GDI+ is the graphical library used in the .NET Framework.

Good Resources

http://www.functionx.com/vccli/index.htm

How To Draw Graphics On A Form

Include the namespace:

	System::Drawing

Add the following to the forms constructor

	bmpDrawingArea   = gcnew Bitmap(Width, Height);
	graphDrawingArea = Graphics::FromImage(bmpDrawingArea);

Then

Create the forms paint event (select form > select the properties lighting bolt icon > double click event) and add:

	e->Graphics->DrawImage(bmpDrawingArea, 0, 0);

Select the form and set is DoubleBuffered property to true, to avoid blinking when its updated

Then in the function that you want to draw all the graphics bits in use this at the beginning:

	graphDrawingArea->Clear(this->BackColor);

Then do all your drawing bits and bobs
Then use this to cause the form to be updated

	Invalidate();		//Trigger the paint event

Getting a Graphic Object

Every Windows control automatically inherits a method called CreateGraphics(), which gives you access to the graphic part of a control. The CreateGraphics() method returns the Graphics object of the variable you call it from. An example of getting the Graphics object of a form:

System::Void button1_Click(System::Object ^  sender,
			   System::EventArgs ^  e)
{
    Graphics ^ graph = this->CreateGraphics();

Another technique is to call the Graphics::FromHwnd() static method. Its syntax is:

System::Void button1_Click(System::Object ^  sender,
			   System::EventArgs ^  e)
{
    Graphics ^ graph = Graphics::FromHwnd(this->Handle);

Stopping blinking of the form

Select the form and set its DoubleBuffered property to true.

Pen Colour

Specifying by name

	BackColor = Color::Turquoise;

Specifying from RGB values

	BackColor = Color::FromArgb(26, 69, 174);

Creating a variable to hold colour

	Color clrBlue = Color::Blue;

Solid Brush Colour

SolidBrush^ lightColour = gcnew SolidBrush(Color::Lime);
lightColour->Color = Color::FromArgb(5, 10, 20);

Pen

The most basic graphic tool

    Pen ^ penRed = gcnew Pen(Color::Blue);

Defining a pen to use to change colour

	Pen ^ penColour = gcnew Pen(Color::Blue);
	penColour->Color = Color::Red;

Drawing Rectangles

Declare two variables as follows

private:
		/// <summary>
		/// Required designer variable.
		/// </summary>
		Graphics^ graphDrawingArea;
		Bitmap^ bmpDrawingArea;

In the form load event

	bmpDrawingArea   = gcnew Bitmap(Width, Height);
	graphDrawingArea = Graphics::FromImage(bmpDrawingArea);

Create the paint event for the form and put this in it

	e->Graphics->DrawImage(bmpDrawingArea, 0, 0);

Then to draw rectangles use the following

 	graphDrawingArea->Clear(this->BackColor);

	graphDrawingArea->DrawRectangle(gcnew Pen(Color::Red), 20, 20, 40, 60);	//colour, x, y, width, height - x,y is top left corner

	Invalidate();		//Trigger the paint event

	//or use
	graphDrawingArea->FillRectangle(gcnew SolidBrush(Color::Lime), 20, 20, 40, 60);	//colour, x, y, width, height - x,y is top left corner

Drawing Elipses / Circles

Note that the X and Y coords define the top left corner of a rectangle that encloses the elipse.

	graphDrawingArea->DrawEllipse(gcnew Pen(Color::Red), Rectangle(
					targets_start_x + (targets_width >> 1) + x_coord,
					targets_start_y + y_coord,
					target_diameter,
					target_diameter
					));	//colour, x, y, width, height - x,y is top left corner