My code which uses UpdateLayeredWindow doesn't work - winapi

Question

I attampted to draw a irregular window with the UpdateLayeredWindow(), in msvc2008, xp sp3.
Here is part of my code:
//Add something(CreateWindowEx()):
hwndCyauWnd = CreateWindowEx(
/*WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW |*/ WS_EX_LEFT | WS_EX_LTRREADING | WS_EX_LAYERED,
lpwsCyauClassName,
lpwsCyauWndName,
WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | WS_POPUP,
GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXSCREEN)-320,
GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYSCREEN)-232,
320, 200,
NULL,
NULL,
hInstance,
NULL);
//Skip Lines
HDC hdcCyauWnd = GetDC(hwndCyauWnd);
HDC hdcBuffer = CreateCompatibleDC(hdcCyauWnd);
//HBITMAP hbmCyau = CreateCompatibleBitmap(hdcBuffer,120, 93);
//SelectObject(hdcBuffer, hbmCyau);
POINT ptZero = {0, 0};
POINT ptDrawPos = {0, 0};
RECT rctCyauWnd;
GetWindowRect(hwndCyauWnd, &rctCyauWnd);
SIZE szCyauWnd={rctCyauWnd.right - rctCyauWnd.left, rctCyauWnd.bottom - rctCyauWnd.top};
BLENDFUNCTION blendPixelFunction = { AC_SRC_OVER, 0, 100, AC_SRC_ALPHA};
Graphics gphCyauWnd(hdcBuffer);
Image imgCyau(L"surface0000.png");
gphCyauWnd.DrawImage(&imgCyau, 0, 0, 125, 93);
UpdateLayeredWindow(hwndCyauWnd,
hdcCyauWnd, &ptZero,
&szCyauWnd,
hdcBuffer, &ptZero,
0, //RGB(255, 255, 255),
&blendPixelFunction,
ULW_ALPHA);
while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
{
TranslateMessage(&msg);
DispatchMessage(&msg);
}
return msg.wParam;
I have tried several method to use this function, but all failed, NOTHING APPEAR on the screen.
Could anybody tell me what happens and how to slove it?
Add:
Whole source file have been upload to my skydrive, anyone can edit, much appreciation! (I have become a poor underdog now...)

Answer 1

You mixed up GDI and GDI+, which is not a good idea. Here is a working example:
hWnd = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_LAYERED, szWindowClass, szTitle, 0,
CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
// Load PNG
CImage img;
img.Load("BACKGR.png");
// Get image sizes
int nWidth = img.GetWidth();
int nHeight = img.GetHeight();
// Create memory DC
HDC hdcScreen = GetDC(NULL);
HDC hDC = CreateCompatibleDC(hdcScreen);
// Create memory bitmap
HBITMAP hBmp = CreateCompatibleBitmap(hdcScreen, nWidth, nHeight);
HBITMAP hBmpOld = (HBITMAP)SelectObject(hDC, hBmp);
// Draw image to memory bitmap (currently selected in memory DC)
img.Draw(hDC, 0, 0, nWidth, nHeight, 0, 0, nWidth, nHeight);
// Call UpdateLayeredWindow
BLENDFUNCTION blend = {0};
blend.BlendOp = AC_SRC_OVER;
blend.SourceConstantAlpha = 128;// half transparent
blend.AlphaFormat = AC_SRC_ALPHA;
POINT ptLocation = {0, 0};
SIZE szWnd = {nWidth, nHeight};
POINT ptSrc = {0, 0};
UpdateLayeredWindow(hWnd, hdcScreen, &ptLocation, &szWnd, hDC, &ptSrc, 0, &blend, ULW_ALPHA);
ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_SHOW);
SelectObject(hDC, hBmpOld);
DeleteObject(hBmp);
DeleteDC(hDC);
ReleaseDC(NULL, hdcScreen);

Answer 2

If you want GDI+ to draw to an image with an alpha channel, you have to draw to a Bitmap, not an HDC, and you have to specify that the Bitmap's format has alpha. To do that with an HBITMAP, you have to also point GDI+ to the bitmap bits.
Something like this:
BITMAPINFOHEADER bih;
HBITMAP hbmp;
HDC hdc;
void *bits;
bih.biSize = sizeof(bih);
bih.biWidth = width;
bih.biHeight = -height;
bih.biPlanes = 1;
bih.biBitCount = 32;
bih.biCompression = BI_RGB;
bih.biSizeImage = 0;
bih.biXPelsPerMeter = 0;
bih.biYPelsPerMeter = 0;
bih.biClrUsed = 0;
bih.biClrImportant = 0;
hdc = CreateCompatibleDC(NULL);
hbmp = CreateDIBSection(hdc, (BITMAPINFO*)&bih, DIB_RGB_COLORS, &bits, NULL, 0);
Bitmap bitmap(width, height, 0, PixelFormat32bppPARGB, bits);
Graphics graphics(bitmap);
graphics->DrawWhatever(...);
graphics->Flush();
SelectObject(hdc, hbitmap);
UpdateLayeredWindow(hwnd, hdc, ...