none
How to create skins for applications? RRS feed

  • Question

  •  

    How to create custom skins for applications using Visual C# 2005 like Media Player 11 or Windows Live Messenger?
    Dont give me the link to download a Controls or Component Library...
    I want practial help. Just tell me where to start and whats the basic principle of creating skins for Desktop Applications....

    I shall be highly thankful to you for this act of kindness...


    God gives and forgives, Man gets and forgets.
    Saturday, January 10, 2009 2:15 AM

Answers

  • Bottomless Wisdom said:

    Just tell me where to start and whats the basic principle of creating skins for Desktop Applications....


    For starting, start learning GDI+ , Region , Region will do the non rectangular window things, Instead of using button and other control , you have to create them yourself using picture and draw the picture in the form,

    later you have to track the coordinate and draw the picture accordingly.
    Also , search for Transparent drawing with C# in google,  ..

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms172507.aspx

    you can use picturebox control and load picture when needed, you have to change the picture when user hover mouse.. , ..

    The main concept is to change the picture as user activity, you don't need to save multiple picture , you can join all the required picture in a single picture and can extract required part when needed.

    Let's Program.. , Yam Sapkota
    • Proposed as answer by Harry Zhu Wednesday, January 14, 2009 2:28 AM
    • Marked as answer by Bottomless Wisdom Wednesday, January 14, 2009 10:22 AM
    Saturday, January 10, 2009 4:43 PM

All replies

  • Read up on WPF, its the easiest way to do such things, you will have a better development experience on vs.net 2008 though. If you don't want to use WPF you have no other choice then to subclass all controls you are using and override their drawing functions

    Saturday, January 10, 2009 7:29 AM
  • I am using Visual Studio 2005 and targeting .NET 2.0...
    I have no WPF support and also I dont want...
    God gives and forgives, Man gets and forgets.
    Saturday, January 10, 2009 2:03 PM
  • So you don't want to use WPF, you don't want to use 3rd party controls that supply skinning and also don't want to do the work and subclass your own controls.

    Skins just don't magically appear you know...........
    Saturday, January 10, 2009 3:55 PM
  • Bottomless Wisdom said:

    Just tell me where to start and whats the basic principle of creating skins for Desktop Applications....


    For starting, start learning GDI+ , Region , Region will do the non rectangular window things, Instead of using button and other control , you have to create them yourself using picture and draw the picture in the form,

    later you have to track the coordinate and draw the picture accordingly.
    Also , search for Transparent drawing with C# in google,  ..

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms172507.aspx

    you can use picturebox control and load picture when needed, you have to change the picture when user hover mouse.. , ..

    The main concept is to change the picture as user activity, you don't need to save multiple picture , you can join all the required picture in a single picture and can extract required part when needed.

    Let's Program.. , Yam Sapkota
    • Proposed as answer by Harry Zhu Wednesday, January 14, 2009 2:28 AM
    • Marked as answer by Bottomless Wisdom Wednesday, January 14, 2009 10:22 AM
    Saturday, January 10, 2009 4:43 PM