Transparent Backcolor components??

**SonicCobra03** · 02-15-2004, 08:34 PM

I'm building an app with VB.NET 2003, Windows Media Player component, and Access DB. I'm using picture boxes as buttons and have build the interface for it. The problem is that I can't set the controls' backcolor to transparent, such as a listbox. How did you guys get around this in your apps? I have some nice Photoshop'd pictures in my app, but it looks like doo doo cause the forms backcolors are hiding it. When I set the backcolor property to Transparent it says it's not valid value. When I set it in the code on form_load it says the same thing when I run it. Should I take a different approach?

**frodobaggins** · 02-15-2004, 08:36 PM

Use image boxes.

**SonicCobra03** · 02-15-2004, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by frodobaggins

Use image boxes.

??? How could I use that for a listbox for a playlist? I must be missing your point. Sorry.

**frodobaggins** · 02-15-2004, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by SonicCobra03

??? How could I use that for a listbox for a playlist? I must be missing your point. Sorry.

I thought you meant for your buttons.

**frodobaggins** · 02-15-2004, 08:47 PM

I'm not very familiar with VB.net, but in VB6, if you want a transparent listbox, you
need to subclass it and paint the background of the listbox with a picture of the area
behind it.

**kovan** · 02-15-2004, 09:04 PM

just as in vb6 you have to "sub class" it in vb.net to get the look u want
.net doesnt have a built in way to do this so you have to override all the methods for transparency..

**GingerPrince** · 02-16-2004, 02:24 AM

It's the same in most languages, Delphi included (I had to do my own component for CarBox).

**The Durango Kid** · 02-16-2004, 02:43 PM

I find it easier to just build your list into a "collection". Then build a GUI interface.
Take a picturebox and make an array of imagebox's inside the picturebox.. Use the picture box for scrolling and load an image for each song into the imagebox. Or only load like 20 images and change the value as your scroll. But thats me.. I like building my own controls.

**weaselcoder** · 02-16-2004, 07:07 PM

I am writing my app (IgnitionMediaPC) in VB.net and there are a few controls that allow transparent backgrounds. There are API calls that you can do or try this statement in the initialize of the form...

Control.SetStyle(AllowTrransparentBackround, True).

This will not show up in intellisense until the ( is typed.

The way I am doing a listbox type control is using a panel and adding lables to that, allowing scrolling, (overrideing to hide) and use pnl.scrollintoview(lbl) call.

**SonicCobra03** · 02-17-2004, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by weaselcoder

The way I am doing a listbox type control is using a panel and adding lables to that, allowing scrolling, (overrideing to hide) and use pnl.scrollintoview(lbl) call.

I thought about doing that also, I just thought there might be an easier way. Thanks for the replies.