Transparent splash screen

[JJ]

I remember reading somewhere that transparent forms will not display
correctly on some systems.

The Microsoft help says the about the opacity setting:
"Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 family Platform Note: This property has
no effect on platforms that cannot display layered windows."

and this about transparent areas of forms:
"Monitors set to a color depth of greater than 24-bit can display problems
with certain parts of the form not being transparent, despite setting of the
TransparencyKey property. To avoid this problem, ensure that the monitor's
color depth is set to less than 24-bit in the Display control panel. "


My XP system is set to 32-bit and I don't seem to have a problem.


So basically my questions are:
---------------------------------
What systems and/or color depths are problematic for displaying tranparent
forms?
What is the result of the problem (i.e. exception/ignores setting/etc.)
Whats the best way of testing for the color depth of a monitor?

I am using vb.net 2003.

Thanks

 

[hayworth]

Sorry I can't answer your question. I'd like to know too. I know with
my systems I have graphics (lines, etc.) on a live video window. The
graphics window is supposed to be transparent but if the colordepth is
24 or 32 bits, all I see is black in the video window and no graphics
overlay. If I set it to 16 bits, I get live video with the graphics
overlaid as you would expect. Sometimes causes problems when the color
depth somehow gets set back to 32 bits. (User complaint: "My camera
doesn't work anymore - all I see is black!")

What I would like to know is how to get the color depth of the
screen/display adapter with vb.net. All I've been able to find are
antique code using API calls. Isn't there some new .Net way of finding
out the colordepth like Screen.whatever or
System.Windows.Forms.something?

Antique code examples:
http://abstractvb.com/code.asp?A=947
http://www.developerfusion.co.uk/show/268/

Mark

 

[JJ]

Just out of interest Mark, what OS are you using?
I wonder if the problem lies with the win2000 at 24-bit or higher systems
and not with XP

 

[hayworth]

I'm using XP with Service Pack 1 with selective parts of Service Pack 2
(my company rule this with an iron fist)