How to get mouse wheel state ?

Question

In Microsoft.NET Framework there is a Form class in the namespace called System.Windows.Forms, and in there defined many events. The event KeyPressed occurs at the moment a key was pressed on the keyboard while the Form itself has input focus. But if I want that something will happen when a key is pressed at anytime no matter if the Form has input focus or not, I know that I can run a timer, and dllimport the GetKeyState, or GetAsyncKeyState functions from user32.dll, and know when a key was pressed at anytime.

The same thing I can do with the mouse with Form's MouseDown event and without, with the same user32.dll functions and a timer, but when I scroll up or down my mouse wheel, I can program that something will happen with the Form's MouseDown event.

Delta is the value for mouse wheel event at MouseEventArgs, but it occurs not only if the mouse wheel was scrolled up or down, but I need input focus on that Form with the MouseEvent.

I don't want to be dependent on any Form. I don't know which integer to give to the GetKeyState or GetAsyncKeyState functions to get the state of the mouse wheel, so I can run a piece of code in an if of a function that a timer calls frequently.

What should I do? Which integer is it? Is there an other function from user32 or other dll that can return the "Delta"? I will be happy if I will know, so please answer! :D

This article about intercepting global mouse events might interest you: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/29726/Detect-System-Wide-Mouse-Events — anthonyvd, Jun 27 '13 at 18:37
It is just not the way it works. Windows will let you know when the user scrolls the mouse wheel, the MouseWheel event fires. There is no way to ask where it is at, the mouse wheel doesn't have a "position". Only a change matters. — Hans Passant, Jun 27 '13 at 19:08
I downloaded the codeproject you sent me pwny, but when I try to add the MouseHunter.dll with the Add Reference, I get an error: error title - "Microsoft Visual C# 2010 Express", error description - "A reference to 'Drive:\Path\MouseHunter\MouseHunter.dll' could not be added. Please make sure that the file is accessible, and that it is a valid assembly or COM component.", and the dll reference is not added. Why I get this error instead? — , Jun 30 '13 at 15:06

score 3 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

3

There is a really nice CodePlex library that will allow you to easily get Global Mouse and KeyBoard events.

Description from above link:

This library allows you to tap keyboard and mouse and to detect and record their activity even when an application is inactive and runs in background.

This library attaches to windows global hooks, tracks keyboard and mouse clicks and movement and raises common .NET events with KeyEventArgs and MouseEventArgs, so you can easily retrieve any information you need: Mouse coordinates

Mouse buttons clicked
Mouse wheel scrolls
Key presses and releases
Special key states

Example (modified from the Demo program) it will only give you the Delta:

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using MouseKeyboardActivityMonitor;
using MouseKeyboardActivityMonitor.WinApi;

namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        private readonly MouseHookListener m_MouseHookManager;

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            m_MouseHookManager = new MouseHookListener(new GlobalHooker());
            m_MouseHookManager.Enabled = true;

            m_MouseHookManager.MouseWheel += HookManager_MouseWheel;

        }

        private void HookManager_MouseWheel(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
        {
            labelWheel.Text = string.Format("Wheel={0:000}", e.Delta);
        }
    }
}

edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

Community

1
1

answered Jun 27 '13 at 19:00

Mark Hall

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I have downloaded the CodePlex library you sent me. This is the answer that I was seeking exactly, but when I add the Class Library Project to my own project and the references, I try to use the classes and events found in this project into my project code, but when I run the application, I get runtime Exception Error called "Win32 Exception was unhandled": "The specified module could not be found" Why this!? – Jun 28 '13 at 13:51
First of all you do not have to add the project to yours, you just need to add the dll to your References, and use their demo as an example how to hook it up. I will try to add a small example to the answer in a bit. – Mark Hall Jun 28 '13 at 15:24
Also look at this [question](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16781948/how-can-i-hook-globaly-all-the-keys-and-all-the-mouse-buttons/16782294#16782294) and what Hans [referred](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3671673/setwindowshookex-failing-in-net-4-0-on-32-bit-machine-with-module-not-found) to in his comment here, it appears there maybe a problem with some older operating systems and .Net 4.0 – Mark Hall Jun 28 '13 at 15:43
I added all references to my project from what you recommended me to download, and I try your example above, but I found that I can't use or import the MouseKeyboardActivityMonitor and MouseKeyboardActivityMonitor.WinApi as well. They are still unfamiliar. Please help! – Jun 30 '13 at 15:00
Without seeing your code, I have no idea. the code that I posted above is a complete working example. Make sure you are using the same dll as what your project type and that you actually add the reference to the dll to your references. You could try posting your code on pastebin or its like. – Mark Hall Jun 30 '13 at 15:20

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 07 '17 at 09:13

You can by the Add Reference tool to add the following files to your project: Microsoft.DirectX.dll and Microsoft.DirectX.DirectInput.dll, and then add two namespaces to your code: "using Microsoft.DirectX;" and "using Microsoft.DirectX.DirectInput;".

These files can be found in your computer:

They are located in drive C.
The path is: Windows => Microsoft.NET => DirectX for Managed Code => 1.0.2902.0
You can hit the letters on your keyboard to find each folder or directory faster.
You can use the Search tool in My Computer to find where they are exactly, or verify that they are exist in your computer. If not, then you can download them from the internet, and locate them anywhere you want.

Once all these steps above were done, you are able to create new global instance of type Device anywhere you want in the code by choosing the overloading constructor that you give him SystemGuid.Mouse. Then in the Main function you have to invoke the Acquire() function of the global Device instance that you created before.

After that there is no problem to get the "Delta" of the mouse globally. Just resort to the global instance of Device, get from him the CurrentMouseState, and then ask for the Z property value that is an integer struct (int or System.Int32). This is exactly the mouse "Delta". Z > 0 = mouse wheel scrolled up, Z < 0 = mouse wheel scrolled down, Z == 0 = mouse wheel was not scrolled right now.

Note: Using Microsoft.DirectX in your project requires you to target .NET framework under version 4.0 in Project Properties, because it doesn't support it. You'll face problems if you forget to make this change!

How to get mouse wheel state ?

2 Answers2