Siticone Vertical Slider

The SiticoneVSlider is a customizable vertical slider control designed for modern Windows Forms applications. It supports extensive features such as custom thumb animations (Blink, Gradient, Pulsate), visual feedback (Glow, Shadow), and advanced state management. It includes built-in accessibility support, keyboard navigation, and a robust event system for data binding.

Value & Range

Properties that define the slider's numeric data limits and current position.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`Value`	int	slider.Value = 75; The current numeric value of the slider. Must be between Minimum and Maximum. Triggers animation when changed.
`Minimum`	int	slider.Minimum = 0; The lower bound of the slider's range.
`Maximum`	int	slider.Maximum = 100; The upper bound of the slider's range.
`Step`	int	slider.Step = 5; The increment/decrement value used when using keyboard controls (Arrow keys) or context menu actions.

Appearance & Track

Control the visual styling of the track, thumb size, and margins.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`TrackColor`	Color	slider.TrackColor = Color.LightGray; The color of the unfilled portion of the slider track (above the thumb).
`ElapsedTrackColor`	Color	slider.ElapsedTrackColor = Color.SeaGreen; The color of the filled portion of the track (from minimum to thumb).
`ThumbSize`	int	slider.ThumbSize = 20; The diameter of the thumb handle in pixels.
`ThumbColor`	Color	slider.ThumbColor = Color.MediumSeaGreen; The primary color of the slider thumb.
`ThumbBorderColor`	Color	slider.ThumbBorderColor = Color.White; The color of the border ring around the thumb.
`ControlMargin`	Padding	slider.ControlMargin = new Padding(0, 10, 0, 10); Internal spacing around the track. Useful to prevent the thumb from clipping at the edges.

Thumb Animations

Configure how the thumb behaves visually. The ThumbType property controls active animations. Note: Complex animations are disabled if UltraFastMode is active.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`ThumbType`	ThumbType	slider.ThumbType = ThumbType.Pulsate; Determines the visual mode: `Solid`: Static color. `Blink`: Fades opacity in and out. `Gradient`: Cycles through a spectrum of colors. `Pulsate`: Thumb size expands and contracts. `Glow`: Emits a fading outer ring.
`ThumbPressShrink`	int	slider.ThumbPressShrink = 4; Pixels by which the thumb shrinks when pressed.

Visual Effects

Enhancements like shadows, glows, and hover interactions to improve UI depth.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`ShadowEnabled`	bool	slider.ShadowEnabled = true; Renders a drop shadow beneath the thumb for depth.
`HoverEffects`	bool	slider.HoverEffects = true; If true, the thumb expands slightly when the mouse hovers over it.
`GlowColor`	Color	slider.GlowColor = Color.FromArgb(100, Color.SpringGreen);
`GlowSize`	int	slider.GlowSize = 15; The radius of the glow effect around the thumb.

Interaction & Behavior

Settings controlling user input, accessibility, and context menus.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`IsReadOnly`	bool	slider.IsReadOnly = true; If true, the slider cannot be moved by the user. Triggers 'Shake' or 'Beep' on interaction if enabled.
`ContextMenuEnabled`	bool	slider.ContextMenuEnabled = true; Enables a built-in right-click menu with options to Increment, Decrement, or Set Value manually.
`ShowToolTip`	bool	slider.ShowToolTip = true; Displays a tooltip with the current value and keyboard shortcuts while dragging or hovering.
`MouseWheelDelta`	int	slider.MouseWheelDelta = 5; The amount the value changes when scrolling the mouse wheel.

Feedback

Haptic-like feedback settings for invalid interactions (e.g., clicking a read-only slider).

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`CanShake`	bool	slider.CanShake = true; Triggers a horizontal shake animation if the user tries to modify a ReadOnly slider.
`CanBeep`	bool	slider.CanBeep = true; Plays a system beep sound on invalid input.

System & Performance

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`UltraFastMode`	bool	slider.UltraFastMode = true; Disables complex effects (Glow, Pulsate, Shadows) and forces `ThumbType.Solid`. Use this when rendering many sliders simultaneously to maximize FPS.

Public Methods

Programmatic control over the slider's state.

Reset()

// Resets the slider value to the Minimum property.
siticoneVSlider1.Reset();

SaveState() & GetState()

// 1. Save the current visual and data configuration
var state = siticoneVSlider1.SaveState();

// ... modify slider properties ...

// 2. Restore the previous configuration
siticoneVSlider1.GetState(state);

Useful for "Undo" functionality or temporarily changing styles (e.g., during a specific mode).

