====== ImageSearch with AutoIt ======

===== Overview =====

I needed the ability for [[https://www.autoitscript.com|AutoIt]] to find something on the screen matching a reference image. Unfortunately, this is not an available built-in feature. There are functions available for checking individual pixels, but no way to match groups of pixels or images.

I found a solution in [[https://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/148005-imagesearch-usage-explanation/?page=4|this thread]]. The key is the [[https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/ImageSearch.htm|AutoHotkey ImageSearch]] function. Someone extracted the **ImageSearch** code from //AutoHotkey//, packed it up in to convenient DLLs, and put together a **UDF** library that acts as a wrapper.

I took the **UDF** library and made the following improvements to it:

  * Updated relevant functions to return an array of ''[x,y]'' coordinates on success, and ''False'' on failure. Original search functions returned ''True/False'' success status, while coordinate results were stored in external variables passed in by reference.
  * Updated relevant functions with an extra parameter for a window handle, making it possible to limit the search area to the boundaries of a specified window.
  * Added the ability to handle multi-monitor desktops by re-defining desktop boundaries in to new global variables ''desktopLeft'', ''desktopTop'', ''desktopRight'', ''desktopBottom'', ''desktopWidth'', and ''desktopHeight''.

===== Example =====

<code autoit>
; Include the ImageSearch library
#include ".\ImageSearch\ImageSearch.au3"
; This will be the target image file to search for
Local $target = "DemoTarget.png"
; Declare an init a variable to hold the search result
Local $result = False
; Find the image across the entire desktop
$result = _ImageSearch($target, 1)
; If found, move the mouse to it
If IsArray($result) Then MouseMove($result[0], $result[1])
</code>

===== Download =====

I've put it up on [[https://github.com/TheKojukinator/ImageSearch|GitHub]].

{{tag>computing scripting autoit}}