- 1 year ago
Make Monogame window click-through
To make a MonoGame window click-through or "transparent" so that mouse events pass through the window to the underlying windows, you can use Windows API functions. Here's an example of how you can achieve this:
- Import the required Windows API functions and constants:
csharpusing System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
public class NativeMethods
{
// Import required Windows API functions
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr GetWindowLong(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern int SetWindowLong(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex, IntPtr dwNewLong);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern int SetLayeredWindowAttributes(IntPtr hWnd, uint crKey, byte bAlpha, uint dwFlags);
// Define required constants
public const int GWL_EXSTYLE = -20;
public const int WS_EX_TRANSPARENT = 0x00000020;
public const int LWA_ALPHA = 0x00000002;
}
In your MonoGame application, after creating the game window, obtain the window handle (
IntPtr
) using theGame.Window.Handle
property.Set the required window styles and attributes to make the window click-through:
csharp// Get the window handle
IntPtr windowHandle = game.Window.Handle;
// Set the window style to enable transparency
IntPtr exStyle = NativeMethods.GetWindowLong(windowHandle, NativeMethods.GWL_EXSTYLE);
NativeMethods.SetWindowLong(windowHandle, NativeMethods.GWL_EXSTYLE, (IntPtr)(exStyle.ToInt64() | NativeMethods.WS_EX_TRANSPARENT));
// Set the window attributes to make it click-through
NativeMethods.SetLayeredWindowAttributes(windowHandle, 0, 128, NativeMethods.LWA_ALPHA);
By setting the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT
extended window style and using the SetLayeredWindowAttributes
function with an alpha value of 128, the window becomes click-through, allowing mouse events to pass through to the windows below it.
Please note that making a window click-through may have implications on the user experience and expected behavior of the application. Ensure that this behavior aligns with your intended use case and consider providing alternative means for interaction within your application.