PictureBox In SSTab

[arpan_de]

I want to change the back color of SSTab for which I am using a picture in a PictureBox control. Though SSTab has a BackColor property, it doesn't change the back color of the SSTab (which is why I am being forced to use a picture). The Form in which the SSTab resides opens up when a menu is clicked in the parent Form.

Depending upon the skin selected by the user (which they can do from the parent Form), the picture in the PictureBox will change. There are 2 such pictures. The size of the pictures (both GIF files) I am using in the PictureBox is 1.43 KB.

Now what I find is when I change the skin in the parent Form & open the Form which has the SSTab control, the Form with the SSTab control opens up with a very slight flickering. I am not sure if flickering would be the correct term but the attached images might help clarify any doubts.

The Form with the SSTab should actually look like the 2nd image. In fact, it looks also like that ultimately but just a nano-second prior to that, the Form looks like the 1st image shown below after which only it changes to the 2nd image. Though it hardly takes any time to change from the 1st image to the 2nd image, it can be easily made out.

I would like to avoid this. Is the size of the 2 images (1.43 KB) causing this? Are there any ways by which I can avoid this without reducing the size of the images? Only 1 image is used at a time in the PictureBox.

Note that this started happening only after I started using the PictureBox control to render a different color to the SSTab. Also note than I am using 5 PictureBox controls for the 5 tabs - using just 1 PictureBox for all the tabs doesn't work.

[flash hacker]

hmm i have tryed this many of time but i have no succsess im sorry mate but i dont think there is away mabye but im not sure!

[Zach_VB6]

Used TabStrip.

In one of Microsoft's Common Controls.

[arpan_de]

Using a TabStrip is a very good idea but I have already done a lot of programming work with SSTab & hence wouldn't like to change to a TabStrip now. BTW, will changing to a TabStrip from SSTab involve lots & pots of changes in the code? If not, then I might consider replacing the SSTab with a TabStrip else no! I have never used a TabStrip before.

Anyway what I had guessed was right. The file size of the images was the reason. When I decreased the file size of the images from 1.43 KB to 615 bytes (using a image compression software), the Form with the SSTab loaded without any aberrations.

[jcis]

There is a way to change the sstab backcolor that might interest you, subclassing, here is the Link to that post

[arpan_de]

I used the TabStrip control in one Form but can't find out a way to add a picture to it. The Image textbox under the Tabs tab in the Properties dialog is greyed out. How did you add the picture mate?

[Doogle]

The other way would be to use a Frame control (with a null Caption) rather than a PictureBox, perhaps.

[Joacim Andersson]

I used the TabStrip control in one Form but can't find out a way to add a picture to it. The Image textbox under the Tabs tab in the Properties dialog is greyed out. How did you add the picture mate?

The Image property of the Tabs is to set a small image on the tab itself and you'll need an ImageList for that. What have been used above is simply a PictureBox above the TabStrip, simular to how you're doing with the SSTab.