WindowBlinds : DirectSkin

Methods

The following methods are available through DirectSkin.
Please note that not all methods are available in the demo version of DirectSkin.

Method Description

AboutBox Displays an 'About' dialog containing DirectSkin information.

AddAdditionalThread Used to apply skinning to an additional thread.

AddExcludeHwnd Adds a window to the skinning exclusion list.

AddExcludeHwndEx
As per AddExcludeHwnd, but it will return a value indicating success or failure.

AddIncludeList Adds a window to the skinning inclusion list.

AddPerWindowSkin Applies secondary skinning to a window.

CloseThemeHandle
This function frees any resources linked to the handle passed in. The handle must be obtained from GetThemeHandle and once closed you should not try to use it again.

DestroySecondarySkin Destroys a loaded secondary skin.

DetachWindow Halts DirectSkin skinning.

DisableWB2Features Disables DirectSkin features.

DoMessageBox Controls whether or not MessageBox windows are skinned.

DoWindow Starts DirectSkin skinning.

DrawSkinnedItem Draws a skin component to a device context.

DrawSkinnedItemEx Draws a skin component to a device context; allows for secondary skins and has a return value.

DrawSkinnedItemExSafe
This is the same as DrawSkinnedItemEx apart from the RECT pointer being changed into left, top, right and bottom parameters so .NET apps can use it.

DrawThemePart
This function paints the theme part as defined by the handle passed in which was obtained via the GetThemeHandle function.

DrawWindowFrameSafe This is the same as DrawWindowFrame apart fro the RECT pointer being changed into left, top, right and bottom parameters so .NET apps can use it.

EnableColouring
This function enables skin colouring support. You can use SetColourValues to set the colours.

EnableMenuExpansion
Menus are sized as per the system font, but if you want to make menus larger, or smaller then you can use this function.

EnableSpecialBackgroundSupport This function can be used to make DirectSkin treat the window passed in differently.

ExcludeExplorerBack Removes skinning from a ListView control.

ExcludeExplorerBackEx
As per ExcludeExplorerBack, but it will return a value indicating success or failure.

ForceBackgrounds
This function can be used to force DirectSkin to override all backgrounds and make them the skins button face colour.

GetRealWindowRect Gets the real rectangle of a window.

GetRealWindowRectEx
As per GetRealWindowRect, but it will return a value indicating success or failure.

GetSysColor Retrieve a system color from the currently loaded skin. Similiar to Windows

GetThemeHandle
This function allows you to define your own sections in the skin which you can then use DirectSkin to load and paint.

InitWB Reserves memory for DirectSkin and loads the skin set with LoadUIS

LoadSecondarySkin Loads a secondary skin from disk. Path supplied is not relative to the set DirectSkin root path.

LoadSecondarySkin2 Loads a secondary skin from disk. Path supplied is relative to the set DirectSkin root path.

LoadUIS Sets the skin for DirectSkin to load. InitWB or ReloadUIS are called after this method.

PreventBackgroundSkinning
This function prevents background skinning on a window specified. It is obsolete.

PreviewSkinToDC This function will preview a skin (specified by skin) into the DC provided. The width and height define the size of the preview.

QueryAOTState Queries the always-on-top state of the window.

QueryRollState Queries the rolled state of the window.

RefreshWindow Forces the update region of a window to be invalidated and repainted.

ReloadUIS
Reloads the skin set with LoadUIS from disk. This is called if LoadUIS is ever called after DoWindow has been called. For example, when changing skins.

ReloadUISEx
This function is the same as ReloadUIS.

RemoveExcludeHwnd Removes skinning exclusion from a window.

RemoveIncludeList Removes skinning inclusion from a window.

RemovePerWindowSkin Removes a secondary skin from a window.

SetAOTState Sets the internal always-on-top state of a window. This does not actually change the window Z-Order.

SetColourMode DirectSkin 4 will apply its skin to the entire app as best it can, but if for some reason you wish to revert to DirectSkin 3 behaviour you can use this function.

