# PowerDisplay Module Design Document ## Table of Contents 1. [Background](#background) 2. [Problem Statement](#problem-statement) 3. [Goals](#goals) 4. [Technical Terminology](#technical-terminology) - [DDC/CI (Display Data Channel Command Interface)](#ddcci-display-data-channel-command-interface) - [WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation)](#wmi-windows-management-instrumentation) 5. [Architecture Overview](#architecture-overview) - [High-Level Component Architecture](#high-level-component-architecture) - [Project Structure](#project-structure) 6. [Component Design](#component-design) - [PowerDisplay Module Internal Structure](#powerdisplay-module-internal-structure) - [DisplayChangeWatcher - Monitor Hot-Plug Detection](#displaychangewatcher---monitor-hot-plug-detection) - [DDC/CI and WMI Interaction Architecture](#ddcci-and-wmi-interaction-architecture) - [IMonitorController Interface Methods](#imonitorcontroller-interface-methods) - [Why WmiLight Instead of System.Management](#why-wmilight-instead-of-systemmanagement) - [Why We Need an MCCS Capabilities String Parser](#why-we-need-an-mccs-capabilities-string-parser) - [Monitor Identification: Handles, IDs, and Names](#monitor-identification-handles-ids-and-names) - [Settings UI and PowerDisplay Interaction Architecture](#settings-ui-and-powerdisplay-interaction-architecture) - [Windows Events for IPC](#windows-events-for-ipc) - [LightSwitch Profile Integration Architecture](#lightswitch-profile-integration-architecture) - [LightSwitch Settings JSON Structure](#lightswitch-settings-json-structure) 7. [Data Flow and Communication](#data-flow-and-communication) - [Monitor Discovery Flow](#monitor-discovery-flow) 8. [Sequence Diagrams](#sequence-diagrams) - [Sequence: Modifying Monitor Settings in Settings UI](#sequence-modifying-monitor-settings-in-settings-ui) - [Sequence: Creating and Saving a Profile](#sequence-creating-and-saving-a-profile) - [Sequence: Applying Profile via LightSwitch Theme Change](#sequence-applying-profile-via-lightswitch-theme-change) - [Sequence: UI Slider Adjustment (Brightness)](#sequence-ui-slider-adjustment-brightness) - [Sequence: Module Enable/Disable Lifecycle](#sequence-module-enabledisable-lifecycle) 9. [Future Considerations](#future-considerations) - [Already Implemented](#already-implemented) - [Potential Future Enhancements](#potential-future-enhancements) 10. [References](#references) --- ## Background PowerDisplay is a PowerToys module designed to provide unified control over display settings across multiple monitors. Users often work with multiple displays (external monitors or laptop screens) and need a convenient way to adjust display parameters such as brightness, contrast, color temperature, volume, and input source without navigating through individual monitor OSD menus. The module leverages two primary technologies for monitor control: 1. **DDC/CI (Display Data Channel Command Interface)** - For external monitors 2. **WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation)** - For internal(laptop) displays --- ## Problem Statement Users with multiple monitors face several challenges: 1. **Fragmented Control**: Each monitor requires separate OSD navigation 2. **Inconsistent Brightness**: Difficult to maintain uniform brightness across displays 3. **No Profile Support**: Cannot quickly switch display configurations for different scenarios (gaming, productivity, movie watching) 4. **Theme Integration Gap**: No automatic display adjustment when switching between light and dark themes --- ## Goals - Provide unified control for brightness, contrast, volume, color temperature, and input source across all connected monitors - Support both DDC/CI (external monitors) and WMI (laptop displays) - Support user-defined profiles for quick configuration switching - Integrate with LightSwitch module for automatic profile application on theme changes - Support global hotkey activation --- ## Technical Terminology ### DDC/CI (Display Data Channel Command Interface) **DDC/CI** is a VESA standard (defined in the DDC specification) that allows bidirectional communication between a computer and a display over the I2C bus embedded in display cables. Most external monitors support DDC/CI, allowing applications to read and modify settings like brightness and contrast programmatically. But unfortunately, some manufacturers have poor implementations of their product's driver. They may not support DDC/CI or report itself supports DDC/CI (through capabilities string) when it does not. Even if a monitor supports DDC/CI, they may only support a limited subset of VCP codes, or have buggy implementations. And sometimes, users may connect monitor through a KVM switch or docking station that does not pass through DDC/CI commands correctly, and their docking may report it supports (hard code a capabilities string) but in reality, it does not. And will do thing when we try to send DDC/CI commands. PowerDisplay relies on the monitor-reported capabilities string to determine supported features. But if your monitor's manufacturer has a poor DDC/CI implementation, or you are connecting through a docking station that does not properly support DDC/CI, some features may not work as expected. And we can do nothing about it. **Key Concepts:** | Term | Description | |------|-------------| | **VCP (Virtual Control Panel)** | Standardized codes for monitor settings | | **MCCS (Monitor Command Control Set)** | VESA standard defining VCP codes | | **Capabilities String** | Monitor-reported string describing supported features | **Common VCP Codes Used:** | VCP Code | Name | Description | |----------|------|-------------| | `0x10` | Brightness | Display luminance (0-100) | | `0x12` | Contrast | Display contrast ratio (0-100) | | `0x14` | Select Color Preset | Color temperature presets (sRGB, 5000K, 6500K, etc.) | | `0x60` | Input Source | Active video input (HDMI, DP, USB-C, etc.) | | `0x62` | Volume | Speaker/headphone volume (0-100) | --- ### WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) **WMI** is Microsoft's implementation of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM), providing a standardized interface for accessing management information in Windows. For display control, WMI is primarily used for laptop internal displays that may not support DDC/CI. --- ## Architecture Overview ### High-Level Component Architecture ```mermaid flowchart TB subgraph PowerToys["PowerToys Application"] Runner["Runner (PowerToys.exe)"] SettingsUI["Settings UI (WinUI 3)"] LightSwitch["LightSwitch Module"] end subgraph PowerDisplayModule["PowerDisplay Module"] ModuleInterface["Module Interface
(PowerDisplayModuleInterface.dll)"] PowerDisplayApp["PowerDisplay App
(PowerToys.PowerDisplay.exe)"] PowerDisplayLib["PowerDisplay.Lib
(Shared Library)"] end subgraph External["External"] Hardware["Display Hardware
