Re: Skins - C# Discussion Boards

3-Jan-04 7:21

This over-used application UI went out of style last century (really). There are much better ways to organize your program. The Start menu should not be triffled with and not duplicated, as it might confuse many of your users. It's purpose is to allow quick access to programs and settings, just like Mac's Apple menu, and KDE and GNOME's similar menus. Applications have menus for this purpose, like File, Edit, View, Windows, Help, etc. You should stick with these and read the Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers[^] for Microsoft Windows. Designing a consistent UI is important for users.

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.21
GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Skins

Agent 862-Jan-04 12:18

2-Jan-04 12:18

Hello,
Is it at all possible to add additional buttons next to the ControlBox on a windows form (kind of like what's in WindowsBlinds)?? Also, I'm trying to completely skin an app, so was wondering if anyone knows of any other ways I can "tweak" a form's border. Also, does anyone know of any prewritten skinning components for windows apps that have been created? Thank you so much.

Agent 86

Heath Stewart2-Jan-04 19:38

2-Jan-04 19:38

With the .NET BCL, no. But there are article detailing this process by P/Invoking code (or that are written in C/C++ and you can P/Invoke and declare everything you need yourself).

For a skinned UI toolkit, check out http://www.fluiduitoolkit.com/[^], which is pretty much run by a group of CodeProject members. For others, just google.

Agent 862-Jan-04 20:06

2-Jan-04 20:06

Thanks, I'll check into it!

Agent 86

J. Dunlap2-Jan-04 20:34

J. Dunlap

2-Jan-04 20:34

Heath Stewart wrote:
For a skinned UI toolkit, check out http://www.fluiduitoolkit.com/[^],

Cool | :cool:

Thanks Heath! It's comin' along, but not done yet. Wink | ;)

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

FLUID UI Toolkit | FloodFill in C# & GDI+

Agent 863-Jan-04 5:22

3-Jan-04 5:22

Is there a projected release date for the Fluid UI??

Agent 86

J. Dunlap3-Jan-04 17:16

J. Dunlap

3-Jan-04 17:16

For the first controls, they should be done in the next few months. More advanced controls will take a little while after that - mid-summer or beyond. (Just as I figured, the holidays offset the release date.)

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind." -- John F. Kennedy

FLUID UI Toolkit | FloodFill in C# & GDI+

Image on an MDI form

Agent 862-Jan-04 12:08

2-Jan-04 12:08

Hi,
OK, I'm trying to create a background image on an MDI parent form. Here are my problems:

1) If I use a PictureBox, whenever I open a child form, the PictureBox stays in front of the child instead of behind it.

2) I have tried using the Graphics.DrawImage with no avail (e.g. the image doesn't appear).

I would like to have an image that appears on an MDI parent form and stays behind any children forms that are opened. What am I doing wrong?? Thanks in advance.

Agent 86

Mazdak2-Jan-04 18:45

Mazdak

2-Jan-04 18:45

Agent 86 wrote:
2) I have tried using the Graphics.DrawImage with no avail (e.g. the image doesn't appear).

Where and how do you do it? You must do it in paint event of parent form in a way like this:

e.Graphics.DrawImage(...);

Mazy

No sig. available now.

Agent 862-Jan-04 19:43

2-Jan-04 19:43

Yes, I've tried it in the paint event like so:

e.Graphics.DrawImage(Image.FromFile(Application.StartupPath + "\\Img.bmp"));

You would think that it wouldn't be so hard to add an image to an MDI container.

Agent 86

Robert Schols6-Jan-04 22:03

Robert Schols

6-Jan-04 22:03

I tried to override OnPaintBackground() but had no luck with that either.

There is a BackgroundImage property that you can set at design time or runtime. This works but tiles the image. I have not yet found a way to place the image, and tiling it is not what I wanted. But maybe it is some use to you?

The image is drawn quite slowly on my 550MHz machine with 400 MB RAM. On my 2GHz machine it's quite good, but uses 100% processor time. I assume that this is because of JIT and all that stuff, and it really annoys me. I wonder whether I should switch back to C++/MFC.

Please let me know if you ever find out how to place the image and prevent it from tiling.

--
Robert

Robert Schols7-Jan-04 10:49

Robert Schols

7-Jan-04 10:49

I think this may be what you want:

http://vbaccelerator.com/home/NET/Code/Libraries/Windows/MDI_Client_Area_Painting/article.asp

I bet you never guessed it was going to be this hard. I sure didn't.

Agent 8611-Jan-04 18:34

11-Jan-04 18:34

Holy cow!
What a lot of code! No, I certainly didn't expect it to be that hard. Thanks for the answer, though. Now I need to write some letters to MS to figure out why you need to go to such trouble to add an image to an MDI client Wink | ;)

Agent 86

Have I Gone Nuts?

eggie52-Jan-04 10:35

2-Jan-04 10:35

using System;

namespace afs
{

	class Class1
	{
		string asdf;


		[STAThread]
		static void Main(string[] args)
		{
			asdf="USER ";
		}
	}
}

OH MY GOD. Have I gone nuts or something??? WHat that hell! Why won't this compile?

/\ |_ E X E GG

Bo Hunter2-Jan-04 10:49

Bo Hunter

2-Jan-04 10:49

You can not access a instance field
from a static function. You will need
a object referance just like the compiler
tells you when you try to compile it.

Thank You
Bo Hunter

eggie52-Jan-04 14:12

2-Jan-04 14:12

Complier didn't say anything... I now realize what I did though.

/\ |_ E X E GG

Heath Stewart2-Jan-04 10:50

2-Jan-04 10:50

Because you declared asdf as an instance field and are trying to assign it from a static method without even instantiating Class1 yet. Try adding static before string asdf;.

The compiler error actually should've made this clear.

eggie52-Jan-04 14:11

2-Jan-04 14:11

Complier didn't say anything... I now realize what I did though.

/\ |_ E X E GG

Heath Stewart2-Jan-04 19:34

2-Jan-04 19:34

Mine said, "An object reference is required for the nonstatic field, method, or property 'WindowsApplication1.Form1.asdf'", both in VS.NET 2002, 2003, and the command-line compiler csc.exe (which VS.NET uses).

eggie52-Jan-04 21:07