VB6 - Draw your Form's Icon or System Tray Icon at runtime and make it dynamic.

http://www.vbforums.com/attachment.p...chmentid=45698

This example will create icons on the fly.
These Icons will be numbers between 1 and 99, they will be added as the Form Icon, and as System Tray Icon, both things at runtime.

About the Form Icon: with transparent background and yellow forecolor.
About the Tray Icon: will have a ramdom colored background and Random Forecolor. This will also add a different tooltip to the tray icon each time.

You can download the project attached or add these 3 controls and paste the code below in your Form.

Add an Imagelist (empty if you want, This will use index 1)
Add a CommandButton
Add a PictureBox

Paste this code in your Form

Code:

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Option Explicit

Private Type NotifyIconData
    Size              As Long
    Handle            As Long
    ID                As Long
    Flags            As Long
    CallBackMessage  As Long
    Icon              As Long
    Tip              As String * 64
End Type

Private Declare Function Shell_NotifyIcon _
    Lib "shell32" Alias "Shell_NotifyIconA" ( _
    ByVal Message As Long, Data As NotifyIconData) As Boolean

Private Const AddIcon = &H0
Private Const ModifyIcon = &H1
Private Const DeleteIcon = &H2
Private Const WM_MOUSEMOVE = &H200
Private Const MessageFlag = &H1
Private Const IconFlag = &H2
Private Const TipFlag = &H4

Private Data      As NotifyIconData
Private mNumTray  As Long 'Just to add a number

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    subShowIcons ModifyIcon
End Sub

Private Sub AddIconToTray(pEvent As Long)
    With Data
        .Size = Len(Data)
        .Handle = hWnd
        .ID = vbNull
        .Flags = IconFlag Or TipFlag Or MessageFlag
        .CallBackMessage = WM_MOUSEMOVE
        .Icon = ImageList1.ListImages(1).ExtractIcon
        .Tip = "Dynamic Systray Icon " & CStr(mNumTray) & vbNullChar
    End With
    Call Shell_NotifyIcon(pEvent, Data)
End Sub

Private Sub subShowIcons(pEvent As Long)
    'Modify Picture Transparent Backcolor (Mask) and Yellow Forecolor
    PreparePictureForm                             
    ImageList1.ListImages.Add 1, , Picture1.Image  'Add generated Icon to Imagelist
    Me.Icon = ImageList1.ListImages(1).ExtractIcon  ' Set as Form Icon
    ImageList1.ListImages.Remove 1                  'Remove Icon from imagelist
    '-----------------------------------------------
    PreparePictureTray                              'Modify Picture, Random Backcolor and Forecolor
    ImageList1.ListImages.Add 1, , Picture1.Image  'Add generated Icon to Imagelist
    AddIconToTray (pEvent)                          'Add Icon to Tray
    ImageList1.ListImages.Remove 1                  'Remove Icon from imagelist
   
    mNumTray = mNumTray + 1                        'New Number to add
    If mNumTray = 100 Then mNumTray = 0
End Sub

Private Sub PreparePictureForm()
    With Picture1
        .Cls
        .BackColor = ImageList1.MaskColor
        .ForeColor = vbYellow
    End With
    Picture1.Print CStr(mNumTray)
End Sub

Private Sub PreparePictureTray()
    With Picture1
        .Cls
        .BackColor = vbBlue * Rnd(10000)
        .ForeColor = vbWhite * Rnd(10000)
    End With
    Picture1.Print CStr(mNumTray)
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    mNumTray = 0
   
    With Picture1
        .ScaleMode = vbPixels
        .AutoRedraw = True
        .Width = 1000
        .Height = 1000
        .Font.Size = 40
        .CurrentX = 10
        .CurrentY = 1
    End With
   
    ImageList1.UseMaskColor = True  'Yes, We use this for the Form Icon
    ImageList1.MaskColor = vbMagenta 'Set the Imagelist Maskcolor
    subShowIcons AddIcon
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Terminate()
    DeleteIconFromTray
End Sub

Private Sub DeleteIconFromTray()
    Call Shell_NotifyIcon(DeleteIcon, Data)
End Sub

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:wave:

Just another example, but this time, instead of text, I'll draw some lines with a timer to create a dynamic Icon and set it as the Form's Icon.

Add this to your Form or download the attached project.

Controls to add
Timer
Picturebox
Imagelist

And this code..

Code:

---

Option Explicit

Private mMoveX          As Long
Private mBlnDirection  As Boolean

Private Sub Form_Load()
   
    With Picture1
        .AutoRedraw = True
        .BackColor = vbYellow
        .Height = 1000
        .Width = 1000
    End With
   
    mMoveX = 0
    Timer1.Interval = 1
    Timer1.Enabled = True
    mBlnDirection = True
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
    DrawLines
    ImageList1.ListImages.Add 1, , Picture1.Image
    Me.Icon = ImageList1.ListImages(1).ExtractIcon
    ImageList1.ListImages.Remove 1
End Sub

Private Sub DrawLines()
    With Picture1
        .Cls
        .DrawWidth = 5
        drawLine mMoveX, vbBlue
        drawLine .Width - mMoveX, vbRed
   
        If mBlnDirection Then
            mMoveX = mMoveX + 30
        Else
            mMoveX = mMoveX - 30
        End If
               
        If mMoveX > .Width - 80 Then mBlnDirection = False
        If mMoveX < 0 Then mBlnDirection = True
    End With
End Sub

Private Sub drawLine(pMoveX As Long, pColor As Long)
    With Picture1
        .CurrentX = .Width / 2: .CurrentY = .Height
        .Line 3, .CurrentX, CurrentY, pMoveX, 0, pColor
    End With
End Sub

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really nice one!! sorry cannot add to your rep for the same thing again. ;)

Wish I could rate you as well, just great!

Very cool. Won't let me rate you again either :p

Neat. I repped him guys, job's a gud 'un ;)

Ha Ha. I did the dynamic trayicon thing with lots of bmp-to-memory-icon code few days ago.
Didn't even know about .ExtractIcon ! Great tip there ! :)