CustomDraw elements - 2 issues

[WebSimConnect]

To complete my FSX/P3D HTML5 tools, I want to include a component that will allow to merge XML gauges with HTML5 CustomDraw elements in the XML code.

I have questions to the ones who ever developed own CustomDraw element in C++ that can be used in the XML gauge. There are not so many samples and docs available on the topic so I am developing a bit blindly. I have successfully implemented HTML based CustomDraw element based on IGaugeCDrawable class and its virtual method Draw()

bool   Draw         (IGaugeCDrawableDrawParameters* pParameters, PIXPOINT size, HDC hdc, PIMAGE pImage);

as I was inspired by famous TrafficRadar example I use TAKES_DC flag that allows to Draw GDI+/DX11 based on the provided HDC parameter. Then I started to experiment with TAKES_PIMAGE flag which changes the way the CustomDraw is rendered. Instead of HDC, the Draw() method receives the pointer to PIMAGE structure. After few experiments I noted that you can use PIMAGE in 2 ways, either write directly to the image bits buffer or simply replace the bits buffer with your own bits buffer. The only problem I have is that the image created is always IMG_15_BIT, // 1555 format and changing the format had no effect. The CustomDraw element was always rendered the way it was initialized with IMG_15_BIT. I guess there must be a way to change the format of the IMAGE passed to the Draw() method. The question is how ? There is a virtual method

bool   SetupDraw       (PIXPOINT size, HDC hdc, PIMAGE pImage) of IGaugeCDrawable

which is called once the CustomDraw is initialized, however playing on IMAGE structure had on effect. Maybe there are some XML atributes that shall be set in XML code ?

The second issue is mouse input. C++ gauges have mouse_list_register fuction to capture mouse events. How about CustomDraw element, anything similar ?

any help highly appreciated

Marcin

 

[WarpD]

Flight sim doesn't use any other image format in gauges.

 

[WebSimConnect]

Flight sim doesn't use any other image format in gauges.

so when other image formats listed in gauge.h are used ? i.e.

// enum constants for IMAGE.format
typedef enum IMG_FORMAT
{
    IMG_8_BIT_MONOCHROME = 0,
    IMG_8_BIT_INDEXED,
    IMG_15_BIT,             // 1555
    IMG_16_BIT,             // 565
    IMG_16A_BIT,            // 4444
    IMG_24_BIT,             // 888
    IMG_32_BIT,             // 888
    IMG_32A_BIT,            // 8888
    IMG_DXT1,               // DirectX Texture Compression DXT1
    IMG_DXT3,               // DirectX Texture Compression DXT3
    IMG_DUDV,               // Pertubation data
    IMG_MAX                 // keep this last
} IMG_FORMAT, *PIMG_FORMAT, **PPIMG_FORMAT;

 

[taguilo]

which is called once the CustomDraw is initialized, however playing on IMAGE structure had on effect. Maybe there are some XML atributes that shall be set in XML code ?

The second issue is mouse input. C++ gauges have mouse_list_register fuction to capture mouse events. How about CustomDraw element, anything similar ?

As you may already know, <CustomDraw> XML attributes must be defined first in the C++ module as elements of IGaugeCDrawableDrawParameters* pParameters structure so they can be used in the XML gauge as tags (ie <Zoom>, <Latitude>, etc).

As for mouse events, AFAIK it is not possible to capture a mouse event placed over a <CustomDraw> area in a single XML gauge. To bypass this limitation a second gauge can be used, placed over the same <CustomDraw> area of the first one and including an empty <CustomDraw/> command.

For example,

First gauge:

<Element Name="CustomDraw">
    <Position X="59" Y="0"/>
    <CustomDraw Name="mycd:anything" X="275" Y="230" CenterX="137">
     ....etc
     ....etc
</CustomDraw>
</Element>

Second gauge:

<Element Name="CustomDraw">
    <Position X="59" Y="0"/>
    <CustomDraw/>
</Element>
.......
<Mouse>
   <Area Name="AREA" Left="59" Top="0" Width="275" Height="230">
        <Click>
            ***Any action ***
          </Click>
          <Cursor Type="Hand"/>
    </Area>
  </Mouse>

Now clicking on the <CustomDraw> display area will execute the action desired.

Tom

 

[WarpD]

so when other image formats listed in gauge.h are used ? i.e.

They aren't.

Look, all images use the 1555... it just is. If you create bitmaps that are anything higher, they get converted down... and the result is usually not very good.

 

[JB3DG]

When using a C++ gauge, the IMAGE_USE_ALPHA flag can be set in the MAKE_STATIC macro to make the image use 32bit pixel format. I wouldn't know how that could translate to a XML gauge though.

 

[WebSimConnect]

I wouldn't know how that could translate to a XML gauge though.

if it is supported, I guess through XML element attributes like Tom is pointing, however there are predefined parameters, like X and Y are. I have not found any documentation ... and have no time for guessing

What is interesting is that SetupDraw method is called only when flag is TAKES_PIMAGE. When I use TAKES_DC, this method is not called.

so for mouse capture it looks I need a trick, thanks Tom.

Marcin