SetColourValues
This function sets the colour values used for skin colouring support.

SetDllHandle Sets the handle of a resource DLL. This is used with a skin's resources are in a DLL.

SetFocusMode
This function will enable or disable focus rectangles. The default is disabled.

SetGamma
This function sets the gamma of the skin. After changing this you need to call ReloadUIS to alter the skin gamma.

SetIncludeorExcludeMode Sets the include or exclude mode of DirectSkin. In include mode, only windows in the inclusion list are skinned. In exclude mode, any windows in the process apart from windows in the exclusion list are skinned. Exclude mode is enabled by default.

SetMenuSkinProp Enables and disables menu border skinning.

SetRootPath Used to set the root skin directory DirectSkin uses. This method is limited to using the application directory or the WindowBlinds directory.

SetRootPathStr Used to set the root skin directory DirectSkin uses. This method takes a string-based path and is not limited.

SetUnicode DirectSkin supports UNICODE languages, but this support is disabled by default. To enable this support call this function and pass TRUE in.

SetWbHelp2Loc Sets the location of DirectSkin's dependency DLL.

SetWindowRollState Sets the internal roll state of a window. This method will not visibly effect the window.

SkinAllThreads
This function makes DirectSkin skin all the threads in your app, not just the one it was originally called from.

StartSkinning
This is an alternative way to start skinning. You can call this instead of calling InitWB and DoWindow.

StopSkinning
This function will stop skinning and revert the app back to the current systemwide style.

ShowPreview Used for previewing skins. Skins to be previewed are provided as a DirectSkin root related path, and shown in a system modal dialog.

UxThemeEmulation If your application ships with a manifest then you should call this function when on WindowsXP.

UndoWB Deallocates memory in use by DirectSkin. This is called after calling DetachWindow (when the application is terminating). If skinning must be restarted after calling this method, InitWB must be called.

UseToolbarBackground
This function can be used to tell DirectSkin that the Rebar background defined in a skin should be applied to the background of a specified toolbar.

