Dimming the whole screen behind a dialog

[mris99]

Hello,

I use uLCD-43PT with version 33 PmmC.

SSD1963 on this model has 1215k frame buffers, so I can save
the whole image before showing a dialog and restore it after just fine
and quick with gfx_ScreenCopyPaste.

I would like now to dimm the screen content behind a pop-up dialog before showing it.
Is there any convenient and performant way to do that?

I know about the following things:

1. gfx_ChangeColor putpixel -> it is ok for all but dead slow
4. disp_WrGRAM may a little bit better than put pixel, but still dead slow

I tried to find some direct function of the SSD1963 controller chip, but
without any result. (http://www.allshore.com/pdf/solomon_systech_ssd1963.pdf)

It is also unclear to me how can I send direct commands to the SSD chip which requires
parameters. disp_WriteControl just works fine for command without parameters
like "Enter Invert Mode":

disp_WriteControl(SSD1963_ENTER_INVERT_MODE);
pause(1000);
disp_WriteControl(SSD1963_EXIT_INVERT_MODE);

Could you tell me how to pass parametes for other commands
or how the get the output parameters?
Using some advanced features, e.g: scrolling would be great.

Thanks,
Mris

[ESPsupport]

2 is probably going to be your best bet, redrawing the text in a darker color.

disp_WriteControl(SSD1963_REGISTER);
disp_WriteWord(SSD1963_DATA); // do as many times as required

Similarly use x := disp_ReadWord(); to read values

[mris99]

I brought this topic to focus again and I did some experiment with masking the background with check table pattern instead of changing the color of the background. It work similar from a decent distance, e.g 50cm. And works faster than the two methods above.
My first implementation was a check table pattern image with transparent color:

    gfx_TransparentColour(TRANSPARENT_COLOR);
    gfx_Transparency(ON);
    img_Show(hndl, iDIMM_MASK);

It takes 190mS to load from the SD card and show it as a dimm mask.

Then I tried the line pattern with horizontal lines and rectangles.
This one give nice effect and takes 184mS:

  
    gfx_LinePattern(0xAAAA);
    var i;
    for (i := 0; i < 76; i++)
        gfx_Rectangle(i ,i, 479-i, 271-i, BLACK);
    next
    gfx_LinePattern(0);

Finally I did patterned line only outside the dialog.
It can be drawn after the dialog is done, so the visual experince is better.
It takes 152mS for my avarage dialog size:

    var dx1, dx2, dy1, dy2;
    dx1 := 74;
    dx2 := 405;
    dy1 := 49;
    dy2 := 222;

    gfx_OutlineColour(BLACK);
    gfx_Panel(PANEL_RAISED, dx1, dy1, dx2-dx1+1, dy2-dy1+1, COLOR_DIALOG_BG);

    var i;
    gfx_LinePattern(0xAAAA);
    for (i := 0; i < dy1; i++)
         gfx_Line(0, i, SCREEN_X_SIZE-1, i, BLACK);
    next
    for (i := dy1; i < dy2+1; i++)
         gfx_Line(0, i, dx1, i, BLACK);
         gfx_Line(dx2+1, i, SCREEN_X_SIZE-1, i, BLACK);
    next
    for (i := dy2+1; i < SCREEN_Y_SIZE; i++)
         gfx_Line(0, i, SCREEN_X_SIZE-1, i, BLACK);
    next

    gfx_LinePattern(0);

The result can be seen here: (original background, dimmed, dialog with dimmed background)