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Loading Line Control

jChuckran

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3.00/5 (8 votes)

31 May 2006

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Custom Loading Bar Control

Download source files - 49.7 Kb

Introduction

Have you ever wanted a simple easy to implement control to function as a loading bar? As a developer for .NET I was very displeased with the lack of an endless loading bar. So I decided to create my own control for me to use whenever I didn't know the amount of time something was going to take to load. This control can even be used as a spiffy UI element.

Implementing the Control

The use of this control is quite simple. Just right-click inside of your toolbox and select to add an item. Then click on the browse button and select the LoadingLineControlLibrary.dll included in the project files. Thats it! Now you have a LoadingLine toolbox item that you can use just like you would any other control.

Using the Control

Properties

Color 1 - The First Color of the Control
Color 2 - The Second Color of the Control
Movement Type - The Movement of the Control

Bounce
Right to Left
Left to Right

Speed - The Speed at which the Control is Moving
Scroller Size - The Size of the Scroller

Example Usage

VB

'' Start Loading

Me.LoadingLine1.Start()

'' Stop Loading

Me.LoadingLine1.StopMoving()

''Change Color

Me.LoadingLine1.Color1 = color1 ''Color
Me.LoadingLine1.Color2 = color2 ''Color

''Change Speed

Me.LoadingLine1.Speed = speedvariable ''Integer

''Change Size

Me.LoadingLine1.ScrollerSize = sizevariable ''Integer

''Change Movement Type

Me.LoadingLine1.MovementType = LoadingLineControlLibrary.LoadingLine.SetType.Bounce
Me.LoadingLine1.MovementType = LoadingLineControlLibrary.LoadingLine.SetType.MoveLeft
Me.LoadingLine1.MovementType = LoadingLineControlLibrary.LoadingLine.SetType.MoveRight

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

Written By

jChuckran

United States

This member has not yet provided a Biography. Assume it's interesting and varied, and probably something to do with programming.

Comments and Discussions

Hey I liked this control and may even use it...I made some optimizations to it and wanted to give them to you if your interested. Here is the code behind for the main control...if you want a copy of the project let me know and ill give it to you. THANK YOU this is a good idea that can be used for many different things. I tried to stick with what you already had.

=======================START CODE=================================

#Region " Types "
Private Enum eMoving
Right
Left
End Enum

Public Enum eSetType
Bounce
MoveRight
MoveLeft
End Enum
#End Region

#Region " Variables "
Private m_Col1 As Color = Color.Navy
Private m_Col2 As Color = Color.SkyBlue
Private m_Size As Integer
Private m_SpeedX As Integer = 3
Private m_MoveMe As eMoving = eMoving.Right
Private m_Type As eSetType
#End Region

#Region " Events "
Private Sub Panel1_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) Handles Panel1.Paint
Draw(bar1, m_Col1, m_Col2)
Draw(bar2, m_Col2, m_Col1)
End Sub

Private Sub bar1_SizeChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles bar1.SizeChanged
Draw(bar1, m_Col1, m_Col2)
End Sub

Private Sub bar2_SizeChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles bar2.SizeChanged
Draw(bar2, m_Col2, m_Col1)
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
If m_Type = eSetType.Bounce Then
Dim posx As Integer = Me.bar2.Left
Dim p1L As Integer = Panel1.Left

If posx <= p1L Then : m_MoveMe = eMoving.Right
ElseIf posx >= (p1L + Panel1.Width) Then : m_MoveMe = eMoving.Left
End If

Dim theSpeed As Integer = IIf(m_MoveMe = eMoving.Left, -m_SpeedX, m_SpeedX)
bar1.Left += theSpeed
bar2.Left += theSpeed
middle.Left += theSpeed
ElseIf m_Type = eSetType.MoveRight Then
Dim p1L As Integer = Panel1.Left
Dim b2W As Integer = bar2.Width

If bar1.Left >= (p1L + Panel1.Width) Then
bar1.Left = p1L - bar1.Width - b2W
bar2.Left = p1L - b2W
middle.Left = bar2.Left - (middle.Width >> 1)
End If

bar2.Left += m_SpeedX
bar1.Left += m_SpeedX
middle.Left += m_SpeedX
ElseIf m_Type = eSetType.MoveLeft Then
Dim p1L As Integer = Panel1.Left
Dim p1W As Integer = Panel1.Width

If (bar2.Left + bar2.Width) <= p1L Then
bar1.Left = p1L + p1W
bar2.Left = p1L + p1W + bar1.Width
middle.Left = bar2.Left - (middle.Width >> 1)
End If

bar1.Left -= m_SpeedX
bar2.Left -= m_SpeedX
middle.Left -= m_SpeedX
End If
End Sub
#End Region

#Region " Subs "
Public Sub AdjustSize(ByVal size As Integer)
Dim Size5 As Integer = size * 5

bar1.Width = Size5
middle.Width = Size5
middle.Left = bar1.Left + (Size5 >> 1)
bar2.Width = Size5
bar2.Left = bar1.Left + Size5
End Sub

