Non standard Form Like WIndows Media PLayer 9.0 Skins

[vbMarkO]

I was looking over the Windows Media PLayer and was wondering how I might create the same effect.

As far as the Art to create the UH I guess we would call it a Skin I can create the art but how do I make the visual Basic Form not show so that only the Skin shows.

 

Now, on the Windows Media Player if you mouse in the area of the top of the skin the FOrm appears..... I find that annoying so I am going to exapand my question to how might I make it so it stays hidden and does not re appear into view.

 

vbMarKO

[Getox]

I'd say that would require an addon or something like that..

[PlausiblyDamp]

You could always hide the caption bar, remove the border and set the form's transparency colour to whateve colour you are using for the areas of the skin's bitmap that you do not want to display.

[snarfblam]

There is an article about this in MSDN.

...one of the niftiest aspects of Windows Forms is that you can craft them into non-rectangular shapes. Microsoft Windows Media� Player 7 exhibits this feature' date=' and, without doubt, many developers who see this want to incorporate it into their own applications.[/Quote']

It is easy as pie. Or cake. Or something. It is basically done as PlausiblyDamp said.

 

View it on your computer (open up your Visual Studio .Net help and type this in as the address: s-help://MS.VSCC.2003/MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/dv_vstechart/html/vbtchShapedWindowsFormsControlsInVisualStudioNET.htm) or on the web. http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_vstechart/html/vbtchshapedwindowsformscontrolsinvisualstudionet.asp