What's the quickest way to show a red/green light indicator on a C# form?
I originally thought about using radio buttons, but not sure how to set the color of the dot, only the foreground/background text.
Then I thought about drawing a circle. Couldn't find a toolbox shape for that, and didn't want to write code just to draw the circle.
Basically, I'm writing a little application specific monitor, that shows a red light if certain services are down, or certain web services are not responding.
This is what I have so far using a square button instead of a circle. The code is just what I want, I just want a round shape.
if (allGood)
{
btnIISIndicator.BackColor = Color.Green;
}
else
{
btnIISIndicator.BackColor = Color.Red;
}
This is simple, just use System.Windows.Shapes for the object and System.Windows.Media.Brushes for the colors.
For a circle you can do the following:
System.Windows.Shapes.Ellipse circle = new System.Windows.Shapes.Ellipse();
circle.Height = 20; //or some size
circle.Width = 20; //height and width is the same for a circle
circle.Fill = System.Windows.Media.Brushes.Red;
Then you can make a function to do your check for red and green.
Also, you can use hex values for the colors as well:
circle.Fill = new System.Windows.Media.SolidColorBrush((Color)ColorConverter.ConvertFromString("#RRGGBB"));
Not exactly related to the question at hand, but your code could be shortened somewhat using the ternary operator as such:
btnIISIndicator.BackColor = allGood ? Color.Green : Color.Red;
But that all depends on your (or your organization's) definition of readability and maintainability.
I would just make a panel or PictureBox and set the Background image to that of a red/green light. Either make the images in PhotoShop/PaintShop/MS Paint or download some stock images off the web.
Whenever the status changes, just swap the image out.
just try this it works for me.
SolidColorBrush solidColor=new SolidColorBrush();
solidColor.Color=Colors.Red;
ellips_circle.Fill=solidColor;
Use an image, but theres some great icons available here so you dont have to actually make some.
Create red and green bitmaps and use the PictureBox control to show the bitmaps.
I just use some standard images and put them in a picturebox. works great on our apps.
I simply used a non enabled button as indicator since I did not manage to install the WinUI for shapes. Same suggestion as question but simplified.
indicatorButton.Enabled = false;
...
if (allGood)
{
indicatorButton.BackColor = Color.Green;
indicatorButton.Text = "On";
}
else
{
indicatorButton.BackColor = Color.Red;
indicatorButton.Text = "Off";
}
Related
and thanks for taking a peek at my conundrum.
I am trying to write a series of strings to an image as overlays, then later be able to come back and move, or delete one of them selectively using WPF framework...
I've been looking into the FindVisualChildren function, but for the moment cant make heads or tails of how to detect the proximity to the mouse (for selectivity), or actually detect one of my created strings (Perhaps I should be making them dynamic 'Label' elements...????)
Insomnia sucks, and my brains are turning to mush.
TIA for any advice!
Okay, sorry for the lack of sample code, been a long night... well two nights actually (See earlier comment about insomnia)
public void WriteTextToImage(Point position)
{
ImageSource bitmapSource = imgFrame.Source;
var vis = new DrawingVisual();
using (DrawingContext drawingContext = vis.RenderOpen())
{
// Set the pen color... Why is this called a brush if it's for
// writing? perhaps I should overload it and call it crayon?
SolidColorBrush brush = new SolidColorBrush((Color)cpColor.SelectedColor);
drawingContext.DrawImage(bitmapSource, new Rect(0, 0, imgFrame.Source.Width, imgFrame.Source.Height));
//Write some pretty words, (actually print some general stuff)
drawingContext.DrawText(new FormattedText(tbCurrentLabel.Text, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, FlowDirection.LeftToRight, new Typeface("Arial"), slFontSize.Value, brush),position);
}
//Slap this puppy to the screen
var image = new DrawingImage(vis.Drawing);
//Iterate the label text to the next digit or value
IterateLabel();
}
Basically what will happen is the user will click the screen in several places to make marks on the image for printing, but I want to include support to move those marks, and delete them as needed.
I hope this explains what I am trying to accomplish a little better.
Thanks again!
Excellent! thanks NineBerry, I figured it was going to be something like that. I was originally thinking a label, but the textblock worked perfectly.
Here's the updated code showing how I am getting it done now.
public void WriteTextToImage(Point position)
{
SolidColorBrush brush = new SolidColorBrush((Color)cpColor.SelectedColor);
//Get something to write on (not an old receipt...)
TextBlock textBlock = new TextBlock();
//Say something useful... well something atleast...
textBlock.Text = tbCurrentLabel.Text;
textBlock.FontSize = slFontSize.Value;
textBlock.Foreground = brush;
Canvas.SetLeft(textBlock, position.X);
Canvas.SetTop(textBlock, position.Y);
canvas.Children.Add(textBlock);
//Need to update the canvas, was not seeing children before doing this.
canvas.UpdateLayout();
//Iterate the label text
IterateLabel();
}`
I want to draw the Labels on PictureBoxes but should be transparent background .
