Transparent troubles... must but can't?

Can anyone tell me how to make a form a bit transparent (translucent) so i can just barely see the form behind it? if anyone can i will be forever grateful

Technically, you can only do this in Win2000, but I think if you controlled the drawing of ALL your window (including the non-client areas), you'd be able to make them semitransparent by mixing them with the current screen image below.

well i am running 2000... i just simply have no idea how to do what you said... thanks though :D

Make your form transparent:

Code:

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Public Const GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20)
Public Const WS_EX_TRANSPARENT = &H20&
Public Const SWP_FRAMECHANGED = &H20
Public Const SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
Public Const SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
Public Const SWP_SHOWME = SWP_FRAMECHANGED Or _
SWP_NOMOVE Or SWP_NOSIZE
Public Const HWND_NOTOPMOST = -2 
 Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" _
Alias "SetWindowLongA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, _
ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal hWndInsertAfter _
As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, _
ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, _
ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long 

Private Sub Command1_Click()
SetWindowLong Me.hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, _
WS_EX_TRANSPARENT
SetWindowPos Me.hwnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, _
0&, 0&, 0&, 0&, SWP_SHOWME
End Sub

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do i put that first part in a module or the declarations?

Code:

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Module Declarations:

       

Code:

       

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Public Const GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20)
Public Const WS_EX_TRANSPARENT = &H20&
Public Const SWP_FRAMECHANGED = &H20
Public Const SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
Public Const SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
Public Const SWP_SHOWME = SWP_FRAMECHANGED Or _
SWP_NOMOVE Or SWP_NOSIZE
Public Const HWND_NOTOPMOST = -2 
 Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" _
Alias "SetWindowLongA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, _
ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal hWndInsertAfter _
As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, _
ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, _
ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long

---

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Code:

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Goes in form:

       

Code:

       

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Private Sub Command1_Click()
SetWindowLong Me.hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, _
WS_EX_TRANSPARENT
SetWindowPos Me.hwnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, _
0&, 0&, 0&, 0&, SWP_SHOWME
End Sub

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thanks..

do i need to change any settings on the form? when i try that my form remains but the title bar disappears :(

Don't have any objects on the form. And no, you shouldn't have to change any settings. Try that code in Form_Activate.

Code:

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Private Sub Form_Activate()
SetWindowLong Me.hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, _
WS_EX_TRANSPARENT
SetWindowPos Me.hwnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, _
0&, 0&, 0&, 0&, SWP_SHOWME
End Sub

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thats almost it! io just need it to be translucent... not totally transparent.. arg!

Try:

Code:

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Private Sub Form_Activate()
SetWindowLong Me.hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, _
WS_EX_TRANSPARENT
SetWindowPos Me.hwnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, _
0&, 0&, 0&, 0&, SWP_SHOWME
Me.Refresh
End Sub

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That will allow you to move the title bar.