FSX Popup windows

Applicable
MS Flight
FSXA
FSX
FS2004
FS2002
XP10
XP9

Here is a short tutorial on how to create popup windows from a C++ gauge or SimConnect module dll. Do note that i will not be going into where to execute the creation functions from the gauge or SimConnect dll.

First off, in your header file, add the following declarations:

#include <windows.h>
#include <process.h>

bool CreateWin();
bool ExitWin();
DWORD WINAPI WinThread(LPVOID lpParam);
bool RegisterWin();
LRESULT CALLBACK WinQueue(HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam);
//Replace Win with any identifier name you want

Then, in your cpp file, create the thread that the window message cue will be run from.

bool CreateWin()
{
	CreateThread(0, NULL, WinThread, NULL, NULL, NULL);
	return true;
//returns true so that you can know that you have sent the command to open the new window
}

Also create a function to call to shut down the window(This window does come with a little red box in the upper right corner so this function is just an alternative(also can be called on shutdown)).

bool ExitWin()
{
	SendMessage(hwnd, WM_CLOSE, 0, 0);
	return false;
}

Next is your function to register the class. Note that i have made it a template of the FS98FLOAT class to save some code lines.

bool RegisterWin()
{
	WNDCLASSW wc;	
	memset(&wc,0,sizeof(WNDCLASS));
	if(GetClassInfo(NULL, L"FS98FLOAT", &wc))
	{
		wc.lpszClassName = L"MYFLOAT";//Choose your class name
		wc.hInstance = GetModuleHandle(L"MY_DLL.dll");//place your dll name here
		wc.lpfnWndProc = (WNDPROC) WinQueue;//Your message que function
		wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)GetStockObject(WHITE_BRUSH);
		if(RegisterClass(&wc))
			return true;
		else
			return false;
	}
	else
		return false;
}

And now your thread function

DWORD WINAPI ACMProc(LPVOID lpParam)
{
	MSG msg;
	RegisterWin();//Register the class
	hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
				WS_EX_LEFT | WS_EX_LTRREADING | WS_EX_RIGHTSCROLLBAR |  WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW | WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE,//necessary styles etc
				L"MYFLOAT", // Your class name				 				L"My Window",//Window caption
				WS_CAPTION | WS_POPUP | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | WS_SYSMENU |  WS_THICKFRAME,//necessary styles etc
				0,0, 800,600,//Window position/Dimensions
				FindWindow(L"FS98MAIN", L"Microsoft Flight Simulator X"),//The Parent  window
				NULL,
				GetModuleHandle(L"My_DLL.dll"),
				NULL );
	ShowWindow (hwnd, SW_SHOWNORMAL);//Shows the window
	while (GetMessage (&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
	{
		TranslateMessage(&msg);
		DispatchMessage(&msg);
	}
	return 1;
}

And finally, the message cue. You can do pretty much whatever you want from here out

LRESULT CALLBACK ACMQueue(HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
	switch(message)
	{
		case WM_CREATE:							// sent by the  windows system just before the window will be displayed the first time

			// here is the best location to prepare your window i.e. connecting to SimConnect

			break;
		case WM_ERASEBKGND:					    // sent by windows if t he entire window will be renewed.
			break;								// if y ou create your own background, do it here in and return (1) instead using 'break'
		case WM_PAINT:
			{
				PAINTSTRUCT ps;
				HDC hdc;
				wchar_t *WinOutput[] = {{L"Hello World!"},{L"This window was created  out of a DLL."}};

hdc = BeginPaint(hwnd, &ps); // now we have a valid device context to modify the window's content

				TextOut(hdc,20,20,WinOutput[0],wcslen(WinOutput[0]));
				MoveToEx(hdc,20,40,NULL);
				LineTo(hdc,120,40);
				TextOut(hdc,20,60,WinOutput[1],wcslen(WinOutput[1]));
				// do all drawing of your window  here in

				EndPaint(hwnd,&ps);
			}
			break;
		case WM_DESTROY:		// sent by the windows system just before the window will be destroyed
								// disconnect from SimConnect out of this message
			break;
		case WM_CLOSE:
			break;
	}
	return (DefWindowProcA(hwnd, message, wParam, lParam));

}

Enjoy!!