, It's OK now. Thanks a lot.
John

[xiaoyao]

You mean XiaoYaos question, how to export all Layers to *.png-Files?

I thought I've answered this sufficiently already in #16...
(especially my mentioning of .LayerSurface(i) being of type cCairoSurface should have cleared all doubts, regarding PNG or JPG-export)

But Ok - here's "a hand-out" again (most of the loop-construct, copied from what was already written in the cfAlpha.InitFromPSD-routine):

Sub ExportPngs(PSD_FileNameOrByteArray, ByVal PngFolder As String)
  New_c.FSO.EnsurePath PngFolder 'make sure the PngFolder-Path "materializes itself" in the FileSystem
  New_c.FSO.EnsurePathEndSep PngFolder 'add a backslash to the PngFolder-param (in case it was missing)
  
  With New_c.SimplePSD(PSD_FileNameOrByteArray)  'create a new PSD-Parser.instance (and load the passed content)
    Dim i As Long
    For i = 0 To .LayersCount - 1 'loop over all the Layers in the PSD
      If .LayerByteSize(i) Then   'this is an Alpha-Surface-Layer with "meat" (and not a group-specification)
         .LayerSurface(i).WriteContentToPngFile PngFolder & Replace(.LayerPath(i), "/", "_") & ".png"
      End If
    Next
  End With
End Sub

If you place the above routine in modMain.bas, you can call it from everywhere, e.g. in Sub Main itself via:

   ExportPngs App.Path & "\Res\tank-clock-mk1.psd", App.Path & "\PngExport"

HTH

Olaf

thank you,Every other line is like a mountain, and your technology will always surpass us.

[SearchingDataOnly]

Careful with these plans... because the Parser-Class is named cSimplePSD for a reason...

The classes of your cSimpleXXXX family are easy to integrate, easy to extend, and extremely creative and inspiring.

Your cwSpread(cSimpleSpread) only has 104 lines of code, but I used it as the starting-point and foundation to develop a professional Spread control with more than 30,000 lines of code.

Your Simple-PropertyGrid is so simple that few people will pay attention to it, but I used it as a basis to make a PropertyGrid that perfectly meets my IDE needs. (You know I developed my own PropertyGrid, which was very complex, but powerful enough to meet my project needs, but in the end I decided to choose your Simple-PropertyGrid as the prototype and develop a new PropertyGrid based on your Simple-PropertyGrid. The final effect of the control proves that my choice is very correct)

Your Virtual-ComboBox is also very simple, but it's easy to integrate and extensible, and I've applied it to my Property-Window, which accurately simulates some of the valuable details of the VB6-IDE.

The same goes for cSimpleTab.

For me, the classes of your cSimpleXXXX series are like precious and excellent seeds that I can cultivate into beautiful flowers through my own efforts.

What I need most now is a cSimpleCodeEditor and cSimpleCodeDebugger as a starting point for my next step.

If you could find the time to write a cSimpleCodeEditor, then maybe I can use your cSimpleCodeEditor as a prototype and starting point to develop a better CodeEditor than Scintilla. If you don't have time to write such an example, I'm going to follow your previous tips and develop a CodeEditor based on VList (or cwVList) that meets my needs. Without your help, I'm doomed to take many detours.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Olaf, question specifically for you I am afraid.

In general I am working well with your above supplied code, becoming familiar with it and modifying this and that, so far successful.

One thing I don't seem to be able to switch OFF within InitFromPSD is the W.HoverColor = vbColour

I have set the majority of the layers to W.HoverColor = -1 which makes them click-through with no resulting colour overlay.

However, if I want a fully or partially transparent HoverColor, that does not currently seem to be possible.

I am using W.HoverColor = 0 on the grey image sections of my PSD which simply makes those grey sections change greyness during a hover over - that is acceptable.

Is there a way of altering the opacity of the overlays so they are not quite so intrusive overall? I appreciate they are overlays and I can change the individual colours to suit the item being hovered over - but I'd really like to make them non-intrusive if that is possible by reducing their opacity.

I suspect it may not be possible but if you do know how then do let me know how. Thanks in advance.

[Schmidt]

Is there a way of altering the opacity of the overlays so they are not quite so intrusive overall?

The applied Hover(Color)-effect is currently using a "hard-wired" Alpha-Value of 0.25...

Well - for the next release of RC6/RC6Widgets -
I've adjusted cwAlphaImg to use the so far unused W.Tag (general purpose Variant-Prop) for that -
pre-initialized to 0.25 (but now changeable on the outside, to what you prefer).

