Slowly Appearing Preloader

[Bruce Fox]

This may do the trick (if you have Win 2K or above). Place a timer on the Form.
(Modified original code posted by RobDog888)

Option Explicit
 
'Note: Win 2K +
 
Private Declare Function LoadLibrary Lib "kernel32" Alias "LoadLibraryA" _
(ByVal lpLibFileName As String) As Long
 
Private Declare Function GetProcAddress Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hModule As Long, _
ByVal lpProcName As String) As Long
 
Private Declare Function FreeLibrary Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hLibModule As Long) As Long
 
Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
 
Private Declare Function SetLayeredWindowAttributes Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal crKey As Long, ByVal bAlpha As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long) As Long
 
Private Const GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20)
Private Const WS_EX_LAYERED = &H80000
Private Const LWA_ALPHA = &H2
 
Private mlHwnd As Long
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
 
    Timer1.Interval = 100
    Timer1.Enabled = True
    AlphaBlendForm Me.hwnd, 0 'MAX VALUE = OPAIC/ MIN VALUE = 0 CANT SEE
 
End Sub
Private Sub AlphaBlendForm(ByVal lHwnd As Long, ByVal intTranslucenceLevel As Integer)
    If APIExists("SetLayeredWindowAttributes", "User32") Then
        SetWindowLong lHwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, WS_EX_LAYERED
        SetLayeredWindowAttributes lHwnd, 0, intTranslucenceLevel, LWA_ALPHA
    Else
        MsgBox "Your OS does not support Alpha Blending.", vbExclamation, "Alpha Blend"
    End If
End Sub
 
Private Function APIExists(ByVal pstrFunctionName As String, ByVal pstrDllName As String) As Boolean
    Dim lngHandle   As Long
    Dim lngAddr     As Long
    lngHandle = LoadLibrary(pstrDllName)
    If Not (lngHandle = 0) Then
        lngAddr = GetProcAddress(lngHandle, pstrFunctionName)
        FreeLibrary lngHandle
    End If
    APIExists = Not (lngAddr = 0)
End Function
 
Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
Static intIdx As Integer
 
    AlphaBlendForm Me.hwnd, intIdx
    
    'Increment the Index counter
    If intIdx >= 255 Then
        Timer1.Enabled = False
    Else
        intIdx = intIdx + 5
    End If
 
End Sub

Bruce.