Custom shape forms in Linux ?

[Lightning]

How do i make a transparent window in Linux Desktop Environments (Kde, Gnome, etc.), in Win i use Regions but i think there's a function in Linux.

Is there any way to get API docs for different platforms, preferably in Object Pascal Language but i would appreciate even those in C/C++.
Thank you in advance.

[Lightning]

Seems that nobody knows, but what does the TRegion object, is it working ???

[Marc]

I do know win32 regions and they are not supported yet in the LCL

I don't know about the TRegion object.

about docs:
for win32 see http://mdsn.microsoft.com
for gtk see http://developer.gnome.org/doc/API/

[Lightning]

TCanvas.Region is of type TRegion, nice, Delphi doesn't have something like this.
How does it work ?
I'm checking the xmms code to see how they achieved transparency, it seems that gtk facilitates region creation and setting.
I know that X Windows has some funcs XPolygonRegion, XSetRegion, etc.
The xlib, xutil translations were made with h2pas but function parameters are something like para1, para2 instead of the normal parameter names, why ? I bellive the Pascal case insensitivity is the reason but para1 is more ugly than let's say parRegion.
What should i use TRegion, X or gtk ?

[Marc]

If you wan tto have transparent windows, the interface must support it. AFAIK it doesn't at the moment. So ig you want it, and your app only has to work for GTK, yuo can use the gtk functions directly

[Lightning]

Thank you Marc, i think MPlayer uses the same GTK specific methods like xmms, i will try using those and then switch to X methods since Regions are slower in Linux (maybe only with GTK) than Windows.

[Lightning]

MPlayer uses XShape func. extensions.
XMMS uses GTK functions.
WinAmp uses Windows Regions.
I think X has standard funcs.
How do i obtaind a Widget ID or GC or other Window related parameters, the Handle parameter of a WinControl is of type HWND so it only works on Windows.
Any crossplatform solution ?

[Drewski]

I looked at the interface code and
by including the GTKProc you can do this
var
fhandle: hwnd;
fGtkWidget: PGtkWidget;
begin
...
fhandle := hwnd(ObjectToGtkObject(YourObject.Handle));
fGtkWidget := PgtkWidget(fhandle);
...
end;

after some googling
I found a site with how to get the xwindow ID from it

Include GKDPrivate

var
priv: PGdkWindowPrivate
xwin: TWindow;
xdisp: PDisplay;

priv := PGdkWindowPrivate(fGtkWidget^.window);
xwin := priv^.xwindow;

xdisp := priv^.xdisplay;

or instead include gdkx

xwin := GDK_WINDOW_XWINDOW (fGtkWidget^.window);
xdisp := GDK_WINDOW_XDISPLAY (fGtkWidget^.window);

I haven't tried any of this out so it may need changes but I think it should get you started

Andrew

[Marc]

I looked at the interface code and
by including the GTKProc you can do this

Better not to include GTKProc in your own project. This is a interface internal unit and may messup alot.

var
fhandle: hwnd;
fGtkWidget: PGtkWidget;
begin
...
fhandle := hwnd(ObjectToGtkObject(YourObject.Handle));
fGtkWidget := PgtkWidget(fhandle);
...
end;

you don't need to use ObjectToGtkObject here.  What you hafe indirecly done is retrieving your own handle.

On gtk you still can cast TWinControl.Handle to a PGTKWidget.
This may change in the near future. I'm planning to add a GetWidgetHandle function somewhere someplace soon

[Anonymous]

grg:
I tried to retrieve the x window id by casting a handle of a panel and scrollbox to TGtkWidget.
It gets the wrong window id - this of the parent window.
i'm using xid:=pGdkWindowPrivate(gdkwidget^.window.xwindow)