If you don't want to wait for that next release, you can "hang-in" the cwAlphaImg-Class manually -
as a Project-Private Class from this identical code (out of RC6Widgets):

Option Explicit 'a very simple Image-Widget, which expects an ImageKey - and ensures ClickThrough-behaviour
 
Private WithEvents W As cWidgetBase

Private Sub Class_Initialize()
  Set W = Cairo.WidgetBase
      W.BackColor = -1  'we don't use any BackColor here
      W.HoverColor = vbRed 'show no Hover-Effect by default
      W.ImplementsHitTest = True 'when at False, no HitTest-Event would be triggered
      W.ImplementsWheelMessages = True
      W.Tag = 0.25 'we use this common cWidgetBase-Property here, to allow influencing the HoverColor-Alpha
End Sub

Public Property Get Widget() As cWidgetBase: Set Widget = W: End Property
Public Property Get Widgets() As cWidgets: Set Widgets = W.Widgets: End Property
 
Private Sub W_HitTest(ByVal x As Single, ByVal y As Single, HitResultHit As Boolean) 'ensure ClickThrough-behaviour in ImagePixels which are "fully Alpha"
  HitResultHit = False
  Dim Srf As cCairoSurface, Pxl() As Long
  If Cairo.ImageList.Exists(W.ImageKey) And W.HoverColor <> -1 Then Set Srf = Cairo.ImageList(W.ImageKey) Else Exit Sub
  If Not Srf.BindToArrayLong(Pxl) Or W.Width = 0 Or W.Height = 0 Then Exit Sub
     HitResultHit = Pxl(x * Srf.Width / W.Width, y * Srf.Height / W.Height) 'only when the Pixel==0==FullAlpha, will HitResultHit be returned False
  Srf.ReleaseArrayLong Pxl
End Sub

Private Sub W_MouseEnter(ByVal MouseLeaveWidget As RC6.cWidgetBase)
  W.Parent.Refresh 'if we want to support widget-refreshs "on-hover", we have to trigger a Re-Paint
End Sub
Private Sub W_MouseLeave(ByVal MouseEnterWidget As RC6.cWidgetBase)
  W.Parent.Refresh 'same here (trigger dynamic re-rendering, when the hover-state changes)
End Sub

Private Sub W_Paint(CC As RC6.cCairoContext, ByVal xAbs As Single, ByVal yAbs As Single, ByVal dx_Aligned As Single, ByVal dy_Aligned As Single, UserObj As Object)
  Dim Srf As cCairoSurface ', x As Single, y As Single
  If Cairo.ImageList.Exists(W.ImageKey) Then Set Srf = Cairo.ImageList(W.ImageKey) Else Exit Sub

  CC.RenderSurfaceContent Srf, 0, 0, W.Width, W.Height, , W.Alpha 'render the current W.ImageKey-Surface (as loaded priorily into the ImageList)

  If W.MouseOver And W.HoverColor <> -1 Then 'render a colored, slightly blurred copy of the Srf with 25% Alpha (in case of being hovered)
     CC.RenderSurfaceContent Srf.GaussianBlur(0.1, , True, W.HoverColor), 0, 0, W.Width, W.Height, , W.Tag
  End If
End Sub

Note, that you will then have to adapt the (I think it was 2) instancing-expressions from:
New_W("cwAlphaImg")
to
New cwAlphaImg
inside the cfAlpha Form-Class...

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

That's fine Olaf. I appreciate the changes you are making. I will attempt the code above and in any case as a new version of RC6 is in the pipeline it is not an issue. I can simply wait knowing it is going to come.

For the moment I have just encountered a bump-in-the-road but now I have a new understanding. All good.

[xiaoyao]

The classes of your cSimpleXXXX family are easy to integrate, easy to extend, and extremely creative and inspiring.

Your cwSpread(cSimpleSpread) only has 104 lines of code, but I used it as the starting-point and foundation to develop a professional Spread control with more than 30,000 lines of code.

Your Simple-PropertyGrid is so simple that few people will pay attention to it, but I used it as a basis to make a PropertyGrid that perfectly meets my IDE needs. (You know I developed my own PropertyGrid, which was very complex, but powerful enough to meet my project needs, but in the end I decided to choose your Simple-PropertyGrid as the prototype and develop a new PropertyGrid based on your Simple-PropertyGrid. The final effect of the control proves that my choice is very correct)

Your Virtual-ComboBox is also very simple, but it's easy to integrate and extensible, and I've applied it to my Property-Window, which accurately simulates some of the valuable details of the VB6-IDE.

The same goes for cSimpleTab.

For me, the classes of your cSimpleXXXX series are like precious and excellent seeds that I can cultivate into beautiful flowers through my own efforts.

