Template Creator

[Unplugged]

Hi

I am developing a template editor using VB.NET

The main bulk of the program is custom control called DBLPanel which simply inherits from a Panel control and allowed Double Buffering.

Public Class dblPanel
    Inherits Panel

    Public Sub New()
        Me.DoubleBuffered = True
    End Sub
End Class

the program basically allows the user to select Text or Graphics and then prompts them for either Text or an Image and places them on the panel. The control is then added to a custom class which allows the user to resize by using handles and move the new control where they like on the panel.

This works fine but the controls ( particularly images ) need to be able to overlap each other and this is where it's falling over. Because VB.NET doesn't support true transparency and if you use a transparent window doesn't support double buffering the controls flicker all over the place and it really does look bad.

Public Class ImageEX
    Inherits UserControl

    Protected Overloads Overrides ReadOnly Property CreateParams() As CreateParams
        Get
            Dim cp As CreateParams = MyBase.CreateParams
            cp.ExStyle = cp.ExStyle Or 32
            Return cp
        End Get
    End Property

    Protected Overloads Overrides Sub OnPaintBackground(ByVal e As PaintEventArgs)
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint(ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs)

        If Not MyBase.BackgroundImage Is Nothing Then
            e.Graphics.DrawImage(MyBase.BackgroundImage, 0, 0, Me.Width, Me.Height)
        End If

        MyBase.OnPaint(e)
    End Sub

End Class

Im having similar problems with the label because the only way of creating transparent labels that can overlap is to draw the string manually and I need to retain some of the features such as wrapping and auto ellipsis.

Ive not been using .NET for that long but I find the lack of transparency and the fact controls are by default not double buffered a HUGE step back particularly when doing animation effects when compared to say VB6 and I cant see they have done anything about it in the last 6 years. Anybody know a more effective way of doing this or label controls that support transparancy.

Regards