Animation

[key]

Ever noticed on the top right of your browser there is an animation icon that moves when the browser is busy... how can this be done in VB?

Thanks.

[Mark Sreeves]

take a look at the redtop.vbp sample that comes with VB

[idiomsvb]

I have not tried this yet, but you should be able to find the source bitmaps for the animation in your \Program Files\Internet Explorer\Signup folder (search the Internet Explorer folder for *.bmp). I think that all you have to do is to place your own bitmap animations with the appropiate name in this folder.

I don't know how to programaticly choose the animation to play, my guess it may be a registry setting that points to the above folder where your custom animations are placed. I have searched my own registry but have not found a reference/pointer.

I have attached the bitmap files from my own folder for you to try. Note that these are framed bitmatps (one big bitmap containing the individual frames of the animation). You can use these bitmaps in VB by loading them into a PicClip control and then playing the animation by looping through the frames with a timer control. One solution would be to create your own custom browser using the showdocvw control and a custom toolbar upon which to show your own animation.

[idiomsvb]

You can find out how to customize IE and windows from the following article:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/search/t1145.pdf

You may like to download the IEAK (Internet Explorer Administration Kit) from Microsoft which has some cool tools to create bitmap animations.

You can find the entries for the toolbar animation and background in the registry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in

\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar

for : BackBitmapIE5, BigBitmap, Brandbitmap, SmallBitmap and SmBrandBitmap.

See the above article for instructions on how to customise your IE experience.