../Msgboard/Modding your system/Bitmaps on the Dialog Boxes! WinT figured out how to do it! 
WinT - 02 Mar. 2003 - 18:56:
Bitmaps on the Dialog Boxes! WinT figured out how to do it!
http://www.modzine.net/zoom.php?image=dialog.jpg&id=187
Well, as you can see from the screenshot, I've got a bitmap on my Taskbar Properties dialog box now. Looks really nice, not permanent, as I'll change it as I change tops, but had to test it, and when it worked, I had to post up about it.
I erased the original bitmaps found on the taskbar properties box, and put this in place of it. I wanted to alter the check boxes as well, and I did as much as was allowed, which was nothing more then makeing them flat.
The radio button trick doesn't work right at ALL! So, they have to remain check boxes.
Anyway, this is how you put bitmaps on your dialogs:
1. Open Reshacker, pull up whatever dll your dialog of choice resides in, then, pull down your ACTIONS menu, and select "Add New Resource".
Now, of course, you need to have your bitmap already made, and ready to go. I had to take screenshots of the dialog, and then crop the section that I knew the bitmap would be in in order to judge the right size. The MAXIMUM size for the bitmap you can put on the Taskbar Properties Dialog Box is: 336X314. If you do a proper measurement, it will lead you to believe that the proper size should be 336X301,but, that's not the case.
2. Assuming that you've added the new resource, being the new bitmap image, having already known how to go through that process, which is short and simple, you know need to bring the target dialog box up. The line of text below is the one I used, and I just named my bitmap "TEST", so, where TEST is, will be the title of YOUR bitmap.
CONTROL "TEST", 1116, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, 1, 11, 224, 193
Now, you need to place this line of text at the BOTTOM of the list, so, that would look like this:
CONTROL "On Top", 1101, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 0, 0, 45, 10
CONTROL "Auto Hide", 1102, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 52, 0, 45, 10
CONTROL "Small Icons", 1130, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 116, 0, 52, 10
CONTROL "The Clock", 1103, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 179, 0, 45, 10
CONTROL "TEST", 1116, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, 1, 11, 224, 193
So, after you've done that, simply hit the COMPILE SCRIPT button, and you're done. Save and replace.
I haven't worked with the Open/Save and Run box yet, but it's my next step. Now that I know how to do it, and how easy it is, those boxes are the next two targets.
Keep in mind too, that my checkboxes are at the top of the dialog box. You CAN put these controls over the top of the bitmap, BUT, if your color scheme does not match the background of the bitmap, you'll have 4 odd colored strips going across it, which kind of ruins it a little bit. As you can see, I used a bitmap with a white background, but my color scheme is a light blue, so, I had to compromise.
Keep in mind also, that ICONS can be added in a very similiar fashion, and the instructions on how to do that are actually inside of the Reshack HELP section. I sort of took that method, and played with it, and this new hack is the result.
Hope you like it, as I pulled out ALL of my hair on this one. I'm scared to look in the mirror! LOL
P.S.
On this particular dialog box, the OK, Cancel, and Apply buttons, also the tabs at the top of the box are NOT available to edit in Explorer.exe, which of course, is where this box is at, Dialog #6.
Also, the Width and Length of this box are NOT adjustable. It obviously calls it's other parts from another dll which I will have to search for later on. So, this is maximum configuration for this box, but, the Open/Save and Run boxes are NOT limited. You can adjust everything you see.
Bitmaps on the Dialog Boxes! WinT figured out how to do it!
http://www.modzine.net/zoom.php?image=dialog.jpg&id=187
Well, as you can see from the screenshot, I've got a bitmap on my Taskbar Properties dialog box now. Looks really nice, not permanent, as I'll change it as I change tops, but had to test it, and when it worked, I had to post up about it.
I erased the original bitmaps found on the taskbar properties box, and put this in place of it. I wanted to alter the check boxes as well, and I did as much as was allowed, which was nothing more then makeing them flat.
The radio button trick doesn't work right at ALL! So, they have to remain check boxes.
Anyway, this is how you put bitmaps on your dialogs:
1. Open Reshacker, pull up whatever dll your dialog of choice resides in, then, pull down your ACTIONS menu, and select "Add New Resource".
Now, of course, you need to have your bitmap already made, and ready to go. I had to take screenshots of the dialog, and then crop the section that I knew the bitmap would be in in order to judge the right size. The MAXIMUM size for the bitmap you can put on the Taskbar Properties Dialog Box is: 336X314. If you do a proper measurement, it will lead you to believe that the proper size should be 336X301,but, that's not the case.
