I wish I hadnt bothered!

I used to have 3 actixeX ocxs on my main form.

I found that a loop, even with doevents, locks out the other two ocxs until the loop that started first has finished. For my app, this was unacceptable.

So I replaced the loops with timers (after much ado) . Results slow & poor.

So then I made the ocxs into Active X exes. Perfect - they multithread well - and I dont need doevents all over the place.

My problem is this - because the exes are basically separaate apps, I cant get them to behave like objects on my main form.

I spent 24 hours with API getting them to sit in the "right" place (where the old ocxs used to live), I can even get them to resize now with the main form.

Now, if my main form is minimised, no problem, i tell my exes to minimise too - and they do - if my main form resizes, they do too.

I just cant overcome one final hurdle - its the case where the the main form is maximised but covered, by , say the desktop. My main forms window state is maximised, API says it is enabled, and it is visible.

the code overhead for this "windowstate" stuff is becoming ridiculous - there must be an easier way!

So im stuck. My exes sit over the desktop = BAD!

I want the multithreading, but i dont want them disconnected from my main app like this.

Perhaps I am going about this all wrong.

if you know what to do here, id appreciate it. I have a deadline, no sleep & the 'flu - so if you have ever tried anything like this in VB please post!

Thankyou