Method	Description
AboutBox	Displays an 'About' dialog containing DirectSkin information.
AddAdditionalThread	Used to apply skinning to an additional thread.
AddExcludeHwnd	Adds a window to the skinning exclusion list.
AddExcludeHwndEx	As per AddExcludeHwnd, but it will return a value indicating success or failure.
AddIncludeList	Adds a window to the skinning inclusion list.
AddPerWindowSkin	Applies secondary skinning to a window.
CloseThemeHandle	This function frees any resources linked to the handle passed in. The handle must be obtained from GetThemeHandle and once closed you should not try to use it again.
DestroySecondarySkin	Destroys a loaded secondary skin.
DetachWindow	Halts DirectSkin skinning.
DisableWB2Features	Disables DirectSkin features.
DoMessageBox	Controls whether or not MessageBox windows are skinned.
DoWindow	Starts DirectSkin skinning.
DrawSkinnedItem	Draws a skin component to a device context.
DrawSkinnedItemEx	Draws a skin component to a device context; allows for secondary skins and has a return value.
DrawSkinnedItemExSafe	This is the same as DrawSkinnedItemEx apart from the RECT pointer being changed into left, top, right and bottom parameters so .NET apps can use it.
DrawThemePart	This function paints the theme part as defined by the handle passed in which was obtained via the GetThemeHandle function.
DrawWindowFrameSafe	This is the same as DrawWindowFrame apart fro the RECT pointer being changed into left, top, right and bottom parameters so .NET apps can use it.
EnableColouring	This function enables skin colouring support. You can use SetColourValues to set the colours.
EnableMenuExpansion	Menus are sized as per the system font, but if you want to make menus larger, or smaller then you can use this function.
EnableSpecialBackgroundSupport	This function can be used to make DirectSkin treat the window passed in differently.
ExcludeExplorerBack	Removes skinning from a ListView control.
ExcludeExplorerBackEx	As per ExcludeExplorerBack, but it will return a value indicating success or failure.
ForceBackgrounds	This function can be used to force DirectSkin to override all backgrounds and make them the skins button face colour.
GetRealWindowRect	Gets the real rectangle of a window.
GetRealWindowRectEx	As per GetRealWindowRect, but it will return a value indicating success or failure.
GetSysColor	Retrieve a system color from the currently loaded skin. Similiar to Windows
GetThemeHandle	This function allows you to define your own sections in the skin which you can then use DirectSkin to load and paint.
InitWB	Reserves memory for DirectSkin and loads the skin set with LoadUIS
LoadSecondarySkin	Loads a secondary skin from disk. Path supplied is not relative to the set DirectSkin root path.
LoadSecondarySkin2	Loads a secondary skin from disk. Path supplied is relative to the set DirectSkin root path.
LoadUIS	Sets the skin for DirectSkin to load. InitWB or ReloadUIS are called after this method.
PreventBackgroundSkinning	This function prevents background skinning on a window specified. It is obsolete.
PreviewSkinToDC	This function will preview a skin (specified by skin) into the DC provided. The width and height define the size of the preview.
QueryAOTState	Queries the always-on-top state of the window.
QueryRollState	Queries the rolled state of the window.
RefreshWindow	Forces the update region of a window to be invalidated and repainted.
ReloadUIS	Reloads the skin set with LoadUIS from disk. This is called if LoadUIS is ever called after DoWindow has been called. For example, when changing skins.
ReloadUISEx	This function is the same as ReloadUIS.
RemoveExcludeHwnd	Removes skinning exclusion from a window.
RemoveIncludeList	Removes skinning inclusion from a window.
RemovePerWindowSkin	Removes a secondary skin from a window.
SetAOTState	Sets the internal always-on-top state of a window. This does not actually change the window Z-Order.
SetColourMode	DirectSkin 4 will apply its skin to the entire app as best it can, but if for some reason you wish to revert to DirectSkin 3 behaviour you can use this function.
SetColourValues	This function sets the colour values used for skin colouring support.
SetDllHandle	Sets the handle of a resource DLL. This is used with a skin's resources are in a DLL.
SetFocusMode	This function will enable or disable focus rectangles. The default is disabled.
SetGamma	This function sets the gamma of the skin. After changing this you need to call ReloadUIS to alter the skin gamma.
SetIncludeorExcludeMode	Sets the include or exclude mode of DirectSkin. In include mode, only windows in the inclusion list are skinned. In exclude mode, any windows in the process apart from windows in the exclusion list are skinned. Exclude mode is enabled by default.
SetMenuSkinProp	Enables and disables menu border skinning.
SetRootPath	Used to set the root skin directory DirectSkin uses. This method is limited to using the application directory or the WindowBlinds directory.
SetRootPathStr	Used to set the root skin directory DirectSkin uses. This method takes a string-based path and is not limited.
SetUnicode	DirectSkin supports UNICODE languages, but this support is disabled by default. To enable this support call this function and pass TRUE in.
SetWbHelp2Loc	Sets the location of DirectSkin's dependency DLL.
SetWindowRollState	Sets the internal roll state of a window. This method will not visibly effect the window.
SkinAllThreads	This function makes DirectSkin skin all the threads in your app, not just the one it was originally called from.
StartSkinning	This is an alternative way to start skinning. You can call this instead of calling InitWB and DoWindow.
StopSkinning	This function will stop skinning and revert the app back to the current systemwide style.
ShowPreview	Used for previewing skins. Skins to be previewed are provided as a DirectSkin root related path, and shown in a system modal dialog.
UxThemeEmulation	If your application ships with a manifest then you should call this function when on WindowsXP.
UndoWB	Deallocates memory in use by DirectSkin. This is called after calling DetachWindow (when the application is terminating). If skinning must be restarted after calling this method, InitWB must be called.
UseToolbarBackground	This function can be used to tell DirectSkin that the Rebar background defined in a skin should be applied to the background of a specified toolbar.