Full-window problem with focus-follows-mouse

mark_k · 29 April 2018, 17:55

I noticed a small problem in full-window mode when Windows' focus-follows-mouse option is used.

[With focus-follows-mouse, as you move the mouse the window under the pointer is automatically activated, but not raised. To enable focus-follows-mouse you can use RegEdit, or (easier) Winaero Tweaker. In Winaero Tweaker click Behavior->XMouse Options. Check "Enable window tracking" and un-check "Enable window raising".]

Run WinUAE with -log argument so it opens a log window. Make sure the log window covers the centre of the screen. Select full-window mode and start emulation. Alt-Tab to the log window. Move the mouse over an exposed part of the emulation window. As it becomes active (without clicking in it), WinUAE warps the pointer to the centre of the screen. But that position is over the log window. [In fact any other application window will do instead of the log window. E.g. have Notepad open so its window covers the centre of the screen, then Alt-Tab to that.]

This makes using other apps while WinUAE runs full-window in the background quite tricky. E.g. try to move mouse from Notepad to Calculator window, but as it passes over the background emulation window, the pointer is warped to screen centre.

I think that in the full-window-with-mouse-uncaptured state, you should require the user to click in the emulation window before warping the pointer.

Toni Wilen · 29 April 2018, 20:42

I have seen similar happening rarely in windowed mode but I never found out exactly when and why it happens.

mark_k · 29 April 2018, 22:10

I couldn't reproduce the issue when in windowed (not full-window) mode.

Maybe there's some difference in window messages received on window activation caused by mouse movement when in windowed vs full-window mode??? There are (at least) WM_ACTIVATE, WM_ACTIVATEAPP and WM_MOUSEACTIVATE.

mark_k · 30 April 2018, 20:52

I wonder if the problem could be from another direction... maybe when in full-window mode, if the user Alt-Tabs to another application WinUAE doesn't recognise that it has lost focus (& mouse uncaptured). If the user then moves the mouse pointer over the emulation window (and it's automatically activated), WinUAE sees mouse movement messages again, causing it to warp the pointer even though the mouse is not captured???

Toni Wilen · 09 May 2018, 19:35

I was going to test this but I refuse to use any kind of 3rd party tweaking programs. So whats the exact registry change?

mark_k · 09 May 2018, 22:56

1. Open Control Panel -> Ease of Access Centre -> Make the mouse easier to use.
Check the "Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse" box.

2. Run RegEdit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Double-click UserPreferencesMask on the right pane.
Change the value of the first byte, clearing bit 6. So in my case, I changed F1 to B1.
Log out and back in (or reboot PC) in order for the change to take effect.

[With step 1 only, windows are automatically raised when you move the mouse over them. I have no idea who would find that mode of operation useful...]

Toni Wilen · 10 May 2018, 09:37

What a strange way to do it..

Fixed, mouse is not anymore captured/moved in full-window mode without also having focus. (It used real fullscreen behavior)

mark_k · 10 May 2018, 21:56

Thanks.

I noticed a couple of issues, not sure whether they were also in previous versions. [This is with Windows 10 1709, focus-follows-mouse enabled.]

Have WinUAE running in full-window mode, with emulation set (in Pri & Extensions page) to not pause when mouse uncaptured or window inactive.

1. Alt-Tab to Notepad then Calculator so those two windows are in front of the emulation window. If you move the mouse over the emulation window and click, sometimes the Windows taskbar remains visible at the bottom of the screen. If you Alt-Tab back to Notepad then move mouse over emulation window and click, the taskbar does then disappear (some of the time; sometimes it only disappears after doing that a second time).

2. Alt-Tab to Notepad then Calculator so those two windows are in front of the emulation window. Move mouse over emulation window and click. Emulation window moves to the front, but mouse is not captured. You have to click a second time to capture it.

Toni Wilen · 13 May 2018, 19:26

1: Same also randomly happens with some borderless window games. I don't know why.

2: There is not much to do if you want to not get instant capture without mouse click.

