AlphaTransparent bitmap

[vigge89]

I would like to add the feuture to my users to be able do use an 32bit Bitmap as my form-bakground.

The form is currently making anything on the itself (pictures, controls etc.) which has the color pink (RGB(255,0,255)) completly transparent, and has the alphablending feuture (semi-transparent forms).

I would like to know if anyone knows the techniques that programs like Samurize (.com) uses to load a 24bit PNG (with alphablending) into the app. I would like to skip the pink-transparency feuture in my app, and instead add 24bit PNG or 32bit Bitmaps feutures into it.

I've tried loading a 32bit bitmap into a form's Picture-property, but this doesn't use the transparency feuter as i saw that the pixels which should be semi/completly transparent went white.

Any ideas, clues, hints or examples is very appreciated!

[BuggyProgrammer]

Check this out. If it says it can't find a dll, I included it in the zip.

Drag a picture file (preferably a 32-bit png so it can be translucent) into the form.

[BuggyProgrammer]

And you need to drag the file onto the TOP slider. Not the bottom one.

And here it is in action:

[vigge89]

great!
now i just need to optimize the code to make it fit my project

thanks!

[vigge89]

just a question, is it possible to have a picture inside an picturebox also?

[vigge89]

found some info on vbAccelerator:
http://www.vbaccelerator.com/home/VB...on/article.asp
http://www.vbaccelerator.com/home/VB...DC/article.asp
http://www.vbaccelerator.com/home/VB...le/article.asp

I'll check this out later

[vigge89]

I have no idea on how to do this.

The skinning part of my app loads all pictures for the app into variables (Dim var as Picture), and then the form-bakground's and the picturebox's (used as an button) pictures (.Picture) is set to their variables ('frmMain.Picture = imgBg' for example). I have no idea on how to use the code you gave for skinning picture-boxes, which have got different images for normal and down state (and Hover-state if possible). If anyone could give me ideas, advices or examples of this, i would be very grateful.

Also, does anyone have any idea on what method of skinning is the best, simplest and/or fastest?