VB6 Transparent gif Animation on a transparent Form

VBClassicGuy,

Please find attached a zip file with form and code to make it transparent,
a gif and the ocx control used.

The control is from jcomsoft.com called anigif.ocx
which is also

Thanks for any help.

What happens is the gif just not animate when the control is used.
On form without the code to make it transparent the control works great.

trying to attach file again could not include ocx.
will have to go to jcomsoft.com if you need it.

I got your code up and running and saw what you're talking about. Two things:

1. I've used the GIF control you're using. It used to be the only animated GIF control one could find. In using it, I later ran into other problems. In short, this control has bugs and should not be used. I wound up making my own OCX for my purposes. I'd send you a copy, but I didn't include a Transparent property. In other words, if you use it, the transparent part of the animated GIF will have to be set with a BackgroundColor property.

2. If this is unacceptable, just Google "vb6 animated GIF control" and there's now dozens of alternatives. Although I haven't tried this one myself, here is but one example of the Google search:

http://www.freevbcode.com/ShowCode.asp?ID=4045

By the way, my OCX looks and works great on your form, it's just that pesky background of the GIF that'll mess you up.

WOW, weird...before submitting this answer, I tried to do a screen grab to attach what my OCX looks like. Your form and everything in it refuses to be screen-grabbed. It's as though it's not there. Spooky!

VBClassicGuy,

Thanks for trying.  I have tried the code at link you provided.
It uses the VB Picture Box for manipulating and displaying the frames of the animation.
Of course the Picture Box  bug doesn't allow transparency.  So this control is
like yours in that sense, no transparency. It does work really nice other wise.

I have tried a number of these animation controls but the only one so far found that supports
transparency it the one from jcomsoft.com but it doesn't work with transparent container backgrounds
I guess.

With the jcomsoft control if you minimize the  transparent window the animation does run the frames
as when you restore the window you see a new frame displayed. Strange. Also the transparent
window doesn't stay transparent for long as it sucks up whatever graphic it is over as it's background.

I think one needs to be a graphics expert to solve this problem, if there is a solution.

Well I've been searching and  trying many different approaches to solve this problem.
I just couldn't believe it couldn't be done.

Found one but it flickered.

Then I downloaded a component by 3nity, VB Animation Gif OCX, ver 2.6

It works great on  my transparent form. No flickering just great. Don't know how it's done but great job.

PROBLEM: cost is $45 ... no that's not the problem.   I can't buy it to get rid of the nag screens!

The site seems to be broken.

http://components.3nity.org/index.php?Il=Products&texte=menu/Products/VB%20Animation%20GIF.html

Any ideas how to purchase this component?

If you go to their main web site at:

http://www.3nity.org/

you'll see the animation OCX is no longer listed as one of their products. They may have dropped it, and that's why you can't register it. To make sure, send them an email. It's a French site, so click on the  "Livre d'or" link, type in your question, and then click the "Poster" button.