(External + Internal)"] Storage["Persistent Storage
(settings.json, profiles.json)"] end Runner -->|"Loads DLL"| ModuleInterface Runner -->|"Hotkey Events"| ModuleInterface SettingsUI <-->|"Named Pipes"| Runner SettingsUI -->|"Custom Actions
(Launch, ApplyColorTemperature,
ApplyProfile)"| ModuleInterface ModuleInterface <-->|"Windows Events
(Show/Toggle/Terminate)"| PowerDisplayApp PowerDisplayApp -->|"RefreshMonitors Event"| SettingsUI LightSwitch -->|"Theme Events
(Light/Dark)"| PowerDisplayApp PowerDisplayApp --> PowerDisplayLib PowerDisplayLib -->|"DDC/CI (Dxva2.dll)"| Hardware PowerDisplayLib -->|"WMI (WmiLight)"| Hardware PowerDisplayLib -->|"ChangeDisplaySettingsEx"| Hardware PowerDisplayApp <--> Storage style Runner fill:#e1f5fe style SettingsUI fill:#e1f5fe style LightSwitch fill:#e1f5fe style ModuleInterface fill:#fff3e0 style PowerDisplayApp fill:#fff3e0 style PowerDisplayLib fill:#e8f5e9 style Hardware fill:#f3e5f5 style Storage fill:#fffde7 ``` This high-level view shows the module boundaries. See [Component Design](#component-design) for internal structure details. --- ### Project Structure ``` src/modules/powerdisplay/ ├── PowerDisplay.Lib/ # Core library (shared) │ ├── Drivers/ │ │ ├── DDC/ │ │ │ ├── DdcCiController.cs # DDC/CI implementation │ │ │ ├── DdcCiNative.cs # P/Invoke declarations & QueryDisplayConfig │ │ │ ├── MonitorDiscoveryHelper.cs │ │ │ └── PhysicalMonitorHandleManager.cs │ │ ├── WMI/ │ │ │ └── WmiController.cs # WMI implementation (WmiLight library) │ │ ├── NativeConstants.cs # Win32 constants (VCP codes, etc.) │ │ ├── NativeDelegates.cs # P/Invoke delegate types │ │ ├── NativeStructures.cs # Win32 structures │ │ └── PInvoke.cs # P/Invoke declarations │ ├── Interfaces/ │ │ ├── IMonitorController.cs # Controller abstraction │ │ ├── IMonitorData.cs # Monitor data interface │ │ └── IProfileService.cs # Profile service interface │ ├── Models/ │ │ ├── Monitor.cs # Runtime monitor data │ │ ├── MonitorCapabilities.cs # Monitor capability flags │ │ ├── MonitorOperationResult.cs # Operation result │ │ ├── MonitorStateEntry.cs # Persisted monitor state │ │ ├── MonitorStateFile.cs # State file schema │ │ ├── PowerDisplayProfile.cs # Profile definition │ │ ├── PowerDisplayProfiles.cs # Profile collection │ │ ├── ProfileMonitorSetting.cs # Per-monitor profile settings │ │ ├── ProfileOperation.cs # Profile operation for IPC │ │ ├── ColorTemperatureOperation.cs # Color temp operation for IPC │ │ ├── ColorPresetItem.cs # Color preset UI item │ │ ├── VcpCapabilities.cs # Parsed VCP capabilities │ │ └── VcpFeatureValue.cs # VCP feature value (current/min/max) │ ├── Serialization/ │ │ └── ProfileSerializationContext.cs # JSON source generation │ ├── Services/ │ │ ├── DisplayRotationService.cs # Display rotation via ChangeDisplaySettingsEx │ │ ├── MonitorStateManager.cs # State persistence (debounced) │ │ └── ProfileService.cs # Profile persistence │ ├── Utils/ │ │ ├── ColorTemperatureHelper.cs # Color temp utilities │ │ ├── EventHelper.cs # Windows Event utilities │ │ ├── MccsCapabilitiesParser.cs # DDC/CI capabilities parser │ │ ├── MonitorFeatureHelper.cs # Monitor feature utilities │ │ ├── MonitorMatchingHelper.cs # Profile-to-monitor matching │ │ ├── MonitorValueConverter.cs # Value conversion utilities │ │ ├── PnpIdHelper.cs # PnP manufacturer ID lookup │ │ ├── ProfileHelper.cs # Profile helper utilities │ │ ├── SimpleDebouncer.cs # Generic debouncer │ │ └── VcpNames.cs # VCP code and value name lookup │ └── PathConstants.cs # File path constants │ ├── PowerDisplay/ # WinUI 3 application │ ├── Assets/ # App icons and images │ ├── Configuration/ │ │ └── AppConstants.cs # Application constants │ ├── Helpers/ │ │ ├── DisplayChangeWatcher.cs # Monitor hot-plug detection (WinRT DeviceWatcher) │ │ ├── MonitorManager.cs # Discovery orchestrator │ │ ├── NativeEventWaiter.cs # Windows Event waiting │ │ ├── ResourceLoaderInstance.cs # Resource loader singleton │ │ ├── SettingsDeepLink.cs # Deep link to Settings UI │ │ ├── TrayIconService.cs # System tray integration │ │ ├── TypePreservation.cs # AOT type preservation │ │ └── WindowHelper.cs # Window utilities │ ├── PowerDisplayXAML/ │ │ ├── App.xaml / App.xaml.cs # Application entry point │ │ ├── MainWindow.xaml / .cs # Main UI window │ │ ├── IdentifyWindow.xaml / .cs # Monitor identify overlay │ │ └── MonitorIcon.xaml / .cs # Monitor icon control │ ├── Serialization/ │ │ └── JsonSourceGenerationContext.cs # JSON source generation │ ├── Services/ │ │ └── LightSwitchService.cs # LightSwitch theme change handling │ ├── Strings/ # Localization resources (en-us) │ ├── Telemetry/ │ │ └── Events/ │ │ └── PowerDisplayStartEvent.cs # Telemetry event │ ├── ViewModels/ │ │ ├── InputSourceItem.cs # Input source dropdown item │ │ ├── MainViewModel.cs # Main VM (partial class) │ │ ├── MainViewModel.Monitors.cs # Monitor discovery methods │ │ ├── MainViewModel.Settings.cs # Settings persistence methods │ │ └── MonitorViewModel.cs # Per-monitor VM │ ├── GlobalUsings.cs # Global using directives │ └── Program.cs # Application entry point │ ├── PowerDisplay.Lib.UnitTests/ # Unit tests │ ├── MccsCapabilitiesParserTests.cs │ └── MonitorMatchingHelperTests.cs │ └── PowerDisplayModuleInterface/ # C++ DLL (module interface) ├── dllmain.cpp # PowertoyModuleIface impl ├── Constants.h # Module constants (event names, timeouts) ├── resource.h # Resource definitions ├── pch.h / pch.cpp # Precompiled headers └── Trace.h / Trace.cpp # ETW telemetry tracing ``` --- ## Component Design ### PowerDisplay Module Internal Structure ```mermaid flowchart TB subgraph ExternalInputs["External Inputs"] ModuleInterface["Module Interface
(C++ DLL)"] LightSwitch["LightSwitch Module"] end subgraph WindowsEvents["Windows Events (IPC)"] direction LR ShowToggleEvents["Show/Toggle/Terminate
Events"] ThemeChangedEvent["ThemeChanged
Events"] end subgraph PowerDisplayModule["PowerDisplay Module"] subgraph PowerDisplayApp["PowerDisplay App (WinUI 3)"] MainViewModel MonitorViewModel MonitorManager DisplayChangeWatcher["DisplayChangeWatcher
(Hot-Plug Detection)"] LightSwitchService["LightSwitchService
(Theme Handler)"] end subgraph PowerDisplayLib["PowerDisplay.Lib"] subgraph Services ProfileService MonitorStateManager DisplayRotationService end subgraph Drivers DdcCiController WmiController end subgraph Utils PnpIdHelper["PnpIdHelper
