Up until now I thought that changing the system volume from your app is impossible, until recently a new app called Quite Hours (http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/quiet-hours/f347a36b-80c0-430f-8631-e55046ee5a2a) actually did just that in a very neat way.
Does anyone please know how to do that programmatically? I tried using the MediaElement or the xna MediaPlayer and the backgroundAudioPlayer and nothing worked. Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you!
The developers of the apps mentioned in the OP were able to change system volume under WP8.0. Apparently whatever method they used has now been disabled under WP8.1. The following apps now display disclaimers that they no longer work on Windows Phone 8.1: Quiet Hours and Volume Manager
They direct to the following page to vote to allow this functionality: Windows Phone Dev User Voice
Additionally please read the following thread on the MSDN forum: MSDN change system volume Windows Phone 8. This functionality was likely achieved using WASAPI (which I have personally tried, and failed, it does not work, comment if you want my code to try it.), or the developers of the volume apps might have had access to AudioClientRestricted.h. If one had that h file, one would have access to system volume under WP8.1, so I somehow doubt the developers used the h file designated for OEMs because it would work un 8.1.
Talking with James Dailey (who works # MSFT) indicates it is technically possible using WASAPI ISimpleAudioVolume If you read # the bottom of that page there is a comment indicating you must use IAudioEndpointVolume
Added note from James Dailey # MSFT:
AFAIK there is no good way to manipulate the global audio level on
Windows Phone 8.1 (WP8.1). Theoretically you can change the audio
volume of any app that uses the default audio session “zero”. However,
if the app chooses to initialize it’s audio session with a custom
GUID you will not have access to the session volume for its custom
audio session. Again this is theoretical based on my knowledge of the
inner workings of WASAPI. I’ve never actually tried it on the phone.
To manipulate the audio volume of apps using audio session “zero” you
simply initialize your IAudioClient with an AudioSessionGuid parameter
of “{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}”. You can then use
ISimpleAudioVolume::SetMasterVolume to set the volume for this audio
session. You will need to use C++ / Cx since we do not support
calling WASAPI from managed code.
There currently is no API available for controlling the system volume. You can however control the volume in the elements of your application (via the classes MediaElement, BackgroundAudioAgent).
You can also control the volume on sound effects of your application using XNA API.
See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb195052%28v=xnagamestudio.30%29.aspx
Related
I am working on an audio application, and it is vital that we can mute Windows systems sounds (warnings, notifications etc) at critical times
I can set the system volume and access a number of sound related things, but not the Windows systems sounds
I can access microphones, loudspeakers (waveOut) and the mixer. However while in older versions of Windows, the mixer would contain "Systems sounds", but later do not. Opening "Sound Settings" one will find "Systems sounds" under apps.
If I could get that list, and control it, then I can mute the system.
How do I access that ?
Thanks to the link from Anders, I found the CoreAudio function, which lead me to IsSystemSoundsSession which then lead me to:
How can i control the volume of a specific software in the windows Volume Mixer?
Here is a similar thing done, which can be easily used for muting the system sounds
I'm developing a Windows 10 Universal app (UWP).
Is it possible to set application as TopMost (always on top)? Like WPF or Winforms (TopMost property).
Thanks
A feature called CompactOverlay mode was added in the Creators Update that supports this type of functionality. When an app window enters compact overlay mode it’ll be shown above other windows so it won’t get blocked. This allows users to continue to keep an eye on your app's content even when they are working with something else. The canonical example of an app taking advantage of this feature is a media player or a video chat app.
A blog post describing the feature can be found here
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/universal-windows-app-model/2017/02/11/compactoverlay-mode-aka-picture-in-picture/
Short answer is no, there is no way as of today to make the application modal.
There is a petition going around asking for this functionality, which was requested last December but given the amount of votes it got (35 at the time this answer was written), it doesn't look like it will be taken into consideration anytime soon.
As mentioned in the comments, this functionality would be PC only so even if it was added, my assumption would be that it wouldn't work outside of the PC mode (so no tablet, mobile or surface family device support).
It's not possible UWP apps have some restrictions compared with WPF of Win32 apps(classic apps).
With uwp apps you need enable some capabilities to do something special in your app as you can see in the link uwp apps need ask for permission or they can't access or modify files directly.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/mt270968.aspx
Best Regards
I'm developing a Windows 10 Universal app (UWP).
Is it possible to set application as TopMost (always on top)? Like WPF or Winforms (TopMost property).
Thanks
A feature called CompactOverlay mode was added in the Creators Update that supports this type of functionality. When an app window enters compact overlay mode it’ll be shown above other windows so it won’t get blocked. This allows users to continue to keep an eye on your app's content even when they are working with something else. The canonical example of an app taking advantage of this feature is a media player or a video chat app.
A blog post describing the feature can be found here
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/universal-windows-app-model/2017/02/11/compactoverlay-mode-aka-picture-in-picture/
Short answer is no, there is no way as of today to make the application modal.
There is a petition going around asking for this functionality, which was requested last December but given the amount of votes it got (35 at the time this answer was written), it doesn't look like it will be taken into consideration anytime soon.
As mentioned in the comments, this functionality would be PC only so even if it was added, my assumption would be that it wouldn't work outside of the PC mode (so no tablet, mobile or surface family device support).
It's not possible UWP apps have some restrictions compared with WPF of Win32 apps(classic apps).
With uwp apps you need enable some capabilities to do something special in your app as you can see in the link uwp apps need ask for permission or they can't access or modify files directly.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/mt270968.aspx
Best Regards
So I've had a look around and I cant seem to find an answer anywhere so here goes. Is it possible with the MS Band SDK to run a function within my app when the user taps a button?
Currently (at the time of writing) there is no way for the user to directly interact with a tile-app and thus pass a response to the application installed on the phone*
Your options are (as I see it):
To use the sensors to define 'gestures'**
Guide the user to use Cortana to provide speech commands ***
*This might change, but due to the very little storage capacity on the band if this was added I would assume only very basic interaction such as yes/no/cancel dialogos etc. and simpler responses using the keyboard when/if it becomes available for third party tiles.
**There is currently a bug with background work so you might have to prevent the lock screen from locking while receiving and interpreting sensor data on the phone which will impact the battery on the phone. This is expected to be fixed soon.
*** Speech commands are well supported on Windows Phone but I'm unsure how well supported they are on iOS and Android
Can I set system volume from code behind?
I know that in WP8 no way to do this. Maybe in WP8.1 ms added some api for system volume access?
This is not possible I have tried using the WASAPI drivers from Microsoft.
As an added note quoting from MSFT support James Dailey:
AFAIK there is no good way to manipulate the global audio level on
Windows Phone 8.1 (WP8.1). Theoretically you can change the audio
volume of any app that uses the default audio session “zero”. However,
if the app chooses to initialize it’s audio session with a custom
GUID you will not have access to the session volume for its custom
audio session. Again this is theoretical based on my knowledge of the
inner workings of WASAPI. I’ve never actually tried it on the phone.
To manipulate the audio volume of apps using audio session “zero” you
simply initialize your IAudioClient with an AudioSessionGuid parameter
of “{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}”. You can then use
ISimpleAudioVolume::SetMasterVolume to set the volume for this audio
session. You will need to use C++ / Cx since we do not support
calling WASAPI from managed code.
The above suggestion does not work.