What I need most now is a cSimpleCodeEditor and cSimpleCodeDebugger as a starting point for my next step.

If you could find the time to write a cSimpleCodeEditor, then maybe I can use your cSimpleCodeEditor as a prototype and starting point to develop a better CodeEditor than Scintilla. If you don't have time to write such an example, I'm going to follow your previous tips and develop a CodeEditor based on VList (or cwVList) that meets my needs. Without your help, I'm doomed to take many detours.

If you extract a simple version from your 30,000 lines of code, 1000-3000 lines of code may not be easy.
Sometimes we need the simplest table control, sometimes we need more features, and sometimes we need the most full-featured controls.
So it is a good choice to keep multiple versions of the source code.
For example, 1,000 lines of code, 5,000 lines of code, 15,000 lines of code, 20,000 lines, and 30,000 lines, respectively save the complete source code of each version.
Like VB3.0, VB5, VB6, -Visual Studio.NET 7.0, VB.NET 2005.

For example, I want the simplest table control: you can adjust the column width, or automatically set the column width, set the number of rows, the number of columns, code to modify the cell text, set the cell background and font color, bold

[xiaoyao]

get psd layer name,szie ,png byte data,like this?

dim pngbyte() as byte
For i = 0 To .LayersCount - 1 
    Debug.Print "LayerName:" & i + 1 & "--" & .LayerPath(i),
    Debug.Print "--Layer Left,Top,Width,Height=" & .LayerX(i), .LayerY(i), .LayerWidth(i), .LayerHeight(i)
    .LayerSurface(i).WriteContentToPngByteArray pngbyte()
next

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Olaf, there is a new PSD with the layers and groups named more succinctly.



sub main will need to be modified accordingly:

Sub Main()
  Cairo.SetDPIAwareness

  Cairo.ImageList.AddImage "app-exit", App.Path & "\Res\app-exit.svgz" 'add the image-key and resource for the close-widget

    fAlpha.FX = 222 'init position- and zoom-values (directly set on Public-Props of the Form-hosting Class)
    fAlpha.FY = 111
    fAlpha.FZ = 1

    'every PSD-Path we exclude here from the normal PSD-Widget-Loading, will later be rendered in cwOverlay (in that exact order)
    With fAlpha.PSDExcludePaths
          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/swSecondHand" 'arrow-hand-top
          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/swMinuteHand"      'arrow-hand-right
          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/swHourHand"      'arrow-hand-bottom

          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/hourShadow" 'clock-hand-hours-shadow
          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/hourHand" 'clock-hand-hours

          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/minuteShadow" 'clock-hand-minutes-shadow
          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/minuteHand" 'clock-hand-minutes

          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/secondShadow" 'clock-hand-seconds-shadow
          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/face/secondHand" 'clock-hand-seconds

          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/bigReflection" 'all reflections
          .Add Empty, "stopwatch/windowReflection"
    End With

    fAlpha.InitFromPSD App.Path & "\Res\tank-clock-mk1.psd", "stopwatch/face/housing/surround", "app-exit"

  Cairo.WidgetForms.EnterMessageLoop

  Debug.Print "App-ShutDown (one can buffer these values for the next run):"; fAlpha.FX; fAlpha.FY; fAlpha.FZ
End Sub

InitFromPSD will need to be modified:

        Case "stopwatch/face/housing/startButton", "stopwatch/face/housing/stopButton", "stopwatch/face/housing/switchFacesButton" 'three Widget-Keys, picked for "special click-behaviour"
                W.HoverColor = vbCyan
                W.MousePointer = IDC_HAND

in W_Paint:

             Case "stopwatch/face/hourShadow", "stopwatch/face/hourHand" 'hours-shadow- and hour-hand
                 Set Pat.Matrix = Pat.Matrix.TranslateCoords(19, 160) 'shift to the "rotation-point" within the Pattern
                 CC.TranslateDrawings W.Width * cxPerc, W.Height * cyPerc 'shift to the center-point of the Overlay-Widget-area
                 CC.RotateDrawingsDeg -7 + HDeg 'now we can rotate (the leading negative degrees are the rotation-offsets for 12 o'clock)

             Case "stopwatch/face/minuteShadow", "stopwatch/face/minuteHand" 'minutes-shadow- and minutes-hand
                 Set Pat.Matrix = Pat.Matrix.TranslateCoords(44, 105) 'shift to the "rotation-point" within the Pattern
                 CC.TranslateDrawings W.Width * cxPerc, W.Height * cyPerc 'shift to the center-point of the Overlay-Widget-area
                 CC.RotateDrawingsDeg -61 + MDeg

              Case "stopwatch/face/secondShadow", "stopwatch/face/secondHand" 'seconds-shadow- and seconds-hand
                 Set Pat.Matrix = Pat.Matrix.TranslateCoords(60, 160) 'shift to the "rotation-point" within the Pattern
                 CC.TranslateDrawings W.Width * cxPerc, W.Height * cyPerc 'shift to the center-point of the Overlay-Widget-area
                 CC.RotateDrawingsDeg -50 + SDeg

Apologies the various layers and groups were not named properly beforehand.

