UIs like Media Player

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pierre
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Pierre

Hi,

Most of the latest products like Windows Media Player from Microsoft have
skin based controls. Do they use internal libraries or is there an easy way
to implement such user interfaces?
 
Pierre said:
Most of the latest products like Windows Media Player from Microsoft have skin based controls. Do they use internal libraries or
is there an easy way to implement such user interfaces?
Click to expand...

For starters, have you tried the BackgroundImage property on WinForms
controls (forms)? This lets you put whatever sort of graphics on the controls
and forms that you'd like. You can easily create non-rectangular forms by
combining special color-keyed regions on your BackgroundImage with the
TransparencyKey property of the Form.

That said, I will make the observation that TransparencyKey has difficulties
with True color (32-bit) video modes; whereas MediaPlayer has none of
the same difficulties. Therefore, the MediaPlayer must use a different (i.e.,
unmanaged) API.


Derek Harmon
 
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