29 April 2018, 17:55	#1
mark_k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Posts: 3,343	Full-window problem with focus-follows-mouse I noticed a small problem in full-window mode when Windows' focus-follows-mouse option is used. [With focus-follows-mouse, as you move the mouse the window under the pointer is automatically activated, but not raised. To enable focus-follows-mouse you can use RegEdit, or (easier) Winaero Tweaker. In Winaero Tweaker click Behavior->XMouse Options. Check "Enable window tracking" and un-check "Enable window raising".] Run WinUAE with -log argument so it opens a log window. Make sure the log window covers the centre of the screen. Select full-window mode and start emulation. Alt-Tab to the log window. Move the mouse over an exposed part of the emulation window. As it becomes active (without clicking in it), WinUAE warps the pointer to the centre of the screen. But that position is over the log window. [In fact any other application window will do instead of the log window. E.g. have Notepad open so its window covers the centre of the screen, then Alt-Tab to that.] This makes using other apps while WinUAE runs full-window in the background quite tricky. E.g. try to move mouse from Notepad to Calculator window, but as it passes over the background emulation window, the pointer is warped to screen centre. I think that in the full-window-with-mouse-uncaptured state, you should require the user to click in the emulation window before warping the pointer. Last edited by mark_k; 29 April 2018 at 18:05.

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29 April 2018, 20:42	#2
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,517	I have seen similar happening rarely in windowed mode but I never found out exactly when and why it happens.

29 April 2018, 22:10	#3
mark_k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Posts: 3,343	I couldn't reproduce the issue when in windowed (not full-window) mode. Maybe there's some difference in window messages received on window activation caused by mouse movement when in windowed vs full-window mode??? There are (at least) WM_ACTIVATE, WM_ACTIVATEAPP and WM_MOUSEACTIVATE.

30 April 2018, 20:52	#4
mark_k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Posts: 3,343	I wonder if the problem could be from another direction... maybe when in full-window mode, if the user Alt-Tabs to another application WinUAE doesn't recognise that it has lost focus (& mouse uncaptured). If the user then moves the mouse pointer over the emulation window (and it's automatically activated), WinUAE sees mouse movement messages again, causing it to warp the pointer even though the mouse is not captured???

09 May 2018, 19:35	#5
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,517	I was going to test this but I refuse to use any kind of 3rd party tweaking programs. So whats the exact registry change?

09 May 2018, 22:56	#6
mark_k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Posts: 3,343	1. Open Control Panel -> Ease of Access Centre -> Make the mouse easier to use. Check the "Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse" box. 2. Run RegEdit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop Double-click UserPreferencesMask on the right pane. Change the value of the first byte, clearing bit 6. So in my case, I changed F1 to B1. Log out and back in (or reboot PC) in order for the change to take effect. [With step 1 only, windows are automatically raised when you move the mouse over them. I have no idea who would find that mode of operation useful...]

10 May 2018, 09:37	#7
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,517	What a strange way to do it.. Fixed, mouse is not anymore captured/moved in full-window mode without also having focus. (It used real fullscreen behavior)

10 May 2018, 21:56	#8
mark_k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Posts: 3,343	Thanks. I noticed a couple of issues, not sure whether they were also in previous versions. [This is with Windows 10 1709, focus-follows-mouse enabled.] Have WinUAE running in full-window mode, with emulation set (in Pri & Extensions page) to not pause when mouse uncaptured or window inactive. 1. Alt-Tab to Notepad then Calculator so those two windows are in front of the emulation window. If you move the mouse over the emulation window and click, sometimes the Windows taskbar remains visible at the bottom of the screen. If you Alt-Tab back to Notepad then move mouse over emulation window and click, the taskbar does then disappear (some of the time; sometimes it only disappears after doing that a second time). 2. Alt-Tab to Notepad then Calculator so those two windows are in front of the emulation window. Move mouse over emulation window and click. Emulation window moves to the front, but mouse is not captured. You have to click a second time to capture it.

13 May 2018, 19:26	#9
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,517	1: Same also randomly happens with some borderless window games. I don't know why. 2: There is not much to do if you want to not get instant capture without mouse click.

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