Is it possible in Java to draw shapes and stuff directly on the screen so my desktop remains visible and I can click whatever is underneath my shape? I’m using Windows XP. Thanks.
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Is it possible in Java to draw shapes and stuff directly on the screen so my desktop remains visible and I can click whatever is underneath my shape? I’m using Windows XP. Thanks.
Yes, that is possible. But it’s not a trivial task.
If you are looking for “desktop widgets”:
See this and this link* for translucent & shaped windows
See this link for more experimental GUI information.
You are probably going to need JNA or JNI to create these windows/effects, but also to provide “click-through” functionality.
*Java 6u10 required. You can basically draw anything you want inside a Frame, set the properties mentioned in the thread linked and anywhere you didn’t draw (or drew transparent pixels) the desktop will be visible.
(I’d consider using a language/framework different from Java, as desktop-widgets are not really easy to implement in Java [maybe even JavaFX?])