Need help - How to display loading image in Winform ?

Question

Hi,

We have 1 WinForm application developed using VB.NET (.NET Framework 3.0). In this application we have used 1 tree view control and a group box. The group box contains the ComponentOne's TrueDBGrid.

When we click on/select the node from tree view we are fetching the data from database and displaying it on the grid. This process is taking the time to display data. So we want that some animated loading image should be displayed to indicate that process is going on. For this we have placed 1 picture box control (containing animated loading image just like we use with Ajax) in the group box. After click on a tree view node we are hiding grid and displaying picture box and after assigning a data source to the grid we are hiding picture box and displaying gird. Below is our code.


In the below code if we add  "Application.DoEvents()" after showing picture box then the image of picture box is appearing on the WinForm while running the application otherwise not. Now after adding "Application.DoEvents()" the picture box is appearing but the image is looking plane and not animated.
So does anyone knows that why the image is appearing plane and what we will have to do to display animated image? We want to keep application and code simple so we have not used threading, progress bar and background worker process  controls etc.


Private Sub tvDatabaseObjects_NodeMouseClick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.TreeNodeMouseClickEventArgs) Handles tvDatabaseObjects.NodeMouseClick


  Try
 
  ''''' Hide grid
  tdbgLookup.Visible = False

  ''''' Display picture box
  pbLoading.Visible = True
  pbLoading.Width = 219
  pbLoading.Height = 20
  pbLoading.Location = New Point(297, 216)
  pbLoading.Show()

  Me.Cursor = Cursors.WaitCursor

  ''''' If we add below line of code then form will show picture box otherwise not
  ''''' Application.DoEvents()



  If e.Node.Nodes.Count = 0 Then
 
  '''' Code will go here to load data into datagrid

  ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
 
  ''''' Hide picture box
  pbLoading.Visible = False


  '''' Display grid
  tdbgLookup.Visible = True
  tdbgLookup.Show()

  Me.Cursor = Cursors.Default

  Else

  End If

  Catch ex As Exception
 
  Exit Sub
  End Try
  End Sub


Thanks and Regards
Prasad