Use ImageSearchDll.dll in Java ( from AutoIt ) edit: JNA

Question

I want to react on a screen event in my Java Programm so i want to find a Image in my actual screen. I tried to write a method to get a Screenshot from the robot class and then search the pixels - but it took way to long.

I know that in AutoIt there is a external DLL that does this job pretty good and now i tried to get it running in java... But i am stuck :/

The .dll is called in the AutoIt Includes like this:

Func _ImageSearch($findImage,$resultPosition,ByRef $x, ByRef $y,$tolerance)
   return _ImageSearchArea($findImage,$resultPosition,0,0,@DesktopWidth,@DesktopHeight,$x,$y,$tolerance)
EndFunc

and:

Func _ImageSearchArea($findImage,$resultPosition,$x1,$y1,$right,$bottom,ByRef $x, ByRef $y, $tolerance)

if $tolerance>0 then $findImage = "*" & $tolerance & " " & $findImage
$result = DllCall("ImageSearchDLL.dll","str","ImageSearch","int",$x1,"int",$y1,"int",$right,"int",$bottom,"str",$findImage)

if $result[0]="0" then return 0

$array = StringSplit($result[0],"|")

$x=Int(Number($array[2]))
$y=Int(Number($array[3]))
if $resultPosition=1 then
  $x=$x + Int(Number($array[4])/2)
  $y=$y + Int(Number($array[5])/2)
endif
return 1
EndFunc

I got the dll and tried things like jna but i can't get it working. I also tried AutoItX to get AutoIt Functions running in Java but it doesn't work with includes. Can you help me?

edit: Ok i did another try on JNA and now i get a String back - but the String means error. Whats the problem? I have a Interface:

public interface ImageSearchDLL extends Library{
ImageSearchDLL INSTANCE = (ImageSearchDLL) Native.loadLibrary("ImageSearchDLL", ImageSearchDLL.class);
String ImageSearch(int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2, String findImage);   
}

and i call it like this:

static {
    File file = new File("libs", "ImageSearchDLL.dll");
    System.load(file.getAbsolutePath());
    }
(...)
String a = ImageSearchDLL.INSTANCE.ImageSearch(0, 0, 500, 500, "C:\myProg\OK.bmp");

I always get "0" back where means Error or not found like i can see in the AutoIT file:

; If error exit
if $result[0]="0" then return 0

Can you help me fix that?

Answer 1

An alternative to the path your taking is to use Runtime.getRuntime().exec() to spawn an application (c, autoit script, etc) that does the imagesearch and utilize a file based/polling methodology (or through Standard output) for communication between them to get your results to your java application.