How to Paint a Form before it is displayed?

Try using:

Application.DoEvents()

This ensures that all messages in the message queue have been completed

Instead of the Paint method of the form use this two:

     Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)
        If m.Msg = WM_PAINT Then
            MyBase.WndProc(m)
            Dim g As Graphics = Me.CreateGraphics
            DrawText(g)
        Else
            MyBase.WndProc(m)
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub DrawText(ByVal g As Graphics)
        Debug.WriteLine("Paint @ " & DateTime.Now().Millisecond)
        Dim myfont As New Font("Microsoft Sans Serif", 32)
        Dim sTxt As String = "This is some text that wraps on the form that is done form the paint event"
        Dim rec As New RectangleF
        rec.Height = Me.Height
        rec.Width = Me.Width
        rec.X = 5
        rec.Y = 5
        Dim sf As New StringFormat
        sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
        ' text
        Dim mybrush2 As New SolidBrush(Color.White)
        g.DrawString(sTxt, myfont, mybrush2, rec, sf)
        myfont.Dispose()
        mybrush2.Dispose()
    End Sub

ALso add this constant:

Private Const WM_PAINT As Integer = &HF

That didn't work on my system wguerram...the window that was being animated was still blank.  The controls and drawn background did not appear until after the animation was complete.

Idle_Mind

Sorry, you are right, i forgot to erase the code of the Paint form.

Let me try something else and i will let you know, if i get something i will let you know.

I think wguerram has found a winning combo.

I still had to have a call to DrawText in the Form_Paint() event however and a call to .Show() was necessary after the AnimateWindow() call to make the form components show up properly.

Idle_Mind

Public Class Form1
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New()

        'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
        InitializeComponent()

        'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call

    End Sub

    'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
    Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
        If disposing Then
            If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
                components.Dispose()
            End If
        End If
        MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
    End Sub

    'Required by the Windows Form Designer
    Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer

    'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
    'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.  
    'Do not modify it using the code editor.
    Friend WithEvents Button1 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
    Friend WithEvents Label1 As System.Windows.Forms.Label
    Friend WithEvents CheckBox1 As System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox
    Friend WithEvents RadioButton1 As System.Windows.Forms.RadioButton
    Friend WithEvents ListBox1 As System.Windows.Forms.ListBox
    <System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()
        Me.Button1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button
        Me.Label1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Label
        Me.CheckBox1 = New System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox
        Me.RadioButton1 = New System.Windows.Forms.RadioButton
        Me.ListBox1 = New System.Windows.Forms.ListBox
        Me.SuspendLayout()
        '
        'Button1
        '
        Me.Button1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(248, 200)
        Me.Button1.Name = "Button1"
        Me.Button1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(104, 32)
        Me.Button1.TabIndex = 0
        Me.Button1.Text = "Button1"
        '
        'Label1
        '
        Me.Label1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(48, 128)
        Me.Label1.Name = "Label1"
        Me.Label1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(192, 24)
        Me.Label1.TabIndex = 1
        Me.Label1.Text = "Label1"
        '
        'CheckBox1
        '
        Me.CheckBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(40, 184)
        Me.CheckBox1.Name = "CheckBox1"
        Me.CheckBox1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(144, 16)
        Me.CheckBox1.TabIndex = 2
        Me.CheckBox1.Text = "CheckBox1"
        '
        'RadioButton1
        '
        Me.RadioButton1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(208, 64)
        Me.RadioButton1.Name = "RadioButton1"
        Me.RadioButton1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(144, 24)
        Me.RadioButton1.TabIndex = 3
        Me.RadioButton1.Text = "RadioButton1"
        '
        'ListBox1
        '
        Me.ListBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(16, 56)
        Me.ListBox1.Name = "ListBox1"
        Me.ListBox1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(152, 43)
        Me.ListBox1.TabIndex = 4
        '
        'Form1
        '
        Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13)
        Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(360, 246)
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.ListBox1)
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.RadioButton1)
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.CheckBox1)
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.Label1)
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.Button1)
        Me.Name = "Form1"
        Me.Text = "Form1"
        Me.ResumeLayout(False)

    End Sub

#End Region

    Private Declare Function AnimateWindow Lib "user32" _
        (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByVal dwTime As Integer, _
        ByVal dwFlags As Integer) As Boolean

    Private Const WM_PRINTCLIENT As Integer = &H318

    Private Const AW_HOR_POSITIVE = &H1 'Animates the window from left to right. This flag can be used with roll or slide animation.
    Private Const AW_HOR_NEGATIVE = &H2 'Animates the window from right to left. This flag can be used with roll or slide animation.
    Private Const AW_VER_POSITIVE = &H4 'Animates the window from top to bottom. This flag can be used with roll or slide animation.
    Private Const AW_VER_NEGATIVE = &H8 'Animates the window from bottom to top. This flag can be used with roll or slide animation.
    Private Const AW_CENTER = &H10 'Makes the window appear to collapse inward if AW_HIDE is used or expand outward if the AW_HIDE is not used.
    Private Const AW_HIDE = &H10000 'Hides the window. By default, the window is shown.
    Private Const AW_ACTIVATE = &H20000 'Activates the window.
    Private Const AW_SLIDE = &H40000 'Uses slide animation. By default, roll animation is used.
    Private Const AW_BLEND = &H80000 'Uses a fade effect. This flag can be used only if hwnd is a top-level window.