This is my code : `
Labels[i].Location = new Point(0, 0);
Labels[i].Size = new Size(13, 13);
Labels[i].BackColor = Color.Transparent;
Labels[i].ForeColor = Color.Blue;
Invoke(new MethodInvoker(delegate { Panels.Controls.Add(Pictures[i]); }));
Invoke(new MethodInvoker(delegate { Panels.Controls.Add(Labels[i]); }));
I'am drawing my Pictures fine, Labels too ... But I get the Labels under the Pictures (I can see each label when I drag the Picture out of his place)
so I want to know , how I can put them in Front with Transparent BackGround . thank you
`
i think you should use something like z-index
Try calling Panels.Controls[Labels[i].Name].BringToFront(); in your delegate. This should bring each label in front of the pictures since they've already been added to the panel at that point.
I suppose you've already googled for this but here's a good link about winforms transparency.
I used to write many winforms applications that used very ugly skins with transparent labels. As I can remember there was some glitches when used jpg as a background picture and if picture loaded after the label has been drawn.
Anyway, I suggest overriding onPaint and onDraw methods as you can see in the link.
Transparency is only with respect to the container. For this to work you have to add the Label to the PictureBox. Change Panels to the name of the PictureBox you are working with in the Controls.Add() line.
Ok, I'm doing this:
UIButton btReturn;
btReturn = UIButton.FromType (UIButtonType.RoundedRect);
btReturn.Frame = btnBounds;
btReturn.SetTitle (Caption, UIControlState.Normal);
btReturn.Layer.CornerRadius = 14;
btReturn.ClipsToBounds = true;
btReturn.TouchUpInside += touchHandler;
btReturn.BackgroundColor = UIColor.FromRGB (0xe4, 0x96, 0x37);
return btReturn;
Which begs the question... Why the heck is it come up as WHITE background??? I originally tried to set it to clear with a background image, but that doesn't work either...
What could be wrong?
This is because the RoundedRect type of UIButton doesn't allow for any other colour background apart from white.
You'll have to use a UIButtonType.Custom to change the background colour (but you'll lose the nice rounded button and end up with a square button - you'll have to design your own fancy looking button in your favourite graphics package :)
Try like this,
btReturn.BackgroundView = null;
btReturn.BackgroundColor = UIColor.Black;
Also refer the following links,
How to change background color of UIButton in Monotouch
How to set the background color on a DialogViewController (Monotouch.Dialog)
Look here: is-it-even-possible-to-change-a-uibuttons-background-color there is an example aswell on how to create your own button, as you cannot modify the rounded button.
Im trying to create a button in C# with the image as the button, I don't really want to use a picture box as i Require the "Label" bit of the button as the text for the buttons aren't in the image, This is what it looks like
If anyone can help me fix that white frame it would be much appreciated, Thanks!
EDIT: I found what was causing it but still no fix :( The BackColor on the actual form is where the white is coming from but you can't set the BackColor of a form to Transparent :/
Your image must have transparent background. Also see #IAbstract's suggestion.
As I answered here to remove the border you should set the FlatAppearance.BorderColor to transparent. The whole code to remove completely the border looks like:
customButton.TabStop = false;
//it's the best thing set flatstyle to flat when dealing with a custom button
customButton.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Flat;
customButton.FlatAppearance.BorderSize = 0;
//set the border color to transparent by setting the alpha to 0 (it doesn't support Color.Transparent)
customButton.FlatAppearance.BorderColor = Color.FromArgb(0, 0, 0, 0);
I think a Background.Color = Transparent should fix it if WinForms.
Update
If you have set border and background properties to transparent, double check the white border to be transparent in the actual graphic?
I have a form (see screenshot):
As you can see, its a pretty basic form, with a save button. I have programmed it so that if any of the text fields get changed, the "SAVE" button changes color so that its obvious that I haven't clicked save and don't forget to. Unfortunately, simply changing the BackColor of the button to red isn't enough, because its UGLY as sin.
What can I do to change the color of the button to red, but not as ugly. As you can see, the "BackColor" doesn't change the entire button, just the inner piece. The border is still the same old fashioned transparent grey.
A little bit of a LinearGradientBrush can go a long way to soften the harshness of a pure red button.
button1.ForeColor = Color.White;
Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(button1.Width, button1.Height);
using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bmp)) {
Rectangle r = new Rectangle(0, 0, bmp.Width, bmp.Height);
using (LinearGradientBrush br = new LinearGradientBrush(
r,
Color.Red,
Color.DarkRed,
LinearGradientMode.Vertical)) {
g.FillRectangle(br, r);
}
}
then you can just assign the image to the button's BackgroundImage property:
button1.BackgroundImage = bmp;
Result:
Note: Assigning a background image will lose the mouse hover coloring of the button.
Another solution would be to add an Icon (e.g. exclamation mark) to the button instead to inform the user that the changes haven't been saved yet.
There are many tutorials online on how to create nice buttons with c#. For example this one allows you to create Vista like buttons. Have a look here: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/19318/Vista-Style-Button-in-C
For basic colors visit this SO question:
C#: Changing Button BackColor has no effect
You can just use one of the button's properties, "FlatStyle". By default, it is standard. But if you switch it to "Popup", your background color will be extended to the area of the button. You can compare the followings:
left-standard, right-popup
This won't work in WinForms, but you might want to switch over to WPF.
It's much more convenient because you can configure EVERYTHING. (Even the color of a progressbar)
Edit: The OP doesn't have to entirely rewrite his application.
He just needs to redo the layout of it, the code can be C&P'd over to the new WPF project, fyi
Edit²: You don't even need to use code to change the color of a WPF button, you can just define a red overlay with 30% opacity in the XAML file. It's that easy, really.