Custom shaped forms

[Cakkie]

Is it possible to create a form of an other shape then rectangular?

eg. I want to make a round form, or triangle

I have seen this once using API's, but I haven't got the smallest clue on how to do this.

Tom Cannaerts
slisse@planetinternet.be

The best way to escape a problem, is to solve it.

[Clearcode]

Yes - create a region and then use the SetWindowRegion to reshape it. For example, the following will make any window (vb or other) christmas tree shaped:

public Declare Function CreatePolygonRgn Lib "gdi32" (lpPoint as POINTAPI, byval nCount as Long, byval nPolyFillMode as Long) as Long
public Declare Function SetWindowRgn Lib "user32" (byval hwnd as Long, byval hRgn as Long, byval bRedraw as Boolean) as Long
public Type POINTAPI
X as Long
Y as Long
End Type
private m_Hwnd as Long
private mWndRect as RECT
private mRegion as Long

'\\ --[RefreshRect]--------------------------------------------------
'\\ Refreshes the window rectangle, as size can change....
'\\ -----------------------------------------------------------------
private Sub RefreshRect()
Dim lret as Long

lret = GetWindowRect(m_Hwnd, mWndRect)

End Sub
'\\ --[MakeTreeShaped]------------------------------------
'\\ Makes the window tree shapes and forces it to repaint
'\\ itself
'\\ ------------------------------------------------------
public Sub MakeTreeShaped()

Dim XMasTree() as POINTAPI
Dim wndWidth as Long
Dim wndHeight as Long
Dim hRegion as Long

If m_Hwnd > 0 then
Call RefreshRect
ReDim XMasTree(0 to 11) as POINTAPI
wndWidth = mWndRect.Right - mWndRect.Left
wndHeight = mWndRect.Bottom - mWndRect.Top
'\\ Start at top...
XMasTree(0).X = wndWidth / 2
XMasTree(0).Y = 0
XMasTree(1).X = 0
XMasTree(1).Y = wndHeight / 3
XMasTree(2).X = wndWidth / 3
XMasTree(2).Y = wndHeight / 3
XMasTree(3).X = 0
XMasTree(3).Y = 2 * (wndHeight / 3)
XMasTree(4).X = wndWidth / 3
XMasTree(4).Y = 2 * (wndHeight / 3)
XMasTree(5).X = wndWidth / 3
XMasTree(5).Y = wndHeight
XMasTree(6).X = 2 * (wndWidth / 3)
XMasTree(6).Y = wndHeight
XMasTree(7).X = 2 * (wndWidth / 3)
XMasTree(7).Y = 2 * (wndHeight / 3)
XMasTree(8).X = wndWidth
XMasTree(8).Y = 2 * (wndHeight / 3)
XMasTree(9).X = 2 * (wndWidth / 3)
XMasTree(9).Y = wndHeight / 3
XMasTree(10).X = wndWidth
XMasTree(10).Y = wndHeight / 3
XMasTree(11).X = wndWidth / 2
XMasTree(11).Y = 0
'\\ Create this polygon region
mRegion = CreatePolygonRgn(XMasTree(0), 12, 1)
If mRegion > 0 then
lret = SetWindowRgn(m_Hwnd, mRegion, true)
If lret = 0 then
Debug.print "SetWindowRgn failed"
End If
IsTreeShaped = true
else
Debug.print "Failed to make region!"
End If
End If

End Sub




I can send you the full code to the project if you wish - also features some smart subclassing examples....

HTH,
Duncan Jones
ClearCode Developments Ltd

[czimmerman]

For other shapes, see http://www.freevbcode.com/ShowCode.Asp?ID=528