(Manufacturer Names)"] end end end subgraph Storage["Persistent Storage"] SettingsJson[("settings.json")] ProfilesJson[("profiles.json")] MonitorStateJson[("monitor_state.json")] end subgraph Hardware["Display Hardware"] ExternalMonitor["External Monitor"] LaptopDisplay["Laptop Display"] end %% External to Windows Events ModuleInterface -->|"SetEvent()"| ShowToggleEvents LightSwitch -->|"SetEvent()"| ThemeChangedEvent %% Windows Events to App ShowToggleEvents --> MainViewModel ThemeChangedEvent --> LightSwitchService %% App internal LightSwitchService -.->|"Get profile name"| MainViewModel MainViewModel --> MonitorViewModel MonitorViewModel --> MonitorManager DisplayChangeWatcher -.->|"DisplayChanged event"| MainViewModel %% App to Lib services MainViewModel --> ProfileService MonitorViewModel --> MonitorStateManager MonitorManager --> Drivers MonitorManager --> DisplayRotationService %% Utils used during discovery WmiController --> PnpIdHelper %% Services to Storage ProfileService --> ProfilesJson MonitorStateManager --> MonitorStateJson %% Drivers to Hardware DdcCiController -->|"DDC/CI"| ExternalMonitor WmiController -->|"WMI"| LaptopDisplay DisplayRotationService -->|"ChangeDisplaySettingsEx"| ExternalMonitor DisplayRotationService -->|"ChangeDisplaySettingsEx"| LaptopDisplay %% Styling style ExternalInputs fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#1976d2 style WindowsEvents fill:#fce4ec,stroke:#c2185b style PowerDisplayModule fill:#fff8e1,stroke:#f57c00,stroke-width:2px style PowerDisplayApp fill:#ffe0b2,stroke:#ef6c00 style PowerDisplayLib fill:#c8e6c9,stroke:#388e3c style Services fill:#a5d6a7,stroke:#2e7d32 style Drivers fill:#ffccbc,stroke:#e64a19 style Utils fill:#dcedc8,stroke:#689f38 style Storage fill:#e1bee7,stroke:#8e24aa style Hardware fill:#b2dfdb,stroke:#00897b ``` --- ### DisplayChangeWatcher - Monitor Hot-Plug Detection The `DisplayChangeWatcher` component provides automatic detection of monitor connect/disconnect events using the WinRT DeviceWatcher API. **Key Features:** - Uses `DisplayMonitor.GetDeviceSelector()` to watch for display device changes - Implements 1-second debouncing to coalesce rapid connect/disconnect events - Triggers `DisplayChanged` event to notify `MainViewModel` for monitor list refresh - Runs continuously after initial monitor discovery completes **Implementation Details:** ```csharp // Device selector for display monitors string selector = DisplayMonitor.GetDeviceSelector(); _deviceWatcher = DeviceInformation.CreateWatcher(selector); // Events monitored _deviceWatcher.Added += OnDeviceAdded; // New monitor connected _deviceWatcher.Removed += OnDeviceRemoved; // Monitor disconnected _deviceWatcher.Updated += OnDeviceUpdated; // Monitor properties changed ``` **Debouncing Strategy:** - Each device change event schedules a `DisplayChanged` event after 1 second - Subsequent events within the debounce window cancel the previous timer - This prevents excessive refreshes when multiple monitors change simultaneously --- ### DDC/CI and WMI Interaction Architecture ```mermaid flowchart TB subgraph Application["Application Layer"] MM["MonitorManager"] end subgraph Abstraction["Abstraction Layer"] IMC["IMonitorController Interface"] end subgraph Controllers["Controller Implementations"] DDC["DdcCiController"] WMI["WmiController"] end subgraph DDCStack["DDC/CI Stack"] DDCNative["DdcCiNative
(P/Invoke)"] PhysicalMonitorMgr["PhysicalMonitorHandleManager"] MonitorDiscovery["MonitorDiscoveryHelper"] CapParser["MccsCapabilitiesParser"] subgraph Win32["Win32 APIs"] User32["User32.dll
EnumDisplayMonitors
GetMonitorInfo"] Dxva2["Dxva2.dll
GetVCPFeature
SetVCPFeature
Capabilities"] end end subgraph WMIStack["WMI Stack"] WmiLight["WmiLight Library
(Native AOT compatible,
NuGet package)"] PnpHelper["PnpIdHelper
(Manufacturer name lookup)"] subgraph WMIClasses["WMI Classes (root\\WMI)"] WmiMonBright["WmiMonitorBrightness"] WmiMonBrightMethods["WmiMonitorBrightnessMethods"] end end subgraph Hardware["Hardware Layer"] ExtMon["External Monitor
(DDC/CI capable)"] LaptopMon["Laptop Display
(WMI only)"] end MM --> IMC IMC -.-> DDC IMC -.-> WMI DDC --> DDCNative DDC --> PhysicalMonitorMgr DDC --> MonitorDiscovery DDC --> CapParser DDCNative --> User32 DDCNative --> Dxva2 MonitorDiscovery --> User32 PhysicalMonitorMgr --> Dxva2 Dxva2 -->|"I2C/DDC"| ExtMon WMI --> WmiLight WMI --> PnpHelper WmiLight --> WmiMonBright WmiLight --> WmiMonBrightMethods WmiMonBrightMethods -->|"WMI Provider"| LaptopMon style IMC fill:#bbdefb style DDC fill:#c8e6c9 style WMI fill:#ffccbc ``` ### IMonitorController Interface Methods ```mermaid classDiagram class IMonitorController { <> +Name: string +DiscoverMonitorsAsync(cancellationToken) IEnumerable~Monitor~ +GetBrightnessAsync(monitor, cancellationToken) VcpFeatureValue +SetBrightnessAsync(monitor, brightness, cancellationToken) MonitorOperationResult +SetContrastAsync(monitor, contrast, cancellationToken) MonitorOperationResult +SetVolumeAsync(monitor, volume, cancellationToken) MonitorOperationResult +GetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor, cancellationToken) VcpFeatureValue +SetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor, vcpValue, cancellationToken) MonitorOperationResult +GetInputSourceAsync(monitor, cancellationToken) VcpFeatureValue +SetInputSourceAsync(monitor, inputSource, cancellationToken) MonitorOperationResult +Dispose() } class DdcCiController { -_handleManager: PhysicalMonitorHandleManager -_discoveryHelper: MonitorDiscoveryHelper +Name: "DDC/CI Monitor Controller" +DiscoverMonitorsAsync() +GetBrightnessAsync(monitor) +SetBrightnessAsync(monitor, brightness) +SetContrastAsync(monitor, contrast) +SetVolumeAsync(monitor, volume) +GetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor) +SetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor, colorTemperature) +GetInputSourceAsync(monitor) +SetInputSourceAsync(monitor, inputSource) +GetCapabilitiesStringAsync(monitor) string -GetVcpFeatureAsync(monitor, vcpCode, featureName) -CollectCandidateMonitorsAsync() -FetchCapabilitiesInParallelAsync() -GetPhysicalMonitorsWithRetryAsync() } class WmiController { +Name: "WMI Monitor Controller" +DiscoverMonitorsAsync() +GetBrightnessAsync(monitor) +SetBrightnessAsync(monitor, brightness) +SetContrastAsync(monitor, contrast) +SetVolumeAsync(monitor, volume) +GetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor) +SetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor, colorTemperature) +GetInputSourceAsync(monitor) +SetInputSourceAsync(monitor, inputSource) -ExtractHardwareIdFromInstanceName() -GetMonitorDisplayInfoByHardwareId() } IMonitorController <|.. DdcCiController IMonitorController <|.. WmiController ``` --- ### Why WmiLight Instead of System.Management PowerDisplay uses the [WmiLight](https://github.com/MartinKuschnik/WmiLight) NuGet package for WMI operations instead of the built-in `System.Management` namespace. This decision was driven by several technical requirements: #### Native AOT Compatibility PowerDisplay is built with Native AOT (Ahead-of-Time compilation) enabled for improved startup performance and reduced memory footprint. The standard `System.Management` namespace is **not compatible with Native AOT** because it relies heavily on runtime reflection and COM interop patterns that cannot be statically