performance - VB.NET Animated image class that uses a timer to advance frames - is this a good approach? -

vb.net, .net 4

hello,

i writing industrial control front-end has "fancy" graphics indicate states of machinery. example, indicate heaters on showing red wavy arrows emanating out picture of heater. accomplished creating class inherits picturebox , using timer advance images:

public class animatedpicturebox     inherits picturebox      private withevents timer new timers.timer     public property interval double                     return timer.interval         end         set(byval value double)             timer.interval = value         end set     end property          public imagelist new list(of image)     private nextimageindex integer = 0      public sub new(byval interval integer)         mybase.new()         timer = new timers.timer         me.interval = interval         me.sizemode = pictureboxsizemode.stretchimage         me.visible = true     end sub     public sub new()         me.new(100)     end sub      public sub beginanimation(byval [loop] boolean)         timer.start()     end sub     public sub beginanimation()         beginanimation([loop]:=true)     end sub     public sub stopanimation()         timer.stop()     end sub      private sub timer_elapsed(byval sender object, byval e system.timers.elapsedeventargs) handles timer.elapsed         invokecontrol(me, _             sub(x)                 x.image = x.imagelist(nextimageindex)                 x.nextimageindex += 1                 if x.nextimageindex > x.imagelist.count - 1 x.nextimageindex = 0             end sub)     end sub end class 

where invokecontrol subroutine in module handles cross-thread marshalling of controls:

private sub invokecontrol(of t control)(byval control t, byval action action(of t))     if control.invokerequired         try             control.invoke(new action(of t, action(of t))(addressof invokecontrol), new object() {control, action})         catch ex exception             '..handle error..         end try     else         action(control)     end if end sub 

my question "is alright way go or there obvious better way?" i'm not @ programming , worried having several of these objects embedded timers taxing cpu. suggestions appreciated!

thanks in advance, brian

p.s. went animated gifs other animation stuff, here, wanted able handle image formats can handle larger palette gif (if makes sense). in other words, when tried save of animations gifs, image quality took unacceptable hit.

i think approach. timers give lot of flexibility, , mike said, won't take cpu time speak of.