✅ Detect key press outside of the form
Hello i'm working with c# windows forms. My form has a transparent panel that i can click and see through. How can i capture the key pressings when not focused on the main form ??
QUsed to accomplish that with a global keyboard hook
QNot sure if that's still the way to go
QSpoiler: It is kinda nasty when you are not familiar with that kind of stuff
MI've seen both global keyboard hook as well as GetAsynckeystate dll import from user32 but isn't there actually a simpler way ? in c++ there's already the GetAsyncKeyState function ?
QWait. Your form is transparent
Mno only the panel
QDo you have a screenshot?
Mpurple part is the panel that's transparent and black part is a picturebox. The red part is the main form that's not transparent
QAnd you want to capture inputs within that transparent part?
QOr in general
MIt's like a cardboard box with a rectangle hole and you can see what's behind it. The picturebox displays modified images with OpenCV of what is inside the purple part. I need to still be able to click and see through but at the same time capture which key is being pressed
M(if it ain't so clear i'll try to re-explain lol)
Lout of curiosity what is that for?
Llike what are u capturing etc
MIt's like a "screenshare" but the picturebox will display the shapes that OpenCV can detect (circle in my case)
MAnd i want to detect where is my mouse cursor when i click in the purple part
Leven if the form is not in foreground?
Lor it will be always in foreground
Mthe form is topmost so you will always have this box to see the output and what you're capturing
Ltop most but not active window I guess
Lif that is even possible
MAnd i need to retrieve the X, Y coords of the mouse when i press a key (or mouse click)while in the purple part
LI guess u would have to globaly track the mouse and use your window position minus screen size to get he mouse position I wonder if there is anything that facilitates that
LI suppose u already tried tracking it from the form itself right?
MI didn't understand sorry lol, i didn't try any stuff for now cause i want a simple solution and not use overcomplicated stuff
Mthe code is already a bit heavy and i don't want my brain to melt for capturing inputs xd
Lwell if the for is always active, this is winforms?
Mwdym this is windforms ?
Lnvm u said in your question
windows formsQYeah, I don't think you can click through while also getting notified about the input. Global stuff needed
MThe form doesn't have the focus when i click through
Lyeah then it wont be trivial
MDamn, goofy c#
LI mean its not c# thou
Lits just how windows work
MYeah true but there should be some stuff made to avoid situations like this
MThanks for the help guys, i'm gonna do my research about user32 getasynckey
QMaybe, but it is veeeeery specific
QAnd not sure if possible at all
MYes but global key capturing is pretty common 
Lbut u can probably track the purple part
Llet me try
MAlright thanks
Lyeah you can use MouseMove event on the panel
Lit still captures it even with the window not being active but topmost
Lso all u would need is a win32api to get the left mouse press
Land store both
Lso it would be that difficult
QThat's true. I think it's hard to bring into any offical .NET codebase because you would have to make it cross-plat and WinForms, etc. don't get that many new features (lol) ;D
MSo you said i can retrieve the mouse coords even if transparent but for the detection of key i need to go with something different ?