analyzed. WmiLight provides Native AOT support since version 5.0.0, making it the appropriate choice for AOT-compiled applications. ```xml true ``` #### Memory Leak Prevention The `System.Management` implementation has a known issue where it leaks memory on each WMI operation. While this might be acceptable for short-lived applications, PowerDisplay runs as a long-running background process that may perform frequent WMI queries (e.g., polling brightness levels, responding to theme changes). WmiLight addresses this memory leak issue. #### Lightweight API WmiLight provides a simpler, more lightweight API compared to `System.Management`: ```csharp // WmiLight - Simple and direct using (var connection = new WmiConnection(@"root\WMI")) { var results = connection.CreateQuery("SELECT * FROM WmiMonitorBrightness"); foreach (var obj in results) { var brightness = obj.GetPropertyValue("CurrentBrightness"); } } // System.Management - More verbose using (var searcher = new ManagementObjectSearcher(@"root\WMI", "SELECT * FROM WmiMonitorBrightness")) { foreach (ManagementObject obj in searcher.Get()) { var brightness = (byte)obj["CurrentBrightness"]; } } ``` #### Comparison Summary | Aspect | System.Management | WmiLight | |--------|-------------------|----------| | **Native AOT Support** | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Supported (v5.0.0+) | | **Memory Leaks** | ⚠️ Leaks on remote operations | ✅ No known leaks | | **API Complexity** | More verbose | Simpler, lighter | | **Long-running Services** | Not recommended | ✅ Recommended | | **Static Linking** | ❌ Not available | ✅ Optional (`PublishWmiLightStaticallyLinked`) | #### References - [WmiLight GitHub Repository](https://github.com/MartinKuschnik/WmiLight) - [WmiLight NuGet Package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/WmiLight) --- ### Why We Need an MCCS Capabilities String Parser DDC/CI monitors report their supported features via a **capabilities string** - a structured text format defined by the VESA MCCS (Monitor Control Command Set) standard. This string tells PowerDisplay which VCP codes the monitor supports and what values are valid for each. #### Example Capabilities String ``` (prot(monitor)type(lcd)model(PD3220U)cmds(01 02 03 07)vcp(10 12 14(04 05 06) 60(11 12 0F))mccs_ver(2.2)) ``` This string encodes: - **Protocol**: monitor - **Type**: LCD display - **Model**: PD3220U - **Supported commands**: 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x07 - **VCP codes**: 0x10 (brightness), 0x12 (contrast), 0x14 (color preset with values 4,5,6), 0x60 (input source with values 0x11, 0x12, 0x0F) - **MCCS version**: 2.2 #### Why Parse It? | Use Case | How Parser Helps | |----------|------------------| | **Feature Detection** | Determine if monitor supports contrast, volume, color temperature, input switching | | **Input Source Dropdown** | Extract valid input source values (e.g., HDMI-1=0x11, DP=0x0F) for UI dropdown | | **Color Preset List** | Extract supported color presets (e.g., sRGB, 5000K, 6500K) | | **Diagnostics** | Display raw VCP codes in Settings UI for troubleshooting | | **PIP/PBP Support** | Parse window capabilities for Picture-in-Picture features | #### Why Not Use Regex? The MCCS capabilities string format has **nested parentheses** that regex cannot reliably handle: ``` vcp(10 12 14(04 05 06) 60(11 12 0F)) ^^^^^^^^^^^^ nested values ``` A recursive descent parser properly handles: - Nested parentheses at arbitrary depth - Variable whitespace (some monitors use `01 02 03`, others use `010203`) - Optional outer parentheses (some monitors omit them) - Unknown segments (graceful skip without failing) #### Implementation PowerDisplay implements a **zero-allocation recursive descent parser** using `ref struct` and `ReadOnlySpan` for optimal performance during monitor discovery. ```csharp // Usage in DdcCiController var result = MccsCapabilitiesParser.Parse(capabilitiesString); if (result.IsValid) { monitor.VcpCapabilitiesInfo = result.Capabilities; // Now we know which features this monitor supports } ``` > **Detailed Design:** See [MCCS_PARSER_DESIGN.md](./MCCS_PARSER_DESIGN.md) for the complete > parser architecture, grammar definition, and implementation details. --- ### Monitor Identification: Handles, IDs, and Names Understanding how Windows identifies monitors is critical for PowerDisplay's operation. Different Windows APIs use different identifiers, and PowerDisplay must correlate these to provide a unified view across DDC/CI and WMI subsystems. #### Windows Display Subsystem Overview ```mermaid flowchart TB subgraph WindowsAPIs["Windows Display APIs"] EnumDisplayMonitors["EnumDisplayMonitors
(User32.dll)"] QueryDisplayConfig["QueryDisplayConfig
(User32.dll)"] GetPhysicalMonitors["GetPhysicalMonitorsFromHMONITOR
(Dxva2.dll)"] WmiMonitor["WMI root\\WMI
(WmiLight)"] end subgraph Identifiers["Monitor Identifiers"] HMONITOR["HMONITOR
(Logical Monitor Handle)"] GdiDeviceName["GDI Device Name
(e.g., \\\\.\\DISPLAY1)"] PhysicalHandle["Physical Monitor Handle
(IntPtr for DDC/CI)"] DevicePath["Device Path
(Unique per target)"] HardwareId["Hardware ID
(e.g., DEL41B4)"] InstanceName["WMI Instance Name
(e.g., DISPLAY\\BOE0900\\...)"] MonitorNumber["Monitor Number
(1-based, matches Windows Settings)"] end EnumDisplayMonitors --> HMONITOR HMONITOR --> GdiDeviceName GetPhysicalMonitors --> PhysicalHandle QueryDisplayConfig --> GdiDeviceName QueryDisplayConfig --> DevicePath QueryDisplayConfig --> HardwareId QueryDisplayConfig --> MonitorNumber WmiMonitor --> InstanceName InstanceName --> HardwareId style HMONITOR fill:#e3f2fd style GdiDeviceName fill:#fff3e0 style PhysicalHandle fill:#c8e6c9 style DevicePath fill:#f3e5f5 style HardwareId fill:#ffccbc style InstanceName fill:#ffe0b2 style MonitorNumber fill:#b2dfdb ``` #### Identifier Definitions | Identifier | Source | Format | Example | Scope | |------------|--------|--------|---------|-------| | **HMONITOR** | `EnumDisplayMonitors` | `IntPtr` | `0x00010001` | Logical monitor (may represent multiple physical monitors in clone mode) | | **GDI Device Name** | `GetMonitorInfo` / `QueryDisplayConfig` | String | `\\.\DISPLAY1` | Adapter output; multiple targets can share same GDI name in mirror mode | | **Physical Monitor Handle** | `GetPhysicalMonitorsFromHMONITOR` | `IntPtr` | `0x00000B14` | DDC/CI communication handle; valid for `GetVCPFeature` / `SetVCPFeature` | | **Device Path** | `QueryDisplayConfig` | String | `\\?\DISPLAY#DEL41B4#5&12a3b4c&0&UID123#{...}` | Unique per target; used as primary key in `MonitorDisplayInfo` | | **Hardware ID** | EDID (via `QueryDisplayConfig`) | String | `DEL41B4` | Manufacturer (3-char PnP ID) + Product Code (4-char hex); identifies monitor model | | **WMI Instance Name** | `WmiMonitorBrightness` | String | `DISPLAY\BOE0900\4&10fd3ab1&0&UID265988_0` | WMI object identifier; contains hardware ID in second segment | | **Monitor Number** | `QueryDisplayConfig` path index | Integer | `1`, `2`, `3` | 1-based; matches Windows Settings → Display → "Identify" feature | #### DDC/CI Monitor Discovery Flow ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant App as PowerDisplay participant Enum as EnumDisplayMonitors participant Info as GetMonitorInfo participant QDC as QueryDisplayConfig participant Phys as GetPhysicalMonitors participant DDC as DDC/CI (I2C) App->>Enum: EnumDisplayMonitors(callback) Enum-->>App: HMONITOR handles loop For each HMONITOR App->>Info: GetMonitorInfo(hMonitor) Info-->>App: GDI Device Name (e.g., "\\.\DISPLAY1") App->>Phys: GetPhysicalMonitorsFromHMONITOR(hMonitor) Phys-->>App: Physical Monitor Handle(s) + Description end App->>QDC: QueryDisplayConfig(QDC_ONLY_ACTIVE_PATHS) QDC-->>App: MonitorDisplayInfo[] (DevicePath, GdiDeviceName, HardwareId, MonitorNumber) Note over App: Match Physical Handles to MonitorDisplayInfo
