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Medium OBS question

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Jeff
Posts: 326
Joined: September 3rd, 2018, 11:18 am

Medium OBS question

Post by Jeff »

Short question: Is there any OBS plugin that can disable these lines of code (or make them return true)? or is there any Rainmeter plugin that can disable a few ExStyles or restrictions Rainmeter uses?

Long Question: Hey peeps, I have a problem that I wanna know if it can be solved at least here
On OBS, there are certain restrictions that disable child windows and a few windows with ExStyle and alike from appearing in the Window Capture section, Rainmeter seems to be one of them (also a few Electron apps also don't show up because of this restriction), a bit understandable, HOWEVER, if it were for this restriction to be removed, you would be able to use Rainmeter windows in OBS and other places.
An actual place that doesn't have this restriction is the Application Window on Discord, on Discord, you are able to choose all the Rainmeter skins you have, which has actually been a really good thing for my use case of this nonexistent restriction. I have a visualizer skin that I always load when I wanna talk and listen to music with my friend and like the genius I am, I just share the Rainmeter window letting the share screen consume my bandwidth.
What's even better is that literally every thing that doesn't have the same restrictions as OBS can capture Rainmeter windows, heck, you can capture the god damn Bitmap Rainmeter produces, which also means that if the restriction on OBS/Rainmeter was removed, the Window would be transparent (after you set that option in OBS' settings however)

Reason Why I would love this to happen: This would open a new use of Rainmeter and would attract even more users to use it, kinda f***** obvious if you think about it

Would love to know if someone has an answer, either a nooby one or professional, I just wanna hear it
Last edited by Jeff on December 4th, 2019, 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jeff
Posts: 326
Joined: September 3rd, 2018, 11:18 am

Re: Medium OBS question

Post by Jeff »

Good News!
WinSet, ExStyle, -0x80, ahk_class RainmeterMeterWindow
in AHK works, I can ALTTAB and choose Rainemter skins and choose Rainmeter in OBS as well

Bad News!
Rainmeter always tries to revert back the changes made with AHK (that is, if the Skin has an Update other than -1), and the skins showing in OBS only works on Windows 10 (i think), not on Window 7, so even if you gain one, you lose the other

Now I just need a nerd with a copy of Visual Studio to compile

Code: Select all

static bool check_window_valid(HWND window, enum window_search_mode mode)
    return true;
}
as a plugin and I'm done with this thread
Last edited by Jeff on December 4th, 2019, 6:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Jeff
Posts: 326
Joined: September 3rd, 2018, 11:18 am

Re: Medium OBS question

Post by Jeff »

Also while I'm still here, it would be awesome for an options in [Rainmeter] or a bang that disables WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, it would really REALLY benefit skins like these and make their existence better
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Mor3bane
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Re: Medium OBS question

Post by Mor3bane »

You can download VS on trial and get the components you need to compile - at least for the single use you're aiming for.
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Brian
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Location: Utah

Re: Medium OBS question

Post by Brian »

WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW is essential for Rainmeter to draw correctly. It prevents Windows from creating a taskbar button and appearing in the ALT-TAB window. We won't be adding any way to remove this style.

The OBS problem has come up several times:
https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=27305
https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=26374

-Brian
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Jeff
Posts: 326
Joined: September 3rd, 2018, 11:18 am

Final OBS question

Post by Jeff »

Brian wrote: December 2nd, 2019, 9:34 am The OBS problem has come up several times:
https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=27305
https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=26374
Thanks so much for the inside, now stuff makes more sense.
Brian wrote: December 2nd, 2019, 9:34 am WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW is essential for Rainmeter to draw correctly. It prevents Windows from creating a taskbar button and appearing in the ALT-TAB window. We won't be adding any way to remove this style.
That is kind of the idea, I feel like giving utility skins the chance to be alt tabbed would be really great
I'll stick around with my usual

Code: Select all

OnRefreshAction=["#CURRENTPATH#removestyle.ahk" "#CURRENTPATH##CURRENTFILE#"]

for a, b in A_Args {
WinSet, ExStyle, -0x80, %b%
}
for that like an old man til my demise :P
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Jeff
Posts: 326
Joined: September 3rd, 2018, 11:18 am

Finale - Re: Medium OBS question

Post by Jeff »

Image

Reviving an old topic, which should kill the question forever, Rainmeter can now BE captured by OBS, but only on Windows 10 (1903 and up).
As I stated previously, you need to remove the WS_TOOLWINDOW ExStyle for it to appear like a """normal""" window.
In OBS, select Window Capture, select Capture Method, chose Windows 10. If you removed the ExStyle previously, and selected the Rainmeter window on OBS, a preview of your Rainmeter window should appear, for me it works perfectly with amogus visualizer.
I haven't tested how it works if you change the skin position, if you go in an exclusive full screen game, if you have a maximized window on top and any of the other stuff.

Only consequence is the window appearing in the taskbar and when you ALT TAB/WIN TAB, and my PC crashed after this, not sure if because of a memory leak or my computer is too old and about to kick the bucket.

EDIT: I made a skin for this, have fun!
Onyxx666
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Joined: January 19th, 2023, 3:55 am

Re: Medium OBS question

Post by Onyxx666 »

Hey! Would you be able to provide me with info on how to remove the WS_TOOLWINDOW ExStyle. Using a Monstercat Visualizer skin with Rainmeter and I want to be able to capture it for a twitch stream.
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