Protected Properties - How to make them visible in designer?

[keyser456]

I have a control "template" (I'll call UserControlTemplate) that I inherit as the base type for several other similar controls, like below:

public class UserControl1 : UserControlTemplate
{...}
public class UserControl2 : UserControlTemplate
{...}

My problem is I need to allow access to a UserControlTemplate property I'll call UserProperty1, but I only want it to be visible to classes that inherit UserControlTemplate such as UserControl1 and UserControl2, but I also want the property to show up in the IDE's property window while designing the new controls that inherit the template.

If I use the following:

protected string UserProperty1
{
get{...}
set{...}
}

This property does not show up in the designer under the properties window. I don't want to set the property to public because I don't want it to be changed anytime other than when designing the inherited control. I did some reading on custom designers and shadowing, and after trying a few things, the property still does not show up in the IDE property window when I'm designing the inherited control. The property only shows up when I place the inherited control on a form and select the inherited control, but that's not what I'm after.

 

[keyser456]

In case the reason nobody has answered is because they don't want to take the time to read all that here is the short version:

I need a property to be visible in the designer's properties window, but it can't be public because I don't want outsiders (anything that doesn't inherit from the base class) to be able to access it.

Ultra short version:
How do you get protected properties to become visible in the designer's properties window?

Yes, I understand the properties window is an "external viewer", so I think either this can't be done or you'd have to trick the designer somehow.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!