What is the right way to use Winforms inside an effect plugin?

[geist_]

// Name:
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#region UICode
#endregion

class MyForm : Form
{
    public MyForm()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();
    }

    System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;

    protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
    {
        if (disposing && (components != null))
        {
            components.Dispose();
        }
        base.Dispose(disposing);
    }

    private void InitializeComponent()
    {

        //UI stuff
        this.components = new System.ComponentModel.Container();
        this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
        this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(800, 450);
        this.Text = "MyForm";
    }


}

void Render(Surface dst, Surface src, Rectangle rect)
{
    global::System.Windows.Forms.Application.EnableVisualStyles();
    global::System.Windows.Forms.Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
    global::System.Windows.Forms.Application.SetHighDpiMode(HighDpiMode.SystemAware);

    Application.Run(new MyForm());
}

 

Tried it like this, and it works only the first 3-4 times you call the effect, after the 3-4 time, paint.net crashes the it displays the following exception:

Quote

Exception details:
System.InvalidOperationException: SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault must be called before the first IWin32Window object is created in the application.

In the code above I am calling Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault() before i call Application.Run, so why is it not working if you keep using the effect more than 3 or 4 times? I am running this in a Single Render Call effect plugin

 

 

[midora]

Your are developing a plugin and not an application.

 

Derive you effect plugin from PaintDotNet.Effects.Effect and override CreateConfigDialog.

There you should return a new dialog derived from EffectConfigDialog.

This is the dialog you can populate with your own controls.

 

[Rick Brewster]

What @midora said. Those calls into System.Windows.Forms.Application are not for plugin use. Paint.NET already configures those at application startup. You do not use Application.Run() in a plugin. Paint.NET calls your CreateConfigDialog() method and then displays the Form you return.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Seen these? 

I'm not sure if @toe_head2001 is maintaining them, but they are a great starting point to creating effects with a custom UI.

[toe_head2001]

57 minutes ago, Ego Eram Reputo said:

I'm not sure if @toe_head2001 is maintaining them

 

They haven't been updated in a long time. It's been a low priority.

And they need to be rewritten for the brand new Effect system in Paint.NET 5.

[geist_]

On 1/7/2023 at 5:13 AM, Ego Eram Reputo said:

Seen these? 

I'm not sure if @toe_head2001 is maintaining them, but they are a great starting point to creating effects with a custom UI.

Thank you! This is exactly what I needed, I have been struggling til now to get ConfigDialog and ConfigToken to work. 

[Foxxey]

On 1/7/2023 at 5:15 AM, toe_head2001 said:

 

They haven't been updated in a long time. It's been a low priority.

And they need to be rewritten for the brand new Effect system in Paint.NET 5.

 

Hello! Is there any update on this?