Add option to make the background transparent by RibShark · Pull Request #2551 · LiveSplit/LiveSplit

RibShark · 2024-12-11T14:18:27Z

This adds an option to make the background of LiveSplit transparent + blurred. This allows for the background to appear transparent without the opacity of the text being reduced alongside it. OBS can capture this (without blur) with the Windows 10 window capture method.

wooferzfg · 2024-12-11T15:01:41Z

How does this new setting interact with setting the background color, background image, or opacity?

RibShark · 2024-12-11T16:11:40Z

Here's a video demonstrating what it looks like. Works fine for the most part, though I just noticed doesn't seem to have an effect with images when the blur setting is off, will take a look and see what I can do to fix this. EDIT: Fixed with latest commit.

wooferzfg · 2024-12-11T17:38:37Z

Do you need to check if the transparency setting changed here?

LiveSplit/src/LiveSplit.View/View/TimerForm.cs

Lines 1556 to 1559 in 4e6afea

    
           if (Layout.Settings.BackgroundImage != previousBackground 
        
               || Layout.Settings.ImageOpacity != previousOpacity 
        
               || Layout.Settings.ImageBlur != previousBlur) 
        
           {

RibShark · 2024-12-11T17:42:29Z

Do you need to check if the transparency setting changed here?

LiveSplit/src/LiveSplit.View/View/TimerForm.cs

Lines 1556 to 1559 in 4e6afea

if (Layout.Settings.BackgroundImage != previousBackground

|| Layout.Settings.ImageOpacity != previousOpacity

|| Layout.Settings.ImageBlur != previousBlur)

{

No, it seems to work without that, all that matters is that the background is a Bitmap, that conversion only needs to happen when the image is initially loaded.

just-ero · 2024-12-12T12:42:53Z

+            if (TransparentBackgroundState != value)
+            {
+                TransparentBackgroundState = value;
+                var attributeData = new WindowCompositionAttributeData()
+                {
+                    Attribute = WCA_ACCENT_POLICY,
+                    Data = value ? AccentPolicyBlurPtr : AccentPolicyDisabledPtr,
+                    SizeOfData = Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(AccentPolicy))
+                };
+                SetWindowCompositionAttribute(Handle, attributeData);
+            }


Use unsafe context and do the following:

if (value == _transparentBackground) { return; } AccentPolicy policy = new() { AccentState = value ? ACCENT_ENABLE_BLURBEHIND : ACCENT_DISABLED }; WindowCompositionAttributeData data = new() { Attribute = WCA_ACCENT_POLICY, Data = &policy, SizeOfData = sizeof(AccentPolicy) }; SetWindowCompositionAttribute(Handle, data); _transparentBackground = value;

just-ero · 2024-12-12T12:43:24Z

+    private const int ACCENT_ENABLE_BLURBEHIND = 3;
+    private const int WCA_ACCENT_POLICY = 19;
+
+    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]


Structs are sequential in layout by default. Remove this.

just-ero · 2024-12-12T12:43:57Z

+    internal struct WindowCompositionAttributeData
+    {
+        public int Attribute;
+        public IntPtr Data;


Use public void* Data;.

just-ero · 2024-12-12T12:44:17Z

+    private AccentPolicy AccentPolicyBlur = new()
+    {
+        AccentState = ACCENT_ENABLE_BLURBEHIND,
+    };
+    private static readonly IntPtr AccentPolicyBlurPtr = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(AccentPolicy)));
+
+    private AccentPolicy AccentPolicyDisabled = new()
+    {
+        AccentState = ACCENT_DISABLED,
+    };
+    private static readonly IntPtr AccentPolicyDisabledPtr = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(AccentPolicy)));


Do not store these instances. It's not necessary. Please remove this and all code which accesses them.

just-ero · 2024-12-12T12:45:59Z

+            }
+        }
+    }
+    private bool TransparentBackgroundState = false;


Suggested change

private bool TransparentBackgroundState = false;

private bool _transparentBackground;

I wrote it like that to be consistent with MousePassThroughState later on in the file, which is used in a similar pattern. I can change the name, but the code will be less consistent that way.

just-ero · 2024-12-12T12:46:32Z

This file shouldn't really be cluttered up with Win32 definitions, those should go into separate files.

Did this because there were already a lot of Win32 definitions in TimerForm. I'll move the definitions to LiveSplit.View/Model/Win32.cs unless you have a better suggestion.

just-ero · 2024-12-12T13:23:19Z

+    private static readonly IntPtr AccentPolicyDisabledPtr = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(AccentPolicy)));
+
+    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
+    private static extern int SetWindowCompositionAttribute(IntPtr hWnd, in WindowCompositionAttributeData data);


Suggested change

private static extern int SetWindowCompositionAttribute(IntPtr hWnd, in WindowCompositionAttributeData data);

private static extern int SetWindowCompositionAttribute(nint hWnd, WindowCompositionAttributeData* data);

wooferzfg · 2024-12-13T19:03:36Z

No, it seems to work without that, all that matters is that the background is a Bitmap, that conversion only needs to happen when the image is initially loaded.