Events

Event Handling

// 1. Standard ValueChanged
// Fires every time the value property updates (during drag or animation).
slider.ValueChanged += (s, e) => 
{
                Console.WriteLine("Value updated.");
};

// 2. ValueHasChanged (Delegate)
// Provides the integer value directly in the signature.
slider.ValueHasChanged += (s, val) => 
{
    lblDisplay.Text = val.ToString() + "%";
};

// 3. ValueChangedComplete
// Fires ONLY when the user releases the mouse button after dragging.
// Ideal for heavy operations like applying filters or database updates.
slider.ValueChangedComplete += (s, finalVal) => 
{
                ApplyAudioSettings(finalVal);
};

// 4. DynamicValueUpdated
// Provides access via custom EventArgs.
slider.DynamicValueUpdated += (s, e) => 
{
                int val = e.Value;
                UpdateLivePreview(val);
};

Designer Experience

The SiticoneVSlider includes a comprehensive Smart Tag panel in Visual Studio.

Category	Features
`Theme Presets`	Instantly apply styles: Default (Blue), Dark, Light, Green, Red.
`Animation Presets`	Quickly set ThumbType: Solid, Blink, Gradient, Pulsate, Glow.
`Size Presets`	Compact, Standard, Large, Extra Large configurations.
`Range Presets`	0-100 (Default), Percentage, Extended (0-1000), Bipolar (-100 to 100).
`Copy/Paste`	Copy the entire UI configuration of one slider and paste it onto another instance.

Detailed Usage Examples

Example 1: Audio Volume Controller

Creates a responsive volume slider with a gradient thumb that cycles colors.

C# - Volume Slider

private SiticoneVSlider CreateVolumeSlider()
{
                var volumeSlider = new SiticoneVSlider
    {
        Size = new Size(40, 200),
        Minimum = 0,
        Maximum = 100,
        Value = 50,
        
                // Visuals
        ThumbType = ThumbType.Gradient, // Cycles colors
        ThumbSize = 22,
        TrackColor = Color.FromArgb(230, 230, 230),
        ElapsedTrackColor = Color.MediumSeaGreen,
        
                // Effects
        HoverEffects = true,
        ShadowEnabled = true,
        ShowToolTip = true,
        
                // Context Menu for precise control
        ContextMenuEnabled = true
    };

                // Handle volume change
    volumeSlider.ValueHasChanged += (s, val) => 
    {
                AudioSystem.SetMasterVolume(val / 100f);
    };

                return volumeSlider;
}

Example 2: Read-Only System Gauge

Uses the slider as a read-only progress indicator (e.g., CPU Usage). It shakes if the user tries to click it.

C# - CPU Gauge

private SiticoneVSlider CreateCpuGauge()
{
                var cpuGauge = new SiticoneVSlider
    {
                // Data Binding would typically update 'Value'
        Minimum = 0,
        Maximum = 100,
        
                // Make it non-interactive
        IsReadOnly = true,
        
                // Feedback: Shake if user clicks
        CanShake = true,
        CanBeep = false,
        
                // Read-Only Specific Styling
        ReadOnlyTrackColor = Color.FromArgb(40, 40, 40),
        ReadOnlyElapsedTrackColor = Color.Crimson,
        ReadOnlyThumbColor = Color.White,
        ReadOnlyThumbSize = 10 // Smaller thumb for gauges
    };

                return cpuGauge;
}

Example 3: Thermometer with Pulsating Thumb

Visualizes temperature with a pulsating thumb to indicate "active" monitoring.

C# - Thermometer

private void SetupThermometer(SiticoneVSlider slider)
{
    slider.Minimum = -20;
    slider.Maximum = 50;
    
                // Thumb beats/pulsates to show activity
    slider.ThumbType = ThumbType.Pulsate;
    slider.ThumbColor = Color.OrangeRed;
    
                // Add a Glow effect
    slider.ThumbType = ThumbType.Glow; // Note: Last assignment wins, choose one
    slider.GlowColor = Color.FromArgb(100, Color.Red);
    slider.GlowSize = 15;
    
                // Update color dynamically based on temperature
    slider.DynamicValueUpdated += (s, e) =>
    {
                if (e.Value < 0) 
            slider.ElapsedTrackColor = Color.LightBlue;
                else if (e.Value > 30)
            slider.ElapsedTrackColor = Color.Red;
                else
            slider.ElapsedTrackColor = Color.ForestGreen;
    };
}