using GDI Device Name loop For each Physical Handle App->>DDC: GetCapabilitiesStringLength(handle) DDC-->>App: Capabilities length App->>DDC: CapabilitiesRequestAndCapabilitiesReply(handle) DDC-->>App: Capabilities string (MCCS format) end Note over App: Create Monitor objects with:
- Handle (Physical Monitor Handle)
- MonitorNumber (from QueryDisplayConfig)
- GdiDeviceName (for rotation APIs) ``` #### WMI Monitor Discovery Flow ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant App as PowerDisplay participant WMI as WmiLight participant QDC as QueryDisplayConfig participant PnP as PnpIdHelper App->>WMI: Query WmiMonitorBrightness WMI-->>App: InstanceName, CurrentBrightness Note over App: Extract HardwareId from InstanceName
"DISPLAY\BOE0900\..." → "BOE0900" App->>QDC: GetAllMonitorDisplayInfo() QDC-->>App: MonitorDisplayInfo[] (keyed by DevicePath) Note over App: Match WMI monitor to QueryDisplayConfig
by comparing HardwareId App->>PnP: GetBuiltInDisplayName("BOE0900") PnP-->>App: "BOE Built-in Display" Note over App: Create Monitor objects with:
- InstanceName (for WMI queries)
- MonitorNumber (from QueryDisplayConfig)
- GdiDeviceName (for rotation APIs) ``` #### Key Relationships ##### GDI Device Name ↔ Physical Monitors ```mermaid flowchart TB HMON["HMONITOR (Logical)"] HMON --> GDI["GetMonitorInfo()
→ GDI Device Name
\.DISPLAY1"] HMON --> GetPhys["GetPhysicalMonitorsFromHMONITOR()"] GetPhys --> PM0["Physical Monitor 0
Handle: 0x0B14
Desc: Dell U2722D"] GetPhys --> PM1["Physical Monitor 1
Handle: 0x0B18
Desc: Dell U2722D
Mirror mode"] style HMON fill:#e3f2fd style PM0 fill:#fff3e0 style PM1 fill:#fff3e0 ``` In **mirror/clone mode**, multiple physical monitors share the same GDI device name. QueryDisplayConfig returns multiple paths with the same `GdiDeviceName` but different `DevicePath` values, allowing us to distinguish them. ##### DisplayPort Daisy Chain (MST - Multi-Stream Transport) **Daisy chaining** allows multiple monitors to be connected in series through a single DisplayPort output using MST (Multi-Stream Transport) technology. This creates unique challenges for monitor identification. ```mermaid flowchart LR GPU["GPU
(Single DP Port)"] MonA["Monitor A
(MST Hub)"] MonB["Monitor B
(End)"] GPU -->|"DP"| MonA -->|"DP"| MonB subgraph Result["Result: Multiple Logical Displays"] D1["DISPLAY1"] D2["DISPLAY2"] end GPU -.-> Result style GPU fill:#bbdefb style MonA fill:#c8e6c9 style MonB fill:#c8e6c9 style Result fill:#fff3e0 ``` **How Windows Handles MST:** | Aspect | Behavior | |--------|----------| | **HMONITOR** | Each daisy-chained monitor gets its own HMONITOR | | **GDI Device Name** | Each monitor gets a unique GDI name (e.g., `\\.\DISPLAY1`, `\\.\DISPLAY2`) | | **Physical Monitor Handle** | Each monitor has its own physical handle for DDC/CI | | **Device Path** | Unique for each monitor in the chain | | **Hardware ID** | Different if monitors are different models; same if identical models | **MST vs Clone Mode Comparison:** | Property | MST Daisy Chain (Extended Desktop) | Clone/Mirror Mode | |----------|-----------------------------------|-------------------| | **HMONITOR** | Separate per monitor (HMONITOR_1, HMONITOR_2, ...) | Shared (single HMONITOR_1) | | **GDI Device Name** | Unique per monitor (`\\.\DISPLAY1`, `\\.\DISPLAY2`, ...) | Shared (`\\.\DISPLAY1`) | | **Physical Handle** | One per HMONITOR (A, B, C) | Multiple per HMONITOR (A, B) | | **DevicePath** | Unique per monitor (unique1, unique2, ...) | Unique per monitor (unique1, unique2) | | **Behavior** | Each monitor = independent logical display | Multiple monitors share same logical display | **PowerDisplay Handling of MST:** 1. **Discovery**: `EnumDisplayMonitors` returns separate HMONITOR for each MST monitor 2. **Physical Handles**: `GetPhysicalMonitorsFromHMONITOR` returns one handle per HMONITOR 3. **Matching**: QueryDisplayConfig provides unique DevicePath for each MST target 4. **DDC/CI**: Each monitor in the chain can be controlled independently via its handle **Identifying Same-Model Monitors in Daisy Chain:** When multiple identical monitors are daisy-chained (same Hardware ID), PowerDisplay distinguishes them using: - **MonitorNumber**: Different path index in QueryDisplayConfig (1, 2, 3...) - **DevicePath**: Unique system-generated path for each target - **Monitor.Id**: Format `DDC_{HardwareId}_{MonitorNumber}` ensures uniqueness Example with two identical Dell U2722D monitors: | Monitor | Id | MonitorNumber | |---------|-----|---------------| | Monitor 1 | `DDC_DEL41B4_1` | 1 | | Monitor 2 | `DDC_DEL41B4_2` | 2 | ##### Connection Mode Summary | Mode | HMONITOR | GDI Device Name | Physical Handles | Use Case | |------|----------|-----------------|------------------|----------| | **Standard** (separate cables) | 1 per monitor | Unique per monitor | 1 per HMONITOR | Most common setup | | **Clone/Mirror** | 1 shared | Shared | Multiple per HMONITOR | Presentation, duplication | | **MST Daisy Chain** | 1 per monitor | Unique per monitor | 1 per HMONITOR | Reduced cable clutter | | **USB-C/Thunderbolt Hub** | 1 per monitor | Unique per monitor | 1 per HMONITOR | Laptop docking | **Key Insight**: From PowerDisplay's perspective, MST daisy chain and standard multi-cable setups behave identically - each monitor appears as an independent display with unique identifiers. Only clone/mirror mode requires special handling due to shared HMONITOR/GDI names. ##### Hardware ID Composition ```mermaid flowchart TB HardwareId["Hardware ID: DEL41B4"] HardwareId --> PnpId["DEL
PnP Manufacturer ID
3 chars, EDID bytes 8-9"] HardwareId --> ProductCode["41B4
Product Code
