WindowAPI

Set figure size, top-most, transparency and pixel mask, multi-monitor etc by Windows API

WINDOWAPI - Set window properties using the Windows API

There are a lot of functions in the FEX to set the figure properties, e.g. maximized, minimized, always-on-top, level of transparency (using Java).

This submission adds some new features:

1. Maximize a window with or without visible taskbar or menu bar.

2. Set transparency level of figure and stencil-color: pixels of a this color are 100% transparent.

3. Placing figures on multi-monitor setups.

4. Clip region: draw only pixles inside a specified rectangle (e.g. splash screen).

5. Lock cursor: Especially for games it can be useful to keep the mouse cursor in a specified rectangle.

WindowAPI(FigH, Command)

INPUT:

FigH: Matlab's figure handle or Windows HWND

Command:

TopMost: Window is topmost even if the focus is lost

NoTopMost: Disable the topmost state

Front: Move window on toptemporarily

Minimize: Minimize the window

Restore: Restore to former size

Maximize: Full screen, taskbar and menubar visible

XMax, YMax: Maximize figure horizontally or vertically only

Position: Set inner figure position to 'work' (taskbar visible), 'full' (taskbar hidden),

or [X,Y,Width,Height].

Monitor index can be specified also

OuterPosition: As Position, but with figure border and titlebar

Flash: Short flashing

Alpha: Set the figure's transparency between 0.0 and 1.0.

4th input [R,G,B]: Pixels with this color are 100% transparent in addition

Opaque: Release memory needed for alpha blending

Clip: Draw only pixels inside a rectangle

ToScreen: Move figure completely to nearest monitor

SetFocus: Gain keyboard focus to figure (figure(FigH) is buggy)

LockCursor: Limit the cursor motion to a rectangle

SetFocus: Activate figure

Enable: Enable or disable all GUI elements

Hide, Show: Hide the window without changing its Os handle

Button: Set visibility of Max, Min, Close buttons in the window border

Reply = WindowAPI(FigureHandle, Command)

GetStatus: Replies 'maximized', 'minimized' or 'restored'.

GetHWnd: Reply the Windows handle of the figure.

Position/OuterPosition: If used with 2 inputs, the position relative to current monitor and the monitor index is replied.

Monitor: Get index and position of monitor.

NOTES:

This function calls Windows-API functions => No Linux, no MacOS - sorry.

The function is written in C and must be compiled before using by the mex command. See WindowAPI.c for instructions.

The automatic compilation creates a Mex function for the running Matlab version.

Do not run a Mex compiled for <= R2014b in a higher Matlab version and vice-versa.

EXAMPLES:

Maximize the current figure:

WindowAPI(gcf, 'maximize')

A semi-transparent figure with through-looking background:

FigH = figure('Color', ones(1,3));

plot(1:10);

WindowAPI(FigH, 'Alpha', 0.5, [255,255,255]);

Draw a button without surrounding figure ("splash button"):

FigH = figure;

ButtonH = uicontrol('Style', 'PushButton', 'String', 'Bye', ...

'Units', 'pixels', 'Callback', 'delete(gcbf)');

WindowAPI(FigH, 'Clip', get(ButtonH, 'Position'));

Tested: Matlab 6.5, R2015b/32&64, R2016b, R2018b, MSVC, BCC

See also:

ShowWindow, Matthew Simoneau:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/3407

Window Manipulation, Phil Goddard:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/3434

api_showwindow, Mihai Moldovan:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/2041

maxfig, Mihai Moldovan:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/6913

setFigTransparency, Yair Altman:

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/30583