2. Assuming that you've added the new resource, being the new bitmap image, having already known how to go through that process, which is short and simple, you know need to bring the target dialog box up. The line of text below is the one I used, and I just named my bitmap "TEST", so, where TEST is, will be the title of YOUR bitmap.
CONTROL "TEST", 1116, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, 1, 11, 224, 193
Now, you need to place this line of text at the BOTTOM of the list, so, that would look like this:
CONTROL "On Top", 1101, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 0, 0, 45, 10
CONTROL "Auto Hide", 1102, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 52, 0, 45, 10
CONTROL "Small Icons", 1130, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 116, 0, 52, 10
CONTROL "The Clock", 1103, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | BS_FLAT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 179, 0, 45, 10
CONTROL "TEST", 1116, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, 1, 11, 224, 193
So, after you've done that, simply hit the COMPILE SCRIPT button, and you're done. Save and replace.
I haven't worked with the Open/Save and Run box yet, but it's my next step. Now that I know how to do it, and how easy it is, those boxes are the next two targets.
Keep in mind too, that my checkboxes are at the top of the dialog box. You CAN put these controls over the top of the bitmap, BUT, if your color scheme does not match the background of the bitmap, you'll have 4 odd colored strips going across it, which kind of ruins it a little bit. As you can see, I used a bitmap with a white background, but my color scheme is a light blue, so, I had to compromise.
Keep in mind also, that ICONS can be added in a very similiar fashion, and the instructions on how to do that are actually inside of the Reshack HELP section.
I sort of took that method, and played with it, and this new hack is the result.
Hope you like it, as I pulled out ALL of my hair on this one.
I'm scared to look in the mirror! LOL
P.S.
On this particular dialog box, the OK, Cancel, and Apply buttons, also the tabs at the top of the box are NOT available to edit in Explorer.exe, which of course, is where this box is at, Dialog #6.
Also, the Width and Length of this box are NOT adjustable. It obviously calls it's other parts from another dll which I will have to search for later on.
So, this is maximum configuration for this box, but, the Open/Save and Run boxes are NOT limited. You can adjust everything you see. Sweet... Very sweet... With a script, that could make so much skinnable. Could that be done with the run box too? 
Excellent hack 
Thanks guys, glad you all liked the hack. Hey Red, what's this script you're referring too? I'm likeing the sound of "skinnable". Explain that to me if you will, I'de like to look into that. And yes, the Run box, open/save boxes, all of them can have the bitmap feature.
In fact, any applications that you run that have dialog boxes stored in there dll, or exe files can have this little feature too if you really wanted to max it out.
Explain that to me if you will, I'de like to look into that. And yes, the Run box, open/save boxes, all of them can have the bitmap feature.
In fact, any applications that you run that have dialog boxes stored in there dll, or exe files can have this little feature too if you really wanted to max it out.
LOL, hardly ever. I'm up all night, into the day, get a few hours sleep, then right back up. Honestly though, it's not computing that keeps me up, I just have some sort of sleep disorder I think. I've always slept like that, so, computing is what I do to pass the time, but, I guess that works out pretty good.
Glad you liked the hack Grindlestone.
Glad you liked the hack Grindlestone.
I forgot to add too that I tried applying a bitmap to both the Run box, and the Open/Save box this morning, an it works just fine. The controls actually look nice if you lay them over the bitmap too.
Blackmage, post up what you do with Notepad. I'de like to see that.
Blackmage, post up what you do with Notepad. I'de like to see that.
WinT: Dude, reshack is scriptable. Has been for like a year. Just have a few images to choose from, swap the image, run a script, and it does the work for you.
It's in the read me someplace.
It's in the read me someplace.
Well, that's news to me. I had no clue Reshack had that capability. Learn something new everyday I guess.
Found a page last night on the AutoRadioButton dialog control, and this is the most important text from that page:
______________________________________________________
The AUTORADIOBUTTON statement creates an automatic-radio-button control. This control is a small circle with the given text displayed to its right. The control highlights the circle and sends a message to its parent window when the user selects the button. The control also removes the selection from any other automatic-radio-button controls in the same group. When the user selects the button again, the control removes the highlight before sending a message. The AUTORADIOBUTTON statement, which you can use only in a DIALOG or WINDOW statement, defines the text, identifier , dimensions, and attributes of a control window. The predefined class for this control is WC_BUTTON. If you do not specify a style, the default style is BS_AUTORADIOBUTTON.
______________________________________________________
Kind of makes it seem like if you use AutoRadioButtons, you can only select ONE at a time, meaning, that only one of the four functions on the taskbar properties dialog box would be allowed to work.
