WinAPI help

Hi Dave

This works here

decls

.lib "user32.dll"
api_SetWindowLong%(hwnd%,nIndex%,dwNewLong%):"SetWindowLongA" 
api_SetLayeredWindowAttributes%(hwnd%,crKey%,bAlpha%,dwFlags%):"SetLayeredWindowAttributes" 
api_InvalidateRect%(hwnd%,lpRect%,bErase%):"InvalidateRect"

and the example

win = CreateWindow("Test",0,0,600,400,Desktop(),0);
canvas = CreateCanvas(200,200,32,32,win); SMALL CANVAS 32x32
SetGadgetLayout canvas,1,1,1,1
SetBuffer CanvasBuffer(canvas)

skin_window(win,"test.bmp",canvas, $FFFFFF,100,3);
;^^^^^THIS CALLS THE RELEVANT FUNCTION^^^^^^

timer = CreateTimer (60)
Global timerframes
winsym = LoadImage("winsym.bmp") ; 24x24 bmp top-left pixel black

Repeat
  Select WaitEvent()
  Case $101
    Select EventData()
    
	Case 1
    	End
    End Select    
	
	Case $4001;   THIS SECTION JUST TO MAKE WIN DRAGABLE
    If MouseDown(1) Then	
     If gedrueckt = 0 Then		
       maus_X = MouseX()
       maus_Y = MouseY()
       fenster_X = GadgetX(win) 
       fenster_Y = GadgetY(win)
       gedrueckt = 1
     Else 
       neues_maus_X = MouseX()
       neues_maus_Y = MouseY()
       differenz_X = maus_X - neues_maus_X
       differenz_Y = maus_Y - neues_maus_Y
       fenster_X = fenster_X - differenz_X
       fenster_Y = fenster_Y - differenz_Y
       maus_X = neues_maus_X
       maus_Y = neues_maus_Y	
       SetGadgetShape (win, fenster_X, fenster_Y, 600,400)
     End If
    Else 
	    gedrueckt = 0
	  End If
	 End Select
	
	Select EventID()
    Case $803 ; Window Close
        End
	Case $4001 ; Timer tick
		Cls
		If JoyDown(1) Then
			DrawImage(winsym,0,0); x,y
		EndIf
		FlipCanvas(canvas)
	End Select; ends EventID() select	
Forever

Function skin_window(window_handle, image_path$,panel,colorkey,alpha,colororalpha)
;^^^HipTeen CALLED THAT ARG PANEL BUT IN MY CASE IT'S
;ACTUALLY A CANVAS... HERE IS HIS COMMENTS:
; colorkey is transparency color in hexadecimal form, black ist for example $FFFFFF
; alpha describes the opacity of the window, 0 for full translucent and 255 for non translucent
; use coloralpha to choose the mode you want to use
; 1 to set one color fully lucent
; 2 to set the level of the transperence of the whole window
; 3 to do both
; I think the rest ist self-explanatory
   
	;If Not panel Then
   ;  panel = CreatePanel (0,0,GadgetWidth (window_handle), GadgetHeight (window_handle), window_handle)
	;End If
   ;SetPanelImage canvas, image_path$ ; panel,

   hwnd = QueryObject (window_handle, 1); these 3 lines needed for transparency effect
   api_SetWindowLong(hwnd, -20,  $80000) ; -20 GWL(getwindowLong)_EXSTYLE
   api_SetLayeredWindowAttributes(hwnd, colorkey, alpha, colororalpha)
   ;api_InvalidateRect(api_GetDesktopWindow(), Null, True) ;(GetDesktopWindow(), Null, True)
;api_RedrawWindow(api_GetDesktopWindow(),Null,hwnd,RDW_ERASE)
;api_SendMessage(api_GetDesktopWindow(), WM_PAINT, 0,0)
End Function

the window moves clean and the desktop does not curupt, you could try api_InvalidateRect(QueryObject(Desktop(),1), 0, True)

kev