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Reference |
Graphics Templates |
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Give your projects a professional and refined look applying Graphics Templates.
A Stardraw Control Graphics Template is a set of high-quality graphics files designed around a particular style. Similar to "skins" in other software programs, Graphics Templates include background images and a library of images for use in buttons and other controls.
Graphics Template images
These images can be applied to any control that supports a background image, and those which support multiple graphical states, e.g. hover, pressed, disabled, etc.
A Graphics Template typically includes background images of various sizes, images that represent common devices (satellite receiver, DVD player, lighting, music system), button images including menu and cursor navigation, number pad keys, general purpose labeled buttons, transport control and device functions.
Each graphic has alpha-blended edges to seamlessly integrate into your User Interface, and uses the high-quality PNG file format:
The 'Tala' Template
To preview the currently available Stardraw Control Graphics Templates,
and purchase and download them, visit Templates
online. Once
you purchase a Graphics Template, the graphics can be reused in any number
of Stardraw Control Projects.
Various controls in your project can have images applied in different ways:
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Control Type |
Graphics Support |
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Graphic Button |
Multi-State Images, Background Image, Image List |
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Button |
Background Image, Image List |
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Radio Button |
Background Image, Image List |
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Check Box |
Background Image, Image List |
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Multimedia Button |
Background Image, Image List |
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Panels |
Background Image |
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Panel |
Background Image |
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Curved Panel |
Background Image |
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Tab Control |
Background Image (each tab) |
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Picture Box |
Background Image |
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Label |
Image List |
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Link Label |
Image List |
The Graphic Button control supports four image states that determine the graphic that is displayed based on the user's interaction.
These four image properties are:
DefaultImage: displayed when the button is in the off state and the mouse pointer is outside of the button area.
HoverImage: displayed when the mouse pointer move inside the button area.
PressedImage: displayed when the mouse is clicked on the button, and when the Pressed property is set to True.
DisabledImage: displayed when the control's Enabled property is set to False.
The Pressed and Enabled properties can be changed by Actions at run-time to change the state of the button.
Supports Windows Bitmap, GIF, JPEG, PNG, Icon, Windows Metafile and Enhanced Metafile formats. Also support transparency.
Background Images can also be applied to controls, and are ideal for the parts of your User Interface that require static graphics, like Form and Panel backgrounds.
Supports Windows Bitmap, GIF, JPEG, PNG, Icon, Windows Metafile and Enhanced Metafile formats. Also supports transparency.
The ImageList component stores multiple images of the same size and color depth. A typical use of the Image List component is to store icons that can then be used in TreeView and List controls. Once loaded into the ImageList component, the images are stored as part of your design, and are built into your program executable when compiled.
Icons of the same size and color depth
Controls that support an ImageList property allow you to assign an ImageList component; the control's ImageIndex property then determines which image from the ImageList component is displayed, or none. The ImageIndex property can be changed by an Action at run-time to display a new image, based on an event or change of state.
Whilst Image Lists are considerably more flexible than Background Images, they should only be used for relatively small, uniform graphics, e.g. icons, button images, etc.
For controls that support both Background Images and Image Lists, the current Image List image will be displayed on top of the Background Image.
Supports Windows Bitmap, GIF, JPEG, PNG, Icon, Windows Metafile and Enhanced Metafile formats. Also support transparency.
Tip
Most Windows controls also support XP Themes: set the control's FlatStyle property to System to enable Theme support.