What if the conversion to Bitmap doesn't happen when you initially create the baked background image (because transparency is initially off), and then you enable the transparency setting? (Did you test every combination of settings changing?)

RibShark · 2024-12-14T16:24:37Z

No, it seems to work without that, all that matters is that the background is a Bitmap, that conversion only needs to happen when the image is initially loaded.

What if the conversion to Bitmap doesn't happen when you initially create the baked background image (because transparency is initially off), and then you enable the transparency setting? (Did you test every combination of settings changing?)

Oops, forgot about that possibility, will add the check.

ImAciidz · 2024-12-22T05:54:57Z

OBS can capture this (without blur) with the Windows 10 window capture method

On Windows 10 (tested 22H2, OBS 31), the blur is still captured:

On Windows 11 (tested 23H2 & 24H2, OBS 31), there's a noise of sorts in the capture, which results in a gray background:

So unless I'm misunderstanding the purpose of this (or doing something wrong), it unfortunately doesn't seem very useful.

Skajdrowski · 2025-01-08T23:30:00Z

@ImAciidz The gray noise you're talking about is barely visible on a game that covers entire screen
It's a very nice feature for fonts with round edges. They don't get butchered by OBS Chroma keying anymore.

ImAciidz · 2025-01-14T15:06:09Z

It's worth noting that the feature doesn't work at all if transparency effects are disabled in the Windows accessibility settings.

aesthet-ic · 2025-04-06T16:47:45Z

Added full transparency option: https://github.com/aesthet-ic/LiveSplit/releases

Edit: Fixed full transparency for Windows 11 22H2+

siteod · 2026-03-08T17:48:05Z

Added full transparency option: https://github.com/aesthet-ic/LiveSplit/releases

Edit: Fixed full transparency for Windows 11 22H2+

Does your build still work? I found it via reddit post on google, but when I tried dropping the alpha to 0 on the background it did not become transparent. On Windows 11 23h, double checked Transparency Effects are enabled in both Personalization and Accessibility.

aesthet-ic · 2026-03-08T19:44:44Z

Added full transparency option: https://github.com/aesthet-ic/LiveSplit/releases
Edit: Fixed full transparency for Windows 11 22H2+

Does your build still work? I found it via reddit post on google, but when I tried dropping the alpha to 0 on the background it did not become transparent. On Windows 11 23h, double checked Transparency Effects are enabled in both Personalization and Accessibility.

Sorry about that, it should be fixed now.

Re-download and enable the now-visible transparency checkboxes in addition to setting a solid color background with 0 alpha.

Fixed layout settings UI: https://github.com/aesthet-ic/LiveSplit/releases

siteod · 2026-03-08T19:59:00Z

Added full transparency option: https://github.com/aesthet-ic/LiveSplit/releases
Edit: Fixed full transparency for Windows 11 22H2+

Does your build still work? I found it via reddit post on google, but when I tried dropping the alpha to 0 on the background it did not become transparent. On Windows 11 23h, double checked Transparency Effects are enabled in both Personalization and Accessibility.

Sorry about that, it should be fixed now.

Re-download and enable the now-visible transparency checkboxes in addition to setting a solid color background with 0 alpha.

Fixed layout settings UI: https://github.com/aesthet-ic/LiveSplit/releases

Works great now, thanks. This is so helpful for running single monitor, wish it was built in and you didn't have to maintain a separate branch for it, but I'm glad you do. Much appreciated!

RibShark mentioned this pull request Dec 11, 2024

add transparency #2375

Open

wooferzfg added the enhancement Suggests or implements new or improved features. label Dec 11, 2024

wooferzfg reviewed Dec 11, 2024

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/LiveSplit.Core/UI/LayoutSavers/XMLLayoutSaver.cs Outdated

Comment thread src/LiveSplit.View/View/LayoutSettingsControl.Designer.cs Outdated

Comment thread src/LiveSplit.View/View/LayoutSettingsControl.cs Outdated

Add option to make the background transparent

418f807

RibShark force-pushed the transparency branch from 5d83298 to 418f807 Compare December 11, 2024 16:44

Fix transparency for non-blurred background images

4e6afea

just-ero reviewed Dec 12, 2024

View reviewed changes

	private bool TransparentBackgroundState = false;
	private bool _transparentBackground;

	private static extern int SetWindowCompositionAttribute(IntPtr hWnd, in WindowCompositionAttributeData data);
	private static extern int SetWindowCompositionAttribute(nint hWnd, WindowCompositionAttributeData* data);

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