How do I make MenuStrip and Panels transparent in MDI Container Form

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VS2010

I have a MDI Conainer Form wherein I added a menustrip and a FlowLayoutPanel to contain some buttons. I set the BackColor Property of those two control to transparent and implemented a code to change the Container background to my specified image. I am using this code to change the background of the MDI container form

C#

public partial class FormAdminConsole : Form
{
    public FormAdminConsole()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        DateTimeTimer.Start();

        foreach (Control ctl in this.Controls)
        {
            if (ctl is MdiClient)
            {
                ctl.BackgroundImage = Properties.Resources.background3;
                ctl.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Stretch;
                break;
            }
        }
    }

but when I ran the application the background was there but the MenuStrip and the FlowLayoutPanel is not transparent but rather dark-grayish in color.

Is there a way to make these controls to be really transparent?

Thanks in advance. :)

Posted 22-Oct-15 22:45pm

phyxian

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Scott Page · Answer 1 · 2015-10-22T23:11:00

Are you required to use windows forms? If you can, break free of the the '90s and join the '10s.

Don't worry, my first article on here was forms using MDI (at first), and that was around 2005.

No matter... who owns who? Does the Panel own the MenuStrip? Is the MenuStrip created in another class?

Here's a suggestion without more details (BTW I read your code):
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14126356/setting-mdi-child-transparency-possible-vb-net[^]

"make MenuStrip and Panels transparent"... Far too broad to get a proper answer. This isn't SO, but please be more specific and you will get a more specific answer.

I hope the link or my broad suggestion gives you some direction.

If you need more assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. Just make your question more specific :)

BillWoodruff · Answer 2 · 2015-10-23T05:08:00

Not only is using MDI today a mistake (it's outmoded, visually clunky, there are better alternatives), but attempting transparency with controls in Windows Forms is a dead-end. If you put Controls on the special hidden ContainerControl that MDI creates (which is what I assume you are doing), your MDI Child Forms will obscure them if moved over them.

In Windows Forms the only sure way to have usable transparency is to use Forms, and set the 'Opacity property. While you can get away with it, inserting a Form into another Form's ControlsCollection is also a serious error. Another way ... a mistake I think ... is to create Forms with "knocked out" regions (holes) by using GraphicPaths (Regions) and exploiting winding-rule behavior (interaction between region in region).

I suggest you re-think your Application design, post questions here to get ideas, and assistance.

How do I make MenuStrip and Panels transparent in MDI Container Form

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