This is a Custom Control derived from Control, which can be made translucent.
The interface is a colored circle which can contain a couple of numbers.
The Control exposes these custom properties:
Opacity: The level of opacity of the control BackGround [0, 255]
InnerPadding: The distance between the inner rectangle, which defines the circle bounds and the control bounds.
FontPadding: The distance between the Text and the Inner rectangle.
Transparency is obtained overriding CreateParams, then setting ExStyle |= WS_EX_TRANSPARENT;
The Control.SetStyle() method is used to modify the control behavior, adding these ControlStyles:
▶ ControlStyles.Opaque: prevents the painting of a Control’s BackGround, so it’s not managed by the System. Combined with CreateParams to set the Control’s Extended Style to WS_EX_TRANSPARENT, the Control becomes completely transparent.
▶ ControlStyles.SupportsTransparentBackColor the control accepts Alpha values for it’s BackGround color. Without also setting ControlStyles.UserPaint it won’t be used to simulate transparency. We’re doing that ourselves with other means.
To see it at work, create a new Class file, substitute all the code inside with this code preserving the NameSpace and build the Project/Solution.
The new Custom Control will appear in the ToolBox. Drop it on a Form. Modify its custom properties as needed.
A visual representation of the control:
Note and disclaimer:
- This is a prototype Control, the custom Designer is missing (cannot post that here, too much code, also connected to a framework).
As presented here, it can be used to completely overlap other Controls in a Form or other containers. Partial overlapping is not handled in this simplified implementation. - The Font is hard-coded to
Segoe UI, since this Font has a base-line that simplifies the position of the text in the middle of the circular area.
Other Fonts have a different base-line, which requires more complex handling.
See: TextBox with dotted lines for typing for the base math.
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Drawing.Text;
using System.Globalization;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
[DesignerCategory("Code")]
public class RoundCenterLabel : Label, INotifyPropertyChanged, ISupportInitialize
{
private const int WS_EX_TRANSPARENT = 0x00000020;
private bool IsInitializing = false;
private Point MouseDownLocation = Point.Empty;
private readonly int fontPadding = 4;
private Font m_CustomFont = null;
private Color m_BackGroundColor;
private int m_InnerPadding = 0;
private int m_FontPadding = 25;
private int m_Opacity = 128;
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public RoundCenterLabel() => InitializeComponent();
private void InitializeComponent()
{
SetStyle(ControlStyles.Opaque |
ControlStyles.SupportsTransparentBackColor |
ControlStyles.ResizeRedraw, true);
SetStyle(ControlStyles.OptimizedDoubleBuffer, false);
m_CustomFont = new Font("Segoe UI", 50, FontStyle.Regular, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
BackColor = Color.LimeGreen;
ForeColor = Color.White;
}
protected override CreateParams CreateParams {
get {
CreateParams cp = base.CreateParams;
cp.ExStyle |= WS_EX_TRANSPARENT;
return cp;
}
}
public new Font Font
{
get => m_CustomFont;
set {
m_CustomFont = value;
if (IsInitializing) return;
FontAdapter(value, DeviceDpi);
NotifyPropertyChanged();
}
}
public override string Text {
get => base.Text;
set { base.Text = value;
NotifyPropertyChanged();
}
}
public int InnerPadding {
get => m_InnerPadding;
set {
if (IsInitializing) return;
m_InnerPadding = ValidateRange(value, 0, ClientRectangle.Height - 10);
NotifyPropertyChanged(); }
}
public int FontPadding {
get => m_FontPadding;
set {
if (IsInitializing) return;
m_FontPadding = ValidateRange(value, 0, ClientRectangle.Height - 10);
NotifyPropertyChanged();
}
}
public int Opacity {
get => m_Opacity;
set { m_Opacity = ValidateRange(value, 0, 255);
UpdateBackColor(m_BackGroundColor);
NotifyPropertyChanged();
}
}
public override Color BackColor {
get => m_BackGroundColor;
set { UpdateBackColor(value);
NotifyPropertyChanged();
}
}
protected override void OnLayout(LayoutEventArgs e)
{
base.OnLayout(e);
base.AutoSize = false;
}
private void NotifyPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string PropertyName = null)
{
InvalidateParent();
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(PropertyName));
}
protected override void OnMouseDown(MouseEventArgs e)
{
base.OnMouseDown(e);
MouseDownLocation = e.Location;
}
protected override void OnMouseMove(MouseEventArgs e)
{
base.OnMouseMove(e);
if (e.Button == MouseButtons.Left) {
var loc = new Point(Left + (e.X - MouseDownLocation.X), Top + (e.Y - MouseDownLocation.Y));
InvalidateParent();
BeginInvoke(new Action(() => Location = loc));
}
}
private void InvalidateParent()
{
Parent?.Invalidate(Bounds, true);
Invalidate();
}
protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
{
using (var format = new StringFormat(StringFormatFlags.LineLimit | StringFormatFlags.NoWrap, CultureInfo.CurrentUICulture.LCID))
{
format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center;
format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center;
e.Graphics.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.AntiAlias;
e.Graphics.TextRenderingHint = TextRenderingHint.AntiAliasGridFit;
using (var circleBrush = new SolidBrush(m_BackGroundColor))
using (var foreBrush = new SolidBrush(ForeColor))
{
FontAdapter(m_CustomFont, e.Graphics.DpiY);
RectangleF rect = InnerRectangle();
e.Graphics.FillEllipse(circleBrush, rect);
e.Graphics.DrawString(Text, m_CustomFont, foreBrush, rect, format);
};
};
}
public void BeginInit() => IsInitializing = true;
public void EndInit()
{
IsInitializing = false;
Font = new Font("Segoe UI", 50, FontStyle.Regular, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
FontPadding = m_FontPadding;
InnerPadding = m_InnerPadding;
}
private RectangleF InnerRectangle()
{
(float Min, _) = GetMinMax(ClientRectangle.Height, ClientRectangle.Width);
var size = new SizeF(Min - (m_InnerPadding / 2), Min - (m_InnerPadding / 2));
var position = new PointF((ClientRectangle.Width - size.Width) / 2,
(ClientRectangle.Height - size.Height) / 2);
return new RectangleF(position, size);
}
private void FontAdapter(Font font, float dpi)
{
RectangleF rect = InnerRectangle();
float fontSize = ValidateRange(
(int)(rect.Height - m_FontPadding), 6,
(int)(rect.Height - m_FontPadding)) / (dpi / 72.0F) - fontPadding;
m_CustomFont.Dispose();
m_CustomFont = new Font(font.FontFamily, fontSize, font.Style, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
}
private void UpdateBackColor(Color color)
{
m_BackGroundColor = Color.FromArgb(m_Opacity, Color.FromArgb(color.R, color.G, color.B));
base.BackColor = m_BackGroundColor;
}
private int ValidateRange(int Value, int Min, int Max)
=> Math.Max(Math.Min(Value, Max), Min); // (Value < Min) ? Min : ((Value > Max) ? Max : Value);
private (float, float) GetMinMax(float Value1, float Value2)
=> (Math.Min(Value1, Value2), Math.Max(Value1, Value2));
}