Creating rich UI based on PNG images

How do I create rich UI in Delphi when I'm having set of PNG images provided? I need to "skin" the buttons / panels / page controls with PNG images. PNG transparency must be supported. Any components / solutions?

to make things clear: I'm not asking for typical "skinning" solution, nor for PNG support in delphi7.开发者_如何转开发 Rather for a solution / component set / library which contains basic controls (buttons, page controls) with possibility to set the background image. Each element will have completely different image, so that is not about skinning.

You'll have a very hard time doing this in Delphi 7. The latest versions of Delphi have excellent support for PNG including transparency. I know it's not a simple answer to your question but I think it would be the best solution.

I had been using TPngComponents since Delphi 7. That provide very good png support for most of the delphi build-in / third party components. Embarcadero had purchased another well know Open Sources PNG Supporting component know as TPngImage and build into Delphi's native graphic support in later Delphi versions. However, the native png support seems harder to use and had more problems. Notice that some components do not support the transparency so you have to do some test yourselves.

With a fast search, I had not yet find the original package but find a newer modified package mainly for Delphi 2009/2010 but mentioned "should be compatible downto Delphi 7"

I myself am using that version now in Delphi 2010.

edit : Thanks for Uwe Rabbee for pointing out the product Codegear (now Embarcadero) purchased was another component TPngImage rather then the TPngComponent in This Post

We use the DevExpress Skinning Library. With these componentes it is possible to create your own skins with png's. But it will be a lot of work to start from scratch...

You could take a look at the DelphiAsioVST library.

It's an awesome library to help you create audio software, but it contains components where you can use bitmaps, for example for dials or sliders.

For a dial control, you can use series of images for each possible position, to make user interfaces that look like this: