¶ ImGui in the Context of EyeAuras
ImGui is a remarkably powerful yet simple and intuitive library for drawing stuff. The author originally intended it for UI development in games, but it quickly found use far beyond that — the list of adopters is quite impressive.
But here we’re dealing with automation, right? So how does ImGui help us?
The answer: ImGui is the simplest and most intuitive way to build custom UI. It’s even easier than Blazor Windows.
¶ How to Install
EyeAuras is gradually transitioning to a modular NuGet-based system so that users can include only the features they need. The current functionality has grown too large — image capture, analysis, effects, behavior trees, input simulation, memory reading, audio processing, Blazor UIs… almost no mini-app uses even half of it.
So we're moving various features into NuGet packages that you can install just like any other.
#r "nuget:EyeAuras.ImGuiSdk, 0.0.6"
using EyeAuras.ImGuiSdk; // required for registration methods
using ImGuiNET; // access to ImGui APIs
using System.Numerics; // for Vector2/Vector3 use with ImGui
AddNewExtension<ImGuiContainerExtensions>(); // registers IImGuiExperimentalApi and others
var osd = GetService<IImGuiExperimentalApi>() // creates the ImGui overlay
.AddTo(ExecutionAnchors); // ensures cleanup when script stops
¶ Hello, World
There are 3 things you need to do to start using ImGui:
- Import the
ImGuiNETnamespace - Create
IImGuiApiviaGetService - Call
AddRenderer()with your rendering method
That's it. EyeAuras will handle overlay creation and the render loop. You only need to put your logic in the method passed to AddRenderer.
💡 Note: Your method will be called on every frame, so avoid sleeping or long blocking code.
#r "nuget:EyeAuras.ImGuiSdk, 0.0.6"
using EyeAuras.ImGuiSdk;
using ImGuiNET;
using System.Numerics;
AddNewExtension<ImGuiContainerExtensions>();
var osd = GetService<IImGuiExperimentalApi>()
.AddTo(ExecutionAnchors);
osd.AddRenderer(() =>
{
ImGui.ShowDemoWindow();
});
cancellationToken.WaitHandle.WaitOne(); // keep running until script is stopped
¶ Creating a Toggle
Let’s create something of our own. The demo window is useful for testing, but not very practical.
Just like in Blazor Windows, let’s create a toggle.
¶ What needs to be done?
- Create the
IImGuiApioverlay - Pass a rendering method to
AddRenderer - Draw a checkbox and some text inside the render method
And that’s it! No state management, no sleep calls, no click processing — it’s all immediate mode. The syntax might seem odd at first, but ChatGPT knows ImGui very well, so don’t hesitate to ask questions.
#r "nuget:EyeAuras.ImGuiSdk, 0.0.6"
using EyeAuras.ImGuiSdk;
using ImGuiNET;
using System.Numerics;
[Inject] IAuraTreeScriptingApi AuraTree { get; init; }
IHotkeyIsActiveTrigger Trigger => AuraTree.GetTriggerByPath<IHotkeyIsActiveTrigger>("./TargetAura");
AddNewExtension<ImGuiContainerExtensions>();
var osd = GetService<IImGuiExperimentalApi>()
.AddTo(ExecutionAnchors);
osd.AddRenderer(() =>
{
ImGui.Begin("My UI");
ImGui.Text("Control window flags and interaction behavior.");
var isActive = Trigger.TriggerValue ?? false;
if (ImGui.Checkbox("Is Active", ref isActive))
{
Trigger.TriggerValue = isActive;
}
ImGui.SameLine();
ImGui.TextDisabled("(Gets/Sets whether Trigger is active or not)");
ImGui.Separator();
if (Trigger.IsActive == true)
{
ImGui.TextColored(new Vector4(0f, 1f, 0f, 1f), "Trigger is currently ACTIVE");
}
else
{
ImGui.TextColored(new Vector4(1f, 0f, 0f, 1f), "Trigger is currently INACTIVE");
}
ImGui.End();
});
cancellationToken.WaitHandle.WaitOne();
¶ What Else Can You Do With ImGui?
Besides drawing interactive windows, ImGui can also be used for OSD (On-Screen Display) — drawing overlays directly onto the screen. You can render both 2D and 3D objects.
Here's an example — everything you see is rendered using ImGui, including both UI and screen overlays:
📺 L2 Demo
Let me know if you'd like this converted into a docs page or integrated into EyeAuras script templates.