Custom GUI

Hello everyone...

I want to develop an application that uses a custom GUI, as in, not the default look of windows. I'm familiar enough with the standard windows GUI and writing applications for it but this time I need some additional functionality. The program I'm writing will need to have a similar GUI as programs such as Cubase SX, Propellerheads Reason, or Sonic Foundry SoundForge. The layout will look something like this:

1. A panel for audio tracks in which I can display a waveform (and scroll along of course)
2. A keyboard view (scrollable, resizeable)
3. A transport panel
4. All buttons, scroll bars, etc. are custom looking, ei. not the default windows look

Here is my problem: I don't know what the best way to do this is. Of course one could always just make a DirectDraw window and draw everything using a double buffer but that would be terribly inefficient for a large window, so I basically just need a starting point for how to do it from someone who perhaps has done this sort of thing before.

Regards, Phil
:cool:

Here is an example of the sort of gui I'm talking about:
http://www.steinbergcanada.com/image..._cubase_se.jpg

There is no need to use DirectDraw here. For your various panels, as well at the buttons and other controls, you can use custom-draw versions of standard controls. Then you use GDI to draw them as you need.

Would you then suggest using MFC or just create a standard Win32 App?

MFC would make your life easier.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Indian_Techie
MFC would make your life easier.

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Yes, definitely. And having now seen the screenshot you added, you would probably use a CScrollView for the audio track panel (and not a control, as I first suggested).

Excellent, thanks for the help.