Does anyone know if AnimateWindow (user32.dll) can be used in conjunction
with custom controls for example, to fade controls in and out when their
visibility is changed? I've tried to call AnimateWindow in Control_Load,
OnVisibleChanged and also when the WM_SHOWWINDOW message is sent, but nothing
happens.

MariusI wrote:

I've only ever tried it with Forms, not with single controls. The API docs
(http://shrinkster.com/7wy) don't say anything about this, but have you
tried checking the return code of the AnimateWindow function? At least
you'll find out if the function itself thinks there's something wrong.


Oliver Sturm
--
Expert programming and consulting services available
See http://www.sturmnet.org (try /blog as well)

Well, the return value indicates that something is wrong, but in terms of
documentation and usage, i can't see any reason as to why this shouldn't
work. The documentation states that the AnimateWindow function should recieve
a window handle. Since a control is a technically a window this should work
fine, but it doesn't so i'm obviously missing something here :-). By the way,
my problems with flickering child controls when resizing was solved by
removing the client area from the nc-area graphics object before it was
drawn. The underlying bitmap had transparency set in the client area, but
that wasn't enough to avoid the flicker.

"Oliver Sturm" wrote:

MariusI wrote:

Have you used GetLastError? What does it say?

Ah - nice to hear you figured it out.


Oliver Sturm
--
Expert programming and consulting services available
See http://www.sturmnet.org (try /blog as well)

Well, guess this doesn't work, i got the "ERROR_INVALID_WINDOW_HANDLE". Any
microsoft officials who would like to comment on the error?

"Oliver Sturm" wrote:

Well, I'm not an official MS source, but given that the docs for
"AnimateWindow" say that the function will fail "[w]hen trying to animate a
child window with AW_BLEND", this may be the source of your problem. MSDN
says that AW_BLEND can only be used on a top-level window, and your custom
control is not likely that.

HTH

- Scott

"MariusI" <MariusI (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

To my knowledge, none of the translucency features (per-pixel alpha
blending) in windows work with child controls. Generally you use lightweight
graphical objects or pop up an overlying window.

--
Regards,
Frank Hileman

check out VG.net: http://www.vgdotnet.com
Animated vector graphics system
Integrated Visual Studio .NET graphics editor

"Scott McChesney" <scott.NO.SPAM.mcchesney (AT) us (DOT) army.mil> wrote