Timer.Tick of a UserControl is Processor Intesive When There are Multiple Objects

Question

I have a UserControl that has multiple Common Controls like Buttons, Textbox, Lablels, etc and a Timer. Timer.Tick Handle is used to triggers Three-Four User Functions, every second.

When more than Five UserControl Objects are created, the Processor/ Execution of the Program slows down drastically.

What is the better way to trigger events of **Mutliple ** UserControls?

On Binging, I learnt that implementing Threading instead of Timer is a good idea but I ain't sure How to do that?

Assistance is solicited. Thank you

Answer 1

I learnt that implementing Threading instead of Timer is a good idea but I ain't sure How to do that?

Yes, you can use Threads

For example, a test with a UserControl containing 2 PictureBoxes, with 2 threads drawing bouncing balls
(which eats a lot of CPU in GDI+ and must not be done (Direct2D or WPF instead), but it is for the test to consume CPU)

Test with 9 controls (18 threads); animations are not too slower than with 1 control :

(remove the space at S leep (bug of this editor...))

Imports System.Threading  
  
Public Class UserControl1  
    Inherits UserControl  
    Friend WithEvents pictureBox1 As PictureBox  
    Friend WithEvents pictureBox2 As PictureBox  
  
    Private wt1 As Thread = Nothing  
    Private wt2 As Thread = Nothing  
    Private ReadOnly isCanceled As AutoResetEvent = New AutoResetEvent(False)  
  
    Private nX1 As Integer = 0, nX2 As Integer = 0, nY1 As Integer = 0, nY2 As Integer = 0  
    Private nStepX1 As Integer = 1, nStepX2 As Integer = 1, nStepY1 As Integer = 1, nStepY2 As Integer = 1  
    Private nSize1 As Integer = 20, nSize2 As Integer = 40  
    Private brush1 As System.Drawing.Brush = System.Drawing.Brushes.Green  
    Private brush2 As System.Drawing.Brush = System.Drawing.Brushes.Red  
  
    Public Sub New()  
        'InitializeComponent()  
        pictureBox1 = New PictureBox()  
        pictureBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(2, 2)  
        pictureBox1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(CInt((Me.ClientSize.Width - 2 * 3) / 2), Me.ClientSize.Height - 2 * 2)  
        pictureBox1.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle  
        Controls.Add(pictureBox1)  
  
        pictureBox2 = New PictureBox()  
        pictureBox2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(pictureBox1.Location.X + pictureBox1.Width + 2, 2)  
        pictureBox2.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(CInt(Me.ClientSize.Width / 2 - 2 * 3), Me.ClientSize.Height - 2 * 2)  
        pictureBox2.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle  
        Controls.Add(pictureBox2)  
  
        Dim bDesignMode As Boolean = (System.ComponentModel.LicenseManager.UsageMode = System.ComponentModel.LicenseUsageMode.Designtime)  
        If (Not bDesignMode) Then  
            wt1 = New Thread(New ThreadStart(AddressOf Me.WorkerThread1))  
            wt1.Start()  
  
            wt2 = New Thread(New ThreadStart(AddressOf Me.WorkerThread2))  
            wt2.Start()  
        End If  
  
        Me.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle  
        Me.DoubleBuffered = True  
    End Sub  
  
    Protected Overrides Sub OnCreateControl()  
        MyBase.OnCreateControl()  
        AddHandler CType(Me.Parent, Form).Closing, AddressOf Me.ParentClosing  
    End Sub  
  
    Protected Overrides Sub OnResize(e As EventArgs)  
        MyBase.OnResize(e)  
        pictureBox1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(CInt((Me.ClientSize.Width - 2 * 3) / 2), Me.ClientSize.Height - 2 * 2)  
        pictureBox2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(pictureBox1.Location.X + pictureBox1.Width + 2, 2)  
        pictureBox2.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(CInt((Me.ClientSize.Width - 2 * 3) / 2), Me.ClientSize.Height - 2 * 2)  
    End Sub  
  
    Private Sub ParentClosing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs)  
        If wt1 IsNot Nothing Then wt1.Abort()  
        If wt2 IsNot Nothing Then wt2.Abort()  
    End Sub  
  
    Private Sub WorkerThread1()  
        Do While Not isCanceled.WaitOne(0)  
            If IsHandleCreated Then  
                Invoke(New Action(AddressOf DrawItem1))  
                Thread.S leep(15)  
            End If  
        Loop  
    End Sub  
  
    Private Sub WorkerThread2()  
        Do While Not isCanceled.WaitOne(0)  
            If IsHandleCreated Then  
                Invoke(New Action(AddressOf DrawItem2))  
                Thread.S leep(15)  
            End If  
        Loop  
    End Sub    
  
    Private Sub DrawItem1()  
        nX1 += nStepX1  
        nY1 += nStepY1  
        If nX1 >= pictureBox1.Width - nSize1 Then nStepX1 = -1  
        If nY1 >= pictureBox1.Height - nSize1 Then nStepY1 = -1  
        If nX1 < 0 Then nStepX1 = 1  
        If nY1 < 0 Then nStepY1 = 1  
        Dim bm As Bitmap = New Bitmap(pictureBox1.Width, pictureBox1.Height)  
        Using gr As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(bm)  
            gr.SmoothingMode = Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.HighQuality  
            gr.FillEllipse(brush1, Convert.ToInt32(nX1), Convert.ToInt32(nY1), nSize1, nSize1)  
        End Using  
        If (pictureBox1.Image IsNot Nothing) Then  
            pictureBox1.Image.Dispose()  
        End If  
        pictureBox1.Image = bm  
    End Sub  
  
    Private Sub DrawItem2()  
        nX2 += nStepX2  
        nY2 += nStepY2  
        If nX2 >= pictureBox2.Width - nSize2 Then nStepX2 = -1  
        If nY2 >= pictureBox2.Height - nSize2 Then nStepY2 = -1  
        If nX2 < 0 Then nStepX2 = 1  
        If nY2 < 0 Then nStepY2 = 1  
        Dim bm As Bitmap = New Bitmap(pictureBox2.Width, pictureBox2.Height)  
        Using gr As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(bm)  
            gr.SmoothingMode = Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.HighQuality  
            gr.FillEllipse(brush2, Convert.ToInt32(nX2), Convert.ToInt32(nY2), nSize2, nSize2)  
        End Using  
        If (pictureBox2.Image IsNot Nothing) Then  
            pictureBox2.Image.Dispose()  
        End If  
        pictureBox2.Image = bm  
    End Sub   
End Class