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim f1 As New Form1

        AnimateWindow(f1.Handle.ToInt32, 300, AW_VER_NEGATIVE Or AW_SLIDE)
        f1.Show() ' makes the components show
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)
        If m.Msg = WM_PRINTCLIENT Then
            MyBase.WndProc(m)
            Dim g As Graphics = Graphics.FromHdc(m.WParam)
            DrawText(g)
            g.Dispose()
        Else
            MyBase.WndProc(m)
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Form1_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) Handles MyBase.Paint
        DrawText(e.Graphics)
    End Sub

    Private Sub DrawText(ByVal g As Graphics)
        Dim myfont As New Font("Microsoft Sans Serif", 32)
        Dim sTxt As String = "This is some text that wraps on the form that is done form the paint event"
        Dim rec As New RectangleF
        rec.Height = Me.Height
        rec.Width = Me.Width
        rec.X = 5
        rec.Y = 5
        Dim sf As New StringFormat
        sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
        Dim mybrush2 As New SolidBrush(Color.White)
        g.DrawString(sTxt, myfont, mybrush2, rec, sf)
        myfont.Dispose()
        sf.Dispose()
        mybrush2.Dispose()
    End Sub

End Class

'Basically what i am doing is taking a snapshot of the form and then paint the image in the form.
'You don't need to show and refresh the form neither the WndProc i had posted before.
'Probably this is not the best solution but it works fine.

'I search all over the internet and found many guys having this problem.

'Hope this help.

'Add this to the declaration section of the form
'*******************************
    Private Declare Function GetWindowDC Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer) As Integer
    Private Declare Function GetDC Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer) As Integer
    Private Declare Function BitBlt Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hDestDC As Integer, ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer, ByVal nWidth As Integer, ByVal nHeight As Integer, ByVal hSrcDC As Integer, ByVal xSrc As Integer, ByVal ySrc As Integer, ByVal dwRop As Integer) As Integer
    Private Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByRef lpRect As RECT) As Integer
    Private Const SRCCOPY = &HCC0020

    Private Structure RECT
        Dim Left As Integer
        Dim Top As Integer
        Dim Right As Integer
        Dim Bottom As Integer
    End Structure

   Dim bmp As Image
    '**************************************************

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim f1 As New Form1

        Debug.WriteLine("AnimateWindow @ " & DateTime.Now().Millisecond)

       'I am showing the form in a none visible area by the user and taking an image of the form
        f1.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual

        f1.Top = -f1.Height
        f1.Left = -f1.Width

        f1.Show()

        bmp = ScreenCapture(f1.Handle)

        f1.Hide()

        f1.Top = 100
        f1.Left = 100
        AnimateWindow(f1.Handle.ToInt32, 500, AW_VER_NEGATIVE Or AW_SLIDE)
    End Sub    

    Private Sub Form1_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) Handles MyBase.Paint        
        Debug.WriteLine("Paint @ " & DateTime.Now().Millisecond)
        Dim g As Graphics = e.Graphics
        Dim myfont As New Font("Microsoft Sans Serif", 32)
        Dim sTxt As String = "This is some text that wraps on the form that is done form the paint event"
        Dim rec As New RectangleF
        rec.Height = Me.Height
        rec.Width = Me.Width
        rec.X = 5
        rec.Y = 5
        Dim sf As New StringFormat
        sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
        ' text
        Dim mybrush2 As New SolidBrush(Color.White)
        g.DrawString(sTxt, myfont, mybrush2, rec, sf)        

       'Here a draw the image of the form
        If Not IsNothing(bmp) Then
            g.DrawImage(bmp, 0, 0)
        End If

        myfont.Dispose()
        mybrush2.Dispose()
    End Sub
   
    Private Function ScreenCapture(ByVal hWnd As Integer) As Image
        'Create a bitmap big enough to hold picture
        Dim Rec As RECT
        GetWindowRect(hWnd, Rec)
        Dim myImage As Image = New Bitmap(Rec.Right - Rec.Left, Rec.Bottom - Rec.Top)
        'Get the graphics object for the bitmap
        Dim gr1 As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(myImage)
        'Get the device Context from the graphics object
        Dim dc1 As IntPtr = gr1.GetHdc()
        'Get the DC of the window you want to capture
        Dim dc2 As Integer = GetWindowDC(hWnd) '***Use GetDC if you only want Client Portion of window...

        'Copy the Other windows DC into the one we created
        BitBlt(dc1.ToInt64, 0, 0, Rec.Right - Rec.Left, Rec.Bottom - Rec.Top, dc2, 0, 0, SRCCOPY)
        'cleanup
        gr1.ReleaseHdc(dc1)
        'Save the bitmap...
        Return myImage
    End Function