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[CodenStuff]

Hello,

A few of you seem to be asking how to make a form with round edges and skin/theme and I think I have made a tutorial about this somewhere I cant seem to find it :? . I decided to write another one and explain how its done.

The first thing you need to do is open up our chosen paint software (I use microsoft paint as my choice) and start a new image. Your image dimensions need to be the same size as your form so make sure you set its size before you get started.

Then you get to work on creating our forms custom skin and for this example I just draw some basic shapes to show you:

sshot-21.png

Once you are happy with your design you need to choose a color that will become transparent when your application is run. I always use the color purple and have done so for this example. Once you have chosen your transparent color use it to fill in the areas of your skin that you dont want to show up when you run your application:

sshot-18.png

Now go into VB and change the followin properties on your form:

TransparencyKey - Change this to your transparent color (In my case I change it to purple)
FormBorderStyle - Change this to "None"
BackgroundImage - Change this to the skin you have just created.
Size - Make sure this is the same size as you skin

sshot-19.png

Thats the hard part done and we now move onto the code that will let you move your form.

Underneath "Public Class Form" add this code:

Code: Select all

Public Const WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN As Integer = &HA1
    Public Const HTCAPTION As Integer = &H2
    <Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("User32.dll")> _
    Public Shared Function ReleaseCapture() As Boolean
    End Function
    <Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("User32.dll")> _
    Public Shared Function SendMessage(ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, ByVal Msg As Integer, ByVal wParam As Integer, ByVal lParam As Integer) As Integer
    End Function

Then in the "Form_MouseDown" event add this code:

Code: Select all

If e.Button = MouseButtons.Left Then
            ReleaseCapture()
            SendMessage(Handle, WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN, HTCAPTION, 0)
        End If

Build and run your project to see the results. If you did it all correctly then when you run your application it should look something like this:

sshot-20.png

Thats it your finished!!

You can do different designs of almost anything you want like one with round edges:

sshot-22.png

Or even a weird splatter shaped form:

sshot-23.png

These are the project files for this tutorial
Download:

CustomForm.zip

Happy coding! cooll;

[TheET]

WOW ! THank you very much ! I love this !

You are the best ! Woohoo Codenstuff rocks!!!!!!!

[TheET]

I try it but it still show a little bit purple , how can i remove that?

[Nery]

Yes, its a mistery, everytime you use that method, on the borders, you can see a line of your background color.

[Robby]

wow that is realli good. I GUESS NOW can make a templte so i ca use tht

[NoWayIn]

All I do is add a skin or picture, make it the same size and done :P

[CodenStuff]

Hello,

Sometimes it still shows part of the transparent color on the edges I dont know why, mainly happens on curves.

[MasterCoding]

gerryhill welcome to codenstuff

[tvs praveen]

Hi, This tutorial is too helpful to me to create transparent splash screen background for my superb TV Broadcast, TV Playout Software!, Power TV Magic Express 18.2

Tell me do you like it or not? ;)

[Usman55]

Hello TVS Praveen!

It is just great! I wonder how people like Hungryhounduk (and you too) make designs like this? But whatever I say, this is wonderful!

Thanks for sharing!