4 hex chars, EDID bytes 10-11"] style HardwareId fill:#fff3e0 style PnpId fill:#c8e6c9 style ProductCode fill:#bbdefb ``` The **PnP Manufacturer ID** is a 3-character code assigned by UEFI Forum. Common laptop display manufacturers: | PnP ID | Manufacturer | |--------|--------------| | `BOE` | BOE Technology | | `LGD` | LG Display | | `AUO` | AU Optronics | | `CMN` | Chi Mei Innolux | | `SDC` | Samsung Display | | `SHP` | Sharp | | `LEN` | Lenovo | | `DEL` | Dell | ##### WMI Instance Name Parsing ```mermaid flowchart TB InstanceName["WMI InstanceName:
DISPLAY\BOE0900\4#amp;10fd3ab1#amp;0#amp;UID265988_0"] InstanceName --> Seg1["Segment 1: DISPLAY
Constant prefix"] InstanceName --> Seg2["Segment 2: BOE0900
Hardware ID
Used for matching with QueryDisplayConfig"] InstanceName --> Seg3["Segment 3: Device instance
4#amp;10fd3ab1#amp;0#amp;UID265988_0"] style InstanceName fill:#fff3e0 style Seg1 fill:#e0e0e0 style Seg2 fill:#c8e6c9 style Seg3 fill:#e0e0e0 ``` ##### Monitor Number (Windows Display Settings) The `MonitorNumber` in PowerDisplay corresponds exactly to the number shown in: - Windows Settings → System → Display → "Identify" button - The number overlay that appears on each display This is derived from the **path index** in `QueryDisplayConfig`: - `paths[0]` → Monitor 1 - `paths[1]` → Monitor 2 - etc. #### Display Rotation and GDI Device Name The `ChangeDisplaySettingsEx` API requires the **GDI Device Name** to target a specific display: ```cpp // Correct: Target specific display by GDI name ChangeDisplaySettingsEx("\\.\DISPLAY2", &devMode, NULL, 0, NULL); // Wrong: NULL affects primary display only ChangeDisplaySettingsEx(NULL, &devMode, NULL, 0, NULL); ``` PowerDisplay stores `GdiDeviceName` in each `Monitor` object specifically for rotation operations. #### Cross-Reference Summary | PowerDisplay Property | DDC/CI Source | WMI Source | |-----------------------|---------------|------------| | `Monitor.Id` | `"DDC_{HardwareId}_{MonitorNumber}"` | `"WMI_{HardwareId}_{MonitorNumber}"` | | `Monitor.Handle` | Physical Monitor Handle | N/A (uses InstanceName) | | `Monitor.InstanceName` | N/A | WMI InstanceName | | `Monitor.GdiDeviceName` | QueryDisplayConfig | QueryDisplayConfig | | `Monitor.MonitorNumber` | QueryDisplayConfig path index | QueryDisplayConfig (matched by HardwareId) | | `Monitor.Name` | EDID FriendlyName or Description | PnpIdHelper.GetBuiltInDisplayName() | --- ### Settings UI and PowerDisplay Interaction Architecture ```mermaid flowchart LR subgraph SettingsUI["Settings UI Process"] direction TB Page["PowerDisplayPage.xaml"] VM["PowerDisplayViewModel"] Page --> VM end subgraph Runner["Runner Process"] direction TB Exe["PowerToys.exe"] Pipe["Named Pipe IPC"] Module["PowerDisplayModuleInterface.dll"] Pipe --> Exe --> Module end subgraph PDApp["PowerDisplay Process"] direction TB MainVM["MainViewModel"] Events["Event Listeners
Refresh / ColorTemp / Profile"] Events --> MainVM end subgraph Storage["File System"] direction TB Settings[("settings.json")] Profiles[("profiles.json")] end %% Main flow: Settings UI → Runner → PowerDisplay VM -->|"IPC Message"| Pipe Module -->|"SetEvent()"| Events %% File access VM <-.->|"Read/Write"| Settings VM <-.->|"Read/Write"| Profiles MainVM <-.->|"Read"| Settings MainVM <-.->|"Read/Write"| Profiles style SettingsUI fill:#e3f2fd style Runner fill:#fff3e0 style PDApp fill:#e8f5e9 style Storage fill:#fffde7 ``` **Data Models (in Settings.UI.Library):** | Model | Purpose | |-------|---------| | `PowerDisplaySettings` | Main settings container with properties and pending operations | | `MonitorInfo` | Per-monitor settings displayed in Settings UI | | `ProfileOperation` | Pending profile apply operation | | `ColorTemperatureOperation` | Pending color temperature change | ### Windows Events for IPC Event names use fixed GUID suffixes to ensure uniqueness (defined in `shared_constants.h`). | Constant | Direction | Purpose | |----------|-----------|---------| | `SHOW_POWER_DISPLAY_EVENT` | Runner → App | Show window | | `TOGGLE_POWER_DISPLAY_EVENT` | Runner → App | Toggle visibility | | `TERMINATE_POWER_DISPLAY_EVENT` | Runner → App | Terminate process | | `REFRESH_POWER_DISPLAY_MONITORS_EVENT` | Settings → App | Refresh monitor list | | `APPLY_COLOR_TEMPERATURE_POWER_DISPLAY_EVENT` | Settings → App | Apply color temp | | `APPLY_PROFILE_POWER_DISPLAY_EVENT` | Settings → App | Apply profile | | `LightSwitchLightThemeEventName` | LightSwitch → App | Apply light mode profile | | `LightSwitchDarkThemeEventName` | LightSwitch → App | Apply dark mode profile | **Event Name Format:** `Local\PowerToysPowerDisplay-{EventType}-{GUID}` Example: `Local\PowerToysPowerDisplay-ShowEvent-d8a4e0e3-2c5b-4a1c-9e7f-8b3d6c1a2f4e` --- ### LightSwitch Profile Integration Architecture ```mermaid flowchart TB subgraph LightSwitchModule["LightSwitch Module (C++)"] StateManager["LightSwitchStateManager"] ThemeEval["Theme Evaluation
(Time/System)"] LightSwitchSettings["LightSwitchSettings"] NotifyPD["NotifyPowerDisplay(isLight)"] end subgraph PowerDisplayModule["PowerDisplay Module (C#)"] subgraph App["PowerDisplay App"] EventWaiter["NativeEventWaiter
(Background Thread)"] LightSwitchSvc["LightSwitchService
(Static Helper)"] MainViewModel["MainViewModel"] end ProfileService["ProfileService"] MonitorVMs["MonitorViewModels"] Controllers["IMonitorController"] end subgraph WindowsEvents["Windows Events"] LightEvent["Local\\PowerToys_LightSwitch_LightTheme"] DarkEvent["Local\\PowerToys_LightSwitch_DarkTheme"] end subgraph FileSystem["File System"] LSSettingsJson["LightSwitch/settings.json
{lightProfile, darkProfile}"] PDProfilesJson["PowerDisplay/profiles.json
{profiles: [...]}"] end subgraph Hardware["Hardware"] Monitors["Connected Monitors"] end %% LightSwitch flow ThemeEval -->|"Time boundary
or manual"| StateManager StateManager --> LightSwitchSettings StateManager --> NotifyPD NotifyPD -->|"isLight=true"| LightEvent NotifyPD -->|"isLight=false"| DarkEvent %% PowerDisplay flow - theme determined from event LightEvent -->|"Event signaled"| EventWaiter DarkEvent -->|"Event signaled"| EventWaiter EventWaiter -->|"isLightMode"| LightSwitchSvc LightSwitchSvc -->|"GetProfileForTheme()"| LSSettingsJson LightSwitchSvc -->|"Profile name"| MainViewModel MainViewModel -->|"LoadProfiles()"| ProfileService ProfileService <--> PDProfilesJson MainViewModel -->|"ApplyProfileAsync()"| MonitorVMs MonitorVMs --> Controllers Controllers --> Monitors style LightSwitchModule fill:#ffccbc style PowerDisplayModule fill:#c8e6c9 style App fill:#a5d6a7 style WindowsEvents fill:#e3f2fd style FileSystem fill:#fffde7 ``` ### LightSwitch Settings JSON Structure ```json { "properties": { "apply_monitor_settings": { "value": true }, "enable_light_mode_profile": { "value": true }, "light_mode_profile": { "value": "Productivity" }, "enable_dark_mode_profile": { "value": true }, "dark_mode_profile": { "value": "Night Mode" } } } ``` --- ## Data Flow and Communication ### Monitor Discovery Flow ```mermaid flowchart TB Start([Start Discovery]) Start --> MM["MonitorManager.DiscoverMonitorsAsync()"] MM --> DDC["DdcCiController.DiscoverMonitorsAsync()"] MM --> WMI["WmiController.DiscoverMonitorsAsync()"] DDC --> Merge["Merge Results"] WMI --> Merge Merge --> Sort["Sort by MonitorNumber"] Sort --> Update["Update _monitors Collection"] Update --> Done([Discovery Complete]) style Start fill:#e8f5e9 style Done fill:#e8f5e9 style DDC fill:#e3f2fd style WMI fill:#fff3e0 ``` > **Note:** DDC/CI and WMI discovery run in parallel via `Task.WhenAll`. #### DDC/CI Discovery (Three-Phase Approach) **Phase 1: Collect Candidates** ```mermaid flowchart LR QDC["QueryDisplayConfig"] --> Match["Match by GDI Name"] Enum["EnumDisplayMonitors"] --> GetPhys["GetPhysicalMonitors"] --> Match Match --> Candidates["CandidateMonitor List"] style QDC fill:#e3f2fd style Enum fill:#e3f2fd ``` **Phase 2: Fetch Capabilities (Parallel)** ```mermaid flowchart LR Candidates["CandidateMonitor List"] --> Fetch["Task.WhenAll:
