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TitleMake a form with a transparent background
Keywordstransparent background, glass form, region, SetWindowRgn
CategoriesGraphics, Tips and Tricks
 
Create window regions for the form's title bar and borders, and the controls it contains. Then use the SetWindowRgn API function to restrict the window to the combined region.
 
Public Sub GlassifyForm(frm As Form)
Const RGN_DIFF = 4
Const RGN_OR = 2

Dim outer_rgn As Long
Dim inner_rgn As Long
Dim wid As Single
Dim hgt As Single
Dim border_width As Single
Dim title_height As Single
Dim ctl_left As Single
Dim ctl_top As Single
Dim ctl_right As Single
Dim ctl_bottom As Single
Dim control_rgn As Long
Dim combined_rgn As Long
Dim ctl As Control

    If WindowState = vbMinimized Then Exit Sub

    ' Create the main form region.
    wid = ScaleX(Width, vbTwips, vbPixels)
    hgt = ScaleY(Height, vbTwips, vbPixels)
    outer_rgn = CreateRectRgn(0, 0, wid, hgt)

    border_width = (wid - ScaleWidth) / 2
    title_height = hgt - border_width - ScaleHeight
    inner_rgn = CreateRectRgn( _
        border_width, _
        title_height, _
        wid - border_width, _
        hgt - border_width)

    ' Subtract the inner region from the outer.
    combined_rgn = CreateRectRgn(0, 0, 0, 0)
    CombineRgn combined_rgn, outer_rgn, _
        inner_rgn, RGN_DIFF

    ' Create the control regions.
    For Each ctl In Controls
        If ctl.Container Is frm Then
            ctl_left = ScaleX(ctl.Left, frm.ScaleMode, _
                vbPixels) _
                + border_width
            ctl_top = ScaleX(ctl.Top, frm.ScaleMode, _
                vbPixels) _
                + title_height
            ctl_right = ScaleX(ctl.Width, frm.ScaleMode, _
                vbPixels) _
                + ctl_left
            ctl_bottom = ScaleX(ctl.Height, frm.ScaleMode, _
                vbPixels) _
                + ctl_top
            control_rgn = CreateRectRgn( _
                ctl_left, ctl_top, _
                ctl_right, ctl_bottom)
            CombineRgn combined_rgn, combined_rgn, _
                control_rgn, RGN_OR
        End If
    Next ctl

    ' Restrict the window to the region.
    SetWindowRgn hWnd, combined_rgn, True
End Sub
 
Note that this sort of thing is much easier in VB .NET.
 
 
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