Custom Form Modules

Filed Under Delphi

Custom Form Modules

visits: 661 | score: 4.7

posted by sysrpl on Thursday January 27, 2011 2:47 AM

f you're interested in programming, you may want to view the video below. In it I describe how you can use image files to produce creative Windows forms.

This is my first programming video. Hopefully more will follow :)

For the curious, this is how how you can create the effect in your own projects. Just pass this procedure your window, and a graphic object with a canvas. For the best effect, make sure your graphic refers to a 32bit image.

procedure UpdateAlphaWindow(Wnd: HWND; Image: TGraphic;
  Canvas: TCanvas; Opacity: Byte = $FF);
var
  Blend: TBlendFunction;
  Rect: TRect;
  P1, P2: TPoint;
  S: TSize;
  DC: HDC;
begin
  if Image.Height = 0 then Exit;
  SetWindowLong(Wnd, GWL_EXSTYLE,
  GetWindowLong(Wnd, GWL_EXSTYLE) or WS_EX_LAYERED);
  GetWindowRect(Wnd, Rect);
  P1.X := Rect.Left;
  P1.Y := Rect.Top;
  with Blend do
  begin
    BlendOp := AC_SRC_OVER;
    BlendFlags := 0;
    SourceConstantAlpha := Opacity;
    AlphaFormat := AC_SRC_ALPHA;
  end;
  DC := GetDC(0);
  P2 := Point(0, 0);
  S.cx := Image.Width;
  S.cy := Image.Height;
  UpdateLayeredWindow(Wnd, DC, @P1, @S, Canvas.Handle,
    @P2, 0, @Blend, ULW_ALPHA);
  ReleaseDC(0, DC);
end;

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Well, everything looks fine but it would be much more useful to show how the underlaying code for the custom form templates looks like e.g. he header or overlay form rather then showing how to play with some graphics.

best regards