FetchCapabilities
~4s per monitor via I2C"] Fetch --> Results["DdcCiValidationResult Array"] style Fetch fill:#fff3e0 ``` **Phase 3: Create Monitors** ```mermaid flowchart LR Results["Validation Results"] --> Check{"IsValid?"} Check -->|Yes| Create["Create Monitor"] Create --> Init["Initialize VCP Values:
Brightness, ColorTemp, InputSource"] Init --> Add["Add to List"] Check -->|No| Skip([Skip]) style Create fill:#e8f5e9 style Init fill:#e8f5e9 ``` #### WMI Discovery ```mermaid flowchart LR Query["Query WmiMonitorBrightness"] --> Extract["Extract HardwareId
from InstanceName"] QDC["QueryDisplayConfig"] --> Match["Match by HardwareId"] Extract --> Match Match --> Name["Get Display Name
via PnpIdHelper"] Name --> Create["Create Monitor
Brightness + WMI"] style Query fill:#fff3e0 style Create fill:#fff3e0 ``` #### Key Differences | Aspect | DDC/CI | WMI | |--------|--------|-----| | **Target** | External monitors | Internal laptop displays | | **Capabilities** | Full VCP support (brightness, contrast, volume, color temp, input) | Brightness only | | **Discovery** | Three-phase with parallel I2C fetching | Single WMI query | | **Initialization** | Reads current values for all supported VCP codes | Brightness from query result | | **Performance** | ~4s per monitor (I2C), parallelized | Fast (~100ms total) | --- ## Sequence Diagrams ### Sequence: Modifying Monitor Settings in Settings UI ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant User participant SettingsPage as PowerDisplayPage participant ViewModel as PowerDisplayViewModel participant SettingsUtils participant Runner participant ModuleInterface as PowerDisplayModule (C++) participant PowerDisplayApp as PowerDisplay.exe participant MonitorManager participant Controller as IMonitorController participant Monitor as Physical Monitor User->>SettingsPage: Selects color temperature
from dropdown SettingsPage->>SettingsPage: Show confirmation dialog User->>SettingsPage: Confirms change SettingsPage->>ViewModel: ApplyColorTemperatureToMonitor(monitorId, vcpValue) Note over ViewModel: Store pending operation ViewModel->>ViewModel: _settings.Properties.PendingColorTemperatureOperation = {...} ViewModel->>SettingsUtils: SaveSettings(settings.json) SettingsUtils-->>ViewModel: Success Note over ViewModel: Send IPC message ViewModel->>Runner: SendDefaultIPCMessage(CustomAction: ApplyColorTemperature) Runner->>ModuleInterface: call_custom_action("ApplyColorTemperature") Note over ModuleInterface: Ensure process running ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: is_process_running() alt Process not running ModuleInterface->>PowerDisplayApp: launch_process() ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: wait_for_process_ready() end ModuleInterface->>PowerDisplayApp: SetEvent(ApplyColorTemperatureEvent) Note over PowerDisplayApp: Event listener triggers PowerDisplayApp->>PowerDisplayApp: ApplyColorTemperatureFromSettings() PowerDisplayApp->>SettingsUtils: Read settings.json SettingsUtils-->>PowerDisplayApp: PendingColorTemperatureOperation PowerDisplayApp->>MonitorManager: Find monitor by ID MonitorManager-->>PowerDisplayApp: Monitor found PowerDisplayApp->>Controller: SetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor, vcpValue) Controller->>Monitor: SetVCPFeature(0x14, value) Monitor-->>Controller: Success Controller-->>PowerDisplayApp: MonitorOperationResult.Success Note over PowerDisplayApp: Clear pending operation PowerDisplayApp->>SettingsUtils: Update settings.json
(clear pending, update monitor value) Note over SettingsPage: Monitor property change
notification refreshes UI ``` --- ### Sequence: Creating and Saving a Profile ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant User participant SettingsPage as PowerDisplayPage participant ViewModel as PowerDisplayViewModel participant ProfileDialog as ProfileEditorDialog participant ProfileService participant FileSystem as profiles.json User->>SettingsPage: Clicks "Add Profile" button SettingsPage->>ViewModel: ShowProfileEditor() ViewModel->>ProfileDialog: Show(monitors, existingProfiles) ProfileDialog->>ProfileDialog: Display monitor selection UI User->>ProfileDialog: Enters profile name User->>ProfileDialog: Selects monitors to include User->>ProfileDialog: Configures settings per monitor
(brightness, contrast, etc.) User->>ProfileDialog: Clicks "Save" ProfileDialog->>ProfileDialog: Validate inputs Note over ProfileDialog: Check name unique,
at least one monitor selected ProfileDialog-->>ViewModel: ResultProfile (PowerDisplayProfile) ViewModel->>ProfileService: AddOrUpdateProfile(profile) ProfileService->>ProfileService: lock(_lock) ProfileService->>FileSystem: Read profiles.json FileSystem-->>ProfileService: Existing profiles ProfileService->>ProfileService: Add/update profile in collection ProfileService->>ProfileService: Set LastUpdated = DateTime.Now ProfileService->>FileSystem: Write profiles.json FileSystem-->>ProfileService: Success ProfileService-->>ViewModel: true ViewModel->>ViewModel: RefreshProfilesList() ViewModel-->>SettingsPage: PropertyChanged(Profiles) SettingsPage->>SettingsPage: Update UI with new profile ``` --- ### Sequence: Applying Profile via LightSwitch Theme Change ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant System as Windows System participant LightSwitch as LightSwitchStateManager (C++) participant WinEvent as Windows Events participant EventWaiter as NativeEventWaiter participant LSSvc as LightSwitchService participant MainVM as MainViewModel participant ProfileService participant MonitorVM as MonitorViewModel participant Controller as IMonitorController participant Monitor as Physical Monitor Note over System: Time reaches threshold
or user changes theme System->>LightSwitch: Theme change detected LightSwitch->>LightSwitch: EvaluateAndApplyIfNeeded() LightSwitch->>LightSwitch: ApplyTheme(isLight) LightSwitch->>LightSwitch: NotifyPowerDisplay(isLight) Note over LightSwitch: Check if profile enabled alt isLight == true LightSwitch->>WinEvent: SetEvent("Local\\PowerToys_LightSwitch_LightTheme") else isLight == false LightSwitch->>WinEvent: SetEvent("Local\\PowerToys_LightSwitch_DarkTheme") end Note over EventWaiter: Background thread waiting