The forum won't let me upload the PSD file as an attachment, even zipped so I will email you the updated version.

[Schmidt]

...there is a new PSD with the layers and groups named more succinctly.
...
The forum won't let me upload the PSD file as an attachment,
even zipped so I will email you the updated version.

Ok, will see that I update post 1 (with a new code-zip and a new PSD-Download-Link)...

Thanks for the cleanup (nice that you aggregated the reflections into only 2 Layers now)...

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

I will probably have to overhaul each of my PSDs to create something similar to the above for each desktop widget that I want to create, building a new and distinct 'finished' PSD directly for use with RC6 and VB6.

In the past I have tended to leave the components broken up into all the minute pieces that constitute the whole, just so I can disassemble and create different versions - or copy components between PSDs to create variations. Unfortunately, that is what I gave you originally as it was the only one that was partially complete. A bit unstructured as it was a 'work in progress'. I feel bad for that now. Any others that I supply will be better constructed.

PS. That .LayerSurface(i).WriteContentToPngFile is going to be a game-changer for me, coupled with the PSDParser and widget layers. I keep struggling to determine which I want to play with next. I am working on the former but want to play with the latter. It potentially solves a few problems...

Really good stuff.

[taishan]

...Crikey, VB6 program transparency with potentially multi-platform graphical controls, seems now to be here, soon it will be 64bit with TwinBasic, is the future finally arriving?

I feel you. Excellent work guys! Incredibly mind blowing and inspirational. Thanks!

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Latest RC6 question moved here:

https://www.vbforums.com/showthread....81#post5614081

[Schmidt]

...there is a new PSD with the layers and groups named more succinctly.

Have just adapted both download-links in post #1...

The PSD-Download now points to the "nicer named" PSD-File (which is also a bit smaller)...

And the new Code-Zip-Link now contains the cwAlphaImg.cls (as code) directly (so that no dependency to RC6Widgets exists)...
Also included is a new Widget-Class, which shows how one can override the built-in Tooltip with a "userdefined one" (cwUserTooltip.cls).

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

The applied Hover(Color)-effect is currently using a "hard-wired" Alpha-Value of 0.25...

Well - for the next release of RC6/RC6Widgets -
I've adjusted cwAlphaImg to use the so far unused W.Tag (general purpose Variant-Prop) for that -
pre-initialized to 0.25 (but now changeable on the outside, to what you prefer).

If you don't want to wait for that next release...

Olaf is this next release imminent? I'd like to have this feature built-in so that I can experiment with it.

[Schmidt]

Olaf is this next release imminent? I'd like to have this feature built-in so that I can experiment with it.

Since post #36 (mentioning the updated download-zips in post #1), there is no need to wait anymore...

The new Demo works with private cwAlphaImg and cwUserTooltip Classes -
(cwAlphaImg containing the new HoverAlpha-Adjustments via .Tag-Property).

Olaf

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Righto, will have a look.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Excuse me for tacking this onto the end Olaf, it relates to the above. The facility to extract PNG layers from the PSD is a superb feature that I flying with, really enjoying. I am creating several of my old-style gauges and controls using it now. Simple ones at first and now I am experimenting with more complex shapes.

I do notice one thing though when using my volume widget PSD. The drop shadows that are extant within the PSD are recreated in a much harsher, darker aspect than expected. If I use the old Photoshop script to extract the various layers and use either of my other two engines (Yahoo and Xwidget) to place them on the desktop, the shadows in the transparent areas appear exactly as per the original PSD, they are replicated faithfully. If I use your simple PSD to extract the same layers and display them in my VB6 program the shadows are far deeper and much more pronounced.

Is there a Cairo switch or a configuration that I can tweak to make the shadows less harsh so that they appear exactly as per the PSD? Is there a Cairo quality setting I can tinker with or does this occur during extraction?

Forgive the quality of the images, they lost a bit of quality transferring from my 4K monitor through imgur to here. These are tiny little desktop widgets that sit top right of the monitor and so when expanded they look a little blurry.






You should be able to see that the top image is that produce by your simple PSD parser and that those images have deeper shadows, whereas the bottom image's shadows appear lighter are, in fact exactly as per the PSD. If there is anything I can do to correct this please let me know.