Good tutorial for making an image based GUI?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ShieldsJared
  • Start date Start date
S

ShieldsJared

Im looking for help making a good GUI out of pure images. I would
like to embed the common controls and such, but I want to make a nice
looking GUI, similar to that of, say Windows Media Player. I'm not
sure how to make an image "clickable", nor do I know how to make
rollovers and such. Also looking for pointers on making the images
blend well when sitting on top of each other. Any ideas?

Thanks for your input!
 
Funny you actually used the word "blend" in your RFI so go look for
Microsoft Expression Blend which is eaxactly what you want to know about.
 
Take a look at System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox, it's got what you need
(clicks, mouse events, etc.)

As for blending, you can combine colors from different images in any way you
like:

public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();

Bitmap bmp1 = (Bitmap)pictureBox1.Image;
Bitmap bmp2 = (Bitmap)pictureBox2.Image;

Color pix1 = bmp1.GetPixel( 5, 5 );
Color pix2 = bmp2.GetPixel( 5, 5 );

Color pixCombined = <Any mathematical/logical operation on 2
colors above>;

bmp2.SetPixel( 10, 10, pixCombined );
}
 
Im looking for help making a good GUI out of pure images. I would
like to embed the common controls and such, but I want to make a nice
looking GUI, similar to that of, say Windows Media Player. I'm not
sure how to make an image "clickable", nor do I know how to make
rollovers and such. Also looking for pointers on making the images
blend well when sitting on top of each other. Any ideas?

Thanks for your input!
Click to expand...

I like Ashot's approach. Many times I've used a PictureBox to create a
button that I want to do something different. The PictureBox has all
of the click, mouseUp, mouseDown, and other events you'll need to
create button functionality. If you need to know how to use controls
like the PictureBox, or really whatever Windows Forms effect you need
to figure out, go to bobpowell.net . He has just about everything
you'll ever need to know. Make sure to read the article about getting
transparency in Controls.
 
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