[RESOLVED] Creating a Custom User Control, don't know where to start.

[stepdragon]

Hey! I figured it out. Check out the finished control here:http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?p=4084398

I'm trying to make myself a simple 'star rating' control.

It would have the properties:
StarCount (number of stars)
StarValue (number of stars highlighted)

I want to draw the stars using GDI+, have them highlight on mouse over, and change the StarValue when clicked.

I have an idea on how to do this from experience with working with forms, but I'm having some difficulties with the Control development part. I couldn't find any tutorials which didn't inherit a control (such as a checkbox or button), and I have no idea how to make my control editable in the designer.

I think what I need to do is create StarCount as a property like this:

Public Property StarCount() As Integer
        Get
            Return stars
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Integer)
            stars = value
        End Set
End Property

But then, I cannot see or change it in the designer. How would I go about doing that?

I also want to execute my drawing code at design time, so I can see the stars while laying out a form. as a side note to that, I don't know how to change the size of the control at run or design time, nor how to disable the user from changing it at design time.

Could anyone please point me in the right direction?

as a side note - I know that there are a few star rate controls already floating around the internet, but I do not like the quality of them (or at least the one's I've seen), they felt very windows 98. I'm trying to make something that will fit well into windows 7 (plus I want to implement custom images, but that can wait until I get it working)