I'm not sure if with the right parameters and styles applied would make it work or not, but, I'm trying. Seems to give good responses when using the GROUP function, but if you group them all together, you can't place or remove the dot from the button after clicking on it.
Speaking of that, when using Radio buttons, I can pull my dialog up, and all three normal settings are applied as I've set them, BUT, you can't REMOVE the dot from the radiobutton. And, since there's only one option left to click on, once I do that, it also will not release the dot from it's radiobutton, so, if I were to push apply, I'de be stuck with all four options working until I brought the AutoCheckBoxes back again.
Well, WinT shall keep trying.
______________________________________________________
The AUTORADIOBUTTON statement creates an automatic-radio-button control. This control is a small circle with the given text displayed to its right. The control highlights the circle and sends a message to its parent window when the user selects the button. The control also removes the selection from any other automatic-radio-button controls in the same group. When the user selects the button again, the control removes the highlight before sending a message. The AUTORADIOBUTTON statement, which you can use only in a DIALOG or WINDOW statement, defines the text, identifier , dimensions, and attributes of a control window. The predefined class for this control is WC_BUTTON. If you do not specify a style, the default style is BS_AUTORADIOBUTTON.
______________________________________________________
Kind of makes it seem like if you use AutoRadioButtons, you can only select ONE at a time, meaning, that only one of the four functions on the taskbar properties dialog box would be allowed to work.
I'm not sure if with the right parameters and styles applied would make it work or not, but, I'm trying. Seems to give good responses when using the GROUP function, but if you group them all together, you can't place or remove the dot from the button after clicking on it.
Speaking of that, when using Radio buttons, I can pull my dialog up, and all three normal settings are applied as I've set them, BUT, you can't REMOVE the dot from the radiobutton. And, since there's only one option left to click on, once I do that, it also will not release the dot from it's radiobutton, so, if I were to push apply, I'de be stuck with all four options working until I brought the AutoCheckBoxes back again.
Well, WinT shall keep trying.
Yea WinT they do mess up...
About those radiobuttons vs checkboxes. You've been using Windows for a while, they're setup for a different purpose, and even if you would be able to change them, your mind wouldn't believe it and expect other things to happen... the xp styles allow for this kinda thing, as would a hack of marlett.ttf. Yet no one does, it's "not the logical thing to do"...
..hehe, read an article on it being bad, for webdesigners, to change default colors for visited, unvisited links etc lately, ruining an equal experience for all. I'm not that fundamental, but lets not complain about attemps by MS to create a clear user experience. They don't always succeed, but I do know I've only got one option when I'm presented with a radiobutton, it saves some thinking
.
..hehe, read an article on it being bad, for webdesigners, to change default colors for visited, unvisited links etc lately, ruining an equal experience for all. I'm not that fundamental, but lets not complain about attemps by MS to create a clear user experience. They don't always succeed, but I do know I've only got one option when I'm presented with a radiobutton, it saves some thinking
.Edit: wanted to say these are problably very much hardcoded in whole OS with that - it's gonna break stuff.
WinT: That is the purpose of the radio buttons. You could crash an app if you switch them. A coder may not put in a check since they think there is no way you could enter more than one. You're doing the opposite, so you're safe. Might still be a way to do it, but that's one thing I would leave. Well, if you had two columens, on and off, then you could use it, but that would be tricky.
Plastic: Like I said to WinT, coders probly wouldn't check a variable if they used a radio button. If you swtiched them the other way, you could do some serious damage.
You could crash an app if you switch them. A coder may not put in a check since they think there is no way you could enter more than one. You're doing the opposite, so you're safe. Might still be a way to do it, but that's one thing I would leave. Well, if you had two columens, on and off, then you could use it, but that would be tricky.
Plastic: Like I said to WinT, coders probly wouldn't check a variable if they used a radio button. If you swtiched them the other way, you could do some serious damage.
Well, no need to worry, my adventures with the radiobuttons are over. I see exactly what you're talking about up there Plastic, completely understand. I tried all things, all styles, parameters, the works, and nothing. A few good responses, but not good enough. So, as always, kept a backup of the good explorer, put it back in place, and all is fine.
Thanks for the heads up though.
Thanks for the heads up though.
