Custom window in ALL screen modes

[PawelDefee]

Hello,

I have been for a long time using the following code to create a custom floating window that is display on top of all other windows in the phone. This works on S60v2 and v3 devices. The problem is, on devices where multiple screen modes are available (E70 for example), the window is only visible in the first (portrait) mode. When I flip the device, it is not visible. It is also not visible when the application is started from the second (landscape) mode.

I understand that the windows and/or screen devices have to be manually set to the new screen mode, otherwise the window will not be show, as is described in Symbian documentation:

"When the screen mode changes, window groups that are incorrectly set up, according to these requirements, are locked out. The windows are notified of the change, and will be displayed if they are updated (according to the current enforcement requirement) to match the new screen mode."

The question is, how to update current window settings so that it is visible in the new screen mode?

My code is here, please note that I already do SetScreenSizeAndRotation and SetScreenMode:

User::LeaveIfError(iWsSession.Connect());
iWindowGroup = new(ELeave) RWindowGroup(iWsSession);
User::LeaveIfError(iWindowGroup->Construct((TUint32) iWindowGroup, EFalse));
iWindowGroup->EnableReceiptOfFocus(EFalse);
iWindowGroup->SetOrdinalPosition(1, ECoeWinPriorityAlwaysAtFront + 1);
iWindowGroup->EnableScreenChangeEvents();

iWindowGroup->SetNonFading(ETrue);
// Create window handle.
iWindow = new (ELeave) RWindow(iWsSession);
User::LeaveIfError(iWindow->Construct(*iWindowGroup, (TUint32) iWindow));
iWindow->Activate();
iWindow->SetExtent(UserInterfaceConfigurator::FloatingWindowRect().iTl,UserInterfaceConfigurator::FloatingWindowRect().Size());
iWindow->SetOrdinalPosition(1, ECoeWinPriorityAlwaysAtFront + 1);
iWindow->SetNonFading(ETrue);
iWindow->SetVisible(ETrue);
iVisible = ETrue;
// Get the screen device.
iScreenDevice = new (ELeave) CWsScreenDevice(iWsSession);
User::LeaveIfError(iScreenDevice->Construct());

TPixelsTwipsAndRotation defaultSizeAndRotation;
iScreenDevice->GetDefaultScreenSizeAndRotation( defaultSizeAndRotation);

iScreenDevice->SetScreenSizeAndRotation( defaultSizeAndRotation );
iScreenDevice->SetScreenMode( iScreenDevice->CurrentScreenMode() );
iScreenDevice->SetAppScreenMode( iScreenDevice->CurrentScreenMode() );

// Create graphics context from the screen device -> to draw splash screen.
User::LeaveIfError(iScreenDevice->CreateContext(iWindowGc));

[PawelDefee]

I have made the code available at:

http://www.chiralion.com/download/Fl....01.2007_2.zip

This contains the HelloWordBasic application from the SDK with the addition of the floating window class (FloatingWindow.cpp) which will be always drawn on top of all applications.

This problem is actually visible in all devices (I tested on E70 and 3250). The sample application in the ZIP file has the option "Toggle Orientation" which changes the orientation to landscape. Once this is executed, the floating window disappears. It will reapper if the user goes to other applications (portrait) or toggles the orientation manually to portrait using the menu option.

Thanks,
Pawel

[vin2ktalks]

Hi Pawel,

I've tried your application on E61 (I don't have either E70 and 3250) but the Toggle orientation doesn't work. By the way one observation on the emulator is that except on 176x208 and 240x320 it was working fine. I'm unaware of the reason behind it.

[PawelDefee]

To see the problem you have to use a phone that supports multiple orientations (at least E70, E60, 3250 and N93 do).

I have now updated the sample application (available from the same link and same ZIP file). There is now a second menu option that lists available screen modes, for each screen mode showing size in pixels, size in twips and the rotation flag.

Here is the information on the number of different modes supported in different models:

E70: 6 modes
E60: 6 modes
3250: 2 modes
N93 : 4 modes
5500: 1 mode !

I suspect, that like the Nokia 5500, the E61 will also list one mode only (I do not have an E61 right now) ? If so, you'd have to try the program on a phone that has multiple modes with the different rotation flags, see the list above ..

[PawelDefee]

Ok,

Thanks to Forum PRO Technical Support, I have a solution now. It is mandatory to create CWsScreenDevice object before any RWindowGroup objects are created for a particular RWsSession. Otherwise, the window will be visible only in the primary screen mode.

This certainly is a bug in the Window Server but for now the solution is satisfactory.

Cheers,
Pawel

[Jeepy]

Hi Pawel,

can you repost your code with the modification ? or the zip file contains already this fix ?

Thanks in advance,
Domi.

[PawelDefee]

Hi,

Just use the code from the first post, creating the ScreenDevice before the WindowGroup object.

Cheers,
Pawel

[Jeepy]

Thanks Pawel,

Domi.

[jetair]

Thank you for your code, it is very useful, but I have a little problem using it in CONSOLE APP.-SYMBIAN9 (In application with GUI it works correctly)
For ex. I use this code in DrawSplashL():
iWindowGc->SetBrushStyle( CGraphicsContext::ESolidBrush );
iWindowGc->SetBrushColor( TRgb(255,0,0) );
iWindowGc->Clear();
iWindowGc->SetBrushColor( TRgb(0,255,0) );
TRect mRect=TRect(iWindow->Size());
iWindowGc->DrawEllipse(mRect);
Then I see green ellipse in red rectangle, but if phone screen is deactiveted (screen saver), then after activation I see only white rectangle. What problem can be here?
Thank you in advance!

[cassioli]

Don't know if Pawel is steel monitoring this thread, anyway...
Do you think this function could force a display rotation not defined in WSINI.INI file?

[frank.sunny@163.com]

Thank you for your code, it is very useful, but I have a little problem using it in CONSOLE APP.-SYMBIAN9 (In application with GUI it works correctly)
For ex. I use this code in DrawSplashL():
iWindowGc->SetBrushStyle( CGraphicsContext::ESolidBrush );
iWindowGc->SetBrushColor( TRgb(255,0,0) );
iWindowGc->Clear();
iWindowGc->SetBrushColor( TRgb(0,255,0) );
TRect mRect=TRect(iWindow->Size());
iWindowGc->DrawEllipse(mRect);
Then I see green ellipse in red rectangle, but if phone screen is deactiveted (screen saver), then after activation I see only white rectangle. What problem can be here?
Thank you in advance!

I met the same problem
it must to be redraw, but it had not.

[s3920209]

me too....