Simplest way to implement irregular forms in .NET

Irregular splash screens are quite common these days (e.g. Photoshop, etc.) Do you want to make an irregular splash screen for your .NET application with minimal or no code at all? Here is the tip:

1. Prepare the irregularly shaped image in GIF format with transparent background in your favorite image editor
2. On your .NET WinForm, set this GIF image as the BackgroundImage property of the form. The image should appear on the form now
3. Set the FormBorderStyle property as 'None'
4. Set the BackgroundImageLayout property as 'None'
5. Set the BackColor property to a color that is not in your picture (eg. Teal)
6. Set the TransparencyKey property of form to the same color
7. Run the application: You have made your irregular splash screen. Don't forget to set the StartPosition property to CenterScreen too

Hope this is a helpful tip. Forgive me if some of you already know this. In earlier days, I used to write a full class with drawing functions to achieve the same effect. Nejimon CR Software Developer Kerala, India You might also like to take a look at my article on CodeProject: Serial Foot Pedal Device Server[^]