Siticone Smart Form

The SiticoneSmartForm is a cutting-edge window class that transforms standard WinForms into intelligent, OS-aware applications. It seamlessly integrates with the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) to provide native immersive dark mode, Windows 11 Mica/Acrylic backdrops, and dynamic system theme monitoring.

Unlike standard forms, this control acts as a "living" UI component. It listens to Windows Registry events and System Preference changes, automatically updating its color palette (Title Bar, Borders, Background) without any user intervention or application restarts.

Key Capabilities

Features activated immediately upon inheritance.

Feature	Description
`Auto-Theming Engine`	Automatically detects if Windows is running in Light or Dark mode. It hooks into system events to switch palettes instantly, ensuring your app always looks native.
`Windows 11 Integration`	Unlock exclusive Windows 11 design materials like Mica, Acrylic, and Tabbed Mica backdrops with a single property change.
`Native Title Bar Control`	Gain full control over the standard Windows title bar colors (Background, Text, Border) while keeping native behaviors like Snap Layouts and Shake-to-Minimize.
`Extended Glass Frame`	Support for extending the DWM glass frame into the client area, allowing for sophisticated "headerless" or "glass sheet" UI designs.

Getting Started

To use SiticoneSmartForm, simply change your form to inherit from this class instead of the standard Form.

C# - Inheritance

using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI;

// Switch inheritance from 'Form' to 'SiticoneSmartForm'
public partial class MainDashboard : SiticoneSmartForm
{
                public MainDashboard()
    {
                InitializeComponent();
        
                // Enable the auto-theming engine
                this.SmartFormThemeMode = SiticoneSmartFormThemeMode.Auto;
        
                // Define what "Dark Mode" looks like for your app
                this.DarkModeBackColor = Color.FromArgb(32, 32, 32);
                this.DarkModeTitleBarColor = Color.FromArgb(32, 32, 32);
        
                // Define what "Light Mode" looks like
                this.LightModeBackColor = Color.White;
                this.LightModeTitleBarColor = Color.White;
    }
}

Theming Engine

The SmartFormThemeMode property dictates how the form reacts to the environment.

Mode	Behavior
`Auto`	Monitors Windows settings. When the user changes their OS theme, the form swaps between DarkMode* and LightMode* properties instantly.
`Light`	Forces the form into Light Mode configurations, overriding the system preference.
`Dark`	Forces the form into Dark Mode configurations and tells Windows DWM to render the frame in immersive dark mode.
`Custom`	Disables the engine. The form uses the static properties `TitleBarColor`, `BackColor`, and `BorderColor` directly.

Windows 11 Visuals

Exclusive materials available on Windows 11 builds (22000+). These properties gracefully degrade on older Windows versions.

C# - Applying Mica Backdrop

public ApplyModernVisuals()
{
                // Enable the "Mica" material. 
                // This allows the desktop wallpaper color to subtly tint the app background.
                this.BackdropType = SiticoneBackdropType.Mica;

                // Ensure corners are rounded (Windows 11 Standard)
                this.RoundedCorners = true;
    
                // Important: Mica requires a transparent background to be visible
                this.BackColor = Color.Transparent;
}

Icon Management

The standard WinForms Icon property often renders poorly at different DPI settings in the title bar. SiticoneSmartForm offers enhanced icon controls.

C# - High DPI Icon Handling

public SetupBranding()
{
                // Provide a specific icon resource for the title bar
                this.CustomIcon = Properties.Resources.AppLogoHighRes;
    
                // Force the icon to render at a specific size (e.g., 24x24)
                // This prevents the blurry upscaling often seen in standard WinForms
                this.CustomIconSize = new Size(24, 24);
    
                // Optionally hide the icon entirely for a cleaner look
                // this.ShowIconInTitleBar = false;
}

Window Controls

Fine-grained control over the standard window buttons (Minimize, Maximize, Close) directly from properties.

Property	Type	Description
`EnableClose`	bool	If false, the Close (X) button is disabled visually and `ALT+F4` commands are intercepted and ignored.
`EnableMinimize`	bool	Toggles the Minimize button visibility in the title bar.
`EnableMaximize`	bool	Toggles the Maximize button visibility in the title bar.
`EnableDocking`	bool	If set to false, the form border becomes FixedSingle, preventing the user from resizing the window via edges.

API Reference

Theming Properties

Property	Type	Description
`SmartFormThemeMode`	Enum	Controls the active mode: Auto, Light, Dark, or Custom.
`TitleBarColor`	Color	Sets the background color of the native title bar (Active in Custom mode).
`TitleBarTextColor`	Color	Sets the caption text color. Use `Color.Empty` for system default.
`BorderColor`	Color	Sets the color of the DWM window border.

Advanced Effects

Property	Type	Description
`BackdropType`	Enum	Sets the Windows 11 material: None, Mica, Acrylic, or MicaTabbed.
`EnableBlurBehind`	bool	Activates the DWM blur effect on the window frame (Glass effect).
`ExtendFrameIntoClientArea`	bool	Extends the title bar area into the client content area.
`FrameExtensionMargins`	Padding	Defines the pixel depth of the frame extension (Left, Top, Right, Bottom).

Example: Custom Branding

Using SiticoneSmartFormThemeMode.Custom allows you to enforce brand colors regardless of system settings.

C# - Corporate Branding

public ApplyCorporateTheme()
{
                // 1. Disable Auto-Theming
                this.SmartFormThemeMode = SiticoneSmartFormThemeMode.Custom;

                // 2. Define Brand Colors
                Color corporateBlue = Color.FromArgb(0, 122, 204);
    
                // 3. Apply to Native Window Elements
                this.TitleBarColor = corporateBlue;
                this.TitleBarTextColor = Color.White;
                this.BorderColor = corporateBlue;
    
                this.BackColor = Color.White;
}