on both Light and Dark events EventWaiter->>WinEvent: WaitAny([lightEvent, darkEvent]) returns index Note over EventWaiter: Theme determined from event:
index 0 = Light, index 1 = Dark EventWaiter->>LSSvc: GetProfileForTheme(isLightMode) LSSvc->>LSSvc: Read LightSwitch/settings.json LSSvc-->>EventWaiter: profileName (or null) EventWaiter->>MainVM: Dispatch to UI thread with profileName MainVM->>ProfileService: LoadProfiles() ProfileService-->>MainVM: PowerDisplayProfiles MainVM->>MainVM: Find profile by name MainVM->>MainVM: ApplyProfileAsync(profile.MonitorSettings) loop For each ProfileMonitorSetting MainVM->>MainVM: Find MonitorViewModel by InternalName alt Brightness specified MainVM->>MonitorVM: SetBrightnessAsync(value, immediate=true) MonitorVM->>Controller: SetBrightnessAsync(monitor, value) Controller->>Monitor: DDC/CI or WMI call Monitor-->>Controller: Success end alt Contrast specified MainVM->>MonitorVM: SetContrastAsync(value, immediate=true) MonitorVM->>Controller: SetContrastAsync(monitor, value) Controller->>Monitor: SetVCPFeature(0x12, value) end alt Volume specified MainVM->>MonitorVM: SetVolumeAsync(value, immediate=true) MonitorVM->>Controller: SetVolumeAsync(monitor, value) Controller->>Monitor: SetVCPFeature(0x62, value) end alt ColorTemperature specified MainVM->>MonitorVM: SetColorTemperatureAsync(vcpValue) MonitorVM->>Controller: SetColorTemperatureAsync(monitor, vcpValue) Controller->>Monitor: SetVCPFeature(0x14, vcpValue) end alt Orientation specified MainVM->>MonitorVM: SetOrientationAsync(orientation) MonitorVM->>Controller: SetRotationAsync(monitor, orientation) Controller->>Monitor: ChangeDisplaySettingsEx end end Note over MainVM: await Task.WhenAll(updateTasks) MainVM->>MainVM: Log profile application complete ``` --- ### Sequence: UI Slider Adjustment (Brightness) ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant User participant Slider as Brightness Slider participant MonitorVM as MonitorViewModel participant Debouncer as SimpleDebouncer participant MonitorManager participant Controller as DdcCiController participant StateManager as MonitorStateManager participant Monitor as Physical Monitor User->>Slider: Drags slider (continuous) loop During drag (multiple events) Slider->>MonitorVM: CurrentBrightness = value MonitorVM->>MonitorVM: SetBrightnessAsync(value, immediate=false) MonitorVM->>Debouncer: Debounce(300ms) Note over Debouncer: Resets timer on each call end User->>Slider: Releases slider Note over Debouncer: 300ms elapsed, no new input Debouncer->>MonitorVM: Execute debounced action MonitorVM->>MonitorVM: ApplyBrightnessToHardwareAsync() MonitorVM->>MonitorManager: SetBrightnessAsync(monitor, finalValue) MonitorManager->>Controller: SetBrightnessAsync(monitor, value) Controller->>Controller: SetVcpFeatureAsync(VcpCodeBrightness) Controller->>Monitor: SetVCPFeature(0x10, value) Monitor-->>Controller: OK Controller-->>MonitorManager: MonitorOperationResult MonitorManager-->>MonitorVM: Success/Failure MonitorVM->>StateManager: UpdateMonitorParameter("Brightness", value) Note over StateManager: Debounced save (2 seconds) StateManager->>StateManager: Schedule file write Note over StateManager: After 2s idle StateManager->>StateManager: SaveToFile(monitor_state.json) ``` --- ### Sequence: Module Enable/Disable Lifecycle ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant Runner as PowerToys Runner participant ModuleInterface as PowerDisplayModule (C++) participant PowerDisplayApp as PowerDisplay.exe participant MonitorManager participant EventHandles as Windows Events Note over Runner: User enables PowerDisplay Runner->>ModuleInterface: enable() ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: m_enabled = true ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: Trace::EnablePowerDisplay(true) ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: is_process_running() alt Process not running ModuleInterface->>PowerDisplayApp: ShellExecuteExW("PowerToys.PowerDisplay.exe", pid) PowerDisplayApp->>PowerDisplayApp: Initialize WinUI 3 App PowerDisplayApp->>PowerDisplayApp: RegisterSingletonInstance() PowerDisplayApp->>MonitorManager: DiscoverMonitorsAsync() PowerDisplayApp->>PowerDisplayApp: Start event listeners PowerDisplayApp->>EventHandles: SetEvent("Ready") end ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: m_hProcess = sei.hProcess Note over Runner: User presses hotkey Runner->>ModuleInterface: on_hotkey() ModuleInterface->>EventHandles: SetEvent(ToggleEvent) EventHandles->>PowerDisplayApp: Toggle visibility Note over Runner: User disables PowerDisplay Runner->>ModuleInterface: disable() ModuleInterface->>EventHandles: ResetEvent(InvokeEvent) ModuleInterface->>EventHandles: SetEvent(TerminateEvent) PowerDisplayApp->>PowerDisplayApp: Receive terminate signal PowerDisplayApp->>MonitorManager: Dispose() PowerDisplayApp->>PowerDisplayApp: Application.Exit() ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: CloseHandle(m_hProcess) ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: m_enabled = false ModuleInterface->>ModuleInterface: Trace::EnablePowerDisplay(false) ``` --- ## Future Considerations ### Already Implemented - **Monitor Hot-Plug**: `DisplayChangeWatcher` uses WinRT DeviceWatcher + DisplayMonitor API with 1-second debouncing - **Display Rotation**: `DisplayRotationService` uses Windows ChangeDisplaySettingsEx API - **LightSwitch Integration**: Automatic profile application on theme changes via `LightSwitchService` - **Monitor Identification**: Overlay windows showing monitor numbers via `IdentifyWindow` - **Mirror Mode Support**: Correct orientation sync for multiple monitors sharing the same GDI device name ### Potential Future Enhancements 1. **Advanced Color Management**: Integration with Windows Color Management APIs (HDR, ICC profiles) 2. **PIP/PBP Control**: Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture configuration (VcpCapabilities already parses window capabilities) 3. **Power State Control**: Monitor power on/off via VCP code 0xD6 --- ## References - [VESA DDC/CI Standard](https://vesa.org/vesa-standards/) - [MCCS (Monitor Control Command Set) Specification](https://vesa.org/vesa-standards/) - [Microsoft High-Level Monitor Configuration API](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/monitor/high-level-monitor-configuration-api) - [WMI Reference](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/wmisdk/wmi-reference) - [WmiMonitorBrightness Class](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/wmicoreprov/wmimonitorbrightness) - [PowerToys Architecture Documentation](../../core/architecture.md)