Public Sub Start()
If m_Type = eSetType.Bounce Then
Dim posx As Integer = bar2.Left
Dim HalfP1W As Integer = Panel1.Width >> 1

If posx <= HalfP1W - 1 Then : m_MoveMe = eMoving.Right
ElseIf posx >= HalfP1W Then : m_MoveMe = eMoving.Left
End If
ElseIf m_Type = eSetType.MoveRight Then
Dim p1L As Integer = Panel1.Left
Dim b2W As Integer = bar2.Width

If bar1.Left >= p1L + Panel1.Width Then
bar1.Left = p1L - bar1.Width - b2W
bar2.Left = p1L - b2W
middle.Left = bar2.Left - (middle.Width >> 1)
End If
ElseIf m_Type = eSetType.MoveLeft Then
Dim p1L As Integer = Panel1.Left
Dim p1W As Integer = Panel1.Width

If (bar2.Left + bar2.Width) <= p1L Then
bar1.Left = p1L + p1W
bar2.Left = p1L + p1W + bar1.Width
middle.Left = bar2.Left - (middle.Width >> 1)
End If
End If

Timer1.Interval = 5
Timer1.Start()
End Sub

Public Sub StopMoving()
Timer1.Stop()
End Sub

#Region " Private "
Private Sub Draw(ByVal bar As Panel, ByVal C1 As Color, ByVal C2 As Color)
Dim r As Rectangle = New Rectangle(0, 0, bar.Width, bar.Height)
Dim bmp As Bitmap = New Bitmap(r.Width, r.Height)

Graphics.FromImage(bmp).FillRectangle(New System.Drawing.Drawing2D.LinearGradientBrush(r, C1, C2, Drawing2D.LinearGradientMode.Horizontal), r)

If Not bar.BackgroundImage Is Nothing Then bar.BackgroundImage.Dispose()
bar.BackgroundImage = bmp
End Sub
#End Region

#End Region

#Region "Properties"
<browsable(true), category("appearance"),="" defaultvalue(gettype(color),="" "navy"),="" _
="" description("the="" first="" color="" of="" the="" control!")=""> _
Public Property Color1() As Color
Get
Return m_Col1
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As Color)
If m_Col1.Equals(Value) Then Exit Property

m_Col1 = Value
Panel1.BackColor = m_Col1
Draw(bar1, m_Col1, m_Col2)
Draw(bar2, m_Col2, m_Col1)

MyBase.Refresh()
End Set
End Property

<browsable(true), category("appearance"),="" defaultvalue(gettype(color),="" "skyblue"),="" _
="" description("the="" second="" color="" of="" the="" control!")=""> _
Public Property Color2() As Color
Get
Return m_Col2
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As Color)
If m_Col2.Equals(Value) Then Exit Property

m_Col2 = Value
middle.BackColor = m_Col2
Draw(bar1, m_Col1, m_Col2)
Draw(bar2, m_Col2, m_Col1)

MyBase.Refresh()
End Set
End Property

<browsable(true), category("behavior"),="" defaultvalue(gettype(esettype),="" "bounce"),="" _
="" description("changes="" the="" type="" of="" movement="" to="" what="" you="" want="" it="" be")=""> _
Public Shadows Property MovementType() As eSetType
Get
Return m_Type
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As eSetType)
If Value = m_Type Then Exit Property

m_Type = Value
MyBase.Refresh()
End Set
End Property

<browsable(true), category("appearance"),="" defaultvalue(gettype(integer),="" "3"),="" _
="" description("the="" speed="" at="" which="" the="" bar="" moves!")=""> _
Public Property Speed() As Integer
Get
Return m_SpeedX
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As Integer)
If m_SpeedX = Value Then Exit Property

m_SpeedX = Value
MyBase.Refresh()
End Set
End Property

<browsable(true), category("appearance"),="" defaultvalue(gettype(integer),="" "30"),="" _
="" description("the="" size="" of="" the="" scroller!")=""> _
Public Property ScrollerSize() As Integer
Get
Return m_Size
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As Integer)
If m_Size = Value Then Exit Property

m_Size = IIf((Value <= 0), 1, Value)
AdjustSize(m_Size)
MyBase.Refresh()
End Set
End Property

#Region "Hidden Properties"
<browsable(false)> Public Shadows ReadOnly Property ForeColor() As System.Drawing.Color
Get
Return Color.Transparent
End Get
End Property

<browsable(false)> Public Shadows ReadOnly Property BackColor() As System.Drawing.Color
Get
Return Color.Transparent
End Get
End Property

<browsable(false)> Public Shadows ReadOnly Property RightToLeft()
Get
Return Nothing
End Get
End Property

<browsable(false)> Public Shadows ReadOnly Property Font() As Font
Get
Return Nothing
End Get
End Property

<browsable(false)> Public Shadows ReadOnly Property BackgroundImage() As System.Drawing.Image
Get
Return Nothing
End Get
End Property
#End Region

#End Region

Pablo

Thanks this is nice...Small, lightweight, and it looks good. You got my 5

Pablo

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