[VB6, twinBASIC] System Magnification API Demo (32/64bit)

[fafalone]

System Magnification API Demo

This is a quick port of the Windows SDK example for the Magnification API.

There's two versions:

The original twinBASIC version, made using WinDevLib, so all APIs/UDTs/etc were already defined.

A backported VB6 version, which uses local copies of the defs. It's still 64bit compatible and can readily be imported to tB and compiled for either 32 or 64 bit.

At the top of the code you'll find options for the zoom factor (default 2.0) and whether to invert colors (default false).

NOTE: MSDN documentation says the Magnification API is not supported under WOW64; but at least for the basic functionality in this project, it works without issue in both VB6 and tB 32bit on my 64bit Win10. It's recommended you use the twinBASIC version in 64bit mode for 64bit Windows just in case this isn't true in all versions or you want to expand functionality.


Download from GitHub

(The WDL version makes it too big to attach here due to microscopic file size limits)

[yokesee]

Very good work.
It works perfectly in Twinbasic.
In vb6 too but with a minor change.
change this

    WS_TILEDWINDOW = WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW
    WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW = WS_OVERLAPPED Or WS_CAPTION Or WS_SYSMENU Or WS_THICKFRAME Or WS_MINIMIZEBOX Or WS_MAXIMIZEBOX

to this

    WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW = WS_OVERLAPPED Or WS_CAPTION Or WS_SYSMENU Or WS_THICKFRAME Or WS_MINIMIZEBOX Or WS_MAXIMIZEBOX
    WS_TILEDWINDOW = WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW

Regards

[fafalone]

Sorry, I had made that change but I guess it didn't save. Updated the .bas attached to the VB6 project I'll change the twinprojs and WDL too just for copy/paste compatibility.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Lovely and useful as always. Is your speed of release increasing to match Wayne's?

[fafalone]

Project updated: Wondered why the system magnifier app looked smoother? Turns out it uses undocumented APIs MagSetLensUseBitmapSmoothing or MagSetFullscreenUseBitmapSmoothing Version 1.1 of this project is now out and adds an option to use this feature too.

Note: Smoothing may not work in the VB6 IDE (but does work in VB6 compiled exes).
Change useSmoothing to False to run from the VB6 IDE if you're experiencing crashing when it's on. It was crashing every time for me but then mysteriously stopped when I went back an hour later to examine it closer. Works fine in tB IDE.

[fafalone]

Lovely and useful as always. Is your speed of release increasing to match Wayne's?

Could never match Wayne on that lol

Still though, getting back closer to normal after I didn't do anything for like 2 months due to a health issue (doing much better now).

[wqweto]

Project updated: Wondered why the system magnifier app looked smoother? Turns out it uses undocumented APIs MagSetLensUseBitmapSmoothing or MagSetFullscreenUseBitmapSmoothing Version 1.1 of this project is now out and adds an option to use this feature too.

Note: Smoothing may not work in the VB6 IDE (but does work in VB6 compiled exes).
Change useSmoothing to False to run from the VB6 IDE if you're experiencing crashing when it's on. It was crashing every time for me but then mysteriously stopped when I went back an hour later to examine it closer. Works fine in tB IDE.

Btw, this stackoverflow answer suggests magnifier API (so called Lens) is using xBR pixel-art upscaling algorithm which is probably in this case implemented on the GPU for speed.

I doubt it is possibe this to be used to upscale custom DIBs outside of painting it on a hWnd and then capturing the zoomed window which seems cumbersome but instead I just compiled xBRZ spin-off to an DLL (XP compatible) and this does wonders for upscaling app icons/images for high DPI displays.

Will post a CodeBank entry soon with more details and a working sample how to spruce app's toolbars and images for outstanding results in 150% to 225% DPI scaling.

cheers,
</wqw>

[yereverluvinuncleber]

I need this for my VB6/RichClient desktop magnifying glass