I was helping zman3 out last night with his run dialog box on AIM, and realized that he was having loads of trouble due to the fact that he was using the original dialog code that I started this thread with. I thought I had better dig this thread up, and present the right code for the run and open/save boxes. It's a tad different, still working under the same principal though. So, the following text is my run dialog, adjust it at will to suit your needs:
CONTROL "", 12289, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 1, 28, 181, 18
CONTROL "+ Open +", 1, BUTTON, BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 59, 94, 55, 12
CONTROL "+ Done +", 2, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 116, 95, 55, 11
CONTROL "", 12298, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWN | CBS_AUTOHSCROLL | CBS_HASSTRINGS | CBS_DISABLENOSCROLL | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 1, 82, 172, 13 , 0x00000200
CONTROL "+ Browse +", 12288, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 2, 95, 55, 11
CONTROL 160, 12288, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 2, 0, 0, 0
Last line, Control 160 is my bitmap, just change 160 over to the title of your own bitmap, and keep in mind too, that after you compile a bitmap line that you've added yourself, it's the same thing as if you right clicked on the dialog and added a new bitmap control. Same purpose, same exact thing, but, it may be easier to ADD a new bitmap yourself, leave it at default, come out of the editing box, then adjust the line to meet the requirements by applying the correct commands. Here is the text needed for the open/save box:
CONTROL "", 1137, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | CBS_OWNERDRAWFIXED | CBS_HASSTRINGS | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 150, 1, 90, 302
CONTROL "", 1120, LISTBOX, LBS_NOTIFY | LBS_NOINTEGRALHEIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_BORDER | WS_HSCROLL, 103, 17, 185, 40
CONTROL "", 1152, EDIT, ES_LEFT | ES_AUTOHSCROLL | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 103, 59, 80, 12
CONTROL "", 1136, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 208, 59, 80, 79
CONTROL "+ Open +", 1, BUTTON, BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 103, 1, 45, 15
CONTROL "+ Done +", 2, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 242, 1, 45, 14
CONTROL 20, 1140, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 0, 0, 0, 0
Same thing here, control 20 is my bitmap, just change 20 to whatever you called your bitmap.
Now, that should clear up any future confusion anyone might have. Hope this has explained it better, but, as always, let me know if you need any help at all.
CONTROL "", 12289, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 1, 28, 181, 18
CONTROL "+ Open +", 1, BUTTON, BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 59, 94, 55, 12
CONTROL "+ Done +", 2, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 116, 95, 55, 11
CONTROL "", 12298, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWN | CBS_AUTOHSCROLL | CBS_HASSTRINGS | CBS_DISABLENOSCROLL | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 1, 82, 172, 13 , 0x00000200
CONTROL "+ Browse +", 12288, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 2, 95, 55, 11
CONTROL 160, 12288, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 2, 0, 0, 0
Last line, Control 160 is my bitmap, just change 160 over to the title of your own bitmap, and keep in mind too, that after you compile a bitmap line that you've added yourself, it's the same thing as if you right clicked on the dialog and added a new bitmap control. Same purpose, same exact thing, but, it may be easier to ADD a new bitmap yourself, leave it at default, come out of the editing box, then adjust the line to meet the requirements by applying the correct commands. Here is the text needed for the open/save box:
CONTROL "", 1137, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | CBS_OWNERDRAWFIXED | CBS_HASSTRINGS | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 150, 1, 90, 302
CONTROL "", 1120, LISTBOX, LBS_NOTIFY | LBS_NOINTEGRALHEIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_BORDER | WS_HSCROLL, 103, 17, 185, 40
CONTROL "", 1152, EDIT, ES_LEFT | ES_AUTOHSCROLL | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 103, 59, 80, 12
CONTROL "", 1136, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 208, 59, 80, 79
CONTROL "+ Open +", 1, BUTTON, BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 103, 1, 45, 15
CONTROL "+ Done +", 2, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 242, 1, 45, 14
CONTROL 20, 1140, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 0, 0, 0, 0
Same thing here, control 20 is my bitmap, just change 20 to whatever you called your bitmap.
Now, that should clear up any future confusion anyone might have. Hope this has explained it better, but, as always, let me know if you need any help at all.
/red goes off to hack
/red realizes he's at work
/red hacks veeerrrry quietly
j/k
/red realizes he's at work
/red hacks veeerrrry quietly
j/k
Imagine if you deleted all their buttons and crap?
hey winnt to anwer your question on AIM yes I did
Really? You got it working man? If so, I'm glad to hear that. I've tried to IM you a couple of times, no response though, but regardless, glad it's working.
i wasnt home i got your msg though
So, what was the deal anyway? What was the final trick that made it work? And send me a screenshot, or post it somewhere, I'de like to see what you did.
Please log-in to post.
Options
../Msgboard/Modding your system/Bitmaps on the Dialog Boxes! WinT figured out how to do it!