Siticone Flat Panel

The SiticoneFlatPanel is a lightweight, highly-optimized container control designed for performance and transparency. Unlike standard panels, it comes pre-configured with Double Buffering and Transparency Support, eliminating flicker during resizing and allowing for seamless overlays on complex backgrounds. It removes 3D borders by default for a modern, flat aesthetic.

Core Features & Behavior

This control inherits directly from System.Windows.Forms.Panel but modifies the low-level painting behavior.

Feature	Type	Description & Technical Detail
`Double Buffered`	Style	Enabled by default. Sets `OptimizedDoubleBuffer \| AllPaintingInWmPaint` to ensure the panel redraws without flickering, especially useful when moving or resizing.
`Transparency`	Style	Sets `SupportsTransparentBackColor` to true. Allows the `BackColor` property to accept `Color.Transparent`, letting underlying form content show through.
`Flat Rendering`	Style	Designed for flat UI/UX. It defaults to no borders (unless manually added via Paint event) and uses user-paint logic for maximum control.

Key Properties

Standard properties pre-configured for the "Flat" look.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`BackColor`	Color	flatPanel.BackColor = Color.Transparent; Defaults to Transparent. Can be set to semi-transparent colors (ARGB) for glass-like effects.
`MinimumSize`	Size	flatPanel.MinimumSize = new Size(20, 20); Enforced minimum dimension to prevent the panel from vanishing completely during dynamic layouts.
`DoubleBuffered`	bool	flatPanel.DoubleBuffered = true; Exposed from base class but forced to true in constructor.

Detailed Usage Examples

Example 1: Transparent Overlay

Using the FlatPanel as a container for floating controls over an image background.

C# - Transparent Container

private void SetupOverlay()
{
                var overlay = new SiticoneFlatPanel();
    
                // Position over existing content
    overlay.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
    
                // Semi-transparent black background
    overlay.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(150, 0, 0, 0); 
    
                // Add content to the overlay
                var label = new Label 
    { 
        Text = "Loading...", 
        ForeColor = Color.White,
        AutoSize = true,
        Location = new Point(100, 100)
    };
    
    overlay.Controls.Add(label);
                this.Controls.Add(overlay);
    overlay.BringToFront();
}

Example 2: Custom Drawing Surface

Since SiticoneFlatPanel is optimized for painting, it is an excellent surface for custom GDI+ drawing (e.g., custom borders, shapes) without the overhead of standard panels.

C# - Custom Paint

private void siticoneFlatPanel1_Paint(object sender, PaintEventArgs e)
{
                // Enable High Quality Rendering
    e.Graphics.SmoothingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.AntiAlias;
    
                // Draw a custom rounded border manually
                using (var pen = new Pen(Color.DodgerBlue, 2))
    {
                var rect = siticoneFlatPanel1.ClientRectangle;
        rect.Inflate(-2, -2); // Padding for border
        e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(pen, rect);
    }
    
                // Draw a circle in the center
    e.Graphics.FillEllipse(Brushes.Orange, 50, 50, 20, 20);
}

Example 3: Lightweight Layout Container

Using the FlatPanel to group buttons without adding visual noise or borders.

C# - Button Group

private void CreateToolbar()
{
                var toolbar = new SiticoneFlatPanel();
    toolbar.Dock = DockStyle.Top;
    toolbar.Height = 40;
    toolbar.Padding = new Padding(5);
    toolbar.BackColor = Color.WhiteSmoke;

                // Add standard buttons
                for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++)
    {
                var btn = new Button 
        { 
            Text = "Action " + i, 
            Dock = DockStyle.Left,
            FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Flat
        };
        toolbar.Controls.Add(btn);
    }
    
                this.Controls.Add(toolbar);
}